Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Dynasty

Have you ever heard of the 1980's hit show Dynasty? It's about this large Denver, Colorado family the Carringtons. They have more money than Trump could ever dream of and more drama than all reality tv shows combined. It was on television from 1981-1989 and starred Linda Evans, Joan Collins and John Forsythe. It was also produced by the television mastermind Aaron Spelling.
Don't you just love the 80's hair?! Each week the Carringtons would entertain millions of Americans with their outrageous shenanigans. They would spend money like nothing. They had everything from huge jewels to large furs and private jets. They would sleep with each other's husbands and wives. They'd fight and make up.Then they would pull together because they were family. America loved it and it was a hit for years. It also introduced everyone to Heather Locklear who would skyrocket to fame as Krystal Carrington's niece Sammy Jo.

The Carrington Mansion was always a focal point of the show. The credits began by showing an aerial shot of the home and grounds. It would also show the front and the gardens frequently. Everyone always gathered to the mansion for parties and major life events. So imagine my surprise when I found out that the mansion actually isn't in Denver Colorado but right outside of San Francisco, California!
The actually home is named Filoli and is located 30 miles south of San Francisco in Woodside, California. It sits on 654 acres of land and is considered one of finest remaining country estates of the early 20th century. The house itself is 36,000 square feet and has a 16 acre English Renaissance garden. It is also a part of the National Historic Preservation. 
The garden is a famous part of Dynasty and television history. It's the site of the famous fight scene between Alexis (Joan Collins) and Krystal (Linda Evans) where they end up slinging mud at each other from the bottom of this pond in the garden. It's also the site of other famous scenes from Dynasty. The fact that Filoli is so close to Sacramento means that I can tour it! When I found out all of this information I immediately got on the official website to look up a time to visit. It's open to the public!

I got an even bigger shock when I found out Filoli is currently closed until February 5th. I guess they shut it down to the public during this time of the year for grounds keeping and such. So until then I'll be watching season 5 and finishing it up until I can finally tour the place. I'm interested to see what the inside looks like compared to what they portrayed on the show. I'm also pretty excited to walk around the garden and the famous front of the home. Trust me once I tour it, you'll hear all the details!

3 comments:

Jennifer said...

My mother loved this show.

Why Girls Are Weird said...

That is so cool that you'll get to go tour it! My mom would LOVE to do that, she loved Dynasty.

tina said...

I used to LOVE Dynasty....watching every week with friends!!

I didn't know that the property was here in Northern California?? Thanks for the information... I think I'm going to plan a trip to see it too!!