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The Name: PINEZANITA
In 1964, Christine and a friend, Lola Tracey, started Pinezanita Gift Shop. The gift shop's name was created by taking the "pine" from pine trees and the "zanita" from the lush brush called manzanita that grows profusely in the Julian area. The idea for the business came from the crafter's who were making resin grapes and wanted to attach their grapes to gnarly natural roots or stumps that looked like grapevines. She and Tracy took the manzanita roots and branches that had accumulated from clearing roadways and fire breaks on the property down to a sandblasting shop to remove the dead bark and dirt. The roots and limbs were shellacked and holes were drilled so plastic flowers could be glued into them. These floral arrangements and plain roots and limbs were sold all over Southern California. I would keep the gift shop open on the weekends and baby-sit while my parents worked their Stanley Plumbing business in the Julian area. I didn't get the floral design eye that my mom had until many years later. |
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A heart attack claimed my 49-year-old dad in 1967. Alfred Stanley Jr. left Mom with 37 acres of pristine mountain property and 5 children: me, Betty 19, Richard 14, Tom 11, Fred 7, and Jim 3. Mom was 39 years old, a real turning point in most lives, and was now responsible for all of us on her own. I think she was at the strongest and healthiest point of her life. |
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A Winter Snow Day At Pinezanita
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She clung to a dream of creating a campground that she and my dad, "Red" , had often talked about, but never did anything about. Their "Stanley Plumbing" business in Julian was thriving and so was her "Pinezanita Gift Shop". So little time was left to develop a plan for the dream. When she was faced with the reality of raising five children alone, and not wanting to return to the city, she quickly developed a plan to create her dream campground. Without knowing it, she was to become a forest conservationist as well as a shrewd businesswoman. |
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