Welcome to Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday! Since you enjoyed the outing into the Old West last week, I am heading out west this week again -- to Nevada to be precise.
Do you know the Ponderosa Ranch? The name sounds familiar, doesn't it? What about this map? Maybe you remember it burning -- and now a melody comes into your mind.
Yes -- right! Bonanza. The Cartwrights. Adam (Pernell Roberts). Little Joe (Michael Landon). Ben (Lorne Green). Hoss (Dan Blocker).
Living on the Ponderosa Ranch in this ranch house.
Do you know that the filming location was a theme park between 1967 and 2004? In 1997, I visited the Ponderosa Ranch. The mountains and forest around are amazing. Here you see a photo towards the entrance from within the park.
The hotel and saloon.
Here you could buy a Hoss burger -- which I did. It tasted delicious! According to Wikipedia approximately 3,000,000 burgers were sold during the park's existence.
The film sets looked as if a film crew had just stopped working.
A cabin in the forest.
There was a pathway on a hill which allowed great overviews over the whole filming set.
A look into town.
The scenery is amazing -- you can even make out Lake Tahoe in the background.
Another gorgeous overview -- the weather was sunny but cold. It was in early October.
Here's the Cartwright Ranch.
Here's Hop Sing setting the table for the Cartwrights.
The dining room.
The lady on the right side was the guide on the ranch tour. The big fireplace was really impressive.
Hoss's hat and vest and Little Joe's hat and jacket hanging next to the door.
Here's the patriarch, Ben Cartwright, sitting behind his desk. Do you see the map of the Ponderosa Ranch hanging on the wall?
Back in town.
Oh, some action -- a hold-up in the bank!
The last two photos were taken nearby -- I almost expected the Cartwrights riding into view any minute.
The scenery around Lake Tahoe is so very beautiful.
I hope you enjoyed your visit at the Ponderosa Ranch.
