Bear Down Wildcats

Daryl Zero wrote:The two miniature golf places on Speedway and Alamo: Green Acres and Magic Carpet. Used to be a staple of my childhood.

The Drive In Theaters (Midway, Apache and DeAnza)

Nice history of Tucson's Drive Ins here:

http://www.driveinmemories.com/drivein/drive-in.htm

Used to go to the Apache all the time. Generally left a pile of beer cans by the car. $5 a carload, no need to sneak in.

Tucson has such a perfect climate for drive ins I can't believe there isn't any left. Even the small central coast town I live in, and the other one I work at both still have drive ins. But due to daylight savings time, and the cold summer nights here I haven't been since my kids were still around and couldn't drive themselves.

You go for the experience, not really the movie.

Merkin wrote:

Daryl Zero wrote:The two miniature golf places on Speedway and Alamo: Green Acres and Magic Carpet. Used to be a staple of my childhood.

The Drive In Theaters (Midway, Apache and DeAnza)

Nice history of Tucson's Drive Ins here:

http://www.driveinmemories.com/drivein/drive-in.htm

Used to go to the Apache all the time. Generally left a pile of beer cans by the car. $5 a carload, no need to sneak in.

Tucson has such a perfect climate for drive ins I can't believe there isn't any left. Even the small central coast town I live in, and the other one I work at both still have drive ins. But due to daylight savings time, and the cold summer nights here I haven't been since my kids were still around and couldn't drive themselves.

You go for the experience, not really the movie.

In high school, my high school friends and I used to sneak into R rated movies (gawd-awful movies) all the time. Lots of fun.

Love this little bit from the Simpsons re sneaking into an R rated movie. Barton Fink! Barton Fink!

Daryl Zero wrote:The two miniature golf places on Speedway and Alamo: Green Acres and Magic Carpet. Used to be a staple of my childhood.

The Drive In Theaters (Midway, Apache and DeAnza)

Nice history of Tucson's Drive Ins here:

http://www.driveinmemories.com/drivein/drive-in.htm

A few of the "art" pieces now sit outside The Hut on 4th. My favorite was the Easter Island head.

Also, here's a Facebook group that started out as a "Save the Cactus Drive-in" page, that eventually became a 501(c)(3) foundation.

gumby wrote:We had tournaments at Golfland. Took it seriously. Ah, college.

Think I heard Minder Binder's is making a comeback.

Sure enough.

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/blog ... l?page=all

I'm curious to check it out, but I've always felt that whole "attic" vibe is a tad discomforting from a sanitation perspective ...

It's a Catch -22. (See what I did there? )

Is the OK Feed and Supply or whatever it was / is called still around? They sponsored my second grade soccer team.

All the old department stores and supermarket names are quite the stroll down memory lane!

Yeah on dodge and ft. Lowell? They are still there.

ASUHATER! wrote:Yeah on dodge and ft. Lowell? They are still there.

When my kids were at pre-school at the JCC, my daughter and I used to play a game as to seeing the horse (on the roof first) and the ghost (side painting). Strong memory.

Thats the place! I guess I shouldn't be surprised they are still around.

Down the street was Copenhagen, a european furniture store. We knew the owner, and being danish, his kid had he most amazing set of Legos I evvever saw. Not sure if the store is still around.

Still there. That's still the furniture/interior decorating strip in town.

That building has been vacant for a long time. I'm really surprised it's still standing. Last time I was in the Bum Steer was '99 or '00.

I've never been inside. It stopped being an acutal bar like 10-12 years ago. Was used for like Halloween haunted house stuff for a bit. Been abandoned for like 7 years by now.

That's where I met my wife 30 years ago.

azgreg wrote:That's where I met my wife 30 years ago.

White Wednesday?

azgreg wrote:That's where I met my wife 30 years ago.

Met my wife across the street at the Wildcat House 32 years ago.

Merkin wrote:

azgreg wrote:That's where I met my wife 30 years ago.

Met my wife across the street at the Wildcat House 32 years ago.

New Wave Wednesday?

Justin is an old football teammate of my son. He lives in The Ranch right there just south of The Bum Steer.

Merkin wrote:

UAEebs86 wrote:

Merkin wrote:

azgreg wrote:That's where I met my wife 30 years ago.

Met my wife across the street at the Wildcat House 32 years ago.

New Wave Wednesday?

Happy Hour Friday for the $1.99 Wildcat burger and fries.

Wednesdays I was usually at Cowboys (Wilmont and 22nd) for their 25c beers. College bars were really spread out all over town back then. Chances was another favorite on Tanque Verde. It burned down mysteriously too, which also coincidentally happened to Dooley's/Stray Cat

UAEebs86 wrote:

azgreg wrote:That's where I met my wife 30 years ago.

White Wednesday?

Yes sir!

azgreg wrote:That's where I met my wife 30 years ago.

My parents met there 34 years ago

Jefe wrote:

azgreg wrote:That's where I met my wife 30 years ago.

My parents met there 34 years ago

Are they still together?

Yep, anniversary was last weekend

The magic of the Bum Steer strikes again.

Merkin wrote:

Reydituto wrote: The Tack Room - only once when I was a kid, wore a blazer

Always thought the Tack Room would have been a good place to propose to my GF, but never made it.

Hidden Valley Inn up on Sabino Canyon had very reasonably priced steaks, and the cowboy kitsch was cool.

All the clubs I used to hang out in as a college student are all gone. It was nice being able to walk between the first 3.

Wildcat House
Bum Steer
The Outlaw
Cowboys
Chances
Sundance
Dooleys
Green Dolphin
Gentle Ben's (original)

Of course a couple of those burned down under very mysterious circumstances.

I helped build/remodel the original Gentle Ben's - after opening, I ran the basement bar from 11 - 5 daily - great, alternate atmosphere - a lot of local chess players, Pima College faculty and U of A grad students.

I was offered a job teaching Philosophy at Pima from a couple of my regulars, and did that part-time for four years..

Also became pretty accomplished at barroom pool and foosball in the evenings after turing over the basement bartending to the night guy...

In the first couple of years, there were some great after-hours parties with bands after playing at the Community Center....

Merkin wrote:

My wife and I had to divert from going to Brother John's bc Stone was locked down due to the fire.

No one could match the Bum Steer for crazy cheap drinks and food and insane happenings.

I first tried "ICE" beer there. They had the girls and the free bottles and I didn't know it was double alcohol content and...let's just say I actually participated in the upstairs dancing, which is not something I did when not looking for a girl (at this time, I was in a serious relationship). Lots of crazy shit happened there.

We used to hit Black Angus on Sunday nights on Oracle for the "Fun Bar" $1.50 U Call It. They had a video DJ and the mediocre steak and small shrimp restaurant actually turned pretty crazy. Lot of strippers would hit it up either on their way to work or because the drinks were cheap. There was one I knew from around some friends that was always there with her friends of the moment...she once walked up to the booth I was in and shoved her hand down my pants while my girlfriend was in the bathroom, and I had the ultimate guy dilemma. I did the right thing, I suppose, since I married that girlfriend, but that particular stripper seemed to run into me a lot and it was always the same kind of thing...grabbing me or trying to make out with me. I am pretty sure she just liked to see me sweat it...

pc in NM wrote:

Merkin wrote:

Reydituto wrote: The Tack Room - only once when I was a kid, wore a blazer

Always thought the Tack Room would have been a good place to propose to my GF, but never made it.

Hidden Valley Inn up on Sabino Canyon had very reasonably priced steaks, and the cowboy kitsch was cool.

All the clubs I used to hang out in as a college student are all gone. It was nice being able to walk between the first 3.

Wildcat House
Bum Steer
The Outlaw
Cowboys
Chances
Sundance
Dooleys
Green Dolphin
Gentle Ben's (original)

Of course a couple of those burned down under very mysterious circumstances.

I helped build/remodel the original Gentle Ben's - after opening, I ran the basement bar from 11 - 5 daily - great, alternate atmosphere - a lot of local chess players, Pima College faculty and U of A grad students.

I was offered a job teaching Philosophy at Pima from a couple of my regulars, and did that part-time for four years..

Also became pretty accomplished at barroom pool and foosball in the evenings after turing over the basement bartending to the night guy...

In the first couple of years, there were some great after-hours parties with bands after playing at the Community Center....

I bartended at Gentle Ben's from '88-'89ish. Met the former Mrs. there. Tended the basement bar for a Reggae happy hour with the local Rastas for a time. They drank Heineken almost exclusively if I recall correctly. Also took over the Grateful Dead happy hour from another bartender who moved on. That basement was pretty cool thinking back on it. So was the whole building/patio for that matter. I remember the $2.25 cheeseburger and steak-cut fries on Saturdays. That deal really couldn't be beat for a hungover college student.

just saw this thread for the first time, so many of these mentioned are still operating in California.

as for my fav Tucson spot gone -- Jersey Joe's i think was the name.

i'll never forget when i took my buddy there for the first time, he ordered a cheese steak w/ no onions, Joe said, "one cheese steak the pussy way"

97cats wrote:just saw this thread for the first time, so many of these mentioned are still operating in California.

as for my fav Tucson spot gone -- Jersey Joe's i think was the name.

i'll never forget when i took my buddy there for the first time, he ordered a cheese steak w/ no onions, Joe said, "one cheese steak the pussy way"

I totally remember Jersey Joe's. Lots of Philly sports paraphernalia all over it.

I thought they'd declared bankruptcy like 5 times in the last 15 years already

gumby wrote:

Merkin wrote:

gumby wrote: All of thexe, plus Stumble Inn, Someplace Else and Starz (a N. Stone bar ).

Oh yea, forgot about the Stumble Inn. That was my future brother-in-law's favorite pub.

Where did Chuck Wagon and the Wheels play? Maverick Saloon?

Chicat wrote:

ASUCatFan wrote:Back on topic: Is KB Toys still around?

No, thanks to Mitt Romney.

At the KB Toys' outlet in Gilroy I found a UA cheerleader Barbie doll for my daughter.

Chuck was a Stumble regular. My favorite bar band.

Looks like they are still around.

https://chuckmaultsby.wordpress.com/201 ... q9AleJmwWM" target="_blank

singletear.gif

My favorite bar in my UofA days. Burger Madness, White Wednesday...


Former Bum Steer building torn down on Stone Avenue in Tucson


https://tucson.com/news/local/watch-now ... e-trending

That's where I met my wife 32 years ago.

Been abandoned for like 12 years at this point. Last time it was a bar was like 15 years ago I think

It’s been abandoned longer than 15 yrs.

It’s been about 20 since I’ve been there.

Yea it definitely seemed abandoned when I got to town 16 years ago

azgreg wrote:That's where I met my wife 32 years ago.

I met my future wife across the street at the Wildcat House which has also been closed for decades but is now a barbecue place. Back when the drinking age was 19 and wasn't a whole lot of bars near campus. Only 3 I remember were Gentle Bens, The Stray Cat (Dooleys), and the Green Dolphin.

The Wildcat House had a sister club/restaurant out here in San Luis Obispo. It just closed due to the pandemic.

Same layout with the huge picnic tables


https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/th ... r-45-years" target="_blank

The wildcat house was actually only closed for a couple years, no more than like 3-4. It's been that BBQ place for like 8 years already. It was still the wildcat house at least in like 2008. But it was absolutely not a place students would go when I was in school. It was a creepy old run down dive bar that methed out locals would go to

One of my favorite spots.

ASUHATER! wrote:The wildcat house was actually only closed for a couple years, no more than like 3-4. It's been that BBQ place for like 8 years already. It was still the wildcat house at least in like 2008. But it was absolutely not a place students would go when I was in school. It was a creepy old run down dive bar that methed out locals would go to

That's a shame. It was completely a college bar in the early 80's. Happy Hour they had free food, sometimes Godfather's Pizza, but it went fast, so we normally just ordered a huge burger and fries for $1.99, or maybe it was $2.99. Pitchers of beer I think were $2.99 at Happy Hour too.

Packed always, and you always had to share a table. That's where I met my future wife, sitting next to me.