patgund | Discovery - Don Pacheco Inn, California

(Crossposted to my journal and

abandonedplaces)

This is a discovery I made on CA-152, at the junction of that and CA-156, roughly 13 miles east of Gilroy, California.

It appears to be an abandoned restaurant called the "Don Pacheco Inn". Some of the surviving wood shows fire damage, and only one room is still roofed with beautiful wooden beams and red spanish tile. The courtyards and empty fountains are beautiful as well. Since it's spring in California and has recently rained, everything is green and growing, including the trees and undergrowth in what used to be the rooms of this building.

I am, I admit, very happy with these pictures.

Pictures taken March 16, 2006

The late Don Pacheco Inn, California

This is the sign along CA-152

This is facing the junction of CA-152 and CA-156. You can see some of the moss and fire damage on the walls to the right

The is the east side of the front courtyard, with a half-open gate leading into the inner courtyards

Front courtyard, facing west. That thick green overgrowth you see behind the fountain is all over the remains of the main room.

Again facing west, the patio is very well preserved

This is the remaining covered building in the complex, and is very well preserved, all things considered. That's the remains of a fireplace on the north wall.

And it seems the Don Pacheco Inn accepted MasterCard

This is the fountain and the inner courtyard. Amazingly well preserved.

Here's the otherside of the gated entryway. And what lies between the inner and outer walls??

Trees. There's a roller door at the far end of this room, I suspect it may have been used for storage. Now, trees and moss predominates

This is the remains of the main room, facing north. This portion was somewhat solid. The trees have been there quite a while now

This is the entryway to a smaller room (storage? office?) on the northern side of the main room

The undergrowth appears very well in this picture - and covers a very uneven surface. The brick beams that supported the flooring make for unexpected finds, and you have to walk carefully