Salt to Fresh water 1964 video awesome!

mexicoruss

mexicoruss

Lovin it in RP!
Video A 1964 video shot in Peñasco regarding a U of A sponsored experiment for water. If you love Peñasco you will love this piece of history.
 
Esperanza

Esperanza

Guest
Russ, what a great video. Thanks for finding and posting. So, next question....what happened to the program?
 
G

GringoZona

Guest
Can anyone ID that hotel/restaurant at the very end? And HOLY COW!!!! Did they just round up every mariachi in Sonora? I'm guessing that's the first time anyone had seen an actual film camera.
 
jerry

jerry

Guest
And yet hucksters built 5 thousand condo units that will lack running water within 10 years unless something big happens
 
El Gato

El Gato

Guest
Thank you - brought back so many memories: recognize some of the faces/names! And the old stairs leading from the beach to the Old Playa Hermosa. the middle section goes slowly as they get into desalinization - but at the end back to an old restaurant - does any one recognize it? I would have had to have been there - you too, Ladyjeeper! Kept trying to see faces I could recognize in the restaurant.

When the experiment began Penasco/Sonora was suppose to provide the land and a road out the to the site. U of A trucks arrived and no land. So one of the guys got into his jeep - drove out to the site, came back and announced that there was the road. My Dad said he was there at the time and watched the dropped jaws on the part of the UofA people. They quickly improved the road themselves. I understood that they could never make it produce enough water to be effective. You would think after all our advancements in science that a cost effective way would have been found.

Again, Mexicoruss, thank you for a wonderful trip back into time - an especially wonderful time.
 
G

GringoZona

Guest
There are swinging doors that say "LOBBY," so it's got to be a hotel--which ones were open at the time? More than likely a beach-front one, I'm guessing. I don't know how many times La Roca has changed, but they never had room for such a restaurant, correct?
 
jerry

jerry

Guest
Playa and his fatcat friends built a Besal plant at Las Conchas a few years back.As I remember it they forgot to buy the land and the thing ended up in boxes in a Vegas warehouse.The real hope is a US/Mexico joint plant.
El Gato said:
Thank you - brought back so many memories: recognize some of the faces/names! And the old stairs leading from the beach to the Old Playa Hermosa. the middle section goes slowly as they get into desalinization - but at the end back to an old restaurant - does any one recognize it? I would have had to have been there - you too, Ladyjeeper! Kept trying to see faces I could recognize in the restaurant.

When the experiment began Penasco/Sonora was suppose to provide the land and a road out the to the site. U of A trucks arrived and no land. So one of the guys got into his jeep - drove out to the site, came back and announced that there was the road. My Dad said he was there at the time and watched the dropped jaws on the part of the UofA people. They quickly improved the road themselves. I understood that they could never make it produce enough water to be effective. You would think after all our advancements in science that a cost effective way would have been found.

Again, Mexicoruss, thank you for a wonderful trip back into time - an especially wonderful time.
Click to expand...
 
El Gato

El Gato

Guest
I'm guessing it is the old Playa Hermosa. Louisa and Roberto had a restaurant at the time - also the scene on the patio was filmed there - as well as the walk up the stairs from the beach. I think they probably just 'spiffed' it up for the filming. If I got a good look might recognize some of the people in the restaurant. In 1964 the Playa Hermosa was the best (among the few) hotels around and the only one on the beach that I can recall. And most of the other restaurants were not that large (The Playa Hermosa also had Hector's Cantina which opened onto the patio as well as an entryway from the hotel. The men's room had saloon type doors that you had to pass to get to the ladies room - I never drank much as I hated walking by them!

GringoZona said:
There are swinging doors that say "LOBBY," so it's got to be a hotel--which ones were open at the time? More than likely a beach-front one, I'm guessing. I don't know how many times La Roca has changed, but they never had room for such a restaurant, correct?
Click to expand...
 
M

MIRAMAR

Guest
Russ, I think Gilbert Castillo's father in law was involved in this project- it the land west of Las Conchas, and I think that's now going to be the public beach (?).
 
Roberto

Roberto

Guest
A great video. I recall reading something about that program somewhere. It was a good try but not economical. I think it was located between the Mirador and Las Conchas, close to the high school. There are still some old buildings there. It is where the new public beach has been suggested. There is a pack of dogs living there. Last time I tried I could not get near the place.
 
Ladyjeeper

Ladyjeeper

Sonoran Goddess
Staff member
LOL Gato, I remember those swinging doors...........

And the stairway to the beach.........I spent many a weekend with my local boyfriend there in the mid seventies.... Such memories.......
 
mexicoruss

mexicoruss

Lovin it in RP!
MIRAMAR said:
Russ, I think Gilbert Castillo's father in law was involved in this project- it the land west of Las Conchas, and I think that's now going to be the public beach (?).
Click to expand...
Gilberto (Togis) is a friend of mine and I will ask him today what he knows and see what other treasures he may have for us to display to our RP friends
 
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M

MIRAMAR

Guest
His father was mayor, and they've lived in Penasco since 1964 (they're our neighbors). They would have some GREAT old pictures.
 
azfish

azfish

Guest
Since the water plant was a bust, you could still use the still to make some great moonshine and put a bar right next to it.
 
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