Yeah, I know. I’ve been away much longer than six weeks. What can I say? Deadlines never cease.
So, what’s new on Highway 25?
The 25 bypass, for one! Opened a couple of weeks ago, this extension goes around the city of Hollister. It was built so that downtown would be more pedestrian-friendly and hence more people will head downtown to shop and eat.
Yes, you read that paragraph correctly. If more people use the bypass, what then is the incentive of going downtown? I dunno.
However, the next time you visit Hollister, or go through it for points elsewhere, do take the 25 bypass. It is a short scenic drive. Be aware: The bypass has several stoplights. Be sure to drive the speed limit, regardless of how fast someone may have swished by you. But, also make a point of heading downtown for an enjoyable look-see as well.
For a peek at the northern third of the 25 bypass, please click on the photo below. It will take you to the video that I posted at 1971 Balers. It’s not the best footage, but I like the music. ☺
Hollister, California is a real town that has been around since the 1870s. Unlike the fictional town created by a corporate clothing company, Hollister is no where near a beach. The town is about 45 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. Seagulls occasionally make their way over the mountains. Hopefully, they are able to find their way back.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Until Next Year. . .Some Time
Hellooo!
Thank you all for stopping by these last three months. I hope you've been enjoying Take 25 to Hollister. I've been having fun taking photos, learning, and writing about stuff around town and the county. But, it's time for me to buckle down big time to make a deadline. No more fun for the naughty, at least for a while.
I'll be back on the 25 in six weeks, more or less. Until then, I invite you to pretend you haven't read any of the posts thus far. And, yes, please, I love reading comments.
May you have a Happy Christmas and a glorious New Year! Peace and Joy!
Thank you all for stopping by these last three months. I hope you've been enjoying Take 25 to Hollister. I've been having fun taking photos, learning, and writing about stuff around town and the county. But, it's time for me to buckle down big time to make a deadline. No more fun for the naughty, at least for a while.
I'll be back on the 25 in six weeks, more or less. Until then, I invite you to pretend you haven't read any of the posts thus far. And, yes, please, I love reading comments.
May you have a Happy Christmas and a glorious New Year! Peace and Joy!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Flapjack’s Country Café
Whenever Dick and I go on a road trip, we like to start by driving over to Tres Pinos for breakfast at Flapjack’s Country Café. The owners, Karen and Phil Barrett, make and serve some of the best breakfast dishes around the area.
On our last visit, Dick devoured a delish Italian pesto omelet and I plowed through a heaping dish of Phil’s Corned Beef and Eggs. How heaping, you ask? I had a half-order and I took half of it home. (I probably could’ve eaten it all, but I was saving myself for a whole bunch of eating treats throughout the day, as it was my birthday.)
Both our dishes came with home fries and a huge, fluffy flapjack. Yum! You could have toast instead of the pancake, but, hello, it’s the Flapjack’s Country Café.
Did I mention the big mugs of coffee? Heavenly.
Flapjack’s offers a creative menu. The owners also offer choices for folks who adhere to a non-gluten diet. Check the offerings out for yourself. Breakfast. Lunch.
Just recently, Phil and Karen began serving “Sunset Suppers” on Wednesdays and Thursdays, between 5 and 7:30 pm. I went home with a copy of the menu. Grilled polenta, Pasta Marinara, Pasta Primavera, Chicken Cacciatore, and Eggplant Parmigiana are featured. I’m drooling just thinking of how they might taste, and in my mind, I’m thinking it will be very trés delicious. I’ve already decided that my first order will be the NY Steak plate: “Phil’s NY Steak, cooked to order with sautéed bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and garlic served with pasta marinara.” It’s only $16.50! What a deal for these times.
Tres Pinos is a few miles south of Hollister. Just head straight out on Hwy 25, or as we, locals, like to call it, Airline Highway. Tres Pinos is a very small hamlet. You won’t miss Flapjack’s at all. Just as you’ve slowed your car to the proper speed limit, you’ll see the restaurant on the left. You can park alongside the highway. You can also turn left just after passing the restaurant to park in its parking lot. If you need to buy stamps or mail a letter, the post office is right by the parking lot. I like to mosey over to read what’s posted on the community bulletin board. But, that’s for another post.
Some links to check out:
- Other folks' reviews of Flapjack's
- About Tres Pinos
Thursday, December 11, 2008
A Christmas Contest
$1,000! Want to win it?
The Contest ends on December 15. Get going!
The Merchants
Some of the downtown merchants are currently sponsoring a “Where’s Rudolph?” contest. Here are the rules:
- Go to a participating store, restaurant, or other business. See the list below
- Find the picture of Rudolph.
- Ask for an entry form, fill it out, and turn it in pronto.
The Contest ends on December 15. Get going!
The Merchants
- Penny Wise Drug
- Maddux Jewelry
- She’s Apparel & Shoes
- Drapoel–Teezerz
- Muenzer’s
- Fortino’s Total Home
- French’s Kitchen and Baths
- Serene Home
- Fireplace Depot
- Timber & Textiles
- McKinnon Lumber
- Precious Petals
- Winn Insurance
The following restaurants are also participating in the contest:
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Christmas Music!
Last night, Dick and I headed over to the Veteran’s Building for a Christmas concert. “Deck the Halls. . . fa la la la la. . .” Yep. We got to sing a bunch of first verses worth of Christmas carols with the Watsonville Community Band, the members all decked in their green and gold uniforms. It’s nice to know that there is an outlet for once-upon-a-time high school band members. One of the trumpet players was my seventh grade music appreciation teacher, who continues to teach and lead middle school musicians into one amazing marching band year after year.
“We are the Watsonville Community Band,” announced Eugene Smith, the conductor, at the beginning of the night. “But we are not a Watsonville band.” The members hale from various cities in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito counties, including Watsonville, Salinas, Ben Lomond, Gilroy, and Hollister.
The Watsonville Community Band is one of the few adult community bands in the nation. It has been around since 1947! According to the Christmas program, anyone who plays (or played) a band instrument is welcome to join. The band performs yearly concerts, such as its Christmas Concert series, as well as participates in marching parades. Their performances are always free.
At last night’s concert, the band performed a selection of pieces, from an Andy Williams song, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” to the quietly moving “Ave Maria.” They also played the “March of the Women Marines,” which was composed in 1943 for the Women Reserve band. That piece was a head bouncer and toe tapper, but the coolest thing about it is the fact that one of the members of the band was part of the original Women Reserve band.
The “Night Before Christmas” was read by the conductor, surrounded by many of the tinychildren in the audience. Snap. Flash. Snap. Flash. Snap. Yep, the sound and blur of a photo op for parents and grandparents who smilingly crept up to candidly catch their kiddies. For the last piece, the audience stood and sang joyously loud (OK maybe some of us) with the band, after which Santa Claus popped out to give the kids candy cane sticks.
The concert was an hour long, and for an hour, I felt a sense of the warmth of small-town community. The Watsonville Community Band will be back to put on a spring concert for the town. I’m looking forward to it.
In the mean while, here are still a few more Christmas concerts in the co unty to check out:
“We are the Watsonville Community Band,” announced Eugene Smith, the condu
At last night’s concert, the band performed a selection of pieces, from an Andy Williams song, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” to the quietly moving “Ave Maria.” They also played the “March of the Women Marines,” which was composed in 1943 for the Women Reserve band. That piece was a head bouncer and toe tapper, but the coolest thing about it is the fact that one of the members of the band was part of the original Women Reserve band.
The “Night Before Christmas” was read by the conductor, surrounded by many of the tiny
The concert was an hour long, and for an hour, I felt a sense of the warmth of small-town community. The Watsonville Community Band will be back to put on a spring concert for the town. I’m looking forward to it.
In the mean while, here are still a few more Christmas concerts in the co
- 12/10: Elementary School Holiday Concert, 7 pm, Rancho San Justo
- 12/10: Oriana Chorale Christmas Concert, 7:30 pm, Mission San Juan Bautista
- 12/11: Scarlet Regiment Band Holiday Concert, 7 pm, San Benito High School Auditorium
- 12/18: Rancho-Maze Band Holiday Concert, 7:30 pm. Rancho San Justo
- 12/12: Trees of Light, 5:30 pm, Veteran’s Building
- 12/13: Annual Christmas Caroling and Candlelight Walk, San Juan Bautista
Labels:
entertainment,
Events,
Hollister,
San Benito County,
San Juan Bautista
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