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Post by Coyote Queen on Jun 29, 2008 17:16:06 GMT -5
There were many surprises this part week as we celebrated Brian's star on the walk of fame. Among them, the tour of the Gull's Way Estate...or as some of us referred to it "The Pilgrimage to the Holy Land". I took over 50 photos at the estate and decide to share just a few here. The original photos are 1011x758 and look absolutely crisp and clear. Unfortunately, I had to resize them in order to fit on this website, and they lost a little luster in the process. Main Entrance  Driveway  Gate House  Fountain  Main House - Front Door  Patio  Former Site of the Pool  Main House - Rear View  Main House - Garage Door & Kitchen Entrance  Guest House  Guest House - Alt View  Main House - Side Lawn With View  Main House - Side Lawn Statue  View of Main Drive from Guest House  Anyone who wants to swap CD-ROMs of their Gulls Way Tour pictures, send me a PM and I'll get a disc out to you. |
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Post by torinoreese on Jun 30, 2008 13:04:53 GMT -5
Awesome pictures! Gulls Way is one of the coolest locations for a tv series by far.  Looking at the pics brings back a lot of nice memories of the show.. Mark and Milt playing Basketball, both sitting at the pool, Skid doing the gardening. ;D Thanks for sharing. |
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Post by greenguy on Jun 30, 2008 13:34:39 GMT -5
Yes, thanks very much for sharing! Looking at some of the photo's, I could visualize so many different scenes from the show!
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Post by owlcroft on Jul 1, 2008 11:43:59 GMT -5
The STAR members had to return the video equipment (slide show at the reception, stunt reel at the reunion), so we caught up with the rest of the gang at "Seagull Beach", which was wonderful. The temperature was perfect (I think in the mid-70s), there were pelicans and some marine life, beautiful little waves pounding the shore, spectacular scenery.
From there, we headed for Gulls Way and that was incredible! First, every good thing that has been said about Heidi Jaeger is true and can't be repeated often enough. She was generous, informative, friendly, helpful, and went way beyond the call of duty. It's obvious that she has found her life's work in preserving the history of the estate and her love for it and dedication to it are awe-inspiring.
We walked down the drive and there was the "gatehouse". From there we headed to the fountain area, then down to the side lawn and around to the back. All of the trees are obviously taller than seen in the
series; they're 25 years older, after all. Everything is kept in immaculate condition, perfectly groomed yards and walkways. Indescribably beautiful views, lots of areas never seen in the show, incredible landscaping and the flowers are stunning. Words can't do it justice and the photos probably can't either. I would happily live
there the rest of my life. But they won't let me!
Then, the final unbelievable gift. We got taken into the "gatehouse". We went from the back patio (remember the cookout in "Ties"?) into the kitchen and through into the living room. Most of us went upstairs to check out the "loft", which was really a bedroom, bath, and small area which could be a spare bedroom in a pinch. I stayed below and marvelled over the exquisite furniture and decor.
Finally, we headed back outside (reluctantly) and regrefully bid farewell to Heidi and Gulls Way. We missed the restoration of the arch by two weeks! Anyone heading out there, please get a photo for us.
Lastly, we arrived at Paradise Cove and spent about 3 hours getting a typical over-the-top lunch at the cafe there. Just ask one of us to describe the ice cream sandwich dessert or my quart and a half of guacamole! The crowd was interesting to watch, and the location, where bits of three episodes were filmed, were just beautiful. Unfortunately, they were also packed with people. Still, we can say we saw the rocks where the stone-skipping scene in "Gentle" was filmed, the pier from "Long Ago Girl" and the last chicken scene in "Nowhere Fast".
A drive back through Malibu and Santa Monica and we were at the hotel. After we'd all either rested or visited tourist spots, we gathered at the pool and the reception leftovers hit the table. I have to say, they were pretty good looking, too, but I had a cab to catch to the airport.
Thank you all for getting this done. It was an enormous pleasure to meet so many of you in person last week, and I deeply regret not having more time to spend just chatting with you more. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life and I was privileged to share it with you.
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Post by greenguy on Jul 3, 2008 4:31:29 GMT -5
The STAR members had to return the video equipment (slide show at the reception, stunt reel at the reunion), so we caught up with the rest of the gang at "Seagull Beach", which was wonderful. The temperature was perfect (I think in the mid-70s), there were pelicans and some marine life, beautiful little waves pounding the shore, spectacular scenery. From there, we headed for Gulls Way and that was incredible! First, every good thing that has been said about Heidi Jaeger is true and can't be repeated often enough. She was generous, informative, friendly, helpful, and went way beyond the call of duty. It's obvious that she has found her life's work in preserving the history of the estate and her love for it and dedication to it are awe-inspiring. We walked down the drive and there was the "gatehouse". From there we headed to the fountain area, then down to the side lawn and around to the back. All of the trees are obviously taller than seen in the series; they're 25 years older, after all. Everything is kept in immaculate condition, perfectly groomed yards and walkways. Indescribably beautiful views, lots of areas never seen in the show, incredible landscaping and the flowers are stunning. Words can't do it justice and the photos probably can't either. I would happily live there the rest of my life. But they won't let me! Then, the final unbelievable gift. We got taken into the "gatehouse". We went from the back patio (remember the cookout in "Ties"?) into the kitchen and through into the living room. Most of us went upstairs to check out the "loft", which was really a bedroom, bath, and small area which could be a spare bedroom in a pinch. I stayed below and marvelled over the exquisite furniture and decor. Finally, we headed back outside (reluctantly) and regrefully bid farewell to Heidi and Gulls Way. We missed the restoration of the arch by two weeks! Anyone heading out there, please get a photo for us. Lastly, we arrived at Paradise Cove and spent about 3 hours getting a typical over-the-top lunch at the cafe there. Just ask one of us to describe the ice cream sandwich dessert or my quart and a half of guacamole! The crowd was interesting to watch, and the location, where bits of three episodes were filmed, were just beautiful. Unfortunately, they were also packed with people. Still, we can say we saw the rocks where the stone-skipping scene in "Gentle" was filmed, the pier from "Long Ago Girl" and the last chicken scene in "Nowhere Fast". A drive back through Malibu and Santa Monica and we were at the hotel. After we'd all either rested or visited tourist spots, we gathered at the pool and the reception leftovers hit the table. I have to say, they were pretty good looking, too, but I had a cab to catch to the airport. Thank you all for getting this done. It was an enormous pleasure to meet so many of you in person last week, and I deeply regret not having more time to spend just chatting with you more. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life and I was privileged to share it with you. Thanks for the recap. It takes time to compose a lengthy post, but those of us that couldn't attend appreciate hearing all about it!  By the way, what was the stunt reel? Something put together by you guys spotlighting the stunts? Or was this footage provided by someone from SJC Productions? |
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Post by owlcroft on Jul 3, 2008 12:08:56 GMT -5
One of our members, Cheride, had put together some of the crashes and leaps and explosions to make a little video (I think it ran about 20 minutes) and we showed that at the reunion, to the delight of the stunt and special effects people. Everyone else enjoyed it, too, but those guys in particular appreciated it and at least one even asked for a copy. We also showed "Rolling Thunder", which got a lot of attention in between drinks and snacks and yakking up a storm, but the stunt reel was our present to the crew behind the scenes.
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Post by Schnurretiger on Jul 4, 2008 10:39:19 GMT -5
Hey guys, is it possible that there are new pictures of Gulls Way on Google Earth? The resolution seems to be far better than in the past.
I've really been amazed by your pictures! Have you got any more? Somehow, I did not remember that the property had so many slopes. I always thought everything was pretty much on the same level. And I did not know that there are actually three houses on the grounds. Where exactly are the Gate and the Guest house located? I believe the Guest House is pretty clearly visible on Google Earth, but what about the Gate House?
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Post by owlcroft on Jul 4, 2008 12:12:45 GMT -5
Actually the "gatehouse" is what they called the guesthouse on the show. It was the original house on the property before the main house was built. There's also a building used as an office (you never see anything but the roof in the show, in "Duet for 2 Wind Instruments") and a trailer in process of being sold. Not the gardener's trailer, but the one the property manager used to live in. There's a large terrace below the west lawn and that's where the greenhouse used to be. We never saw that entire area and not much of the gazebo/rose garden either. In one of the first season episodes, McC chases somebody through some short hedges and that's now where the roses are.
Beautiful place; seems like a dream that we were there. I'm awfully glad we have photos!
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Post by Coyote Queen on Jul 4, 2008 14:42:05 GMT -5
Another fact about the estate: The main house had only 1 bedroom. When our guide Heidi told us that I chuckled and thought to myself, "Where was Sarah sleeping?"  Oops! I forgot. This is a PG rated board...I guess it was "understood" that the main house had more than 1 bedroom in the show. (wink, wink, LOL) |
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Post by Schnurretiger on Jul 4, 2008 16:15:06 GMT -5
You must be joking! It really only had one bedroom? *amazed*
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Post by delorean81 on Sept 21, 2008 15:29:42 GMT -5
just a couple of quick questions about the estate, 1. when did they fill in the pool 2. when did the they replace the red driveway with whats there now. 3. can u go 'tour' the grounds at anytime or just special occasions such as this I wish i could have gone just another once inalifetime chance gone  |
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Post by Coyote Queen on Sept 23, 2008 6:48:49 GMT -5
just a couple of quick questions about the estate, 1. when did they fill in the pool 2. when did the they replace the red driveway with whats there now. 3. can u go 'tour' the grounds at anytime or just special occasions such as this I wish i could have gone just another once in a lifetime chance gone Owlcroft might have the specific dates as to when the pool was filled in and the driveway changed. I'm not sure, but I believe it was just painted over. Sadly, tours are not available. The estate actually functions as HQ for D!ck Clark's company. The STAR for Brian staff put alot of blood, sweat, and tears into pulling this all together, and it was obvious that we we being treated to a rare and special treat...an opportunity that will probably never happen again. However! I do recall seeing an article online where Gulls Way was rented out for a special event. I believe it was a "save the animals" celebrity event of some sort. Oh, here it is... www.californiawildlifecenter.org/news/events/200804_WayWild.htmlSo, never say never! |
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Post by owlcroft on Sept 23, 2008 13:17:49 GMT -5
I'd have to go back and look up wihen they filled in the pool. There's a chapter about the estate in the book (which was delayed, but should be out next month or early in November -- we hope!) and it tells all about the subsidence problems and I believe even talks about the driveway. The archway sign reading "Gulls Way" should be back up now, so anyone taking a vacation to Malibu, please get a photo of it for us!
We were extremely lucky to get that tour and the people involved just could not have been nicer. Mr. Clark and his personal assistant, Heidi Jaeger (property manager), they were just fantastic. We did get a hairy eyeball from a couple of guys driving in and out while we were waiting at the gate. Understandable; we were a suspicious looking bunch in our discreet and subtle Hawaiian shirts.
Hey, it's been suggested already that we put together a fan reunion ten years from now and do it all again. Who knows? Could happen, so stay tuned and maybe we can swing another estate tour!
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Post by Schnurretiger on Sept 26, 2008 2:46:25 GMT -5
You guys couldn't like draw a map of the place, could you? I've been watching "The Black Widow" yesterday and apparently, you were able to enter the pool from the house. I still find the ways around the estate quite perplexing, even with google earth.
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Post by Coyote Queen on Sept 26, 2008 7:22:37 GMT -5
OK, here goes....pardon the poor resolution. Owl: If I've made any errors, let me know.  |
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Looking at the pics brings back a lot of nice memories of the show.. Mark and Milt playing Basketball, both sitting at the pool, Skid doing the gardening. ;D Thanks for sharing. 
Oops! I forgot. This is a PG rated board...
