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Strange Happenings at the Captain's Anchorage
Rate it! Votes (4) | Comments (0) By Cheri Sicard Photos: Mitch Mandell Posted July 12th, 2008

BIG BEAR LAKE, CALIFORNIA, USA - With as much history that lives in and around the alpine town of Big Bear Lake, California, about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the San Bernardino Mountains, it's not surprising that some former residents don't want to leave. From cattle rustling, to southern California's largest gold rush, to Hollywood movies borrowing the surrounding rugged terrain for set pieces, the Big Bear Valley has seen it all.

Back in the 1940's Big Bear was a popular retreat for Hollywood celebrities looking to escape the hustle and bustle of life in LA. One such luminary was western star Andy Devine, best known as "Jingles" in the Wild Bill Hickock television series. Andy did more than just visit Big Bear Valley, he opened a restaurant there in 1946. Originally known as The Sportsman's Tavern, Devine's log cabin style restaurant still operates today, although the name has changed to The Captain's Anchorage.

Ghostly "George"
Everything about the place is old fashioned, the building, the rustic décor, and even the menu -- vintage 50s steak house fare, the kind of place your grandparents probably frequented. Even most of the staff has worked here for years -- - a real rarity in the restaurant business. Bartender Lorraine Little is one such veteran. Having worked at the Captain's Anchorage for over 29 years, she's had her share of encounters with George, the restaurant's resident ghost, a gentleman of dubious morals who frequented the place during the Andy Devine years.

Nobody seems to know exactly how George died. Some say he committed suicide, but other rumors persist that he embezzled a large of money immediately before his mysterious disappearance. In any event he is blamed for causing all sorts of havoc in the Captain's Anchorage to this day.

Lorraine says bottles stocked behind the bar have been known to simple fly off the shelf from time to time. On one occasion a half full bottle of Crown Royal behind the bar simply imploded -- glass shards could only be found on the shelf where the bottle broke and nowhere else.

Lorraine claims nobody was anywhere near the bottle when it happened. " I didn't believe in ghosts at all when I started working here," she says, "but after 29 years of experiencing it myself, I've changed my mind."

George seems to have a fondness for the bartender, and has even been known to playfully tug on Lorraine's lovely long ponytail on occasion. She admits that sometimes George will be quiet for as much as year or two, then he'll just start up again.

One of her most memorable experiences occurred one evening when an older man came in with a very young woman. The man got a bit irritated when Lorraine asked to the see the woman's ID. He slammed his hands down on the heavy wooden bar and loudly proclaimed "I used to drink in this place with Andy Devine!" At that exact moment the wooden sign hanging on chains behind the bar began swinging wildly. The sign reads "The Andy Devine Room."

Other employees report hearing pots and pans rattling in the kitchen when nobody is there, as well as loud footsteps tromping around on the restaurant's second floor when it was known to be empty.

So if you're ever in the mood for a good ghost story, set in a rustic western mountain setting, be sure stop in at the Captain's Anchorage, belly up to the bar and have a beer, wine, or cocktail and a chat with Lorraine.

Practicalities
The Captain's Anchorage is located at 42128 Moonridge Way in Big Bear Lake, CA. Phone 909-866-3997.

For more information about Big Bear in general, to book accommodations, or to request a Visitors Guide, visit the Big Bear Resort Association's website at www.bigbear.com or call 1-800-4-BIG-BEAR.

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