I was invited to my friend Kelly’s watercolor class on Wednesday, at Casa Romantica in San Clemente. It was another great get-together with my fun-loving artist friends.
Casa Romantica was the home of Ole Hanson, a real estate developer and former mayor of Seattle, who came to San Clemente to build his dream community, a “Spanish Village by the Sea.” San Clemente was one of the first master-planned cities in California, built in 1925 along five miles of sweeping coastline.
In 1927, architect Carl Lindbom, who designed La Casa Pacifica, known as Nikon’s Western White House, was commissioned by Hanson to build a seven-bedroom house overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Today the house is designated as a historic landmark and a cultural center providing programs in arts, music, history, horticulture, and literature. Known for its beautiful gardens, enchanting architecture and panoramic ocean views, Casa Romantica, lives up to its name and is used for weddings, concerts and art events.
Following a wet winter and heavy rain in California, the cliff on which the house is built crumbled in a massive landslide and the terrace clasped into the train rails below. Repairs are underway and the gardens will be open soon.
