Free Week at the Pinnacles

April 17 to 25 is National Park Week. In honor of the week, the National Park Service has decreed that entrance to all national parks, include the Pinnacles National Monument, is free. So, if you can take advantage of the freebie, head on out.

The husband and I ventured over to the Pinnacles last month, entering via Highway 25, of course. The day was gorgeous! Wildflowers were popping. Ravens were calling to each other and condors were circling above us. I think I even heard the flutter of bat wings.

The Bear Gulch Cave was open and we did our best to scramble all the way up through it. Alas, we couldn't figure out the path at the stream so swerved to the left and out of the cave, and walked along an outside trail to get back in. We did climb up the stairway out of the cave to the reservoir. As always, it was well worth the effort to see the views.

The Bear Gulch Cave is home to a colony of bats. The park plans to close it in mid-May to safeguard the bats as the babies grow up. The caves will re-open sometime in July when the bats leave the cave. Check out the Pinnacles Web site for more particulars by clicking here.

Here are some other links to check out:

• National Park Week
• Images from the Condor Cam
• Pinnacles Partnership 
• Heading a Bit Further on 25 (some photos of the drive to the Pinnacles)

And, here are a few more photos for your pleasure.

Bear Gulch Reservoir

View off the Chalone Peak Trail

Rocky Scales

Do you see Dino the Dinosaur?

One of the Faces at the Pinnacles

Looking Back From Where I Came

San Benito Gold

"Are you a beekeeper?" the Honey Guy asked the husband, as we pulled up next to his truck.

The husband was wearing beige pants, white shirt, and a white cap with a neck drape. He sometimes gets mistaken for a beekeeper or someone in the French Foreign Legion. The husband is neither. He gladly explained to the actual beekeeper that he is very sun sensitive, hence the special get up. The Honey Guy nodded and then took a turn at happily answering our questions about San Benito Gold— honey produced from local bees.

The Honey Guy's name is Jim. He and his dad Leon are Hollister beekeepers who own the Bray Apiaries. Hurrah! I like shopping locally for my staples, and honey is definitely one of them.

San Benito Gold is definitely delish! Rich tasting and very smooth going down my pipes.

And, no, I was not paid to say that. I confess that we stopped by merely to find out how much the honey cost for future purchases. When I stepped out to take a photo of his products, he handed me a sample of his wares. Just like that. Sweet as a bee, the Honey Guy is. Nope, I wasn't paid to say that either.

The Bray Apiaries' stand is the back of the Honey Guy's truck. He parks it on Mitchell Road, off of Highway 156, a few miles west of downtown Hollister. (Local folks, you may know the spot as the intersection of Highway 156 and Union Road.) If you're heading west on Highway 156, turn right at the traffic lights, or left if you're going east. If you're on Union Road, just cross the highway to the opposite side.

You can find the Honey Guy at his spot on Sundays. Depending on his schedule, he may also show up on Thursday, Friday, and/or Saturday. I can't remember if he says he'll be at the Hollister Farmer's Market that begins in May. For more info, give him a call. (Just look up there on his sign in the photo.)

Some links you may enjoy checking out:

• "To Sneeze or Not to Sneeze" by Laurie Lemmerman-Castañeda (The Weekend Pinnacle). Leon Bray is interviewed about how he used honey to ease his allergy symptoms. 
• "It's Like a Bee Scene from a Movie" by Mark Paxton (The Weekend Pinnacle). Another interview with Mr. Bray.
• Hollister Farmers Market

Who Wouldn't Want to See a Crab Dance?

The husband and I did a double take when we saw this banner waving high yesterday, though not at the same time.  He saw it the moment after I shot the photo as we were driving down the street. No, I will not say who was driving.

The annual Crab Feed and Dance is a fundraising event by the Hollister Exchange Club, a local volunteer group that likes to raise money to do good deeds around town.  The event will be held on Saturday, April 17, from 5:30 p.m. to midnight. Dinner starts at 7 p.m., I'm told. The place—Bolado Park, which is also the San Benito County Fairgrounds. For more information check out this Calendar Events page of The Weekend Pinnacle.

Other web sites that may interest you:
National Exchange Club
Bolado Park/San Benito County Fairgrounds

Heading A Bit Further on 25

It's spring!

That was reason enough for the husband and I to head out to the Pinnacles National Monument for a hike earlier this week. The drive down highway 25 itself is spectactular. Sooooo green with bursts of wild mustard, poppies, lupines, and all sorts of wildflowers dotting the landscape. Here's a bit of what we saw. (Pictures of our hike to come another day.)

A New Place to Go for More Hollister

I recently joined the Squidoo World, Folks! That's the Web site where you make pages about the topics that interest you. It can be about anything or anyone, including yourself. The pages are called lenses.

I published my first lens today. The subject is about... drum roll please... Hollister!

It is quite different from this blog, so I think. I invite you to check it out by clicking Hollister California—The City That Is!

While you're there, look around Squidoo. Maybe it's something you might want to try yourself. It's all free. Supposedly, members can make passive income through the clicking of advertisements by visitors to their lenses. I admit it was an incentive for me to sign up. After all, I am a freelance writer who spends so much time on the Internet anyway. Enjoy!