WANDER INN
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Maracci's Place Tavern owners Egidio and Lena Maracci sold the building that housed their business for almost a decade to Joe Delucci and Pete Lock on August 18, 1944. Egidio Maracci, 67, and his wife Lena, 55, had other property and businesses to maintain and sell; the last two years of Maracci's Place were closed more often than not.
Delucci and Lock's wives Maggie and Nina(Nell)ran the new business, which they called the "Wander Inn" while their husbands ran their other business in town. The lot was located in Pedro Valley, near what is now called Linda Mar Beach. The inn featured music and dancing every night, shuffleboard, drink, and a place to "get cozy" after spending a day at the beach, according to their ads. The Wander Inn was one of those businesses that donated money and competed in bowling leagues in the 50s-60s. There was even a horseshoe pitching contest in 1960 at the Wander Inn. By the mid-50s, Pete and Nell left the business, making way for "Nat and Agnes" joining Joe and Maggie. Joe and Maggie Delucci stayed with the business until Joe passed away.
The Wander Inn was was never really an inn. It was a a tavern, but it was also a landmark. In addition to the popular slogan "Wander Inn Stagger Out" , the Wander Inn was the location to measure by. "Down the road from the Wander Inn", "Across the street from the Wander Inn", "Turn left after passing the Wander Inn", etc. Through the years, there were numerous plans to move the building, or re-zone the land around it.
From a July 1, 1970 column when the Wander Inn was finally torched by the city, a Pacifica Tribune columnist wrote: "Under the management of Joe Delucci, the Wander Inn was a lusty place, remembered for its specimen-jar ocean view from barroom stools. Late in life, the Wander Inn became a youth center. At first it stood proud and clean and freshly painted and the kids flocked in to dance and play pool. The Youth of Pacifica Proiect eventually failed, and the Wander Inn ironically was destroyed by some of those it tried to keep. But the building served a purpose in holding together some of the youngsters of the community during a rugged time right after the ugly riots in Linda Mar in the summer of 1968. Eventually, it got so dilapidated that the city said it had to be destroyed. Kids were congregating there at night. setting small fires, hacking away at what remained. As structures go, it was not a distinguished edifice. At the end, few mourned, although some felt that in a city with so few public places, what a shame it hadn't been loved more like it used to be. Saturday about 5:45 fire fighters pulled up their trucks and tanks and hoses and waited as a fire was deliberately set. The flames shot up in a hurry and In a couple of hours, both bowers had fallen in, the walls had collapsed and roof caved in. Firemen getting good practice exercise saved the big cedar cypress tree in front, and a row of new seedlings. When it was all over, they cleaned things up and there was just a blank space where the Wander Inn used to be. Almost before the ashes cooled, somebody came along and put up a fireworks stand right in front of the blank space. All week long, people who drove up and down Coast Highway were heard to comment that' It sure doesn't seem the same with the Wander Inn gone.' "
