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Movies To

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Bonnie McGaugh-Levinson. You might know her as Bonnie, owner and
operator of Bonnie Springs Ranch for 60 years. But do you know the story about why neckties of every make, shape
and color hang from the ceiling in her bar? And why dollar bills are pinned to the neckties? The story goes, Bonnie,
her husband Al and his tie had no idea a simple dinner at the Desert Inn Casino could have caused a situation that
would have a far-reaching positive result. The establishment at the casino took offense to Al’s shoelace-like bolo tie
worn with a silver slide. Don a real tie or no service at Desert Inn.

It was at that moment Al decided there’d be no wearing ties in his restaurant! So if a man came into Al’s restaurant
wearing a tie, Al took the tie and hung it from the rafters. People for some unknown reason started pinning money to
the ties. What you may not know about this story is, the day after 9/11, seven years after Al passed away, the dollars
were collected and donated to the Blue Diamond Volunteer Fire Department. All $18,744! And still today money
from the ties are donated to different nonprofits. Way to go, Al.

In 1843, with the backdrop of Red Rock Canyon, if you looked east from what is now known as Bonnie Springs
Ranch you might have seen a cloud of dust rising from the still desert ground along the Old Spanish Trail. As the
cloud of dust drew closer the shapes of the covered wagons that were traveling to California would have come into
view. You’d have heard the voice of the wagon master belching orders and the sound of pots and pans clanging on
the side of the wagons bouncing off the canyon walls echoing the arrival of trail weary travelers. It has been said that
in 1846 General Fremont stopped at the oasis in the desert to regroup and refresh himself at the natural cool springs
before crossing Death Valley.

As I talked with Bonnie about this land’s unique history, she revealed her own unique history. “It was nothing but a
bar and a three room house when I bought the place. That was in 1952,” Bonnie said while eating her lunch in her
favorite booth at the restaurant. “Just a dirt road. No electricity for almost 12 years,” she continued. “A friend told
me about the property. He said I would love it. I did. I removed five truckloads of garbage from around this place. I
never thought I could work so hard. You see, I was raised around a movie studio all my young life. I was babied and
waited on.” she said. “My father, Wilbur McGaugh, directed western movies. I danced and ice skated for a living and
traveled with Sonja Henie’s ice show.”

Ninety-year-old Bonnie pinned back her long golden hair as she told the story of how her zoo began. “Someone
dropped off a sheep then a couple of deer showed up. I adopted a wolf. Wayne Newton asked if he could bring his

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