N is for a New National Park

Just recently, the area got a new national park when the Pinnacles National Monument was redesignated as the Pinnacles National Park. Hurrah! A big thanks to Congressman Sam Farr for introducing the bill in Congress.

The 59th national park is home to condors, bats, and various other flora and fauna. It offers fun adventures for hikers, birders, rock climbers, naturalists, families, and everyone and anyone who enjoy being outdoors. The eastern entrance is about 30 miles south of Hollister, right off Highway 25. To learn more about the new national park, check out these links:

• Pinnacles National Park
• "Pinnacles Rocks: One of California's Best Kept Secrets" by Mike Sweeney
• Friends of Pinnacles
• Pinnacles Partnership

I've been participating in the 2013 A to Z Blogging Challenge, which goes through the month of April. You can check out other Challenge bloggers by clicking  here.

M is for Mustard

See all that yellow. That's wild mustard. It grows freely in the fields and orchards during Spring. Some historians say that the Franciscan padres scattered the seeds as they walked the El Camino Real to better see the road. I wonder if they also ate the wild growing vegetable. It tastes so much better than the mustard greens found in the supermarkets.

I'm going through the alphabet this month as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. This is the third week. To check out other A to Z participants, click here.

L is for Lido Hotel

Whenever I walk by Lido Hotel on East Street, I wonder what it looks like inside. Would I shudder in disgust or gasp a "Wow!" at a sight of ghostly splendor

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.

K is for Knoll

I love this sight every spring—the oak trees dancing on the green knolls above Union Road.

I'm participating in the A to Z Blogging Challenge during the month of April.  Click here to check out some other A to Z Challenge participants.

J is for Jalopy

The jalopies are spiffed and buffed and anything but dilapidated when you view them at car shows, of which there are several throughout the year in and around Hollister.

One of the bigger car shows is part of the Hollister street fair. This year the annual Street Festival, Car Show, and Swap Meet will take place on July 20. For more info, head over to this page at the Hollister Downtown Association Web site.

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