Foothills Park has been accessible solely to residents of Palo Alto, a posh town in the San Francisco Bay Area. Actually, you could earn yourself a fine of $1,000 if caught on the property without an accompanying resident of Palo Alto. No kidding! But in December of 2020, after half a century of exclusivity, Foothills Park finally opened its gates to the general public (non-residents of Palo Alto). Recently, our local news has been reporting about the park and its history. Naturally, we had to see what all the hoopla was about. Is Foothills Park worth visiting? And what is so special about this once-private park in the foothills of…
-
-
Oddball Day Trip in Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains is not the direction most people think of while visiting this eccentric coastal town in California. Visitors flock to its famous Boardwalk to chill on the beach, soaking in the scenic views of the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes it is forgotten that Santa Cruz also borders Big Basin and Henry Cowell Redwood State Parks. Two of the largest in the state! And, of course, the Pogonip Open Space where our Sunday trip started. Pogonip Open Space Our neighbor and former long-time Santa Cruz resident recommended checking out the old lime kilns and the rock garden in Pogonip. Now we understand why. After chatting with a couple of students…
-
Agnews Museum: Memories of Great Asylum for The Insane
We discovered the Agnews Historic Cemetery and Museum, purely by chance! In a quiet residential area of Santa Clara, hidden amongst townhouses and condos, stands an unassuming one-story house with a small grassy field adjacent to it. Blink and you’ll miss it. Driving to lunch one fine Friday afternoon, we happened to catch a glimpse of it, looked at each other, and said “What’s that?”. So, we spun the car around, found a spot to park, and got out for a closer look. Agnews Museum To our delight, Agnews Museum was open (every Friday from 10 am to 2 pm). The admission is free, but donations are welcome. The museum’s…
-
USS Hornet Museum Ship: “The Grey Ghost” of the Pacific
How many people can boast that they have a historic WWII-built aircraft carrier in their backyard? That is also responsible for the successful recovery of Apollo astronauts’ on their return to Earth, AND known as the most haunted ship in the United States? Guess what? We can! 😊 We were granted permission to board the famous USS Hornet, and have awesome stories to share! The USS Hornet is anchored at the pier in Alameda, just a short drive across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco. This is your chance to explore this US Navy’s lovingly restored ship, take a peek into the life of the sailors who lived within her…
-
San Juan Bautista – The City of History
What do Alfred Hitchcock, the grim tale of the Donner Party, and a historic Catholic Mission have in common? Visit San Juan Bautista, California, and discover this curious connection! Cruising along Highway 101 in the Greater SF Bay Area, some of you might be familiar with Highway 156 WEST going through Castroville (The Artichoke Capital of the World) and out to the coastal villages of Monterey County. But just 3 miles EAST on Hwy 156 you’ll find San Juan Bautista, a town where 19th century California comes to life! Once upon a time (1850-1880), San Juan Bautista was a bustling town. Home to The Coast Line Stage Company, it was…
-
Baylands Nature Preserve: Outdoor Adventures in San Francisco Bay Area
Driving east on San Antonio Road in Mountain View, we discovered the isolated marshlands of the San Francisco South Bay, Baylands Nature Preserve. Not knowing what to expect, we were amazed by the vast variety of birds there! We were so taken by our discovery that we wanted to encourage you to put it on your outdoor activities list for Palo Alto or Mountain View in the San Francisco Bay Area. We’ve seen this marshland area many times from a plane as we approached San Francisco or San Jose International Airports. From above, the area appears as empty wilderness, islands of grass, and well… marshes… What could possibly be there?…
-
The Blackhawk Museum: Best Eclectic Museum in the SF Bay Area
The Blackhawk Museum is, in our opinion, one of the best museums in the entire San Francisco Bay Area, and you’ve probably never even heard of it! Located in the posh Blackhawk neighborhood tucked away in the town of Danville, California, the museum caught our attention with the public opening of a new “Into China” exhibition. We decided to check it out and fell in love not only with this collection but the entire museum complex! Into China The “Into China” exhibition opened to the public on January 25, 2020, just in time to celebrate the Lunar New Year. We were curious about the exhibit but did not expect such…
