A private mountaintop retreat called Rattlesnake Ranch in Yucca Valley creates an intense feeling of being the only person in the world. The property was originally owned by four-time Oscar-winning composer Jimmy Van Heusen, who bought the mountaintop in 1963 and built a high-desert getaway known for debauchery. Major stars and world leaders visited as close friends, including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and John F. Kennedy. Over time the house fell into disrepair and became local legend under names such as JVH Ranch and Scenic Mountain. After renovation, a pool house on the mountain is set to open for nightly rentals, with plans to rehab the main house. The stay offers a singular experience of stepping into Van Heusen’s former stomping ground.
"Stand on top of the private mountain that's home to Rattlesnake Ranch, and a curious thing happens: You feel like you're the only person in the world. The feeling is, in a word, intoxicating."
"He bought his own mountaintop in Yucca Valley in 1963, and created a getaway with a rollicking reputation for debauchery that saw the era's biggest stars and world leaders as guests, like close friends Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and John F. Kennedy."
"But the 1960s are long past, and the house fell into disrepair many years ago. Rattlesnake Ranch, which has alternately been called JVH Ranch and Scenic Mountain, became the stuff of local legend. Today, the property is moving into another era of high glamor in the high desert."
"I stayed there in early May, as a preview ahead of the house hitting the short-term rental market, and the experience was truly singular. Hearing stories about Frank Sinatra's desert exploits is one thing. Getting to step foot into his former stomping ground, and to have an entire mountain to myself in the process, was entirely another."
Read at SFGATE
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