Helter Skelter describes how the time on this holiday is going and what Charles Manson called his “war” between races which he believed he was starting.
There are no pictures today but we had a really interesting morning none the less. We went to a restaurant that has typical American diner breakfast food except all of it is available gluten free (for Jayenne). She had the chocolate chip pancakes and i got to try biscuits – note to self these are just unsweetened (to an extent) scones which were actually quite nice. I didn’t try biscuits and gravy.
We headed over to the Dearly Departed shop front for our Helter Skelter tour and we were all very excited to find out it was being taken by Scott Michaels the owner (and former partner of Graham Norton). He was an awesome tour guide and is really passionate about the Tate/LaBianca murders. We heard a lot of theories about drugs, kids maybe planning to knock off their parents (the LaBianca murders) and the fact that other than Tate/Polanski the victims and perpetrators were all known to each other.
Tex Watson (the Manson family member that did most of the brutal bits) lived around the corner from the LaBianca’s daughter at one point and knew her. Her old apartment was where they filmed all of the outside bits for the Melrose Place apartment. The LaBianca’s are rumoured to have been involved in organised crime and drug production/distribution. They also lived next door to where Manson’s friend was and Manson and his family had stayed for while.
We learnt about Manson’s relationship with the Beach Boys and that they pinched a song he wrote. We learnt as well about some of the victims at the Tate house and the fact that other than Sharon and Steve Parent an 18 year old boy who had been visiting a friend staying at the gatehouse none of the other victims were truly innocent. We also learnt that Manson had tried to kill a black drug dealer and thought the Black Panther’s were out to get him and that the two later murders may have been a cover up for another murder that the family committed and that these were done copycat style to get Bobby Beausoleil off as Manson was worried he would talk to the Police and Manson would get killed in prison for his murder of a black panther (the drug dealer he shot didn’t die and was not a black panther).
We have had an amazing morning discussing the theories and learning more about the private lives of the victims and perpetrators.
Stu and I are off to the Betty Who concert shortly.
davstuholidays 