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07-24-11

This was our first trip to Palomar Inn Hotel, which is variously known as the Hotel Palomar, Palomar Inn and Hotel Palomar Inn. The hotel was built in 1927, and was Temecula's first hotel with indoor plumbing and indoor bathrooms (previous ones had outhouses), although guests had to share the baths as they were communal.
From the Press Enterprise:

Today the inn's greatest selling points are its historic charm and proximity to Wine Country, shops in Old Town Temecula and other area attractions.

The hotel was built by Lena McCulloch as the Hotel McCulloch, with 10 guest rooms on its second floor serving travelers between San Diego and Los Angeles. In 1937, Irene Gooch bought it and gave it its current name. After World War II it housed many military veterans, said Dale Garcia, an amateur historian who runs Old Town Temecula Candlelight Tours from the inn's lobby.

Celebrities who have stayed at the hotel include boxing champions Gene Tunney and Jack Sharkey, who trained at a gymnasium on the second floor of the nearby Welty building, Garcia said. Erle Stanley Gardner, author of the Perry Mason book series, also stayed there before buying his Temecula ranch.

In 1954, Palma's stepfather, the late Bob Majeski, bought the Inn. He had stayed at the hotel and worked as a handyman there, and the owner offered to sell him the place. "We're still fixing things," Palma joked. Later, Palma's mother, Nini Majeski, ran the hotel. Palma and his sister, Mildred Palma, took over operations in 2003.

A striking Native American phoenix totem hangs outside. It was a gift to Bob Majeski from a friend, chief of a Washington State tribe. The totem was meant for good luck, Palma said. But it hasn't fully protected the hotel from misfortune. The building, some of its furniture and many records were damaged when Old Town flooded in 1993.

About this trip
This location was found and arranged by member Monica, who did a superb job researching the location.

We beagn arriving about 8 PM and began at about 9 PM. During that hour we took extensive photos of the exterior (and did so many time through out the night) and talked about the historic building. The ghost hunt is organized and run by Old Town Paranormal Investigations, and they are great people, do a superb job, and have some great equipment too!