Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

To read this entire feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link:
http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/bandb/california/zane/grey.html

Little did Zane Grey know, as he penned over 80 western novels in his home on Santa Catalina Island, off the coast of California, that the house he designed in 1929 would someday be a charming bed-and-breakfast inn.

A prolific, best-selling novelist, Zane Grey created robust stories of the American West. Almost single-handedly, he made the Western a new, recognized literary genre. His books glorified the beauty of the West and the frontier character and values of its people; he was ahead of his time in his respectful portrayal of the American Indian. Zane Grey’s books had romantic titles like: Call of the Canyon, Riders of the Purple Sage, The Thundering Herd, Under the Tonto Rim, and The Vanishing American. Many of his stories were transported by Hollywood to the big screen.

A sprawling pueblo in the Hopi Indian style, Zane Grey built the home when he came to the island town of Avalon in 1926.

“We’ve tried to keep it as authentic as possible,“ says hotel manager Mike Shehabi.

A long hall divides bedrooms overlooking the ocean and overlooking the hills. A massive fireplace in the original living room has a log mantle. The only television in the hotel is in this guest living room, where there is also a grand piano. Heavy benches instead of chairs serve the oak dining table. The open teak beams of the ceiling were transported by Zane Grey from Tahiti on one of his fishing trips. A heavy hewn plank door opens out onto a wide covered patio overlooking the bay and town of Avalon.

The pool area was originally a dirt patio separating the Zane Grey home and that of his brother, Romer C. Grey. The grounds are stuffed with begonias, palms, succulents, potted cacti, and colorful ground cover flowers. Because the home was built into a hillside, many rooms are on different levels, adding to the charm of the place.

Michael tells us,

To read this entire feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link:
http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/bandb/california/zane/grey.html

Carolyn Proctor, Jetsetters Magazine Editor - Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com