A Sunday Flashback: The Mission Bells

NOT Mission San Juan Bautista in April, 2006,
but Mission San Antonio de Padua

Dear Readers, I'm introducing a new weekly feature called A Sunday Flashback today. Last week, I needed to go through my photo archive for Take 25 to Hollister and I was quite overwhelmed by the number of photos, as well as amazed at how some things around the county have changed just within the past 10 years.

Mission San Juan Bautista, for instance. Who remembers the bells being out in front of the church entrance? I don't, even while I look at the photo I took in 2006.

So, when did the change take place? In 2010, the mission went through another restoration and a bell wall was added to the church.

FLASH UPDATE: The husband has just informed me that the above photo is not of Mission San Juan Bautista, but of Mission San Antonio de Padua! He said that he'd always seen Mission San Juan Bautista as painted white, so he started looking back at all the missions we have visited. Thank you, Husband!

No wonder I couldn't recall Mission San Juan Bautista looking that way before 2010. So much for the the first Sunday Flashback. LOL!

This is definitely Mission San Juan Bautista!

Enjoy the View

Have you checked out the view as you wait for the traffic lights to turn green at the corner of Highway 25 (aka Airline Highway) and Union Road?

Rain Clouds over Downtown Hollister

The weather has been beautiful the last several days that if it weren't for this photo I would've forgotten that we did have a few days of rain. Were the rain clouds gathering or breaking over Downtown Hollister? I can't recall. Hopefully, we'll have a lot more early spring rains to lessen the drought.

Today I'm hooking up with Skywatch Friday. Click here to check out the skies around the world.

A Neighborhood Walk -- Seventh Street

One gorgeous afternoon, the Husband and I had eaten a tummy full of yummy burgers and fries at Third Base Burger Bar on San Benito Street. Afterwards, we chose not to get back into our car but ramble down Seventh Street to the end and back. The walk did us well. These photos show a few of the delightful sights that we saw. Did you know there are redwood trees on Seventh Street?

The Afternoon Light

Walking east on Wentz Alley the other afternoon, I got excited as I approached the Biker mural at San Benito Street. No garbage cans! Finally, I could get an unobstructive view of Johnny's Bar & Grill mural. But, then, I noticed the light. Oh, well. It still was a great photo opportunity. 

By the way, the Hollister Freedom Rally is set for July 3, 4, and 5.  For more info about the rally, head over to it's official website. 

Today, I'm hooking up with NatureFootstep's Digital Art Meme. Click here to see awesome work by bloggers from around the world.

Relax!

No. That's not an epitaph on a tombstone, although it would make a great one.  It's actually part of a sign on a building near the intersection of San Juan, Mitchell, and Union Roads. Yup. It's the restaurant called Relax! Grillin & Chillin Roadhouse.

Today I'm participating in Our World Tuesday. Please click here to read posts by bloggers from around the world.

Downtown Hollister Historic District: The "New" Buildings

You've probably noticed that Downtown Hollister has several "new" and large buildings on its main street, which are quite compatible in look with the historic buildings. These modern buildings were constructed in the 1990s after the original buildings were destroyed by an earthquake or fire.

The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake changed the face of Downtown Hollister in a very big way. The original buildings on the northwest corner of San Benito and Fourth Street collapsed in the earthquake and the commercial buildings that once stood on the lawn in front of the Briggs Building were so unsafe that they were razed a few days later. The structural integrity of a few other buildings was found to be poor so they were demolished, too. The following year, more commercial buildings in Downtown Hollister were destroyed by arson fires.

Obviously, the devastation, along with a drought and economic recession, did not stop the people of Hollister back then. With the help of redevelopment and other grants, they constructed the following handsome buildings in the Downtown Hollister Historic District, which is in the National Register of Historic Places.

The 500 Block of San Benito Street

The 600 Block of San Benito Street

The 700 Block of San Benito Street

The Downtown Hollister Historic District series comes to an end with today's post. I hope you've enjoyed the series. To check out past posts of the historic commercial buildings in Downtown Hollister, please head to these links:

• Contributing historic buildings to the district
• Non-contributing historic buildings