Ponderosa and My Pa

I first met Little Joe while perched on my parents' yellow and brown carpeting, my face squarely in front of our huge console TV. It was somewhat of a family event, and the trademark "ding dittle ding ding dittle dittle ding dittle ding ding ..." theme song still brings back strong memories of my childhood – and a special time with my own "Pa."

My dad loved all things Cowboy, and Bonanza's Pa, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe (portrayed by Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon) at times seemed like part of our extended family – although without all the untimely deaths of the female members of the clan, thankfully.

My connection to the imaginary patriarch and his brood deepened when I moved within miles of the mythical ranch, which, according to the burning map, sprawled across some pretty prime real estate on the edge of the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. I visited the tourist version of the ranch near Incline Village, Nev., where I partook in the coldest pancake breakfast I've ever experienced and got to see a replica of the house, complete with the Cartwrights' jackets and hats hanging on the hooks near the entrance.

I plan to pay homage to my dad's memory by trekking over to the Autry National Center's Imagination Gallery, where the hand-drawn Ponderosa Ranch map is now on display (although I hope it doesn't catch fire while I'm there). The map belonged to series creator David Dortort, who died in 2010, and was donated by the Dortort family. I also plan to check out the museums display of scripts, correspondence, photos and other memorabilia from the classic series, which ran from 1959 to 1973. (This might be a good time for me to add that we often watched the show in syndication...)

Happy Father's Day, Dad – here's hoping you can see the Ponderosa from wherever you are.

And in case you're a young 'un or need a refresher, here's the theme song, which will probably stay in your head for the rest of the day: