Splash of the Past

Its neighbor to the north--you know, the one with the mission?--can boast at least a century more history, but that doesn’t mean San Clemente doesn’t have a heritage of its own; you can learn about it at Heritage of San Clemente. You can admire three centuries of antiques at Three Centuries Antiques.

MORNING, 1

Heritage of San Clemente houses a half-dozen exhibits and a gift shop. A new exhibit opens every six weeks, but some things never change.

Near the entry are photos of Ole Hanson, who founded San Clemente in 1925; Hamilton Cotton, first owner of La Casa Pacifica, which became the Western White House for President Richard Nixon, who also is pictured; and Tom Murphine, the city’s first mayor (1928-1934). Heritage executive director Wayne Eggleston asked, “Kinda looks like a crook, doesn’t he?” apparently indicating Murphine’s photo.

A display about Murphine, also tagged as a San Clemente “visionary,” shows photo documentation of his house sliding through a fissure and down a cliff onto the railroad tracks below over five days in 1933.

“Legends of Surfing” takes a look at Lorrin “Whitey” Harrison, who was born in Garden Grove in 1913 and died 80 years later. Photos show Harrison surfing in the ‘30s, when he and his buddies rode boards more than twice their own height, and in 1989; other shots chronicle his activities such as lifeguard, abalone diver and ukelelist. It notes that when Harrison was young, before the road went through, he often walked from his family’s home in Laguna Beach to Corona del Mar to go surfing.

Another exhibit poses the question, “Casa Romantica: Restaurant or Cultural Art and Wedding Center?” The home’s original owner was Hanson; later occupants included the unidentified ex-wife of bandleader Fred Waring.

“The Loss of the Nixon Library--A San Clemente Tragedy” recalls how Nixon selected San Clemente as the site for the presidential library, and how a fiasco involving a developer resulted in the library ending up in Yorba Linda. A local editorial circa 1990 termed the outcome “a travesty for which San Clemente had only itself to blame.”

Nearby is a tribute to the U.S. Marine Corps consisting of posters and four complete uniforms, and another to retired Marine gunner Gilbert Bolton, winner of the Silver Star for gallantry in action in Vietnam, the Purple Heart and a gaggle of other medals. Leatherneck Magazine in 1989 saluted Bolton with the headline “Gung Ho Gunner.” The display includes his wall locker. Bolton lives in Oceanside.

Did you know the founder of the Green Berets lives in San Clemente? An exhibit opening June 6 (D-Day!) focuses on retired Army Col. Aaron Bank, 95, who, according to Eggleston, was once assigned to kidnap Adolf Hitler. (You’ll have to wait till the exhibit opens to learn the outcome.)

San Clemente artists who participated in last year’s Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach get their own space here; a sculpture of an iguana is priced at $2,600.

In the gift shop, among surf and presidential gift items, is a series of historic surfing images, $12.95 mounted, and “George Bush and His Family,” a book of full-color paper dolls; plate 1 shows George and Barbara in their undies, he in briefs, she in a slip. (You dress them.) There’s also Picasso paintings wrapping paper and a tiny book, “Cars With Fins.”

LUNCH, 2

Next door, Taka-O (425 N. El Camino Real) features an all-you-can-eat sushi lunch for $16.95 (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday). Two doors down is popular Sonny’s, a red-and-white-checkered-tablecloth kind of Italian ristorante; thin, crisp pizzas include Sonny’s Roman Orgy--”anchovies on request”! A medium Orgy is $13.50.

AFTERNOON, 3

The building that served as the first city hall now houses Three Centuries Antique Gallery. The business card touts “flow blue, romantic transfer ware, dolls Majolica, Torquay motto ware and Depression glass.” A sign warns: “All unattended children will be sold as slaves!”

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1) Heritage of San Clemente

415 N. El Camino Real, (949) 369-1299

10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday

2) Sonny’s Pizza and Pasta

429 N. El Camino Real, (949) 498-2540

11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday

3) Three Centuries Antique Gallery

408 N. El Camino Real, (949) 492-6609

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday

Parking: There is free parking in a small lot at Heritage of San Clemente and free street parking along El Camino Real and side streets.

Buses: OCTA Bus Nos. 91 (Laguna Hills-San Clemente) and 397 (Mission Viejo-San Clemente) run along El Camino Real with stops at Avenida Palizada.