Showing posts with label parks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parks. Show all posts

Friday, October 21, 2016

I Spy . . . New Hiking Trails!


I spy with my little eye a new place in Hollister with trails for hiking, horses, and bicycles. Whooo-hooo!

The place is called Mudstone Ranch, which is part of the Hollister Hills State Vehicle Recreation Area. Not to worry. This section of the park is dedicated to non motorized activities, meaning you won't come across any dirt bikes, ATVs, or other motorized vehicles.

Having opened this summer, Mudstone Ranch is located on Cienega Road, a couple miles north of the main entrance to the Hollister Hills SVRA. If you're traveling from the north on Cienega Road, you'll find Mudstone Ranch soon after seeing the Hollister Hills Barn.

Happy trails to you.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

What's Happening: Free Entry Days to the Pinnacles



Tomorrow, August 25, 2016, is the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service.  Happy Anniversary, NPS! 

To celebrate its centennial, NPS is offering free admission to its parks for four days, from August 25 to August 28. That includes our own Pinnacles National Park.  Whooo-hooo! Enjoy!


Friday, May 27, 2016

I Spy . . . Bongo Drums


I spy with my little eye bongo drums in the park on top of Park Hill.  Yes, you can play them. They make a pretty cool sound.


Saturday, February 20, 2016

Saturday in the Park


Got kids or grandkids? Fun is waiting for them and you on top of Park Hill.

A few weeks ago, the Husband and I wandered around the playground equipment that was recently installed. It was very tempting to test everything out. Okay, we did bang out a few beats on the plastic drums. They sounded like real drums! Giggle.

Want to know some cool history about Park Hill, besides old fogeys telling you that when they were kids they rolled down the hill on cardboard? Check out Vista Park Hill. What's in a Name? by Robin Pollard at Benitolink.


Monday, September 7, 2015

Enjoy the Day!


Hope you're all having a great three days off from work! You deserve it.

See you tomorrow.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

The Dunne Park Rose Garden


Many communities throughout the United States have a public rose garden. Hollister is no different. Our rose garden is located in Dunne Park, at the east end near West Street. It's small, but beautiful, whether tended or not.


The garden has nice paths to walk among the roses. And, if you feel like relaxing in the garden, you can sit on one of the two benches there. Both benches are dedicated to special people in the community.


The rock bench is a memorial to Philip Paz (1913–1991) who helped in the design of the rose garden.  I like the last line of the dedication in particular, ". . . May the perpetual blooms of this garden remind us of those who have given so much and taken so little."


Friends of Janet Graham put in the other bench to honor the late public health nurse and community activist who was very involved in advocating the safety, health, and fitness of the children of San Benito County. Ms. Graham's work continues today through The Janet Graham Memorial Fund.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

All Things Vertigo in San Juan Bautista


In this instance, not Vertigo Coffee, but Vertigo, the 1958 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak. And, that is what Vertigo Day at the San Juan Bautista State Historic Park on September 26, 2015 will be all about.

The event is sponsored by San Juan Bautista State Historic Park and the Plaza History Association and features a tour, a lecture, and a showing of Vertigo.
  • 3:00 p.m. — a 1.5 hour guide tour of the mission and park, highlighting Vertigo stories and film locations.
  • 4:30 p.m. — "Mastery of Hitchcock," a talk by Luis Camara, CSU Monterey Bay film professor, at the Plaza Saloon.
  • 8:10 p.m — Vertigo on the Plaza lawn. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. It may be chilly, so bring jackets or extra blankets. 
The movie is free. The tour is $15/person and Professor Camara's lecture is $10/person. You can do both the tour and lecture for $20/per person. For more information about Vertigo Day, click here.

Wondering where to eat before the movie? San Juan Bautista has several restaurants, including Vertigo Coffee which serves awesome handcrafted, oven baked pizza. For info about places to eat and drink in San Juan Bautista, check out this link.

I can't leave you without a clip from Vertigo. This scene is from the imaginary bell tower of Mission San Juan Bautista. By the time Hitchcock came to San Juan to shoot, the mission no longer had a bell tower, so he built one for the movie. And, a taller one at that.





Friday, August 21, 2015

Music in the Park


Saturday, August 29, 2015, is the date for the first of three upcoming free Music in the Park concerts in Downtown Hollister. Everyone is invited—young and old, singles and families. 

The concert will be from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Dunne Memorial Park on Seventh Street, between West and Powell Streets. 

The performers will be Mr. O's Jazz Band and David Huboi and the Architecturals.

Mr. O's Jazz Band at the 2014 San Benito County Fair

The concerts will be held near the tennis courts. Planners say to bring a blanket and/or low-back chairs to sit on. And, yes, we can also bring a picnic or refreshments. Reminder: No wine, beer, or any other kind of alcohol is allowed in the city park. 

The next concerts will be September 26, 2015 and October 24, 2015. Both Saturdays.

Mr. O's Academy of the Arts is sponsoring the free concerts. 
If any musicians and bands would like to perform at future concerts, contact Mr. O. (Contact details are on Mr. O's Academy's website.)

For more details on this Saturday's event, check out this Facebook page

David Huboi & The Architecturals at the 2013 San Benito Olive Festival


Sunday, June 14, 2015

A Sunday Flashback: The Man-in-the-Moon Swing


Once upon a time, the playground on top of Park Hill featured a very cool swing that I knew as the Man in the Moon. As teenagers, my friends and I would go up there and take a turn on the swing. Of course, when no children were around. Round and round I went as I swung back and forth. . . .

The photo was taken in the late summer of 1973. It was the last hoopla around Hollister for my best friend and me before we left for college, after two years at Gavilan. She to San Diego and I to San Francisco.

What fond memories of once-upon-a-time come to your mind right now?

Monday, June 1, 2015

The "Whale Park" in Hollister


Valley View Park, also known as the Whale Park, has a lot going on for it these days. The once-upon-a-time grand park in Hollister is now grander with the help of $150,000 that the Hollister City Council approved back in February. Yowza!

Wally Whale, Junior has been vastly updated. I believe it now has eyes and a companion that looks like Nemo in the movie Finding Nemo. Most of all, Wally Jr. is surrounded by blue concrete and has a water spray feature in which kids can play on hot days from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The park also has new playground equipment and more places to sit. Maybe it's an illusion, but the park looks like it offers more shade. So, everyone enjoy the park.

It is located at the southeast end of Valley View Road. If you're visiting or don't live in that part of Hollister, the quickest way to get there is via Highway 25 (Airline Highway). Turn left at Enterprise Road and drive two or three blocks. As you round the corner, there she blows: The $150,000 Whale Park!



Saturday, May 23, 2015

Prickly Pear Cactus


Who else can't pass by the prickly pear cacti in the San Juan Bautista State Historic Park without taking photos of one or more of them?

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Fremont Peak in Clear Sight


I had no idea that Fremont Peak can be seen so clearly from Mission San Juan Bautista. It's no wonder Mexican Commandante General José Castro was infuriated when he looked up there and saw the American flag and makeshift fort that U.S. Army Captain John Fremont and his men put up for three days in March 1845.

Originally known as Gavilan Peak, the landmark became Fremont Peak State Park in 1934. It's open year round for day use from 8 a.m. to half-an-hour after sunset. Overnight camping is available.

The views are gorgeous from up there. You can see over to the Monterey Bay/Santa Cruz coast line.

If you're into seeing the night skies, check out the free public viewings offered by the Fremont Peak Observatory Association on selected Saturdays, usually from Spring through early Fall.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

A Sunday at the Pinnacles National Park


We are so fortunate to have a national park in our backyard. The Husband and I met up with friends last Sunday at the Pinnacles National Park. The east side, of course. By 10 a.m., the parking lot at the Bear Gulch Nature Center was full, so we took the free shuttle from the Visitor's Center. Too bad, there isn't a shuttle or a bus from Hollister. It would be a great way to enjoy the gorgeous scenery to and from the park.

Here are a few photos of Pinnacles National Park from our hike. Enjoy!





Monday, May 12, 2014

The Rock Faces of the Pinnacles


According to Cambridge Dictionaries online, the definition of rock face is "an area of vertical surface on a large rock or mountain."

To me, a rock face is a face—eyes, nose, mouth, and so on—that I see outlined in a rock. And, I see many rock faces in the Pinnacles National Park. How about you?


Sunday, May 11, 2014

Sunday, April 13, 2014


Every weekend hundreds of off-road enthusiasts drive their trucks, carrying or hauling dirt bikes and ATVs up Cienega Road to the Hollister Hills State Vehicle Recreation Area. Individuals, families, and groups come from all over the state for fun-filled rrrrrroarrrrrring up and down the Gabilan slopes.

The park was originally the Harris Ranch, owned by Howard Harris. He built many of the trails for ranching, mining, recreation, and other purposes. For many years Harris operated a private motorcycle park. In 1975 he sold his property to the state and, in October of that year, the first state vehicle recreation area park was opened.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

N is for a New National Park


Just recently, the area got a new national park when the Pinnacles National Monument was redesignated as the Pinnacles National Park. Hurrah! A big thanks to Congressman Sam Farr for introducing the bill in Congress.



The 59th national park is home to condors, bats, and various other flora and fauna. It offers fun adventures for hikers, birders, rock climbers, naturalists, families, and everyone and anyone who enjoy being outdoors. The eastern entrance is about 30 miles south of Hollister, right off Highway 25. To learn more about the new national park, check out these links:


I've been participating in the 2013 A to Z Blogging Challenge, which goes through the month of April. You can check out other Challenge bloggers by clicking  here.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

A Great Place for a Picnic


The San Benito County Historical and Recreation Park is a wonderful place to have a picnic. It's also a nice setting for a reunion, a wedding reception, or any other kind of large party. You can reserve one or two sites, or even all of the sites for your special parties. For information, check out this page at the San Benito County Parks and Recreation Web site.

Today is the last day of San Benito County Historical Park week at Take 25 to Hollister. I barely touched the surface. You'll just have to go visit the park yourself. It's just a few miles south of Tres Pinos. The entrance is right off Highway 25, on the west side. If you reach Bolado Park, you know you've gone too far.

Monday, February 4, 2013

A View from Above the Historic Park


You can do a short walk above the San Benito County Historical and Recreational Park, from which you can see some pretty good sights. It's worth the slight climb.

The San Benito County Historical and Recreational Park is one mile south of Tres Pinos, just off Highway 25. It's open from dawn to dusk. In addition to the walking path, the park offers picnic sites and a historic village of various buildings, machines, and tools that once belonged to local residents.

The village is run by the San Benito County Historical Society, while the recreational areas are maintained by the San Benito County Parks and Recreation.

Check out these links, for more information about the park.
~ San Benito County Historical Park
~ Historical Park picnic site reservations

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Dear Take 25 Readers,
I'm trying something new for awhile—a weekly theme with daily posts. The first week's theme, obviously, is the San Benito County Historical and Recreational Park. 

Until later, dear readers.
Su-sieee! Mac

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