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Former entrance to the hotel.

Overgrown stairway.

The building on the right was a new addition I had never seen before.

This was the building we usually stayed in. Hippies would come by and check
on the kids at night while the adults were watching Speedy Garfin at the "Nite Club."

Front of the Dorchester building.

Side view.

The famous heart-shaped pool with the flying bridge.
It was filled with trash and frogs when I last saw it.

A shot from almost 30 years earlier.

Lounge chair prices.

Chairs lined up around the indoor pool.

Poolside at the Pines. This deck used to be filled with old
women in bathing suits sunning themselves. Now it is waiting for a
summer that will never arrive.

The same area, back in its heyday.

Typically decorated "suite." I stole the phone seen in the
picture and can now call the front desk from home.

Inside the Carlton wing.

The former front desk.

The "new" indoor pool at The Pines caused by a partial ceiling collapse.
This was way more disgusting to see in real life.

For many more pics (including some of mine), click here

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My sister and I hanging out at The Pines in August '72.

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Fan Letters:

As I tripped the past fantastic, I came across your memories and photos about the Pines Hotel. Seeing the pictures of the past was an incredible link to the past for me.

I used to entertain at The Pines from '68 to '72 or so. I traveled by Shortline Bus from the Port Authority of NY in Manhattan to South Fallsburg every weekend from age 14 to 19 to sing with the rock 'n roll band in the "convention center" - just across from the entrance to the hotel.

There were three venues for music at The Pines - the grand ballroom, hosted by Billy Alfred and his orchestra, the lounge, where Speedy Garfin and his types played, and the convention center, which was for the kids. I had the pleasure of singing in the lounge quite a few times.

I remember the "Speedy Garfin Gathering" very well - do you recall that their lead singer was none other than Wonder Woman herself, Linda Carter? Her vocals sounded alot like Karen Carpenter. They used to have to play at pool time on Saturday or Sunday afternoons. She'd blow 'em away in her bathing suit. The geezers would all be at attention while the ladies were playing cards or trying on wigs!

You've brought back some fond memories for me. Thank you--Laura Hull.

Visit Laura's site.

Speedy's page.

My name is Mike Kennedy from Sydney, Australia. Your web address with the photgraphs of the Pines Hotel was sent to me last friday and it brought back some amazing memories of my time there!

For three summers and two winters during the mid-to-late seventies, I was the Tennis Pro at the indoor/outdoor tennis complex at the Pines Hotel.

I had a great time at The Pines, as I was being paid to do something I loved, seeing shows every night, getting free room and board, mixing with entertainers and being a celebrity at the hotel and in the area. I have distinct memories of hanging out with Speedy Garfin and Linda Carter (I taught both of them tennis), plus Boris the outrageous Ski Director (loved his schnapps), Hal the Head Concierge (fingers in everything going on at the hotel), and being fussed over by a beautiful array of the front office ladies (we were novelties at the hotel being non-Jewish and Australian).

Going to South Fallsburg from little known Australia in those days was a really gutsy and unusual thing to do. My then wife Rosemarie and I arrived at JFK airport on a cold February day in 1976 and immedaitely went to the Port Authority of NY to catch a Shortline Bus to South Fallsburg. We had been invited to stay with another Australian tennis player at the Pro at the Concord Hotel in White Lake and who lived in South Fallsburg. Virtually the next day, the Australian pro took me to the Pines Hotel to meet Jerry Erhlich and I was hired on the spot to start in early May.

For the next few months, I worked at the Concord and got to know the area and my new employers. When I started in May I was a novelty because I was an Australian and had a strange accent. Jerry was a tough taskmaster wanting his guests to be happy and for the indoor courts to become profitable. In fact it was Jerry and his wonderful sons who sponsored us to get a much sought-after Green Card!

The Erhlichs and the staff took me and my wife and beautiful daughter Tara (now 26) into their care. Without this support, we would never have stayed in America so long - 13 years - and I would have never become the Tennis Director of the New York Athletic Club.

I have been back in Australia for nearly 20 years, had two more children, and remarried, but I have to say that not a week goes by that I don't think of my fantastic years in the States and especially the times in South Fallsburg at The Pines.

Just thought I would share my experiences at the Pines with you and your readers.

Kind regards,

Mike

The baseball field back in 1975

Same field in '02 (courtesy of ineedattention.com)