During a holiday visit to my folks’ house in Virginia, I asked my mother some questions about her parents. One was where her late father (my grandfather) had worked. I knew that he was at a hotel for many years in Santa Monica but I didn't know which hotel.
"The Miramar" was her response. My immediate reaction was asking if it was located near San Diego. My thoughts went to the Tom Cruise movie "Top Gun" that was set at the fighter pilot school at the Miramar U.S. Navy aviation base.
No, not that Miramar, Mom said. It was not until yesterday when I began doing some research for this post that I learned about Santa Monica's Miramar Hotel and its rich, interesting, even glamorous history.
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| Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows (courtesy Booking.com) |
And I admit to shivering with pride to think my Grandpa Frank spent much of his working career at such a prestigious resort hotel.
A 2011 article from the Santa Monica Mirror recounts the property's long history. Early highlights included:
- The co-founder of Santa Monica, John Percival Jones, built a Victorian mansion called Miramar in 1889
- His wife Georgina would plant a small Australian Moreton Bay fig tree that would grow into the huge landmark and signature tree (below) that dominates the resort's front courtyard
