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- Pope Valley, California - Litto's Hubcap Ranch - King of Hubcaps
A cute little drive-by if (and only IF) you're in that valley. As it always seems to be sunny there, one does catch them shining in the sun, but you must enjoy maneuvering small country roads to get there -- and back! [Suggestion: Drive DOWN the road from St. Helena to Pope Valley (northeast) as the directions below suggest. Driving UP from Pope Valley to St. Helena (southwest) would be insane!] If it's a gloomy day, you're not into this type of roadside attraction, or you don't like windy roads, then you'll be disappointed. Luckily we're auto enthusiasts . . . so a good driver navigating several hours off the beaten track to see 'caps was [sic] fun.
[Vini, 08/01/2004]Litto's Hubcap Ranch - King of Hubcaps:- Address:
- 6654 Pope Valley Rd, Pope Valley, CA
- Directions:
- Off of the Silverado Trail between Napa and Calistoga, up Deer Park Road to Pope Valley (a few miles) and then at the town of Pope Valley (it's actually an intersection), go left 2 miles NW. Hubcabs decorate a half-mile-long stretch of fence.
We were lured to this obscure locality by Pearson's Wrecking Yard, where we hoped to find a car part. Expecting at least a Taco Bell for dinner, the 'town' appeared to consist only of 3 or 4 trailers on the other side of the Hwy, a HUMONGOUS wrecking yard w/hubcaps ALL over the place, and a really weird child's playground (no children in sight). We missed dinner, slept in the car in the parking lot of the wrecking yard, and were awakened when a strange woman in a bonnet began washing hubcaps right outside of our car. This turned out to be Lucy the "Hubcap Queen," and she evidently collected them and liked to wash them to make them shine.
We got our part and bought a postcard from Lucy of Lucy posing with several hubcaps. One of the weirder experiences in my life.
[cheyenne, 02/10/2002]Hubcap Capital of the World:- Directions:
- Pearson Road along US Hwy 395.
- Status:
- Gone
- Pope Valley, California - Litto's Hubcap Ranch - King of Hubcaps
I recently went to a California National Landmark in that's claim to fame is hubcaps. The King of Hubcaps to be exact, it is a ranch owned by a man who has continued his grandfather's dream of collecting and displaying the most hubcaps. It is quite beautiful and talk about off the beaten path. Directions: Off of the Silverado Trail between Napa and Calistoga, up Deer Park Road to Pope Valley (a few miles) and then at the town of Pope Valley (it's actually an intersection), go left for a couple of miles and there you see the 'caps shining in the sun. Be polite and quiet, people live there, and donations of hubcaps are appreciated. ....
[Mollyfn, 07/07/1998]It's California Historical Landmark No. 939. Litto Damonte began collecting hubcaps in 1935, and reigned over kingdom until 1985 at age 93. There were 3,000 hubcaps when he died and over 5,000 now.
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May 2007: New photo -- this little oasis still makes a claim as "Hubcap Capital of the World." They added a couple of other worthy attractions in 2007 -- a Uniroyal Gal statue and a "stealth car."