The High Desert Aviation Story Begins in Pioneertown in the 1940s, where Gene Autry and Roy Rogers ramped up filming to the point of needing near constant flights for cast and crew. The Hollywood contingent used the Sky Corrals in Yucca Valley and a dirt runway in Pioneertown known as the Roy Rogers Airport (below) prior to the opening of the Yucca Valley Airport.
A cloudburst one summer night in the late 1950s was a prelude to Yucca Valley’s present airport location. A Spanish War veteran was suffering from a stroke and the local Dr. John Bendall struggled to reach him by car. Unsatisfied with the predicament Dr. Bendall, a pilot himself, decided to acquire the 80-acre plot at Warren’s Well to construct a private airport and dinner house— the Copper Room.
For over a decade, until the early 1970s, the Copper Room was the place to be in the high desert. Frank Sinatra’s best friend, composer and confidant, Jimmy Van Heusen (below) was the Honorary Mayor of Yucca Valley at the time. The Copper Room existed at the nexus of golden area aviation and Rat Pack revelry. The airport lounge was beacon for seasoned pilots and heavy hitting musicians boasting continuous live music, cold martinis and dancing under the stars.
Jimmy Van Heusen wrote countless title songs for Frank Sinatra's albums in the late 1950s, including Love and Marriage, To Love and Be Loved, Come Fly with Me, Only the Lonely, and Come Dance with Me. Van Heusen was an avid pilot who discovered the desert on a flight path back from New York and was famously credited for inspiring Sinatra’s move.
“The ‘Baron’ as it was known was a very happening spot in 1970s Yucca Valley.
It was pretty hip and all, and a favorite destination amongst big money guys who flew in with guests for dinner in their Cessna’s, Mooney’s, and Pipers. At that time you could call in your drink and dinner order from the air; you could talk to the bartender on the Unicom radio and order ahead. It was pretty cool.”
For decades after the Red Baron era, Wine & Roses was a favorite amongst locals. A few years ago the venue shuttered and was in need of restoration and revival. After uncovering the rich history of the space and Yucca Valley itself, the team behind the Pioneertown Motel and Red Dog Saloon (Pioneertown) endeavored to bring back the glory days the Copper Room.
“Gram would roll in driving his pearl gray Aston-Martin followed by an entourage of six or seven fancy and exotic cars. A real ‘Grand Entrance’ at 3:00 in the afternoon in Yucca Valley at the Red Baron. The first couple of times he came in I didn’t even know who he was as he ordered pitchers of Margaritas for himself, this bright blonde headed guy and numerous other semi-famous rock stars and groupies that were with him. Gram always said he loved the Red Baron bar in the late afternoon with the windows facing the desert sunset.”
— Tim Bullock on 1972-1974 Red Baron
How to Get Here
We are located right next to the Yucca Valley Airport.
57360 Aviation Dr, Yucca Valley, CA 92284
Open Wed - Sun: 4pm - 12am