Driving the Back Road Home

Yesterday, the Husband and I took San Juan Grade Road back from Salinas. We figured the scenic route was the best way to get back home during the evening commute. I drove the wiggly road at an old fogey's pace, but it seemed like we got to San Juan Bautista just as fast as if we took the highway.

Hollister Airshow Coming in June

Look, up in the sky! By the clock tower on Fourth and San Benito Streets.

Nope. No Superman. I just couldn't resist. But, it's a nice segue for the annual Hollister Airshow that will be on Father's Day weekend, June 20 and 21, 2015. Click here to go to the airshow's website for the details.

A Sunday Flashback: A Once-Upon-a-Time Bank

As you look at the photo, imagine it's the 1960s. A bank counter goes across the floor, which is parallel with the wall, just a few feet in front of the reflections on the floor. Equally spaced across the counter are teller windows and behind the windows are female clerks helping Bank of America customers.

Once upon a time that's what took place in this building on the northwest corner of San Benito and Fifth Streets. Bank of America built the building in the early 1930s.  Today, it's home to The Vault, which rents out the first and second floors for social and business events.

Online Resources about San Benito County

Are you looking for online resources to help you plan for a visit to Hollister, San Juan Bautista, the Pinnacles National Park, or somewhere else in San Benito County? The websites below are a good place to start. Click on the headings to go to the sites. And, if you want to learn about some upcoming 2015 events in San Benito County, check out this link on Take 25 to Hollister.

Hollister Downtown Association

San Benito County Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber of Commerce also has a website, but it was being redesigned when I wrote this post.  It may be up now. Click here for its website.

San Juan Bautista

Pinnacles National Park

A definite must-do is a visit to the Pinnacles National Park. Although it is the newest park in the U.S. National Park Service, it has been part of the system since 1908 as the former Pinnacles National Monument.

Spring, Solar Eclipse, and Supermoon!

Today is the official day of Spring.  Whooo-hoo! At 3:45 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Savings Time), the sun is directly above the equator, marking what is known as the Vernal Equinox. That's when the Earth experiences 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night during its orbit around the sun. It happens again on the Autumnal Equinox.

Another cool thing that's happening in the sky today is a total solar eclipse. Unfortunately, we won't be able to see the eclipse in our part of the world. The scientists say that a solar eclipse on Vernal Equinox is rare.  Even more extraordinary is a solar eclipse occurring on the Vernal Equinox when there is a Supermoon, which is a new (or full) moon being at its closest point to the Earth. And that's happening today! Wowza!!

The One and Only Hollister

I like how the orange banners are a bright pop of color in Downtown Hollister. How about you? The Hollister Downtown Association is responsible for their creation and posting them up. If you look closely, you'll see a name of a Hollister business on each flag. You can also see the HDA's logo—(The Original™) Hollister California.

When the HDA's logo first came out, I thought that it was weird to see the parenthetical original. Is it suppose to be a whisper?  "Ssssh. We're Hollister California, not that fake place that's plastered on clothing. Ssssh."

Today, I read the parenthetical original differently. It's more like "We are the one and only Hollister, California!" Yup.

Not So Incongruous

Once upon a time, I thought it was weird to see palm trees outside of Southern California. Oaks, pines, and redwoods are part of our natural landscape and, of course, all the apricot, apple, walnut and all other fruit and nut orchards that once covered Hollister and San Juan Valley.

Then as I grew older, mourning the decimation of trees for progress,  I accepted the sight of palm trees in Northern California. Like all living trees, they give us oxygen, shade, aesthetic pleasure, and hope. I still think it is weird to see them outside of Southern California. But, just a little bit.

How I ramble. The gorgeous conifer tree and palm trees in the photo stand along San Felipe Road on the north edge of Downtown Hollister.