(1897-1981)

Part I

The U.S. Postal service issued a series of stamps in Feburary 2003 titled "American filmmaking Behind the Scenes", honoring the behind-the-scenes personnel who make movies.  Edith Head received posthumous recognition on a stamp honoring costume design.  

By 1938, Edith Head had become the first woman to be named chief costume designer at a major production company and it was clear that she was an original in her craft.  A decade later, in 1949, she received an Oscar, awarded for the burgundy silk velvet and taffeta two-piece tiered gown designed for Olivia de Havilland to wear as Catherine Sloper in The Heiress for which Olivia de Haviland won for Best Actress.

"Fashion is a language.  Some know it, some learn it, some never will .. like an instinct."

When asked about the most influential men in her life, Head would always reply ..

"There were eight of them, and they were all named Oscar."

Edith Head won eight Academy Awards for Best Costume Design out of 35 nominations during her legendary career.  The eight movies she won her Oscars for were The Heiress (1949), Samson and Delilah (1949), All About Eve (1950), A Place in the Sun (1951), Roman Holiday (1953), Sabrina (1954), The Facts of Life (1960) and The Sting (1973).  

 

Today marks the solemn 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001.

The human purpose of commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11 is mourning.  It's to keep in our hearts those who were killed because of forces they did not control.  It's to provide comfort to the families and neighborhoods who couldn't ever be the same.  For those of us who lived through it, it's to process the trauma.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed after four commercial airplanes were hijacked and crashed in three United States locations.  Countless more were injured and suffered deadly health consequences in the years following.  

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum is a deeply moving cultural site in New York City that preserves the history and honors the victims.

On September 11, 2001, 343 firefighters from the New York City Fire Department and one New York Fire Patrol member made the ultimate sacrifice. Communities and fire departments nationwide hold memorial stair climbs matching the 110 stories of the World Trade Center.

We all remember where we were and what we were doing when America was attacked.

September 11, 2001. 

 

Dolly Parton's New Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Dolly received a brand-new star in September 2026 replacing her original 1984 marker at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard.

The original 42-year-old star was heavily worn by foot traffic.  

Fans have decorated the restored site with flowers and a turquoise butterfly placed over the center medallion as a nod to her connection with nature.  The non-profit Hollywood Historic Trust funded and managed the restoration and replacement work.  The same company has made all of them, more than 2,800 stars, since the Walk of Fame was dedicated in 1960.

"After grinding, sanding and polishing, the new star for the country music icon is back in its place with a fresh new look." 

Dolly chose the butterfly as her personal symbol because she felt a deep personal connection to their gentle, harmless and beautiful nature.  Growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains, young Dolly frequently wandered off chasing butterflies.

Oasis Diner

405 W. Main Street

Plainfield, Indiana 

"Great Food with a Side of History"

The Oasis Diner is a fully restored, authentic 1954 Mountain View Diner located on the Historic National Road.  Manufactured by Mountain View Diners in Signac, New Jersey it was shipped by railroad to Indiana in 1954. After closing in 2008 due to the owner's declining health it landed on Indiana Landmarks' 10 Most endangered list before being saved, restored and reopened. The retro landmark even made a cameo in a music video.

The Oasis features classic mid-century road trip charm with shiny stainless steel exteriors and cozy retro interior seating.  The diner provides a nostalgic family-friendly environment reminiscent of classic American roadside culture.  The staff features hand-crafted sodas like butterscotch root beer, thick milkshakes and hand-dipped ice cream and an on-site bakery.

Their menu includes classic comfort foods such as the Atlantic City Stuffed French Toast. The hand-breaded Indiana Tenderloin uses a recipe trusted for over 50 years and their Indianpolis Country Fried Breakfast is popular among all their customers. 

Pick a Stool!

The Mountain View Diner Company was a famous manufacturer of prefabricated diners founded by Les Daniel and Henry Strys in the Singac section of Little Falls, New Jersey.  Strys was an experienced local builder and contractor while Daniel had previously worked as a construction foreman for othre established diner-manufacuring operations.  Combing daniel's technical expertise in specialized dining car engineering with Strys's construction acumen they named the venture after the Mountain View section of Wayne, New Jersey which was Stry's hometown.  The founders separated themselves from local competitors by adopting a rigid, "scientific" manufacturing strategy.  They focused heavily on precision structural durability.

The company operated from 1938/1939 to 1957, selling diners that were shipped nationwide with the famous motto "A Mountain View Diner will last a lifetime".  Over 400 diners were constructed and shipped across the United States.  Pre-WWII models featured late Art Deco styling while post-war models embraced the popular Streamline Moderne look.  Following the war, Mountain View exploded in popularity.  They shifted entirely toward the Streamline Moderne style, embracing shiny stainless steel, prominent neon lighting and expansive glass facades.  By the 1950s, their aggressive sales techniques allowed them to outsell almost all other regional modular builders. 

In 1956, the company attempted to go public to raise capital for expansion.  However, the push failed and amidst shifting consumer preferences toward fast-food franchises, the company went out of business and officially ceased all production in 1957.  

Today, while many have been demolished, several surviving Mountain View Diners are highly sought after by preservationists and remain active landmarks.

The Oasis Diner is one of those active landmarks.  

Model #151

The footprint of a standard Mountain View model was long and thin, directly mimicking the silhouette of a railroad dining car.  The main section was built as one piece, while the secondary kitchen/support models were built separately and bolted together on-site. 

Mountain View models became instant landmarks on American highways due to a distinct visual language designed to catch the eyes of fast-moving motorists. 

Post-war blueprints swapped out heavy porcelain enamel for reflective steel and aluminum skin.  The company was famous for its ornamental metal detailing which included ribbed corner trims, raised geometric wall panels and articulated diamond patterns stamped into the metal surfaces. Their blueprints featured a continuous horizontal "ribbon" of large fixed plate-glass windows framed in aluminum.  This was anchored by a protruding central entry vestibule that naturally channeled foot traffic into the middle of the restaurant. To prevent the steel from looking too industrial, they integrated horizontal accent bands made of brightly colored laminates or ceramic tiles often utilizing shades like mint green, red or teal.

Stepping into a class Mountain View diner meant encountering a highly standardized,  layout designed for fast, high-volume food service. Parallel to the front windows ran a long service counter made of sleek Formica.  Bolted directly into the floor were heavy, stainless steel swivel stools. 

Directly behind the short-order cooking line stood a signature "quilted" metal wall.  This wall was not just aesthetic, it was highly reflective, fire-resistant and incredibly easy to wipe down.

Other Mountain View Diners made by the Mountain View Dining Car Company are Sally's Diner in Erie, PA, the Lake Effect Diner in Buffalo, New York, Crazy Otto's Empire Diner in Herkimer, New York and the Colonial Diner in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. 

Sally's Diner

25 Peninsula Drive

Erie, Pennsylvania

Manufactured in 1957 (Model #522).

This diner serves as an incredible example of structural preservation through relocation.  It served under several names across Pennsylvania before being moved to the entrance of Presque Isle State Park in 2003.

Lake Effect Diner

3165 Main Street

Buffalo, New York

Manufactured in 1955 (Model #446)

Originally operating in  Pennsylvania as teh Wayne Diner it was saved, relocated to Western New York in 2002 and meticulously restored.  It features a classic stainless steel exterior and was famously featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Crazy Otto's Empire Diner

100 West Albany Street

Herkimer, New York

Manufactured in 1952 (Model #330)

A massive favorite among roadside preservationists it was voted a Reader's Choice best Upstate New York Diner.  It operates daily and still proudly showcases stunning neon illumination on its Streamline Modern metal skin at night.

Colonial Diner

27 Orient Way

Lyndhurst, New Jersey

Manufactured around 1948 or 1950 (Model #267)

While it has undergone modern modifications over the decades, this is one of the few prominent Mountain View models still operating commercially in the company's home state of New Jersey,

 

The Carousel Bar

Hotel Monteleone

214 Royal Street

New Orleans

Louisiana 

The Carousel Bar & Lounge is an historic 25-seat rotating bar located inside the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter.  Opened in 1949, it is New Orleans' first and only revolving bar.  The circular, 360-degree bar is housed inside an illuminated circus-themed merry-go-round that turns once every 15 minutes.  It features an old-school, swanky hotel lobby bar with a vintage fairground ride.  Legendary literary figures like Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams famously frequented the lounge.

Known for classic New Orleans staples like the Sazerac* cocktail alongside elevated craft drink menus.  The Vieux Carre, a classic New Orleans cocktail invented at the hotel in the 1930s is a classic, spirit forward (high alcohol content) alcoholic cocktail with a balanced, velvety texture. It features a blend of warm spice, herbal depth and rich fruit notes. The cocktail invented in 1938 by Walter Bergeron (the head bartender at the Monteleone's Swan Room) prior to the bar's carousel revamp, this classic drink remains the signature order.  It features a potent blend of rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, Benedictine and bitters.  

The name translates from French as "old square" which is the historic name for the city's French Quarter.  It is often described as a richer, more complex cousin of the traditional Manhattan. 

*The Sazerac is a classic, bold New Orleans cocktail made with rye whiskey or cognac, sugar, Peychaud's bitters and an absinthe glass rinse. It is served without ice and was officially recognized as the signature cocktail of New Orleans in 2008. The drink traces its roots back to the 1830s and 1840s in New Orleans credited to Creole apothecary Antoine Peychaud.  The Sazerac is similar to an Old Fashioned though it relies specifically on Peyshcaud's bitters rather than the standard Angostura bitters in an Old Fashioned. 

The Carousel Bar is most famous for the Vieux Carre cocktail. 

Under the Floor

A single motor still turns the two thousand rollers beneath the floor, moving the barstools on a track around a central stationary bar. In the hotels early days the adjoining lounge space hosted legendary performers like Liberace and Louis Prima.

When speaking of New Orleans one cannot go without mentioning the most famous "doughnut" in the city .. the beignet.  Specifically, it is the iconic French-style square pastry piled high with powdered sugar from Cafe Du Monde. One must order a beignet with coffee and chicory.* Folks in the Big Easy have been enjoying these sweet delights since 1862.

*New Orleans-style coffee and chicory is a dark, nutty brew made by mixing roasted coffee beans with the dried, roasted root of the chicory plant.  Chicory is used in coffee by roasting and grinding the root which is then brewed alone or blended with coffee grounds to add a wood, nutty and caramel-like flavor while reducing caffenine.  It is commonly used in New Orleans-style coffee typically mixed in a ratio of 1 part chicory to 2 parts coffee. The traditional preparation is often served as a "cafe au lait" mixed with steamed milk.  Because chicory is more water-soluble than coffee, a little goes a long way offering a richer, less acidic brew.  

The original Cafe Du Monde is located at 800 Decatur Street directly across the street from Jackson Square in the historic French Market.

Grand Hotel

286 Grand Avenue

Mackinac Island, Michigan

Since 1887, Grand Hotel beckons guests to their porch where old-world meets new charm. 

Let's start at the top .. the Cupola Bar is located at the very top of the hotel on the fourth floor with two levels of seating, a comprehensive cocktail list, nightly entertainment and panoramic views of the Straits of Mackinac, the Mackinac Bridge and spectacular sunsets.

Murano glass chandelier in the Cupola Bar at Sunset

The stunning Murano glass chandelier hangs as a dramatic centerpiece above the dance floor and between the two levels of the lounge. Designed by Carleton Varney of Dorothy Draper & Co. when the Cupola Bar space was originally redesigned in 1987.  Suspended at the highest point of the Grand Hotel, offering panoramic views of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and the Mackinac Bridge.  

The view of the Straits of Mackinac from the Cupola Bar.

Design elements in this space feature patterns of greens and blues inspired by its surrounding views, along with sconces on the walls to match the iconic chandelier.

The Grand Hotel kitchen serves around 70,000 signature Grand Pecan Ball desserts every single season served since 1947.  Other prominent menu items include their Michigan Cherry Bread Pudding, German Chocolate Cake and Grand Marnier Creme Brulee. The Grand Pecan Ball Pudding is made with quality vanilla ice cream rolled in toasted pecans and topped with the hotel's signature hot fudge sauce. The Michigan Cherry Bread is a croissant custard featuring local tart and sweet cherries with a bourbon glaze. The German Chocolate Cake is made with Valrhona sponge cake layered with dark chocolate ganache and coconut-pecan cremeux. The Grand Marnier Creme Brulee is made with vanilla custard infused with Grand Marnier capped with glazed berries and turbinado sugar or natural brown sugar.

And before you leave the island you must sample Mackinac Island Fudge, it's the best!

Overlooking the World's Longest Porch and the Straits of Mackinac, the Grand Hotel's Main Dining Room offers one of the most picturesque dining experiences in an elegant setting for unforgettable breakfasts, lunches and formal dinners. The landmark dining destination centers on old-world hospitality, where dressing up for dinner is a tradition and gathering for a meal is an event.  The dining room transforms as the day progresses and it all begins with coming together for breakfast, the hotel's primary place to begin the day with both classic and unique dishes. In  the evening, there is a dress code as the dining room transforms with nightly live entertainment from the Grand Hotel Orchestra anda five-course rotating dinner menus that is locally focused and globally artistic.  The Grand Pecan Ball with fudge sauce, which made its debut in 1947, is the signature dessert.  Each season, Grand Hotel guests happily consume more than 60,000 Grand Pecan Balls.  

Recently honored with the Wine Spectator Award for "Best of Excellence", the dining room has over 350 selections of wine (dinner and dessert wines) curated by the hotel's Master Sommelier, Elizabeth Schweitzer.  The beloved staff, the heart of the Main Dining Room, graciously welcomes guests each season.

Somewhere in Time

This 1980 romantic fantasy drama starred Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.  A Chicago playwright uses self-hypnosis to travel back to 1912 and finds the actress he loves through time-travel.

Grand Hotel guests who stay at the hotel in some way do experience time travel as it is like going back-in-time upon entering its front doors.

Somewhere in Time was heavily filmed on location at the historic Grand Hotel. The production crew received special permission from Mackinac Island authorities to bring a few motor vehicles onto the island.  The film crew brought both 1910-era and 1970-era cars across to match the time-travel plot.  Cast members and crew were strictly prohibited from driving the vehicles outside of active camera rolling.  Even stars Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour had to get around by bicycle, horse-drawn carriage or on foot when not shooting scenes. The hotel has a Somewhere in Time weekend each year. 

"Jane Seymour once said she thought there was "Pixie dust" sprinkled over the film and she has come to several of these themed weekends.  "She loves our hotel.  She has a true love for Mackinac Island." 

Robert Tagatz, Grand Hotel Resident Historian

The Somewhere in time weekend here at The Grand Hotel was pure magic.  It iwas so woderful to spend time with all of the amazing people who love this special film.  Thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly to make it happen, to whose who came to celebrate and to all of you for joining us for the journey.  My heart is full!"

Seymour posted this message on social media after the event.

Seymour was 28 years of age when Somewhere in Time was filmed in 1979 and released in October 1980. Her character was Elise McKenna. Christopher Reeve, also 28 years of age at the time played the main character Richard Collier. Located near the "Is it You?" tree at the end of the boardwalk along the water's edge is the exact site where Richard and Elise first look at each other and she delivers her famous line "Is it you?"  A small commemorative marker rests near the base of the trees along the shoreline of Lake Shore Drive, directly south of the Grand Hotel. 

Somewhere in Time has remained a romantic favorite since it first hit theatres, but it turns out the real love story went beyond the one on screen. So when you saw this film, you saw the real thing.

Both actors were single when filming began on Mackinac Island. They developed an intense, real-life connection and "fell madly in love" which translated directly into their on-screen chemistry as Richard and Elise.  They kept their relationship subtle with only a few crew members knowing about the affair during production.  Before filming wrapped, Reeve's former girlfriend, Gae Exton, a modeling executive, informed him she was pregnant with their child, a son they named Matthew.  Still holding deep feelings for Exton and wanting to do the right thing for his family, Reeve made the difficult choice to end his relationship with Seymour and return to Exton. Reeve and Exton would go on to have a second child together, a daughter named Alexandra. Seymour later joked about hiding her heartache while filming a happy romantic scene right after hearing the news, saying she had to "put my big-girl pants on" with tears in her eyes. 

Despite the sudden end to their romance, there was a consensus among the actors and accounts that they maintain a profound, platonic bond.  They remained close friends for the rest of Reeve's life.  Seymour even named one of her twin sons, Kristopher, after her beloved former co-star. 

"The good part of the story is that Chris went on to have these two beautiful children and we met one another on many occasions. We remained really, really close friends, literally until the day he died.  I have to believe that I will one day see him somewhere in time."

Jane Seymour 

The combination of the majesty and elegance of Mackinac's Grand Hotel and the romance and charm of Somewhere in Time creates a potent cocktail of history, drama and emotion.  It's impossible to stroll on the white timber of the hotel's porch without being transported back in time to the heady days of the 1890s when the Grand Hotel was the talk of the mid-west.  The rocking chairs that line the veranda have silently witnessed the comings and goings of hundreds of visitors over the last century; actors and musicians, business owners, socialites, doctors and lawyers.  Add a sprinkling of time travel into this heady mix and a delicious effervesence is guaranteed.

On July 6, 1898, the village council officially prohibited automobiles. The ban was extended to Mackinac Island State Park in 1901 and it remains a strictly enforced state law today.  

The Grand Hotel, a massive wooden structure on Mackinac Island, opened on July 10, 1887 with 397 rooms (every single one is different) charging initial nightly rates between $3 and $5.  It was built in just 93 days by a group of railway and steamship companies consisting of 600 laborers as a luxurious summer escape for wealthy Victorians.  Famous for its 660-foot porch which is lined with dozens of white rocking chairs and decorated with thousands of geraniums. The teal-painted underside of the grand porch uses a specific color shade called "Dewkiss" that historically stops birds from nesting.  

The landmark has hosted numerous presidents and cultural icons.  The Grand Hotel was designed by Detroit architect partners, George D. Mason and Zachariah Rice.  The prominent resort builder was Charles W. Caskey. The first manager was experienced hotel operator, John Oliver Plank who managed the property at its opening and it was initially named Plank's Grand Hotel.

Five United Presidents have stayed at the Grand Hotel including Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton.  Other notable guests were Thomas Edison and Mark Twain. 

The original rectangle Grand Hotel Pool 

The 200-foot-long, hourglass-shaped pool was originally built in the mid-1920s and frequently nicknamed "Paul Bunyan's footprint".   It was later named after actress and competitive swimmer, Esther Williams after she filmed the 1947 movie This Time for Keeps.

Circa October 17, 1947

The movie was filmed partly on location at the Grand Hotel co-starring,

Jimmy Durante and Johnnie Johnston with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra.

Esther Williams as guest of honor was joined by interior designer, Carleton Varney of Dorothy Draper & Co.  He designed the Esther Williams Suite for the occasion alongside hotel staff, press and resort guests participating in the centennial festivities. Williams had returned to the island for the hotel's 100th celebration to rechristen the newly named Esther Williams Swimming Pool. 

1887-1987

Circa July 8, 1987

In 2021, the newly renovated Esther Williams Swimming Pool at the Grand Hotel was officially reopened and dedicated on Thursday, June 24, 2021, following a $10 million, 32-week multi-featured renovation by adding cabanas and an adult infinity pool, keep Williams' legacy alive.  At the 2021 ceremony, hotel executives, local officials including Mayor Margaret Doud and resident historian, Bob Tagatz gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the updated facility during the hotel's 100th-anniversary milestone. The modern update added a zero-depth beach entry family area, a waterslide, reservable private cabanas and an adults-only infinity edge section. 

Video of the Grand Hotel with 'Grand' Resident Historian, Bob Tagatz.

If you go to the Grand Hotel, make sure you take a tour with Bob, the Resident Historian.

"This hotel, this institution has lasted 135 years and 136 seasons and we have never closed our doors through wars through depressions.  We've always opened our doors to the traveling public and we have fourth generations coming here because of it." 

Bob Tagatz

By the way, Bob's favorite room is the Vanderbilt Suite of the 70 named rooms/luxury suites at the hotel. There are 95 deluxe guest rooms with a balcony.  Named rooms include the Lodge of Teddy Roosevelt, the Napolean and Josephine Suites, Lord and Lady Astor Suites, as well as seven rooms in honor of former First Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Jacqueline Kennedy and Laura Bush.

After a long wait (approximately 20 years in the making) a book was released entitled Rooms to Remember by Carleton Bates Varney (1937-2022). The book is a tribute to Varney's more than 40 years of work at the historic Grand Hotel.  He was an American decorator, designer, lecturer and author.  Known as "Mr. Color", his work was based on the use of bright, vivid, multicolors and patterns.  His design philsophy "stresses the use of bright colors and the rejection of all that is impractical, uncomfortable and drab. 

As a sidenote, in 1982, Varney served as curator for the restoration and decoration of the USS Sequoia, the presidential yacht.  

Hospitality design was Varney's ultimate signature where he "gift-wrapped" massive properties with unique, unforgettable visual memories at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.  Arguaby hs defining masterpiece, Varney sept 60 years expanding and maintaining the property's vibrant floral aethetics originally established by Dorothy Draper.  Varney was renowned for designing the historic Grand Hotel's iconic look starting in the late 1970s.  He individually curated every single one of its 388 guest rooms with bod themes including the famous Geranium Bar and the Hollywood Grand Suite.  Varney also successfully decorated Palm Beach's most prestigious luxury stays including The Breakers, The Colony and The Brazilian Court.  In New York City he put his colorful mark on such landmarks as The Plaza Hotel and The Waldorf Towers.  In Ireland, he brought his joyful styling to estates and castles.  He also completed restorations for hotels in London and Brussels as well as a section of the Royal Palace in Lithuania.  

Varney's "bipartisan" approach to design earned him high-profile political consulting roles across multiple administrations. His residental clientele read like a "who's who" of Golden Age Hollywood and gobacl royality.  He decorated several apartments for his cinematic legend and close friend, Joan Crawford.  Varney curated three distinct homes for Broadway star, Ethel Merman using heavily saturated colors and custom textile collections.  He designed private homes for other notable icons such as Judy Garland (preferring sunshine yellow walls), Fay Wray, Van Johnson and even sports icon, Joe Namath. Varney also designed a private residence on Maui, Hawaii.

From 1933 through 2019, the Musser family preserved the history and tradition of the Grand Hotel, thoughtfully improving the grand experience of every guest for over 85 years.  The hotel overlooks the Straits of Mackinac and the Mackinac Bridge between Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas.  Located high on a bluff, the hotel's famous  front porch is visible when approaching the island by ferry, boat or airplane.

The Grand Hotel, the world's largest summer hotel is open April through This year, 2026, was the 140th year.

The Grand Hotel view as you depart on the ferry back to Michigan's lower peninsula 

.. with a suitcase full of memories "somewhere in time".