25¢ Cooks Tour
Hi! and welcome to Casa Chuparrosa, an eclectic
ranch
style home with a Spanish flair located in the Mount Helix area of East San Diego. Here's the index
to get you directly to any specific area of our home - or you can just start
the tour
from the beginning. You may click any of the pictures to view a full sized
version. The red check is provided as a link to the specifications page for
the location next to the check mark.
As
you drive up Hilltop Drive, you will notice the narrow
private roads and beautiful homes in the area. (Directions
to Casa Chuparrosa.) Most people are amazed at the area. 'I just didn't know all
this existed out here!' is the most often heard comment by new visitors. Our
home is located in the Mt Helix area of East San Diego County.
Hilltop
Drive turns around to the right and when you get to the end you have
arrived at Casa Chuparrosa. You turn left and up into our driveway. The first
things you notice are the tranquil quiet, the birds, and the sound of water from
the fountain behind the hedge. No freeway noises, trucks or cars. If a crow or
hawk flies by, you can even hear the rush of the wind over his wings.
There
is a proper Spanish entrance that separates the outside
from the inside world as you pass under the bougainvillea covered pergola and
notice the entrance deck with a cascading fountain and pool. The floor is made
of formed pavers in the traditional Spanish style, with sand separations to
allow for rain water to soak through. There are several park benches placed for
simple enjoyment of the space. When the fountain is off in the mornings (and
often during the day), it provides a wonderfully varied show of local birds that
have their morning drink and bath. If you look in the top layer of the fountain,
you will notice that it is filled with small rocks. This is done to provide a
purchase for the little birds so they can take their morning bath. We want them
to come by for a bath not a swim.
Walk through the
beveled glass Honduran mahogany front doors and into the main entry of
Casa Chuparrosa. The first thing you may notice is the indoor aviary just ahead
of you. The birds have their own bay-front window to the back yard. There are
lots of birds - nothing larger than a grasskeet or louder than the sweet song of
a Peking robin or canary. Their soft sweet
chatter and songs add such tranquility to the house. We often just sit and watch
the goings-on. Oh, and cleanup is easy with the floor drain in the aviary and a
hose from the water-heater closet.
The next thing you may notice is that the view out the back is
even better than the view out the front! We have about a 300° view near the top
of the hill, but I get ahead of myself here. The floor in the entry is sealed saltillo tiles. The ceiling is highlighted by stained pine beams that
hold up a pine tongue-and-grove roof. The aviary is built up from the base and
has a rock-like tile floor. Inside the aviary is a drain for cleaning. The
safe-entry to the aviary has a drain to outside for simple draining and changing
of water for the flock. The entire entry area is heated by a wonderful gas-fired
stove with logs that you could swear were real. There is a central fan in the
room to mix the warm air in the winter and when reversed provides a cool downdraft
in the summer.
There is a glass sliding glass door to the back yard and portals to five other locations from the entry. A quick comment about our doors. Every wooden door in the house is a custom made solid core Honduran mahogany door.
Now let's get something straight here - The name is Casa Chuparrosa and you should be warned before continuing that there are chuparrosas in almost every room. So keep your eyes pealed! They won't buzz you, but they will be pretty. (Watch to the right as you continue the tour! There's a bunch of the little critters incarcerated in an antique finch cage).
Continue Tour to the next room
Index |
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|
House Tour One |
House Tour Two Sun Room |
House Tour Three |
House Tour Four |
- Cooks Tour - Drawings - Botanicals - Technology - Location
-
- Statistics - Brochure - Contact
Us - Links - Glossary -
- Broker -
- Home Page -
| Broker: Paul Hahn 619-579-9200
Bob Snyder |
 © 2001 Robert SnyderThis web site is dedicated to Posy All trademarks belong to their respective owners. First created: January 26, 2001 Last updated: March 28, 2008 URL: http://www.casachuparrosa.com/tour.html
February 23, 2001
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