. . .And we have lift off

I know the "mission" in Mission Cafe refers to Mission San Juan Bautista. But, every time I look at the restaurant's sign, I think of space exploration.

Holliwood

Holliwood is a new boutique in downtown Hollister. Its slogan is Bringing a little Hollywood to Hollister. How cool is that! 

The shop is owned by Christie Martin, who has been a jewelry designer for 20 years. She has worked in the jewelry fashion industry for 10 of those years in Hollywood. Cameron Diaz, the Olsen twins, Beyonce, Pink, Cher, Mariah Carey, and Christina Aguilera, among other actresses and singers have bought and worn her jewelry.

Holliwood carries jewelry and clothing at affordable prices, according to its Web site. It's located at 748 San Benito Street (west side), near the corner of South Street. For more information, check out the shop's Web site and Facebook page.

This A Way, Folks!

That's the Swank Farms sign on San Felipe Road. It's pointing the way to its produce stand, which, unfortunately, is still closed.

However, I like to think that right now the sign is pointing to downtown Hollister. Yep, 'cause tomorrow, May 2, starts the Hollister Farmers Market, and you'll certainly find the Swank Farms there with their yummy produce.

The Hollister Farmers Market runs every Wednesday, from 3 to 7 p.m. all the way up to September 26.  Same place: Fifth Street, between San Benito and Monterey streets.

Hurrah for farmers markets!

Pacific Harvest Seafoods

As you drive east on Highway 156, you may see this sign as you come to the traffic light outside of San Juan Bautista. On Fridays and Saturdays, that is.

You may also see the sign (or one similar) as you're turning left from San Juan Bautista onto Highway 156. If you're like the Husband and me, you see the sign too late and head home wondering what the sign is all about.

Well, it took several weeks before the Husband and I remembered to be in the correct lane to cross Highway 156. We followed additional signs and just past the fork to the Juan Bautista de Anza Historic National Trail, we found Pacific Harvest Seafoods.

Yep. You read correctly. A seafood distributor in San Juan Bautista! Pacific Harvest Seafoods processes and delivers fresh and frozen fish and shellfish  to restaurants and markets throughout San Francisco and Monterey Bay areas. They sell both wild-caught and farmed fish.

Every Friday and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the fish place sells directly to the public. Cash only. The other week, we bought fresh snapper. And, I mean fresh! Yummmmm.

Note to FTC: Nope, I was not given any money or free fish to write about this company. I'm just happy there's a source for fresh, wild-caught seafood in my neck of the woods. I'm sure others would be happy to know, too.

The Old Hollister Cold Storage Business Park

Hillcrest Road is one of the regular byways that I take to get from here to there. Over the last several years, I have watched the once-upon-a-time Hollister Ice and Cold Storage site near the northwest corner of Hillcrest and Highway 25  turn into a business park. I like how they maintained the look of the buildings that are now home to various auto repair shops and fitness programs. Here are just a few of them:

• Cold Storage CrossFit
• Hertz Local Edition Rent a Car
• Hollister Boxing and Fitness
• Hollister Collision Center
• Hollister Derby Girls   (Also, check out "Rolling Revolution" by Andrew Matheson, The Weekend Pinnacle)

Rock and Rolling and Crushing

When the Husband and I drive around the county, I notice interesting cuts and gouges in the mountains. I always wonder how they were formed. In other words how Mother Nature did her work. The husband almost always tells me that what I'm looking at was created by a quarry.

How many quarries are (and were) in San Benito County? Quite a lot, it turns out. Check out this list of stone quarries compiled by Peggy B. Perazzo at Stone Quarries and Beyond. The list does not include sand or gravel quarries.

Green Tripe

Green Tripe is a local business that sells, yep, green tripe and other animal innards to dog owners.

Go ahead, say eewww, but the food is nutritious--and most likely delicious--for the dogs. According to the Web site, the company only uses raw material from animals that were grassfed and were inspected and certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as being organic. The tripe and et. al is safe for human consumption.

For more info about Green Tripe, check out its Web site.

Mike Rowe, the host of Dirty Jobs, a Discovery show, visited the factory in 2008. Here's some footage that was shown on TV.

Dinner Theater at Paine's

Tomorrow night (February 10) is the first of nine showings of Lend Me A Tenor, a comedy full of sophisticated craziness. The play was written by Ken Ludwig, and received several Tony nominations when it was performed on Broadway in 1989.

Hollister's production is presented by the San Benito Stage Company at Paine's Restaurant on 421 East Street. Evening performances starting at 7 p.m. will be on February 10, 11, 17,  18, 24,  and 25; and afternoon performances starting at 2 p.m. will be on February 12, 19, and 25.

Tickets include the cost of the meal. $35 at the door; $30, if bought beforehand. For more info, check out the San Benito Stage Company Web site. For the menu, check out Paine's Facebook page about the event.

Two More Saturday Events
Here are two other things happening on Saturday, February 11:

Community Volunteer Fair
Sweethearts and Memories, Dinner-Dance fundraiser for the local senior citizens center

Get Red! in Hollister

It's GET RED month in Hollister. Go ahead, take the time to ponder:  Get red? Get angry...get commies...get those red-headed guys...get Red Skelton...anymore?

Seriously, February is American Heart Month, as in be kind to your heart and take very good care of it. So, to promote happy, healthy, heart awareness, the Hollister Downtown Association got together with the YMCA and the Hazel Hawkins Hospital to sponsor various events. In addition to special happenings, some of the participating businesses are offering discounts on their products or services. For example, Muenzer's has a 15% discount on all shoes in stock throughout the month.

For a schedule of events and updates of business offers, check out this Hollister Downtown Association page.

365 + 1 Days

Heading home on the Bolsa, aka Highway 25

With today's post, I have accomplished my personal goal: To post a daily photo of my hometown—Hollister—or county (San Benito) for one year and a day. Hurrah for me!

By the way, here's what I posted on the first day of my quest. 

So, what's next? At least a few days away from the blog.  See ya.

Once a 'Baler

Always a 'Baler! Hollister Haybalers. Go 'Balers!

The sign? From a classroom window in the main building of the high school.

Costumes?

They—the costumes—can probably be bought at Lost Treasures on 5th Street. (Cross street is Sally Street.) But, one never knows. They may be available at  Maverick Welding Supply. It's difficult to say which building the sign post is on. That's how it looked last week.

Things to Watch for at the Airport

One of my favorite "caution" signs is over at the airport. It's an essential sign, no doubt about it. It also brings up silly thoughts as well. You can find the sign near the new dog park.

A Good Reason to Close on Sunday

I like the store hours of Second Tyme Around, the vintage furniture store at the corner of Fifth and East Streets. The store opened last summer.

100 Things I Like: Christmas Lights

Of all the houses decorated with Christmas lights, Santa Clauses, and nativity signs, this one was my favorite.

My wish to each and every one of you is Peace, Joy, Love, and Happiness.  Merry Christmas!

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

100 Things I Like: Signs

This sign just makes me wonder if anyone does park their car downtown, between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., on Sundays. But, not so much that I need to actually go and find out.

Here are a few other signs that have made me think of the absurd:  Sign 1, Sign 2, Sign 3, and one more.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

Looking Up: Corner of Third and San Benito Streets

Here's another angle of the Clock Tower that I bet many of you haven't ever noticed. For other angles, check out this link.

100 Things I Like: The Whimsical

Do you think this is how E.T. would've transferred money to his home planet?

Hollister is full of  whimsy. There are the robot, Sideshow Bob,  a bunch of Sideshow Bobs, and that man in the tree, for instance. 

As for the money transferring satellite, you can see it in the shopping section with Goodwill on Tres Pinos Road.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

100 Things I Like: The Alleys of Hollister

The husband and I like walking or pedaling our bikes through the alleys of Hollister.  Wentz Alley is probably the most familiar of all the alleys in downtown Hollister. What? Can't place it. That's the alley where the biker mural is painted on the side of Johnny's Bar.

Main, Elmore, Furlong, Hodges, Canal, Convent, Long, Swope, Grubb, and Smith Alleys are a few of the other alleys in town. Try to find them, why don't you?

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

100 Things I Like: No Traffic Jams

Absolutely none. So what, if I have to wait through another cycle of lights to turn left from San Benito Street onto Tres Pinos Road, or from Sunnyslope Road onto Highway 25. That totally beats the 30 minutes, sometimes 45 minutes, of driving four or five blocks in San Francisco to get onto an exit to the Bay Bridge during the early afternoon commute, which I used to do for a short while many years ago. I won't even grumble about the stop and go traffic on the bridge. So, yes, when it comes to traffic, we have it made in Hollister.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.