 Known as the Benevolent Queen of the Beach. Carol, tell us a little bit about yourself. Were you were born? Your life? Yes. I was born in San Francisco in 1933 on McAllister and I went through the Depression and World War II. So I know how the cities changed from that time. Very interesting. And I raised my children on the beach in the 60s and the kids that came down there from H Street used to say I was the first hippie because I was natural. I'd go in the water, body surf, teach all the young people how to body surf. Their own nature is worse. You have to be close to nature. That's the path to take. And I was known to be, I guess, Mother Nature of the East economy. And I had three beautiful children. I was the first one to throw their clothes off and they had therapeutic on the beach. And that was in the 60s. Then it came in hordes all these kids that would run away from their home. And I thought, oh my God, thank God I have a big house. I'm going to help these kids, right? So they didn't have a place to stay. Were a lot of these kids coming from the Haydash? Yes. Yes. Yes. And they were runaways. And when things got bad, their parents would say, oh, help me. Help me. And the police would came, oh, Carol, we know you have blah, blah in the house. So come on now. Are they okay? A lot of young people. They were 15, 14, 16 years old runaways. They didn't like their lifestyle. They were having a conventional lifestyle. And they wanted to do something different. So they tried this freedom. In those days, the city was owned by, I mean the beach was owned by the city. Now it's the NRA. Government. And we had a very big community. Everything was community in those days. And you don't have that now. It's so rigid now with the government police, right? And so in the old days, I always say the old days, but the old days are 30s or 60s. We did feel we had some control over our environment and how to live. And so in my day, it was against the law. You weren't supposed to breastfeed. I was the start of that. I was the start of saying, oh, I don't know about your history books. I don't know about that Indian story. That doesn't sound right to me. I don't know vaccination and all of this stuff. I was started that stuff. And what else? I was just curious if any of these kids kept in contact with you? I made very, very close friends with the young people. Yes. So some of these kids are totally grown up now? Oh, yes. Babies and they have their own businesses and stuff. And some of them keep in contact with you? Well, let me tell you how I got that article was a young boy who lived on hate and his parents. In those days, it was a lot of, in those days, it was not the word dysfunctional, right? But most people were all just fucking dysfunctional. And so this poor kid would come down all bruised up and I go, God, Kenny, what's all this bruise? And oh, my father just beat me up. My mother's drunk and blah, blah, blah. I go, well, you better come with me. And he did. He turned out to be a lovely person. I fixed him up with his wife and they moved back east. And there was this man that did this article. I don't know what he was doing back. What was the article? What paper? This is this Queen to Beach article. This man who wrote this, what was his name? President Custer. Scott Osler. Osler. Okay. He met Kenny back east. He says, oh, you know, I've got to write one good article about somebody from San Francisco. Kenny, I haven't seen him in years. I mean, oh God, 30 years? Because I remember this woman that helped my life. And that's, yeah. Also in this article, I read that you're still taking kids in till this day. Well, it's not like the old days. Yes, that's true. It says paper says I'm getting ripped off and robbed and sued. And I can't stop helping. I have some kind of weakness where I just can't stop it. I would call it strength. I would call it strength and an inspiration. Yes. Well, thank you. My last boyfriend said, Carol, it's just one thing. You're just a compassionate person. You're just full of compassion. And now it's so different. Now, should I say this? I mean, there's this drug problem. Yes. Sure. And I let people in that I don't know. This is all modern stuff, you know. So that's a little bit of help. In the 60s, the way it was with psychedelics compared to what's going on now. It was different. It was all in fun. You know, they wanted to just what they call trip out. Expand their mom. Right. They were tired of all this conventionally. The mother and father weren't that exciting. Looking for a new way. The suburbs, the suburbs were starting, you know. And then urban renewal came now in the 60s, and that was hell. They chopped down and then the neighborhood association got stopped or else the whole place would be chopped down in the 60s. Now, what was he up there? It was very interesting. There were psychedelics in the 60s. Now, the kids would do this, like you say, mind expansion. And they were very intellectual in those days. Very learned kids. They wanted to know. And they'd study, you know, a lot from Berkeley too. They'd all get together and talk about the government and this and that. And they were very educated. Right. And they knew something was going to happen. You know, they knew they could feel something was coming down. You know, these restrictions, urban renewal, corporate, all this corporate stuff, no jobs. The unions were being squished. You know, it was hard times. It was nothing for young people to do. So they were trying to find where, what was their place in this society? And then they, what could I do, but just say, I just wanted them to get off this, I thought it would break, damage your brain, right? I go, no, no, no, this is, that's not good for your brain. We can figure it out, the communes I was all for, you know. Do you know anything about the communes? I never, but I had a lot of friends who went, they were going to Oregon and Mendocino and all over the place. I bet a lot of the kids that stayed then it sometimes took off to the woods. Yes. Yes. And came back. And I took them on a lot of nature trips and stuff. So what's the difference between then and now? What you say. Okay. Well, now technology has this, you know, these ear things and television and computers and all this and things that have changed. Video cameras. Very radical. People aren't into community anymore. People aren't communicating like they used to. And young people, we were all into, we used to go in big gangs, all of us, a guy they'd read about, I'd say about 50 of us at the beach. Okay. And then we all be interested in what each other thinks, you know, and it's not like that anymore. I sit outside in front of my house and people think, well, this crazy ladies is not in front of her house. You know, now I say hello to everyone who walks by. You know, I try and keep up the tissue. You are still who you are. Yes. Yes. And a lot of people say, oh, Carol, you're just like the sticks, he's still, you know, because I jump in the water. I'm always jumping in the oceans and I throw my clothes off. You know, the free, you know, spirit and all. And you still live in the same house you live in? Yes. Yes. Yes. That's correct. And then what would be fun, maybe sometime come in the kitchen and they call it a hippie kitchen. I've got all this stuff all over me. What was it there by the beach at that time? Pardon me. By the amusement park? Yes. It was called Playland. And do you know anything about that place? Oh gosh, yeah. Oh, that was so much fun. In those days, everything was built for enjoyment, for families. Got to have fun. It doesn't seem that there's nothing, no place to have any fun anymore. I mean, there was big ballrooms and dancing and, you know, and flyshackers. We had flyshackers. What's a flyshacker? That was a swimming pool at the end of, where the zoo is now. Right. And that was something else. I mean, it was the longest pool, outdoor pool in the country. Yes. Flyshackers had donated that. And I don't know what happened. It's not there anymore. And then we had, oh, so many things. You had the Fox Theater. People don't even talk about the Fox Theater. That was on Market Street. Of course, this is before the 60s now. That's fine. Is that okay? But I think, this is going to go in the library. You should know this. This theater was, it was so beautiful. It was about a block, it was a whole block, a theater, a theater, movie house. And we used to play hide and go seek in there and stay in there all day and have fun. And then George Wright was an organ player, this huge organ. I mean, it was as big as this room. And with these pipes, I don't know how many feet high. So it was so much fun. Did you, did the kids ever talk about the Strait Theater that was on H Street? Okay, which theater was that? That was on Cole and Haight. There's a Goodwill store there now on H Street. What was it called, I forgot. The Strait Theater. Oh, yeah, they used to talk about that. That I was. Well, the Mine True. Oh, right. Or the Diggers. How did you get the food to take care of these kids? Was there any help in community? Oh, I had a good husband. He understood. Oh, go ahead. How many kids at one time would be treated with food? Oh, gosh, I had my three. Right. And I didn't be maybe, oh, three, three more. Okay. Yes. Now, how about it? I mean, do you have any kids? Okay, I'm beginning to take care of old, since I'm 72. I'm taking care of these people. They're wonderful. In 40s, and they're all on, I didn't know, I hate their method. Oh, so you're taking people in in their 30s and 40s? Yes. I'm not going to stop it. Okay. I'm going to stop it. No, I'm still doing this. Okay. See, I think maybe some people have had the experience you have and had been hurt by it. Yes. And then they don't continue it. Right. No, I'm still continuing. I don't know when I'm going to stop. But the young kids, it's the young kids that have no one to turn to. Right. They're looking for a better way than what they have at home. The young people I talk to now are starting, they're nothing, I guess you'd say yuppies. But these kids are different than yuppies. They're highly educated kids and they sure know about business. And they're starting different businesses, surf shops, plant shops, and I'm kind of in contact with them. They're real nice kids. See, in the 60s, we were looking for was a utopian society. I don't think they're doing that anymore. No, right. Right. So they're not doing that anymore. They're trying to keep natural and be business at the same time. Exactly. Yeah, they're very, very smart, these kids. It's a monetary, material direction rather than a heart and spirit and a spirit of love and direction and a community-type direction. Did you ever go dig the ground and plant your own vegetables? I was the first one to do this. I was the first one to always have vegetables, the first one to have compost and they thought I was crazy. Recycling. Yeah, I was the first one to do that. Yeah. And the neighbors would complain and bring out the health department, the health department would go, oh my God, everything's okay. Was this in the 50s or the 60s? This is the 60s. Okay. Yes, I was recycling that and breastfeeding was all taboo, you weren't supposed to breastfeed. I did that. I started that again. I started the I was the first natural food. I'd squeeze a watermelon, squeeze papaya juice for the kids. I was the first health food freak. In those days it was just one health food store in the 60s. In San Francisco. Yes, it was a little closet on Clemente, the first health food store. Clemente, I remember it. Yeah, it was a good friend of mine. And that was, well, it didn't have to be organic in those days, you know, DDT. I'll stop talking about that. But anyway, I'm gone. Thank God DDT's things have gotten better. So no matter you're sitting outside your house and people that don't have a clue who you are, and I was way, they think you're the bad lady. They have no clue. Oh right. Yeah, they know what you're doing. I go to the beach and people say, how do you live here? I go live where? Oh, well, don't you live on the beach? No, no, I'm here. I body surf. I go in the ocean. You can't understand it. In the old days, like I told you, they go there to walk your dogs now, not to participate in the nature and the sun and communicating. So on one level, people that don't have a clue what you do, what you believe, and what a good heart you have. On the other level, you have got the police department calling you with the child that needs help, a school. So you had a relationship and they would call you from schools, and oh, yes, you tell us something about that. Well, the parents that would call, they'd call the police and the police would come over and say, you know, you've got this child here now, come on. Oh, they would come to pick up the children. Yes, yes, I see. And I'd always say, yes, I have blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Oh, they're safe, they're okay. I heard a story where there was a Catholic school and they had trouble and that we got it called Carol's. Oh, right, right, yeah. Tell us about that. Oh, the nuns would, that was Notre Dame de Victoire. I went to that school on Bush Street and they knew me. Well, we go, oh, that's our little friend, Carol. She's the saint, Carol. She helps all the kids out. Be great some day, if all these kids are grown up, you can get them all together. Yes. And see what you did. Well, one that's funny, one phone the other day, Rudy, I could believe I had 35 years. Carol, are you okay? Who's this? Because I'll never forget you. Because of you, I straighten out my life. So that's such a good feeling, beautiful. There's more of us like that in the community, the children would not be sleeping in the streets. Yes, it was no, gosh, there's so many homeless people now. You said that you had some experience in the Haydashbury or surrounding areas from the 30s and the 40s? Oh, in the 30s. Oh boy. How can I say? I was on McAllister Street and in my day, there was no word ghetto, but the whole city was in ghetto. And we were all far restrict and after the depression, you see. And everyone was a community. And I was lucky to be born on McAllister Street and it was a black neighborhood. Was this in the Haydashbury, McAllister and the Haydashbury? No, this is that way, more to Steiner. Okay. And it was all Victorian homes. Now it's a project. They look like prisons now. They were all shot down. And I had kind of a mean mother, so I would go around the corner and the black people took care of me. Where did I read in this article that you were raised by a black family in the neighborhood? Yes, they were very wonderful. And they fed me and then they come around the corner. It was like a segregation in those days. You never went past a certain line. North Beach was Italian and Chinatown was Chinese. Right. Stanley was Irish and you never went, you never went out. But you snuck around. They looked like they were having more fun to black people than we were, so why would they run around the door? Carol, come on. We got some good soup for you. What about your father? I never had a father. Okay. No. I had a grandmother in mind. Okay. All right. So anything else you want to tell us about the 60s? Oh, let's see. What can I say? The 60s. Well, it was so colorful, so much fun. It is not now technology, you know, running in this body and all this. Yes. They're into their body and their looks and these things in your ears and the tell, and now the computer. So it's kind of not so much fun anymore, like it used to be. It can be a positive thing and a negative thing. Yes, I think that's right. Do you also, since you lived at the beach, do you remember the Avalon Ballroom that was at L.A. talking about it? The light show, my girlfriend, my little girlfriend, she was doing the light, what do you call it, the strobe things. Oh, okay. She was a great thing. She said, Carol, come on. I go, no, I'm too tired. I don't like going out at night. I'm always tired. She dragged me out and never forget as long as I did. You never went to one of the shows there. No, actually, I was a mother. You see? I'm not a hanger outter. Right. But they go, Carol, you've got to come. And I saw the lights. It was beautiful. You could probably hear the music from where you were living, though. Yes, yes. And then it was a family dog. Right, the family door. Yes, that was my game, the family door. Right, exactly. Check right across the street. Yes. Oh, they were right across the street. They were from the street from Kelly's where I raised my children, where all the kids used to come, right across the street. What is Kelly's coat? Kelly's coat is below the cliff house. Okay. Yes, where the seals rock up. That's where the suitra taro, the sutra pools were. No, no. All right, sutras, yes. Right on the other side. Okay. Yes. And that's where it was all happening. Okay. If you have to think about, these are many years of you involved with this. It's, it's like a little bit of Mother Teresa. It's a little bit of, you know, I don't have a seat. I don't know. It's a little bit, if, if you had to be remembered, and it's what you did could inspire someone when this is watched. Can you tell us a little, how you would feel at peace? How you would feel good? Okay. What I can tell young people, anyone who watches this, it's just stay close to nature as much as you can, close to the earth in nature. That's all I can say. And don't forget this. Well, thank you very much. Yes, pleasure to have you. Thank you, Carol. You're very welcome.