A couple weeks before school started this fall we were in southwest Virginia for Dan's family reunion. As part of that trip we drove past Mountain Lake, the resort what was used for some of the exterior shots of Dirty Dancing.
At the time Dan suggested I write a post appealing to my women readers who all have that movie in their wheelhouse. He suggested I post pictures of the resort from the movie along with the ones I took that day. I hadn't gotten around to finding the "before" pictures but in light of Mr. Swayze's death, I'll post the two I have now.
This is the front exterior of Mountain Lake resort, complete with Kevin romping on the grounds.
This is the gazebo that used to be at the lake shore where Johnny and Baby were shown practicing the famous dance lift. Jennifer Gray was quoted this morning on the news about what a great guy he was and how cold the water was. The lake has been losing water for the past several years, though, the current level is as high as it is because of the winter melts and spring rains this year.
As it happened, Dirty Dancing was on TV a week or two later and Fern got to experience what every girl my age did back then, except this time I knew all the words to all the songs. She thought it was lame. I guess teenagers nowadays don't go for nice stories with hunky guys?
Rest in peace, Patrick Swayze.
4 comments:
They say the lake is going to come back. For more info:
Mountain Lake Hotel
and
Mountain Lake Conservancy
I caught the movie on television last week - my wife loves it, and I gravitated to the living room floor when I walked in and saw her watching it. It was like revisiting an old friend...as was this magical view into the set. I never knew!
(And now I wish I could go there!)
I am surprised that she thought it was lame. Great movie! I watch old episodes of tv and think lame like "I dream of Jeanie"
Well, I thought it was a lame and contrived movie. I'd be interested in seeing an alternate movie from the perspective of Baby's sister and Johnny's cousin. She has her own drama of having to deal with her unbearably smug, genius sister and she's falling for the real badboy of the movie only to be crushed. Meanwhile, Johnny's young cousin is the nicest guy in the world and is trying to get Baby interested in him, when Mr. Stud Johnny sweeps in and steals her.
That being said, I can't take my eyes off of the stupid movie anytime its on.
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