Carmel Magazine

no idea how beloved his book had become. "Every time I feel a little down," the author says, "I just read some of those notes." Some examples: "I can think of no one better to write about our history than Randall Reinstedt. After reading his books and knowing how much effort he puts into each I don't just enjoy them; I devour them. The book will be treasured and passed down to my great grandchildren." "I have lived in Monterey for over 35 years and thought I knew its history. Boy was I wrong. Randy Reinstedt and his book will no doubt teach me a thing or two." "What a wonderful thing you are doing." "As fans of Randy's writing and storytelling, we would be honored to have a copy to share with our grandnephew and, hopefully someday, with our grand-children. As owners of many of Randy's books, we know his ability to bring history alive." The Ghosts While a teacher, Reinstedt was contributing articles to history-based magazines such as True West and Frontier Times. "I was approached to produce a piece about the Monterey adobes," he remembers. "My first thought? No one but a history nut like me would be interested in read- ing it." That's when he remembered his paper- boy days. "While doing collections, I got to know a lot of the old-timers and they shared their sto- ries." Many of those stories involved ghosts and strange happenings in and around the spooky- looking mud brick buildings that survive from Monterey's Spanish era. "I incorporated ghost stories into the magazine article, and that brought it to life. The ghosts were a hook: they got people in and then they learned their histo- ry." Soon, people were seeking him out to share their own spooky tales. And the stories are legion: With its often fog-shrouded, spindly, lichen-dripping Cypress trees, this stretch of California coastline is prime territory for creepy occurrences, actual or imagined. Those stories were compiled in "Ghosts, Bandits and Legends of Old Monterey, Carmel and Surrounding Areas", the first of what would become a series of books about mysterious events in and around the Peninsula: "Shipwrecks and Sea Monsters of California's Central Coast"; "Tales, Treasures and Pirates of Old Monterey"; and "The Strange Case of the Ghosts of the Robert Louis Stevenson House" are among the titles Reinstedt publishes under the aegis of his company, Ghost Town Publications. Ironically, Reinstedt has never personally experienced a ghost or supernatural event. "But I'm totally con- vinced that they're real. There are happenings that we just don't understand." Concours d'Reinstedt An aspect of Randy Reinstedt's life that his readers have no inkling of is the fact that he's a big-league "car guy." He's attended every Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance since its founding in 1950. In fact, he showed his Jowett Jupiter there for many years, finally winning a blue ribbon in his class in 1969. When Concours officials Photo: Debbie Reinstedt Reinstedt's immaculate 1956 Ford Thunderbird was originally owned by a female Carmel physician. He purchased it in 1970 and has lovingly preserved it. The car is entirely original save for a recent paint job to restore its faded finish. 134 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 4 This Path of History sign was on the City of Monterey's trash heap. Rescued by a friend, it hangs proudly by Reinstedt's mantle.

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