Watcher's Guide

Simon Spotlight Entertainment

Excerpt

Welcome to beautiful Sunnydale!

The Sunnydale Chamber of Commerce welcomes you to lovely Sunnydale, home to many scenic attractions, including a pristine strip of Southern California beach, a world-class museum, and the fully accredited Crestwood College, a magnet for liberal-arts majors from all corners of the globe. Browse for curios at our art gallery, have a cappuccino at our young people's "hangout," the Bronze...and get to know the friendly locals, who are always glad to show you around their town. Colonized by the Spanish centuries ago and given the quaint and colorful name Boca del Infierno, Sunnydale is a community steeped in history. Nowadays, all kinds of interesting folks make their homes in Sunnydale...and once you've been here for a little while, you'll see why!

Sunnydale...come for an hour...stay for a lifetime!

The Historical Society has prepared this Tour of Sunnydale. Many of the attractions are clustered in our central downtown section, while the beach, docks, skating rink, and other places of interest make diverting excursions by car or bus (a map to our bus depot and airport is located on the back of this brochure).

Sunnydale is a town on the grow...and our young people are our lifeblood. The lovely Spanish-style campus of the Sunnydale High School features an attractive Quad, where the annual May Queen is announced, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool, complete with an exquisite underground grotto. Sunnydale High is home to the fierce Razorbacks. In 1977, our cheerleading squad won the tri-county championship, and this year we took state semifinals in boys' swimming. Everyone turns out to view the exhibits at our annual science fair, and it's standing room only at the spectacular talent show in our large, professionally equipped auditorium. Come have a snack and "hang out" with the class of '99 in our student-decorated lounge! Our cafeteria recently won "Best Burritos" for the third year in a row. We have a fully computerized library, and we're also members of the "Let's Get Together" foreign-exchange-student program.

There are 43 churches in Sunnydale...but some claim there are 44! Ghost stories about a sunken church across from the school persist, despite the fact that no such structure has ever been located. Museum archeologists have explored the vast warren of tunnels beneath the town itself, but to no avail. Still, the legend of the Master's Lair never dies...will you be the one to unlock its secrets?

Continue on a few blocks directly from the campus, and you'll come across another very nice example of Spanish architecture. These multi-storied buildings have been turned into condos. Rupert Giles, the school librarian, lives here.

Doubling-back to the campus, take a short walk toward the edge of town. The Bronze is the local hangout for high school students and older young adults. The place has an appealingly dive-y earthiness; no waiting in line for the bouncer to decide if you're cool or not! Just pay the cover and get your hand stamped if you're old enough to drink.

The Bronze is dark, crowded, noisy...and fun! Live bands play almost every night of the week, and the club also hosts the annual May Queen dance, a spooky celebration of Halloween, the World Culture fiesta, and other exciting community get-togethers. The coffee bar serves a delicious array of croissants and pastries.

Approximately ten blocks to the northeast of the Bronze are a number of abandoned warehouses, where, until recently, an attractive brick factory occupied most of a city block. Discussions with the city fathers were under way to transform the factory into a spaghetti restaurant or possibly a wax museum, when, unfortunately, a fire burned the factory to the ground.

Also located in this part of town are two very "colorful" establishments, the rough-and-tumble Fish Tank and Willi's Alibi Room. (No one under twenty-one admitted.)

In addition, you'll need to know "the password" to enter the private Sunset Club. And the word is..."Lestat"! This Goth club, it is said, once played host to some "real vampires"...but you be the judge as you walk among its denizens clad in black lace and blood-red velvet! (Hours vary.) Admission by invitation only.

A ten-block walk east will lead you to the main gate of the Sunnydale Armory. Currently under the command of Colonel Newsome, the Armory is home to the 33rd (the legendary "Skull & Crossbones" unit). The Armory offers a tour of its Weapons Museum on Saturdays from 1-3 P.M. A number of interesting armaments have been recovered during excavations in and around Sunnydale (including our new and exciting high-rise towers!). These fascinating objects of battles gone by are showcased alongside examples of the military's most up-to-date weapons systems. (Civilians, please check in at the Visitors' Gate.)

Rounding the perimeter of the Armory and heading back west, you'll come to the Sunnydale Hospital. Our E.R. is a busy, bustling trauma center, and our on-site physicians are ready to service your every need, be it a gang-related incident, a run-in with a backed-up sewer line, or an inconvenient tumble down the stairs. Our viral-containment unit is world-class. All our blood products are irradiated, and we have a twenty-four-hour pharmacy.

Continue past the police station and the city administration building, and you will come to our lovely Sunnydale Mall. Recently refurbished, it boasts a multiplex cinema offering first-run movies, as well as many shops and a lavish food court. Be sure to check out the cool video-game parlor on the upper level!

Leaving the mall and continuing past the community parking lot, our business district offers more fascinating shopping. Not for the faint-hearted, the Dragon's Cove Magic Shop carries voodoo dolls, love potions, and Ouija boards. It also sells an attractive line of crystal globe paperweights called "Orbs of Thesulah." Pick up a few for your New Age friends! Nearby, a number of shops specialize in theatrical-costume rentals and Halloween gear. Flash those vampire teeth and say, "Blood!" The oldest costume shop is Party Town, and last year, Ethan's was a big hit. (Currently closed.)

After an hour or so of browsing, continue down the lane that leads into one of our loveliest residential areas. Wide boulevards and Deodora pines grace the yards of several Arts and Crafts homes on Revello Drive, as well as typical Southern California ranch and Mediterranean styles on the attractive cross streets.

If you continue on, you'll come to Weatherly Park, a meeting place for young people and senior citizens alike. This large park is suitable for biking, hiking, and picnicking. Skateboarding is prohibited. (A note of caution: it's probably best to stick to the trails and paved walkways. The occasional unlicensed dog may run loose.) The gates are locked at 10 P.M.

A few blocks farther north, you'll come to the local playground, where children can let off steam on the jungle gym and the swings. There are picnic tables, too.

Continue on for approximately another mile, and you'll come upon one of the largest and most beautiful buildings in Sunnydale: the Sunnydale Natural History Museum. Boasting several impressive collections of anthropological artifacts as well as scientific specimens, the museum also plays host to several touring exhibitions each year. Recently, the Inca Princess exhibit drew record crowds. Be sure to visit the Douglas Perren Memorial Room, where a large collection of curios from in and around Sunnydale is on display.

Beyond the museum are a number of lovely homes. Rumor has it that members of the popular local band Dingoes Ate My Baby live in this area. Watch out for groupies!

The next stop on any tour of Sunnydale would have to be the Sunnydale Zoo. Home to many rare and exotic species, the zoo is a favorite field-trip destination for all ages and grades. Open year-round. (Sorry, the Hyena House is under repair and will be closed until further notice.)

Our youth like to stop to admire the view at "the point," which actually affords a nice view of our town. Make sure that emergency brake is on! Another well-known congregating spot is the humorously named "Makeout Park," near the zoo. Teen Angel, where are you?

Next stop...surf city! Hang ten at the Sunnydale Beach. Take I-17 west (municipal bus #13, "Beach" stop.) There's plenty of free parking in the lot. Bonfires are permitted; however, alcoholic beverages and glass containers are not permitted. (Note: There have been several unverified shark sightings, but the Sunnydale Water Safety Commission advises that there is, at present, no cause for alarm.) Our waters are safe.

And speaking of sharks, if it's fishing you're after, be sure to visit the Sunnydale Docks! Home to a healthy shipping industry, the docks house deep-sea fishing boats that are available for charter, from half-day excursions to long, lost weekends lazing in the sun, waiting for that good, strong tug....Call 555-FISH for details.

Take I-17 in the opposite direction, go past the Sunnydale exit, and take the Kailas off-ramp, for a cool spin at the Sunnydale Ice Rink. (Bus #66, "Ice Rink" stop.) Go for the gold - and be sure to warm up with some nice hot chocolate and a sugary churros at the concession stand. Closed Tuesdays.

Head back into town to spend a few quiet moments in the "Graveyard in the Woods," Sunnydale Cemetery. The Mausoleum is also on the grounds. In this hallowed ground, the town's deceased are buried. Prominent Sunnydalians laid to rest here are: Sunnydale principal Robert Flutie, all-state football star Daryl Epps, and many, many others. The historic Sunnydale Funeral Home is located nearby. A full-service funeral home providing burial services and with a fully licensed, on-site crematorium, its motto for over four generations has been: "We'll take care of the rest."

Abutting the cemetery's south wall stand the Sunnydale woods, a bucolic wonderland of deciduous evergreens, and just beyond the woods, the abandoned but still splendid Delta Zeta Kappa fraternity house. Once chartered by Crestwood College, on whose campus the house stands, the fraternity chose to disband last year after a scandal involving questionable initiation rituals. The college itself remains in excellent academic standing. Last year, the drama department mounted an excellent production of The Sound of Music.

About two miles past the north wall of the college stands Sunnydale Technology Park, home to a small but prosperous cluster of high-tech companies, including Lorrin Software. The park was also home to CRD, now unfortunately in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The structure recently sustained some damage due to an electrical problem and has been condemned.

A quick turn down the street and you're at the Mini-Golf! Providing wholesome family entertainment, Sunnydale's miniature golf course is a great place to catch up with old friends...or get better acquainted with new ones!

On the outskirts of town stands a mansion, which is reputed to be the home of a retired silent-film star who deeded it to the town upon her death. The Historical Society recently leased it to a reclusive gentleman named "Mr. A." Movers report that the mansion is filled with beautiful Art Deco statuary and fixtures. Perhaps one day Mr. A will open his doors for a grande soiree, as has been suggested by some "in the know."

We hope that this brochure has added to your enjoyment of our beautiful town. Who knows? Maybe once you've spent some time in Sunnydale, you'll find you just can't leave!

Copyright © 1998 by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

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Excerpted from Watcher's Guide by Christopher Golden Copyright © 1999 by Christopher Golden. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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