Good Morning Cardiff CA – Encinitas Magazine April 2015 (Stories of Encinitas CA)
Good Morning
Where it’s always the ‘70’s in Cardiff!
By Kyle Thomas
Are you In need of a healing dose of the ‘70’s? Cardiff-by-the-Sea’s Good Morning store is the Mecca for all things groovy! Even the dust on the floor is vintage. Whenever the carpet needs refreshing, Darreld Kitaen, the gentle, wise, white haired, proprietor, just sprinkles more magic glitter on the floor. No vacuuming required… EVER!
2015 marks the 40th birthday of the Good Morning store in Cardiff, where you can find, peace signs, incense, crystals and crystal jewelry, beaded jewelry, hand made soaps, cards and crafts by local artists, tie dye shirts, books, stickers, buttons, glass boxes, rings, polished rocks, trolls, collectibles and endless, unique one of a kind treasures.
“What originally brought you to Cardiff?” I ask Darreld.
“It was the place to be. It was my favorite place, while growing up in San Diego, where I lived in the same house from the age of two through High School. At 15 and a half, I drove my first vehicle up here… a ’47 Ford, and I sat on the beach and I said, ‘Someday I’m going to have a shop here.’ And it came to be.”
After spending the 60’s in Hollywood and Sundays in Griffith Park, listening to free music and partying, and then the early 70’s living in a log cabin in the local mountains, in 1975 Darreld moved to Cardiff, marries, buys a house, settles down and begins selling Pub mirrors next to the railroad tracks at San Elijo and Chesterfield Ave. “1975 was a big year!”, recounts Darreld.
“I got chassed up and down the tracks from Cardiff, to across from Keno’s and then to Leucadia Blvd, by the cops, who finally, after about four months, told me to leave because it was illegal. They didn’t want me there.”
“So I moved my operation indoors where I took over the old shell shop on the Coast Highway in Cardiff. I held the master lease and let Las Olas Restaurant in, to use part of the space, then in 1980, Las Olas took over and I moved into the location where Lou’s Records began, in the Cardiff Shopping Center, where I’ve continued for the past 35 years.”
Darreld’s Philosophy on Life: “Do what you love, and love what you do.”
Rosalee, Darreld’s wife shared with me, “What I’ve always loved about Darreld and why I was attracted to him in the first place, was because he was very spiritual and very sensitive, and he was a communicator. He always communicated his thoughts and he has an innate quality to bring that out in others.”
Nowadays you can visit with Darreld Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 AM till 1:00 PM, while Darreld’s son Rick, who’s been baking the last 33 years at V.G’s by day, takes over the afternoon shift at Good Morning, until closing at 5:00 PM. And by the way… Darreld welcomes all visitors to bring their own glitter to add to the carpet!
Good Morning is located at 126 Aberdeen Drive, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA. 92007
You can also visit Good Morning at www.goodmorningcardiff.com and
their Facebook page: Good-Morning-Cardiff-by-the-Sea.
Darreld & Rosalee 1975
Darreld & Rosalee-1973. First picture taken of them together the day they met.
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