The Short Long Alley

How short is Long Alley?

It's half a block long!

It starts (or ends) at College Street and ends (or starts) at McClure Alley.

Still don't have a clue where Long Alley is? You know where the SDES Hall, aka Portuguese Hall, is on 7th Street. Long Alley runs behind it.

The Husband and I wouldn't have known about this possibly shortest alley in town, if it weren't for taking a walk. 

Everyday Rock and Roll

That sudden turn in the sidewalk and wall on 6th Street
in Hollister is due to the Calaveras Fault.

Last week (or was it this week?), we felt a couple of good grumbles in the earth, measuring in the low 3's on the Richter scale. That's nothing when you're used to it. Nerve-wracking, if you're not. But, it is to expected when you live in Hollister. . .or Tres Pinos. . .or San Juan Bautista. . . or anywhere in San Benito County.

Yup.  We have two major earthquake faults cutting through the county. The Calaveras Fault runs right through downtown Hollister, while the San Andreas Fault circumvents Hollister to the southeast and winds itself through San Juan Bautista just below the mission.

Earthquakes happen nearly everyday in our county. Mostly micro ones, which is good, as they release much needed tension. Just like burps.

Autumn in Hollister

The rustle of leaves as the wind rushes through them. 

 Colorful falling leaves. Fallen leaves. 

The cracking sound of dry leaves as we walk on them. 

Yup. 

Q is for Quaint

The city of Hollister was officially incorporated as a city in 1872. It was named after Colonel William Wells Hollister, the man who sold his land to the San Justo Homestead Association, the group of men who founded the city.

Many of the houses built in the early years of the city still stand. As you stroll down the tree-lined residential streets of downtown Hollister, you can see various  architectural styles, including the pioneer, Italianate, Queen Anne, Craftsman bungalow, and Mediterranean Revival styles. Quaint as all get out.

I'm going through the alphabet this month as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge.  Click here to check out some other A to Z Challenge participants.

Enjoying the Flowers

Whenever I walk down this part of Fourth Street in San Juan Bautista, I have to stop and gaze at this flower garden. I think it's part of the Jardines de San Juan restaurant.

© 2012 Su-sieee! Mac. All rights reserved. www.take25tohollister.com

Perspective

This is another view from the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. If you can repeat that several times as you climb up the trail, without breathing too awful hard, you're in pretty good shape, I say.

I also say that every day is Earth Day.

Hello Art!

You never know when you'll meet or see Art as you take a walk on San Benito Street in downtown Hollister.

Here. . .

Blak Sage Gallery of Fine Art

 And Here. . .

Hollister Muffler

A View from Sunset Drive

I usually think of Sunset Drive in Hollister as the street where Hazel Hawkins Hospital and various medical offices are located. So, I'm always surprised at the sights when I'm walking or pedaling my bicycle on the eastern end of Sunset Drive. For example:

The view of St. Benedict Church from Sunset Drive.

Evening Approaches

Above Sunnyslope Road

You never know what you may see while walking just before sunset.

100 Things I Like: Walking the St. Francis Retreat Grounds

The St. Francis Retreat was part of San Justo Rancho, the Mexican land grant that eventually was divided and became San Juan Bautista and Hollister. The retreat is up in the hills above San Juan Bautista. Originally the grounds was home to the Flint and Bixby families who bought the land grant with Colonel Hollister. There is a lot of history about the place. Click here to read about it.

Happy Christmas, dear readers!

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

100 Things I Like: Walking Around San Juan Bautista

April, 2010: The San Juan Cemetery also known as the Larios Cemetery

Strolling the shops in San Juan Bautisa is fun. So is roaming the grounds of the mission and the San Juan Bautista State Historic Park. Next time you're in the Mission City, enjoy wandering outside the usual tourist perimeter.

For instance, take a walk up to the cemetery at the northwest end of the city. You'll see some glorious views from up there. And, if you're into wandering cemeteries, you won't be disappointed. You'll find eroding wooden crosses marking the grave sites of  unknown pioneers as well as elaborate monuments of city notables.  On on the way up or down, you may see a very cool red adobe house that looks like it belongs in Santa Fe. Don't ask me which street because I don't remember. That's the surprise of wandering.

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

100 Things I Like: The Robot

When I'm walking, I discover things I've missed when I'm driving, or even riding my bicycle. Who knows how long this robot has been residing down at the cannery? I wonder how many times I  have quickly glanced down that driveway on San Benito Street and just saw nothing but tanks.

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

100 Things I Like: The Gnarly Trees of SJB

Pepper trees. That's what those huge gnarly trees around San Juan Bautista are.  I like gazing at them because I like to find faces in the gnarls. There are at least two faces in that tree above.

There used to a few 150 year old pepper trees  around the San Juan Bautista State Historic Park. The trees were diseased, so they got chopped. Left are just the stumps.   For more about those historic trees, check out this story by Adam Breen that was published in The Pinnacle.

The next time you're in the second largest city of San Benito County, and have the time, take a walk around town to gaze at the gnarly trees yourself. Until then, you can see a few more here.

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

100 Things I Like: The Murals of Hollister

A segment of the Fruited Plains Mural as seen through the fenced-in patio of Knife and Fork.

There are several beautiful murals in downtown Hollister. It's an easy and quick walk to do:

• The Farmworker mural is on the wall of the Baler Market at Third and East Streets.
• The Fourth Street mural is wrapped around the building at Fourth and San Benito Streets. Be sure to follow the mural all the way to the back of the building. 
• The Whiskey Creek mural is on the side of Whiskey Creek Saloon at East and Fifth Streets.
• The Hollister mural is on the side of the Granada Theater on Fifth Street.
• The Birth Place of the American Biker mural is on Wentz Alley, west of San Benito Street.
• The Orchard Mural is on Wentz Alley, east of  San Benito Street.
• The Fruited Plains Mural is on Brown Alley and San Benito Streets.

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

More Peeking Into Windows

After drinking a beer and sharing garlic fries at Cheap Seats Pub & Grub yesterday afternoon, the husband and I took a stroll on San Benito Street to work them both off. A slow, happy saunter which included stopping into the new San Benito Bene and the Blak Sage Gallery. I wish we had started earlier in the day, as many of the stores had closed or were about to close. Still, we enjoyed ourselves by peeking into closed stores and empty storefronts.