Loving the Back Roads

Riding a motorcycle or scooter is a great way to enjoy the back roads of San Benito County. Pedaling a bicycle is truly fun, too. Okay, so is driving a car.

Giggle. And, a big smile. 

A Very Striking Tree

Here is another handsome, and rather dramatic, tree that graces the front of the former Courthouse on Fifth Street.

See you tomorrow.

Uhm. . .

Shades of Twilight Zone. Those clouds are passing through the sign!

FYI: I did not do any editing in Photoshop. Well, except to sharpen the photo.

See you tomorrow.

Day In, Day Out

San Juan Valley

Lots of very hard work go into farming and ranching every day. It doesn't matter whether temperatures are over 100 degrees or in the low 40s, nor whether it's windy, foggy, or raining.

Many thanks to the men and women who do the backbreaking work of growing, nurturing, and harvesting food for everyone!

San Juan Valley

E. T. in S. J. B.

Ah ha! The Husband and I sighted E. T. in San Juan Bautista the other day. He was diligently guarding the parking lot to Casa Maria on First Street.

Have a great Monday!

It's Getting Green!

This is the view from the corner of Union Road and Highway 25. Hurrah!

See you tomorrow.

A Sunday Treat

A few Sundays ago, while the Husband, our friends, and I were walking around San Juan Bautista, we came across the performers of El Teatro Campesiño practicing their songs on their building's front steps. Of course, we had to stop and enjoy the music.

El Teatro Campesiño turned 50 years old this year. Check out this interview about the stage troupe and its founder Luis Valdez, written by Frank Perez published in BenitoLink.

A Fifth Street Reflection

If you visit the San Benito County Free Library after a rain—or while it's raining—you know about the puddles alongside the curb in front of it. I have no problem with the puddles. I know how not to walk in them, as well as splash through them (Happy smile). One of the things I like about the puddles is seeing the reflections of the trees in them.

The weather guys say that it looks like rain this Sunday.

A Magnificent Autumn Canopy

Did you know that some of those trees lining the residential part of San Benito Street are magnolia trees? Yesterday, the Husband and I sat under the canopy of one of the trees while we watched the Veterans Day Parade.  Simply delightful!

By the way, if you'd like to see some photos of the parade, click here. This will take you to my album at Facebook. You can view it without logging on or even having a Facebook account.

See you tomorrow.

Thank you, Veterans, for your Service!

In Flanders Field

by John McCrae

(1915)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

A Balcony and a Tower

The balcony and the tower on the main building at San Benito High School have always been my favorite features of that building.  Whenever I glanced at them when I was a student there many years ago, I felt like I was in another world.

The school's oldest building was built around 1910. Some people say they may have been designed by W.H. Weeks, a popular architect who created the building plans for many schools, libraries, and residences in Central and Northern California.

Veterans Day 2015

Veterans Day is this Wednesday, November 11. This year's activities will start with the annual breakfast fundraiser sponsored by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) at the San Benito High School. Open to public, the LULAC scholarship fundraiser will be from 7:00 a.m. to noon. It's $8 per plate.

Also scheduled that day will be the annual Veterans Day Ceremony and Parade hosted by the Hollister VFW Post 9242 and American Legion Post 69. Activities at the Veterans Memorial Building in Downtown Hollister will begin at 10:00 a.m. with a military benefit fair. The banner presentation, which is the installation of banners honoring local military service members, will be at 10:30 a.m. This will be followed by the memorial ceremony at 11:11 a.m., after which there will be a BBQ luncheon.

The Veterans Day Parade will start at 1:30 p.m. It will march along San Benito Street through Downtown Hollister, turning left at Fifth Street.

For more information, visit the Hollister Veterans Day Parade Facebook page.

Sunday Morning on Monterey Street

Anyone else have that song "Morning Has Broken" by Cat Stevens going on in their head?

See you tomorrow.

More Rain, Please.

Here was the afternoon calm in Downtown Hollister after the steady showers we had on Monday. Right now, the weather guys are reporting a 50% chance of rain for tomorrow. Knock on wood.

Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs

Some of you may recall picnicking, hiking trails, dipping your toes in the mineral springs, or swimming in the freshwater pool at the Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs in the eastern foothills outside of Gilroy. The resort closed its gates to the public in the 1980s. Today, it is part of Henry Coe State Park.  

A couple of weeks ago the Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs celebrated its 20th year as a historic landmark. It's a California Historical Landmark as well as on the list of the National Register of Historic Places. 

The resort has an amazing history that dates back to 1865 when Francisco Cantua stumbled upon the mineral springs while seeking lost sheep from his flock. He claimed the area and turned it into a campground, but shortly afterwards sold the property to George Roop. He, in turn, with the help of partners, developed the hot springs into a big-time resort. By, 1874, a large hotel and 18 cottages were built, which could house up to 300 visitors. 

And, people did come. Locally as well as from far away. Many, including the rich and famous, such as Adolph Sutro, James Phelan, and Claus Spreckels, from San Francisco took the three-hour train ride to Gilroy, stayed overnight at a hotel, then, the next morning, jostled for three hours in a horse and buggy on 12 miles of dirt paths to the hot springs. Visitors often stayed for one or two weeks. The springs was considered the best in California, and until the mid-1930s, it was a popular destination place. 

In 1938, Harry K. Sakata, a well-known lettuce grower in Watsonville, bought the property and changed the name to Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs. Yamato is the word for Japanese. Sakata's goal was to develop a retreat for Japanese Americans.

Then came the U.S. entry into World War II and the internment of the Japanese American population in very remote locations. Sakata's Caucasian business partners took over the management of the hot springs, returning the property to Sakata after the war. In the postwar years, Sakata invited interned families to live on the property as a place to transition back into American society. 

The famous hotel and clubhouse are no more, nor the soaking pools or the freshwater swimming pool. Many of the cabins are still on the grounds in various stages of disrepair, which are being renovated by volunteers known as the Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs (GYHS), formerly known as the Friends of Gilroy Hot Springs. GYHS is a subgroup of the Pine Ridge Association, the nonprofit group that provides interpretive programs for Henry Coe State Park. GYHS' goals are to protect, preserve, and restore the site and its historic buildings, as well as to re-establish the landmark for public use.

The public can visit Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs when GYHS hold guided tours, which are usually the 2nd Saturday and 4th Sunday of the month. To ensure one is available, call GYHS at 408-314-7185 or send an email to info<at>gilroyyamatohotsprings<dot>org. 

By the way,  GYHS is seeking a campground host, with his or her own trailer or motor home, to live on the site. For more information, contact GYHS. 

Check out these websites to learn more about the Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs

• GYHS
• Gilroy Hot Springs History (The Valley of Hearts Delight)
• Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs (Wikipedia) 

For more of my photos and a bit more story about the Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs, please click here. 

The once-upon-a-time swimming pool

It Finally Feels like Autumn

This past Monday not only brought us rain, but also, finally, the feel of Autumn. At least for me. The dry, colorful leaves scooting across the sidewalk and streets. The crisp, cool air. Brrr.

I love Autumn.

"Catch Me if You Can"

Catch Me if You Can, a Tony nominated Broadway musical, is now playing for the next two weekends at The Granada Theater in Downtown Hollister. It's presented by the San Benito Stage Company.

A very talented all-teen cast tells the story of real-life Frank Abagnale, Jr. in words, song, and dance. A con artist and check forger, Abagnale manages to stay two steps ahead of the FBI while impersonating a teacher, pilot, lawyer, or pediatrician. If the title and story sound familiar, then you probably saw the movie Catch Me if You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, upon which the musical is based. So, you also know that Abagnale became an FBI instructor and consultant, helping the law enforcement agency investigate fraud and scam crimes.

To learn more about the play, check out this article, "Preview: Catch Me if You Can: The Musical", written by Lois Locci at Benitolink.

Catch Me if You Can performances are:

Friday, November 6, and Saturday, November 7, at 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 8, at 2:00 p.m.

Friday, November 13, and Saturday, November 14, at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are available at the door, as well as at Postal Graphics and San Benito Bene. Admission for adults is $15, and $12 for children, students, and senior citizens.                            

Johnnie's Girl

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a new shop in Downtown Hollister. It's called Johnnie's Girl! This cute boutique of nifty, fun handcrafted items is located at 535 San Benito Street, the once-upon-a-time location of Maddux Jewelry.

Johnnie's Girl is run by daughter-mother team, Sarah and Patty, whom some of you may already know. They've sold their gorgeous flower plates at local crafts fairs, through The Grove and San Juan Bakery, and at their place on Holliday Street.

Johnnie's Girl will have its grand opening on November 11, 2015. But, their doors are currently open for business. If I remember correctly, from Thursday through Saturday. For more details, visit its Facebook page.

Best of luck to you, Sarah and Patty!

An Umbrella Day!

It has been raining steadily since very early this morning. What a welcome surprise, huh? 

Weather reports say that showers will continue through the day and possibly into the evening. We may also get some thunderstorm, too. 

Weather reports show clear days for the rest of the week. So, enjoy the rainy day.

Man from Reno

Yesterday, Hollister got a treat with a big-screen showing of Man from Reno, a neo-noir, cross-cultural, mystery movie, of which some of the scenes were set in Hollister, San Juan Bautista, and other parts of San Benito County.  Whoo-hoo!

The award-winning Man from Reno came out in 2014. It was co-written and directed by Dave Boyle who was at the showing and did a Q&A after the movie. An extra treat for us, movie-goers.

The movie opens with Sheriff Paul Del Moral of San Marco County (think San Benito County) coming across an abandoned car on a dark and very foggy night. After a few minutes of investigating, he gets back into his car, drives several feet, and bang! A running man collides into his car.  This unknown Japanese man is taken to the hospital (set in Hazel Hawkins Hospital), but, after recouping, walks away without anyone noticing. And, so begins the mystery.

Meanwhile, 100 miles to the north, popular mystery author Aki Akahora has arrived in San Francisco. She has run away on a whim, no longer able to take all the adoration from fans in her home country of Japan. She's depressed and looks to be suicidal, but she breaks out of her funk when she meets a man who makes her feel like living again. He quickly moves into her hotel room, then, just as quickly, disappears leaving his suitcase behind. And, so begins another mystery.

The movie moves forward between the two suspenseful stories. The only thing I predicted correctly was that the two tales would eventually intertwine. Everything else about the plot—surprise!

Another enjoyable aspect of Man from Reno for me was recognizing settings in Hollister, San Juan Bautista, San Francisco, and Sausalito. As you read previously, the hospital scenes in the fictitious San Marco County were set inside Hazel Hawkins Hospital. I'll only tell you about one other setting. The sheriff's office was actually the Red Cross office on Fifth Street.

Missed Man from Reno yesterday or want to see it again? The movie is now available at Netflix, Amazon, Google Play, DIRECTV, and other online sites. Want to learn more about the movie, check the Man from Reno website.