Local Stand Full of Yummy Cherries

It's cherry season. Hurrah, hurrah!

The Ivancovich Family Orchards' cherry stand on Buena Vista Road is now open for business. Hurrah, hurrah! It's the husband and my favorite place to go for freshly-picked local cherries. Three dollars a pound. They've got both the deep red and the red/yellow types. 

The stand is located at 2420 Buena Vista Road. If you're traveling on highway 156, you'll see a truck with a huge cherry sign on the south side of the highway at Buena Vista Road. Just follow the signs to yummy delicious cherries. The stand is open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. They hope to stay open until at least the Fourth of July.

Best View

"Stop, stop."

"What?" the husband braked hard.

"Gotta take a picture," I said, opening the door.

Wouldn't you?

This is at the corner of Best Road and Highway 25, opposite the Ridgemark Golf Course. The mountain peak in the distance is Santa Ana Mountain.

Poles in Hollister

Yep. Some lamp poles on San Benito Street in downtown Hollister.

Coming Event: Mission Annual Fiesta

Mission San Juan Bautista Garden

This Sunday, June 19, is the annual Old Mission San Juan Bautista Annual Fiesta in...yep, you got it...San Juan Bautista. The fiesta honors the founding of the mission on June 24, 1797.

The fiesta will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the olive grove next to the mission. The event is free. There will be food booths, including a BBQ chicken lunch at $10 per plate. For more details, go to this link at the Diocese of Monterey.

Today is Farmers Market Day!

If it's Wednesday, then it must be the Farmers Market in Downtown Hollister. Need I say more?

But, if you need more, click over to the local Farmers Market's Facebook page.

USED

Recognize this spot at the northern end of downtown Hollister? Anyone recall what used to be here? And, what was used? I wonder if this lot will ever be home to anything again.

Hey, Taxi!

We were waiting for our order at the Burger Factory when the husband asked, "How are we going to get around when we can no longer drive?"

"We can walk. Ride our bicycles," I answered. "Take the bus. Take a taxi."

"Hollister doesn't have taxis," he said.

"Now there are," I said.

"Maybe one or two," he said, as we stood up to get our order of teriyaki chicken, egg rolls, and Philly Cheesesteak.

Lo and behold, the next day, we saw a taxi.

Blue Skies

When I moved back to Hollister several years ago, I didn't realize how much I missed the open skies. This specific view is just a few miles south of downtown Hollister, off of Highway 25.

More of Chasing Clouds

You're looking northeast from the corner of Best Road and Airline Highway (aka Highway 25). I wonder where those clouds were coming from? They looked to be moving southeasterly. This was taken on the day I went chasing clouds.

Chasing Clouds

Tuesday afternoon, after voting, I spied the tippy-top of what looked like growing thunderheads over the Rancho San Justo Gym. Very strange since it was a clear day. Of course I needed a photo of them. The clouds weren't as nearby as I thought they were. The further we drove up Airline (Highway 25), the farther away they were. Here's a close-up of them from Best Road. 

Coming Event: Jazz Under the Stars

The Homeless Coalition of San Benito County will be holding its sixth annual Jazz Under the Stars on July 23, 2011 at St. Benedicts Hall (1200 Fairview Road) in Hollister. The outdoor event will feature the Magnolia Jazz Band.

According to Doug Emerson, a board member of the Homeless Coalition, "This is the major fundraising event for the Homeless Coalition of San Benito County. The Coalition's primary source of revenue for the past years has been CDBG grants (Community Development Block Grant); we have received $100,000 – $110,00 yearly. However, due to changes at the Federal and State levels, there will be no CDBG grants in 2011. As a result, it will be a struggle to keep the shelter open next winter. Attending Jazz or making a monetary donation will go a long way towards keeping our shelter open."

For information about the Homeless Coalition of San Benito County, click over to its Web site. For more details about the fundraiser, click here. You can also click on the poster image below to enlarge it for easier reading.

Coming Event: Hollister "Birthplace of the American Biker" Independence Weekend

Yes, there will be no Hollister Independence Rally this year. More than likely the one in 2008 was the last one.

No city-sanctioned bike rally. Got it. But, that doesn't matter.

The Hollister "Birthplace of the American Biker" Independence Weekend will be going on. So, from Friday, July 1 through Sunday, July 3, we, locals, should expect to see and hear a lot of bikers coming through town.

In fact, on Saturday, July 2, bikers will be riding in from Southern California. They will start in San Dimas at 6 a.m., rocking their way up through the valley, down Pacheco Pass, and rolling into Hollister around 1:20 p.m. To learn more about the ride, head over to the 2011 Southern California Hollister Rally Run Web site.

To learn about local events that will take place that weekend, check out these Web sites:

• Johnny's Bar and Grill
• Corbin Open House and Rider Appreciation Day
• Motorcross Racing at the Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area
• Great Freedom Concert, Guerra Cellars Summer Concert Series

For a complete list of events, click here.

P.S. If you'd like to know about the July 4, 1947 event that lead to Hollister being called "Birthplace of the American Biker," click here.

Coming Event: 2011 Street Festival and Car Show

The 2010 Street Festival and Car Show

Yes, it's another local summer event to put on your calendar. Why not? It's summer! Yes it is. Don't let that weather fool you.

This event is the 25th Annual Street Festival and Car Show. The city closes down San Benito Street between South and Fourth Streets. The old cars are lined up at the south end. There will be food vendors, booths, demonstrations, and five bands. Free watermelon, too. For more detail, check out this link.

Coming Event: 2011 Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo

2010 Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo Parade. Click here for more photos.

The 78th Annual San Benito County Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo will be held June 24 to June 26, 2011 at the Bolado Park Fairgrounds. As usual, it will kick off with a parade through downtown Hollister on Thursday, June 23,  around 6 p.m. For more details, click over to the rodeo's Web site.

Coming Event: The 2011 Portuguese Festival Parade

Next Sunday, June 12, 2011, is the annual Portuguese Festival Parade. It starts at 10 a.m. from the S.D.E.S. Hall on the corner of Seventh and College Streets, near Sacred Heart Church.

For local stories about this event, click here.

Blue Skies

Have faith! Blue skies are out there.

Looking Up over the SBC Historical Park

I would like to walk up to that ridge above the San Benito County Historical Park, which is just a mile south of Tres Pinos on Highway 25. What a breathtaking sight to behold, I betcha.

Speaking of the historical park, several events will be taking place there tomorrow, June 4:

• Big Barn Sale, a fundraiser for the San Benito County Historical Society, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Seventh Annual Small Engine and Tractor Show
• Grand Opening of the Jack O'Donnell Visitor Center
• Wine Tasting, 5 to 7 p.m., with performances by the San Benito Stage Company and Mr. Ostenson's Save the Music Drive

For more details, check out the San Benito County Historical Society Web site.

Shop Locally: Cherry Tree Photography

Yesterday, I saw signs of another new business starting up in downtown Hollister. Hurrah! Cherry Tree Photography will be occupying the former Maddux Jewelry storefront at 535 San Benito Street. For info about the business, check out its Web site.

Don't Keep the Stagecoach Waiting

Click on the sign to get a larger version to read

Yep, this sign is for real. It's hanging in the Plaza Stable at the San Juan Bautista State Historic Park in, of course, San Juan Bautista. 

Every first Saturday of the month the park holds a Living History Day. What to you know? There's one this Saturday, June 4, 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Here's the link for more details. 

Summer Music

Guerra Cellars recently announced the schedule for its 2011 Summer Concert series. Check it out by clicking here.

Memorial Day

This is a corner of one of the veterans' sections at the Cavalry Cemetery on Hillcrest Road in Hollister.

Thanks to all the former and current members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Theirs was a difficult decision to make.

The Downside of War

You'll find this memorial plaque in front of the Veterans Memorial Building in downtown Hollister. It honors some of the local men who died while serving in the Vietnam and Korean Wars.

The Winged Victory in Tres Pinos

The plaque reads:
Tres Pinos Memorial of the Great War
December 7, 1941 – August 14, 1945
-----------------
For God and Country
For Freedom and Peace

This memorial was dedicated to the men and women of San Benito County who served in World War II. You'll find it on the grounds of Tres Pinos Church, just south of Tres Pinos, on Highway 25.

To learn about how this memorial came to be, click on this page: Tres Pinos, California WW2 Memorial.

Remembering the Veterans

The names on these granite titles are of deceased veterans who had lived in San Benito County or were members of San Benito County families. You'll find these remembrance tiles on the sidewalk in front of the Veterans Memorial Building in downtown Hollister.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Hollister Post 9242 and the City of Hollister co-sponsor the San Benito County Deceased Veterans Remembrance Tile installation. If you're interested in purchasing a tile in memory of a Veteran, you can get an order form at the Hollister City Hall. For more details, click on this link.

2011 Hollister Airshow

I can't help it. I like to stop and read posters. It's one way of finding out what's happening in our area. So, whose up for the Hollister Airshow this weekend?

What's Around the Bend?

This road?

It leads into the eastern side of Henry Coe State Park, off of Pacheco Pass (or Highway 156). I want to see what's down there around that bend.

Henry Coe shall be closing soon due to the California state budget crisis. Even if the park was to stay open, the opportunity to head down that road is still limited. The park only allows visitors certain times of the year to wander down that road to see what's around the bend.

One day.

Click these links if you'd like to know more about Henry Coe State Park and its eastern entrance called Dowdy Ranch Visitor Center.

Lover's Leap

Heading down (west) on Pacheco Pass. That peak up ahead is Lover's Leap

That craggy peak on Pacheco Pass (Highway 156) just past Bell Station is called Lover's Leap. I just learned that a few months ago. Here's what else I learned.

• It's 1,096 feet high.
• The land form used to be a volcano under a sea millions of years ago.
• The peak is also called Hollenbeck's Rock. The Mr. Hollenbeck for whom the mountain was named had owned Bell Station, which was called Hollenbeck Stage Station.
• An Indian princess climbed up to the peak and leapt to her death, hence the name Lover's Leap. One story goes that she was in love with a man from another tribe, which was a big no no. Romeo and Juliet all over again. 
• Hiking up the mountain is possible. 

What do you know about Lover's Leap?

A Sign about Pacheco Pass

You'll find this sign near the east entrance to Henry Coe State Park on Pacheco Pass, or Highway 152. It's just above the old Bell Station, which was a stagecoach stop.

According to the sign, Pacheco Pass was an ancient trail connecting the coast to the "Central Valley's wild tule marshes and dense riverside forests".

New Life

May 16 to May 22 Theme:  The Little Details in Downtown Hollister

 Most, if not all, of the store fronts in downtown Hollister have been home to one or more businesses, nonprofit organizations, and/or churches. This store front with all the wonderful details is no different.

You'll find this building at the corner or Fourth and San Benito Streets. What's there now? If you know what used to be there before, please share.

Man in the Tree

May 16 to May 22 Theme: The Little Details in Downtown Hollister

Next time you park in the lot on Sixth and East Street, take a look at the tree across Wentz Alley. There's a figure hanging out in the tree. Do you see it?

Reflecting on San Benito Street

May 16 to May 22 Theme:  The Little Details in Downtown Hollister

It's amazing what details you can see in windows. That's the reflection of the rooftop of the Intero Real Estate Services in this window.

The Hollister Free Lancer

May 16 to May 22 Theme: The Little Details in Downtown Hollister

Once upon a time this used to be the icon for the Hollister Free Lance. Pretty cool, isn't it?

You can find this little plaque on the building on San Benito Street (near South) that's now home to Java Bagels. I'm guessing that the newspaper used to have offices there until it moved to Sixth Street. The local newspaper has been around since the late 1800s. Click here if you'd like to read the December 10, 1886 issue.

Look Up: Parking Signs

May 16 to May 22 Theme: The Little Details in Downtown Hollister

Be sure to read the parking signs. The City is now enforcing the parking regulations.