Three generations of the Ewing family returned to Idyllwild to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the original Ewing home.
“This weekend, as has been happening for over 45 years, the Ewing clan will get together and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day,” wrote daughter-in-law Camille Ewing before the event. “Most of the grandkids, now with families of their own, will be returning to Idyllwild to celebrate coming back after 20 years to share memories and relive good times.”
In 1984, Paul and Bernice Ewing designed and built their Idyllwild log cabin dream home on Idyllbrook Drive. The spacious home became a festive host for family gatherings of Bill and Bernice, the five Ewing siblings, their spouses and children.
With the death of Bernice in 1993 and the onset of health issues for Paul in 1998, he was forced to sell the home.
In 2017, one of the sons, Bill, along with wife Camille, bought the property and have been restoring the home back to its original condition with important structural and design upgrades.
The purchase came about unexpectedly. “One of my nieces was in Idyllwild and, by chance, met the lady who had bought the home from my dad,” said Bill. “She was contemplating selling, so we bought it to preserve our family history.”
The St. Patrick’s Day weekend provided a perfect time to introduce the house to the Ewing grandchildren and cousins, many of whom had not seen the house before. In all, there were 58 celebrants decked out in green shirts playing as if they all were children. Festivities included a talent show where the emcees were ages 9 and 11; a traditional family card tournament; dancing to Motown music; a clan reunion photo; and, of course, eating.
First, there was a barbecue at noon, then a taco truck from Riverside at 3 p.m. and an endless cake after that.
And for the those who were older, the walk into town and a trip to the Candy Cupboard brought back so many memories.
“When we were little, the walk into town felt like miles,” said Kyle Ewing. “Now it’s so short. But Idyllwild seems like a time capsule, so little has changed.”