Carrillo Ranch Historic Park Is The Real Deal
61Carrillo dreamed of preserving Spanish California history in the form of a working rancho
When the 27 remaining acres of actor Leo Carrillo's once vast Flying LC Ranch was deeded to the people of Carlsbad, CA it was an unparalleled opportunity to to save a piece of California's heritage. The City of Carlsbad has done itself proud with the restoration, giving today's visitor a glimpse of a vanished way of life.
Leo Carrillo, a direct descendant of two of Spanish California's founding families, the Bandinis and the Carrillos, was best know as Pancho on the hugely popular early TV series, The Cisco Kid. And although he was once among the biggest stars in Hollywood, he was so much more than an actor. Trained as an engineer, fluent in seven languages, a skilled horseman and a legendary host, Carrillo was also a conservationist and preservationist before those words were coined. A California Beaches and Parks Commissioner for 12 years, Carrillo was instrumental in acquiring for the people of California such gems as Hearst Castle, Anza-Borrego State Park, and a glorious stretch of beach in Malibu that bears his name.
Carrillo cherished a dream of recreating, down to the smallest detail, a working California rancho such as his illustrious forebears would have known. By 1937 when he acquired the first 1700 of an eventual 2538 acres, such ranchos were already a thing of the past.Carrillo spent the next three years designing and supervising the construction of a hand-made adobe hacienda, an artist's retreat for his wife, Deedie, plus a bunkhouse, stable, blacksmith shop, and cantina for his cattle ranch. By 1940, all was complete, right down to the chaps-clad vaqueros and 600 head of prime beef cattle.
Another part of his dream was to have a place to satisfy his prodigious skills as a host. The brightest stars in Hollywood were his friends and an invitation to a Carrillo fiesta was a hot ticket in the 1940's and 1950's. Guests the likes of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard lounged in the cabana or by the pool with its white sand beach.An enormous barbeque was employed to cook entire sides of beef and the wine flowed freely.
Today, the vast ranchlands where cowboys and cattle once roamed are covered with houses, but tucked away in a lovely canyon cooled by ocean breezes, the Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park preserves the heart of the ranch with its old structures, all with a patina of time that theme parks can only try for. Open every day except Monday, it's best to visit on a weekend when the hacienda and other buildings are open for tours. Guided tours are offered Saturdays at 11am and 1pm, Sundays at noon and 2pm. Tours start at the visitors center. Be sure to watch the 12 minute video on Carrillo to better understand what a remarkable man he was.
Carrillo left the ranch in 1961, heartsick over the death of his wife, but their daughter Marie Antoinette Carrillo lived there until her death in 1978. The land was mostly sold off after that and the buildings had become badly run down by the time the remaining 27 acres passed to the people of Carlsbad. Brought back to life by careful restoration, admission to the park is free but donations are encouraged to continue the restoration process. Work is going on right now to preserve the exterior shell of the barn where Carrillo's flashy palomino horse, Conquistador, once lived. The interior is slated to become a meeting space and movie theatre where old films such as the classic "Pancho Villa Returns", starring Leo Carrillo, can be shown.
Both the main patio by the hacienda and the pool-cabana-beach area can be rented for weddings and events. Smoking and alcohol are not permitted on the ranch. Parking is free and there are lots of picnic tables scattered around the park if you pack a lunch. The address is 6200 Flying LC Lane, Carlsbad, CA 92013. The phone number is 760-476-1042 and the website for Friends of Carrillo Ranch is www.carrillo-ranch.org.
With his passion for preserving the old ways of life and his urge to recreate history that it might be lived again, Leo Carrillo would certainly approve of his beloved rancho's new life. Take time to visit this gem of a park in north coastal San Diego county.
