Industry

For another view of this huge metal mass, click here.

When I was growing up in Hollister in the 1960s, almost every kid I knew had at least one relative working for the canneries. In my family, Auntie Virginia was a regular on the line for many, many years while the Only and Older Bionic Brother worked there when he was attending Gavilan.

I applied for a line job when I was 18 or 19. You had to come prepared to work, with your apron, hairnet, rubber gloves, and, if my memory is correct, a paring knife. You stood in a group with women of all ages, watching women working on the canning line as you waited for the person-who-chose-new workers to do his thing. He looked out onto the mass of eager applicants and picked out women for the openings. What his criteria was, I have no idea. I just knew I didn't fit it.

Back then, there were two working canneries, both on Sally Street, but with one on either side of South Street. Today, all the buildings make up San Benito Foods, which is part of the Neil Jones Food Company.

First Wild Mustard of the Year

 

This morning I saw an orchard on Enterprise Road full of wild mustard. I was quite surprised since there hasn't been rain since November.

Sunset from San Felipe Road

I'm participating in Skywatch Friday today. Click here to see the photos of other participants.

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Looking for a 2014 calendar of San Benito County? How about a Su-sieee! Mac design? It's available at Zazzle.com. Click on the below to see it at Zazzle.

2014 San Benito County Landscapes Wall Calendar by SusieeeMac

2013 San Benito Holiday Cheer Shop Hop

This Saturday, December 7, 2013, will be the Third Annual San Benito Holiday Cheer Shop Hop. When you visit one of the following retail stores, galleries, salons,  restaurants, grocery shops, or services in Aromas, Hollister, San Juan Bautista, or Tres Pinos, you can enter a raffle to win one of 26 gift baskets full of local products  and gift certificates to local restaurants and businesses. Over 59 local organizations have contributed! You can enter at any—and all—of the following participating businesses that you visit this Saturday. Did I mention the raffle is free?

Aromas

Shops/Services/Galleries
Aromas Feed Store
Dragonfly Gallery
Kathryn Aguras Real Estate

Restaurants/Food/Wine/Groceries 
Aromas Grill
Marshall's Grocery
Old Firehouse Market

Hollister

Shops/Services/Galleries
Bel Amour Pet Spa & Boutique
Holliwood
Penny Wise Drug Store
SBC Arts Council—Blak Sage Gallery 
San Benito Bene
She's

Salons & Spas
Beauty Lounge
Bella Mia Salon
Heaven Scent Day Spa and Salon
Salon Déja Vu Spa
Vitality Skin Care & Massages 

Restaurants/Food/Wine/Groceries 
A.J. Sushi
B&R Farms
Best of Times Cafe
Country Rose Cafe
Grillin & Chillin Alehouse
Grillin & Chillin Downtown
Heavenly Bakery
Relax! Grillin & Chillin

San Juan Bautista

Shops/Services/Galleries
Bear Flag Gallery Mall
Casa de Colores
Frills
Livin the Green Dream
Lois's
Mission Gallery
Mrs. B's Z Place
One Incurable Collector

Rare Light Gallery
Seasons Handcrafts
The Glass Connection
The Last Stitch
Tops Rock Shop
Tresor
Victoria's Treasures
Visions of Christmas

Salons & Spas
Ageless, Beauty and Glamour Luxury Spa 

Restaurants/Food/Wine/Groceries
Doña Esther
Jardines de San Juan
Margot's Ice Cream Parlor
Matxin Etxea Basque Restaurant
San Juan Bakery

Tres Pinos

Restaurants/Food/Wine/Groceries
19th Hole Booze & Food

Other Participants—No Raffle Tickets

The following artisans, not for profit groups, and services have also contributed to this year's holiday shop hop. Please note that they will not have raffle tickets for the 26 gift baskets.
BeautiControl—Margot Tankersley
Bell Hill Goat Milk Soaps and Lotions
California Mutual Insurance Company
Calvista Insurance Agency Inc.
Heaven Walnuts
Mars Hill Coffeehouse   
Oils of Paicines
San Benito Olive Festival
Union Bank
Union Bank—San Juan Bautista
Vista Notes

Coming Up on Saturday, December 7

Quite a lot of holiday things happening this Saturday in San Benito County. Who knows who you might meet on Saturday. (Hint: Ho! Ho! Ho!) Which events will you check out?



Holiday Resource Fair
10 AM to 2 PM
Briggs Building, 365 Fourth Street, Hollister
Sponsored by the Hollister Youth Alliance, the free event will feature local organizations that offer free or affordable health care, legal, education, and other services to individuals and families. A food and toy drive will also take place. Santa Claus will stop by the fair for photos.

3rd Annual San Benito Holiday Cheer Shop Hop
When you visit any of the participating shops, galleries, salons, restaurants, and more in Hollister, San Juan Bautista,  and Aromas on this day, you can enter a raffle to win one of 26 baskets of local goodies. For a list of participants, click here.

B&R Farms Cozy Christmas Open House
10 AM to 4 PM
5280 Fairview Road, Hollister
B&R Farms will also be having an open house on 12/14 and 12/21.

Tasty Saturdays at San Benito Bene 
615 B San Benito Street, Hollister
San Benito Bene will also have samples of food pairings on 12/14 and 12/21.

Living History Day 
11 AM to 4 PM
San Juan Bautista State Historic Park
Adults $3; Children under 16, free

  
Merchants Holiday Open House
11 AM to 9 PM
Shops, restaurants, and other businesses throughout San Juan Bautista start off the season of holiday cheer.

Holiday Art Marketplace
12 to 5 PM
Blak Sage Gallery
Prints, pottery, ornaments, wooden toys, cards, and more created by local artists and artisans are on sale Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday through 12/ 21.

ARTS OUT LOUD 
1 to 5 PM
1220 Monterey Street, Rooms 301-316, Hollister
This free event will feature art work of more that 175 San Benito High School artists, which will be available for sale.  Live entertainment, demonstrations, and workshops will also be part of the day. Free refreshments will be on hand. ARTS OUT LOUD will be on Sunday, 12/8, too.

100 Years of Ice Cream Socials: Centennial Anniversary of the Women's Club of Hollister
2 to 5 PM
First Presbyterian Church, 2066 San Benito Street
Mr. O's Academy Jazz band and Triple Creek will be performing.
Tickets are $5/person and being pre-sold by members. For more info, call Cindy at 637-0362 or email her at acbiese@ymail.com.

Visions of San Juan, A Holiday Stroll Through Time
 4 to 8 PM
A Victorian holiday celebration. To check out the schedule of activities, click here.

San Juan Bautista 8th annual Holiday In Lights Parade
5:30 PM
The parade winds through downtown San Juan Bautista.

The 23rd Annual Lights On Celebration

This Saturday, November 30, 2013, is the 23rd Annual Lights On Celebration, organized and hosted by the Hollister Downtown Association. It's an all day event, from 10 AM to 8:30 PM, which includes a Holiday Boutique, live entertainment, and the traditional Lights On parade.

Lights On Parade
The year's theme for the parade is A Family Tradition. Beginning at 5:30 PM, the parade starts at the corner of San Benito and Haydon Streets and will end at Fifth and San Benito Streets. The review stand will be in front of the Veterans' Memorial Building.

Holiday Boutique
The Holiday Boutique at the Veterans' Memorial Building will feature about 56 vendors. Opening at 10 AM, the boutique will offer a wide variety of products, from foods to candles, soaps, purses, jewelry, plants, and unique local handcrafted items. Some of the vendors will be Silpada Designs Jewelry, Vista Notes, M&M Plants, Origami Owl, Pampered Chef, Gaia's Cottage, Designs by Juli Ann, and East-West Fashion.

Local artist Kathleen Sheridan will be on hand to sell and sign her book, Jaime the Elf, the beloved character who Santa gave the task of lighting downtown Hollister.

Family Toy and Canned Food Drive
The American Legion Post 69 will accept donations of canned food and wrapped toys throughout the day in front of the Veterans' Memorial Building. The donations will be distributed to families in need within our community. Post 69 will have coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies on hand to give to contributors.

Live Entertainment
Several things are scheduled throughout the day at the Veterans' Memorial Building Plaza.
11 AM to noon: Smith Alley
noon to 1: Mr. O's Jazz Band
1 to 2: Almad de Mexico Mariachi's
2 to 3:30: David Huboi and the Architecturals
3:30 to 4: United Way's 2-1-1 Kick-off

San Benito Street Youth Performances
Youth performers will be featured in the afternoon at the Veterans' Memorial Building
4:15: San Benito High School
4:30: Animation Dance Community
4:45: West Coast Martial Arts
5:00: West Coast Music & Dance FX

If you miss any of the youth groups, then check them out at the Fifth Street Stage where they will repeat their performances.
4:30: San Benito High School
4:45: Animation Dance Community
5:00: West Coast Martial Arts
5:15: West Coast Music & Dance FX

For More Information
Head over to this page at the Hollister Downtown Association web site for more details about the Lights On Celebration. There, you can find a list of participating vendors at the Holiday Boutique,  a map of the parade route, when and where you can have your kids take a photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and more.

See you there!

2013 Holiday Boutiques, Shop Hops, and Fairs

The Holiday Market Place during the 2010 Holiday Season

A couple of holiday crafts fairs have already come and gone. Here's what you can look forward to in the coming weeks. If you know about other events, please leave a comment.

NOVEMBER 15

Joy to the World Craft Fair — 5 to 9 PM
First Presbyterian Church
2066 San Benito Street, Hollister
Note: Entry is a canned food donation for the Community Pantry.

NOVEMBER 16

Joy to the World Craft Fair — 9 AM to 4 PM
First Presbyterian Church
2066 San Benito Street, Hollister
Note: Entry is a canned food donation for the Community Pantry.

Cerra Vista Elementary School Annual Holiday Boutique  — 10 AM to 3 PM
Cerra Vista Elementary School
2151 Cerra Vista Drive
Note: Santa will arrive at noon. 

Mars Hill 3rd Annual Holiday Boutique — 10 AM to 4 PM
Mars Hill Coffeehouse
610 San Benito Street, Hollister

Aromas Hills Artisans Holiday Art Festival — 10 AM to 4 PM
Aromas Community Grange
corner of Rose & Bardue
Aromas, CA

NOVEMBER 17

Aromas Hills Artisans Holiday Art Festival — 10 AM to 4 PM
Aromas Community Grange
corner of Rose & Bardue
Aromas, CA

NOVEMBER 22

Ladd Lane's Annual Kid's Craft Night and Community Boutique — 5:30 to 7:30 PM
Ladd Lane School 
161 Ladd Lane, Hollister
Note: Santa will arrive at 6 PM.

NOVEMBER 29

Holiday Arts and Crafts Boutique — until December 21
Blak Sage Gallery
727 San Benito Street, Hollister
Note: Sponsored by the San Benito County Arts Council.

NOVEMBER 30

Holiday Boutique —10 AM to 8:30 PM
Veterans Memorial Building
San Benito and 7th Streets, Hollister
Note: One of the many activities at the 23rd Annual Lights On Celebration.

DECEMBER 4

Hazel Hawkins Hospital Auxiliary 35th Annual Winter Magic Bazaar & Luncheon 
9 AM to 3 PM; Luncheon 11 AM to 2 PM, $10/person
Veterans Memorial Building
San Benito and 7th Streets, Hollister

DECEMBER  7

3rd Annual Holiday Cheer Shop Hop
Throughout San Benito County

DECEMBER 14

Spring Grove School PTO Annual Santa Breakfast and Boutique  — 8:30 AM to 1 PM
Spring Grove School 
500 Spring Grove Road, Hollister
Note: $6.50/per person for breakfast. Santa will be there.

2013 Veterans Day Activities in Hollister

The New Courthouse

Did you know that the new courthouse under construction is the fifth one for San Benito County? Yeah, that's news to me, too. I thought the current courthouse was the second one, and the gorgeous structure modeled after a Roman palace was the first.

The new courthouse is nearly finished. I like the landscaping and the red seats in front of the building. How about you? If you're interested in learning more about the construction, check out this page at the California Courts web site.

It already seems like it was long, long ago that Fremont School stood on the site of the new Superior Court of California in San Benito County, don't you think? For that matter, once upon a time, the home of Col. William Welles Hollister, for whom our town was named, stood on that same spot.

A Fun Day at the First San Benito Olive Festival

The first ever San Benito Olive Festival has come and gone. Did you have a chance to stop by?

It was quite a beautiful and magical day. Hundreds and hundreds of folks came from all over. Not only from throughout San Benito County, but also from the San Francisco Bay Area, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo county, Sacramento, and other parts of the state. I heard that a few festival patrons were from New Zealand and Puerto Rico. Whoo-hooo! 

The Paicines Ranch was the perfect setting for the first San Benito Olive Festival. The old hippie in me just wanted to take off my shoes and run barefoot through the lawn and dance with the little joyful kids as they bounced and jumped and ran with the great sounds of Mr. O's Jazz Band, The Retrospect Band, David Huboi and The Architecturals, and Workhouse Poets.

Everywhere you looked, people were having fun sampling locally produced olive oils and wines, chocolates, fruit preserves, and other artisanal products by Brigantino Olio de Oliva, La Piedad Tortilla Factory, Jayse Wines, Marich Confectionary, Pietra Santa Winery, Calera Wine, San Benito Tea Company, Sharobed Grove, Casa de Fruta Winery, B&R Farms, Guerra Vineyards and Groves, Oils of Paicines, and many more.

Folks were also check out lovely, creative products from such merchants as M&M Plant Sales, Gioia Italian Art and Products, San Benito Bene, McAbee Feed, and Off the Chain Bikes.

And, the food, oooooh. I noticed quite a few people chomping happily into  tri-tip sandwiches by Vanguard Catering and the Philly cheese steak sandwiches by Philly Cheesesteak from Stockton. Myself, I ate a caprese panini sandwich from Grillin' and Chillin, while the Husband had a caprese salad made by Running Rooster. Ah, but the most delightful aroma came from Soul Sweets which offered fruit cobblers. The Husband continues to drool over the memory of consuming a blueberry cobbler with a big scoop of ice cream.

Yes, indeed!  To the tune of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, one, two, three: It was a beautiful day for a festival. A beautiful day for a festival. Hope you all had funnnn.

What did you like the most at the San Benito Olive Festival?

For more photos, check out these Facebook Albums. You don't need to be on Facebook or have a Facebook account to access them.

• 2013 San Benito Olive Festival
• 2013 San Benito Olive Festival (at San Benito Olive Festival's FB wall)
• Behind the Scenes

I'm looking forward to next year's San Benito Olive Festival. How about you?

First Annual San Benito Olive Festival

Click here to go to the San Benito Olive Festival website

Agriculture has been the largest industry in San Benito County since. . .forever. In 2012, the industry grossed over $297 million, according to the San Benito County Agricultural Commissioner. That's definitely a big WOW! This includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, livestock, poultry, honey, whole grains, and nursery stock. It's only befitting that come October 19, 2013, we will be celebrating the abundant bounty of our land with the first annual San Benito Olive Festival.

It will be one humdinger of a gourmet celebration. Here's just a few of the olive oil producers, wineries, food artisans, restaurants, and merchants who will be participating: Brigantinto Olio de Oliva, Sons of Sicily, Oils of Paicines, Pietra Santa, Guerra Vineyards and Groves, Casa de Fruta, Marich Chocolates, San Benito Tea Company, Running Rooster, Paine's Restaurant, Grillin & Chillin, M&M Plant Sales, Soul Sweets, San Benito Bene, and McAbee Feed.

Food demonstrations will be given by foodie legend Dorothy McNett and the chef team of Gene Sakahara and Sam Bozzo (aka SakaBozzo). Other food demonstrators will be Chef Maurizio Cutrignelli of Maurizio’s Restaurant in Morgan Hill and Chef Matt Woolston of Supper Club/ Matteo’s in Sacramento.

Mr. O's Jazz Band, David Huboi and The Architecturals, RetroSpect, and Workhouse Poets will be some of the bands playing throughout the day. Other live entertainment will be offered as well.

Click here to go to the
San Benito Olive Festival website

Have I teased you too much with the what? Good. Then, you're ready for the when? where? how much?  and why?

When: October 19, 2013, 11 am to 5 pm

Where: Paicines Ranch, 13388 Airline Highway, Paicines 95043, about 12 miles south of Hollister  (Did you know that Judy Garland and Sid Luft got married at this working, historic ranch in 1952?)

How much: General admission tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children. VIP admission is $30, which includes access to the wine tasting.

You can purchase tickets online at Eventbrite.com. Tickets are also available at the door.

Why: The San Benito Olive Festival (SBOF) is a not-for-profit organization. Its mission is to  promote awareness and appreciation of the region's world-class culinary agriculture and premier artisans and to help support community causes with festival proceeds.

Program Schedule
The Music 

11 AM to 12 PM -- Mr. O's Jazz Band
12:30 to 1:30 PM -- Retrospect
2:00 to 3:00 PM  -- David Huboi and the Architecturals
3:30 to 4:30 PM -- Workhouse Poets

The Olive and Cooking Demonstrations

11:30 to 12:15 -- Don Landis, The Olive Guy
12:30 to 1:15 -- SakaBozzo, chef duo featured at the Gilroy Garlic Festival
1:30 to 2:15 -- Matt Woolston, chef/owner of Matteo's Pizza and Bistro and Supper Club in Sacramento area
2:30 to 3:15 -- Dorothy McNett, Central Coast Foodie, Chef and Instructor of the Cooking Club in Pacific Grove
3:30 to 4:30 -- Maurizio Cutrignelli, chef/owner of Maurizio`s Italian Restaurant in Morgan Hill

For more information about the first annual San Benito Olive Festival, visit www.sanbenitoolivefestival.com or its Facebook page.

Hope to see you there!

Disclosure: Just so you, dear readers, know, I'm volunteering on the SBOF's marketing committee. Hello, FCC: No money or free products were given me to write about the upcoming gourmet celebration.

San Benito County from the Bus

This year the Husband and I took the San Benito County Express's free shuttle to the San Benito County Fair. It was the best way to travel. The only stress for us was making sure we got down to the bus stop in time. We could've driven and parked next to the stop, but the whole idea was to experience getting from here to there and back by just walking and riding the bus.

The final assessment: We would do it again. The bus was clean, comfortable, and safe. Every seat had a seat belt. The drivers were friendly and courteous. The fair had someone on board to sell us our tickets. Convenient, yes? And, the shuttle stop at the fairgrounds was precisely in front of the Pavilion. Hello, no hiking a fair distance from the car over uneven ground. A very nice plus for young old fogeys like the Husband and me.

We got on at Veterans Park, the first stop, so that we could see the sights on the shuttle's full loop around Hollister. To see the photos I took from the shuttle, head over to the album Riding the Free Shuttle to the County Fair at Take 25 to Hollister's Facebook page. You don't need to be signed on or even be a Facebook member to access this link.

Saturday, October 12th Happenings in San Benito County

How often have you heard -- or said it yourself -- there's nothing to do around here?

Ha! Can't say that tomorrow, Saturday, October 12. You can pick and choose of things to do, even at this late date.

24th Annual Red Ribbon Run
Feel like taking part in a run?  Since 1989, San Benito County Behavioral Health has hosted a 5K Run/Walk and 10K Run to bring awareness to the problem, as well as prevention, of alcohol and drug abuse. The races start and ends in San Juan Bautista. You can still register to enter on Saturday. The event hours are 7 AM to 12 PM. For more information, including the maps of the runs, click here.

Open House  at Luck Park
From 9 AM to 2 PM, the San Juan Bautista Historical Society Luck Museum and the Carl M. Luck Memorial Library Auxiliary will be hosting an open house at Luck Park in San Juan Bautista. The event will showcase projects of San Juan Bautista organizations and nonprofits. A BBQ lunch will be available. Funds raised from the BBQ will be used for renovations of Luck Park. For more information, click here.

Women's Center Open House
Hazel Hawkins Hospital invites the community to visit the newly built Women's Center on Saturday, from 10 AM to 1 PM, at 911 Sunset Drive in Hollister. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the facility and meet obstetrical staff, as well as take advantage of free health screenings and participate in giveaways and other activities. For more info, read this article at BenitoLink.com.  

Northern California Renaissance Faire
This will be the last weekend of the Renaissance Faire at Casa de Fruta. Hours of the festival on both Saturday and Sunday are 10 AM to 6 PM. Head over to the Renaissance Faire's website for all the details you may want to know.  

 

Relay for Life Pumpkin Patch
The Casillas Garner Family and Friends Team are holding their annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life on both Saturday and Sunday (10/13), from 10 AM to 7 PM,  at the old Ferry Morse Ranch on Highway 156. People can purchase pumpkins, fresh produce, baked goods, and a barbecue lunch. For more details, click here.

Swank Farms Corn Maze, Pumpkin Patch, and Haunted House Event
Every year Swank Farms creates a new elaborate and crazed corn maze for folks to make their way through. They also have a pumpkin patch, a kiddie corral, pedal go carts, and other fun activities for young and old. They're open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM through October. And, this Saturday night, from 6 PM to midnight, their haunted event called Terror in the Corn, Alien Invasion will be open for the brave of heart. To get all the details, click here.

Downtown Wine & Beer Stroll 
Taking place in historical downtown Hollister from 1 to 5 PM tomorrow afternoon will be a wine and beer stroll hosted by the Hollister Downtown Association. The event will provide an opportunity to learn about both downtown merchants and local wineries and breweries. Stroll participants will visit businesses and restaurants to taste samples of wines and beer. For more details, check out this Hollister Downtown Association web page.

BenitoLink.com Launch Party
BenitoLink.com is a free online resource for local news and information. Tomorrow evening, the nonprofit group will hold a launch party to formally introduce its website to the community. The party will be from 5 to 7 PM at  the Blak Sage Gallery, 727 San Benito Street. There will be live music and complimentary food and drinks. For more information, click here.

Another Great County Fair!

Who else went to the San Benito County Fair this past weekend? The Husband and I had lots of fun. Hope you all did, too.

There's nothing like wandering about the grounds. . .watching people. . . picking up free stuff. . .walking around the livestock. . .seeing the 4-H and FAA kids in their crisp uniforms. . .eating Silva hot link sandwiches. . .checking out the  entries. . .being amazed at the clever entrants' interpretations of themes. . .wishing we could eat the ribbon-winning cookies and cakes on display. . .bumping into friends. . .learning about new things around our county. . .hearing ribbon winners squeal in delight. . . and much, much more.

A huge round of applause to Kelly Ferreira, the manager of the San Benito County Fairgrounds, to his dedicated staff, and to the many volunteers for putting together another wonderful county fair for us. Thank you very much!

Would you like to see more photos of the 2013 San Benito County Fair? You're welcome to view my Facebook album by clicking here.  You won't need to sign on or even have a Facebook account to view it. Enjoy!

The 2013 San Benito County Fair

Whooo-hooo! It's the San Benito County Fair this weekend -- Friday, October 4 through Sunday, October 6. Are you excited, too? For information about this year's hours, ticket prices, and schedule, head over to the County Fair's website.

This year, the County Express will be offering a free shuttle to the fair. It drops off passengers near the Pavilion. That's rather convenient. Just think, no hiking a distance over uneven lawn. For the County Fair shuttle schedule, click here.

What do you like best about the fair? Me? I like it all.  To see some of my favorite things, check out the 2012 San Benito County Fair album at Facebook. (You don't need to have a Facebook account, or even be signed on, to view the album.)

At Sunset

Where oh where am I? On a hill above the east end of Cienega Road. I'm looking southeast. Somewhere down there is Highway 25. Yes, I'm sure that's it.

Indian Canyon Storytelling and Indigenous Gathering

 

A couple of Saturdays ago, the Husband and I with the buddy Dave, spent a joyous afternoon at the 17th Annual Storytelling and Indigenous Gathering held in Indian Canyon, off of Cienega Road. Story tellers and artists of the Ohlone, Chumash, Cherokee, Aztec, and other indigenous communities came together that afternoon to tell traditional and new tales in words, music, and dance. Hosts for the event were Ann-Marie Sayers, the chairwoman of Indian Canyon, and artist and activist Kanyon Sayers-Roods. (By the way, did you know that Indian Canyon is the only recognized "Indian Country" along the central coast?)

One of the featured speakers was Eddie Madril, a member of the Pascua Yacqui tribe of Southern Arizona and Northern Mexico, whose last story was the hoop dance. These photos only give you an inkling of the beauty and wonder of his story. Here's a Youtube video with Madril in which he talks about and performs the hoop dance.

80th San Benito County Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo

It's that time of year again, folks. It's the weekend of the San Benito County Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo!

Festivities start off this evening at 6:15 p.m. with the traditional parade down historical downtown Hollister.

For details  about the Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo, click here.

Stray Chickens and Feral Cats

The city of San Juan Bautista is known for many things such as the mission, the state historic park, Fremont Peak, the deAnza trail, El Teatro Campesiño,  the St. Francis Retreat Center, antique shops, restaurants, Vertigo coffee, and organic farms. A lot is packed in and around the small, beautiful city, which sits on the San Andreas Fault. Most definitely. And, of course, I cannot, will not, and shall not forget to mention the feral chickens and stray cats that wander around town. They, too, make San Juan Bautista the unique place that it is.

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