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!

Hollister versus Hollister

A few facts of the unreal versus a few facts of the real. Enjoy!

Hollister, California
This is a make-believe beach town in Southern California created by Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) to market its Hollister Co. brand. A&F also spins a fictional history for the brand itself. According to Wikipedia.com, the invented Hollister Co. was founded in 1922 by an imaginary John M. Hollister, a Yale grad from Maine, who eventually landed in the Laguna Beach area. In real time, A&F began selling its Hollister Co. products in 2000.

Alas, I could find no tall tales about the establishment of A&F's made-up Hollister, California. Did the fictional John M. Hollister also establish the town, or did other unreal leaders decide to name their not so real town after Hollister because his company was the largest business in the area?

Hollister, California
This is an actual town located approximately 300 miles north of Los Angeles, which is about 53 miles from Laguna Beach. Although Hollister is part of the Central Coast region, the nearest beach is nearly 30 miles away.

The real Hollister is the county seat of San Benito County. Over 36,000 breathing adults and children liven in the city. Hollister was incorporated in 1872 by the San Justo Homestead Association, a group of local farmers.

The city of Hollister was named for William Welles Hollister, a farmer who headed west from Ohio with several hundred heads of cattle. In short, he landed in the area in the 1850s. In 1868, he sold his land (nearly 21,000 acres) to the association, of which 100 acres was set aside for the town. The association decided to name the new town after Hollister because many of its members objected to having another town in California with a Spanish-sounding name.

Want more history of the actual Hollister, check out this article "A Tale of Two Hollisters" by Laurie Lemmerman-Castañeda in the Weekend Pinnacles, a local newspaper.

March Music!

With March comes spring, and with spring comes the sound of more birds singing around us. Spring also brings the sound of musical events to the area.

On Wednesday, March 10, the Watsonville Community Band will be coming to town to perform its annual Spring Concert. The members of the band are musicians from Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Clara, and San Benito counties. Place: Veteran's Memorial Building on San Benito Street. Never been there? It's easy to find. Just head into historical downtown Hollister and find parking once you come to a big white building with columns on the east side of the street. Time: 7:30 p.m. And, it's free!  You can't beat that price.  For more info about the band, click over to its Web site.

This Saturday afternoon, March 13, the South Valley Symphony will present its Music for the Young at Heart Concert at Gavilan College in Gilroy. For information, click over to the Symphony's Web site.

Also this Saturday (March 13) at 7:30 p.m., Tommy Cash will  be performing a tribute concert to his late great brother Johnny Cash at the Bolado Park. For more info, click over to the Karco Concert Promotions Web site.

The renowned El Teatro Campesino, in San Juan Bautista, offers a couple of one-of-a-kind events in March.

• March 20:  The Folk Collection, a band of folk singers from Southern Californa, will sing many familiar folk songs through the evening performance. For more info, click here.
• March 26-28: Even Though They Are Women is a musical concert celebrating women, which features Las Mujeres de El Teatro Campesion.  For more info, click here.

The local schools also have some musical treats for us.

• March 18-20: San Benito High School will present the musical Annie at the school auditorium. For more info, check out the high school's Web site.
• March 31: County Music Festival at the San Benito High School O'Donnell Gym. It starts at 7 p.m. For more info, check out the Rancho Maze Band Web site.

So there you go. An abundance of happy uplifting musical notes happening on the 25 in March! Hope you can take advantage of one or more events.

Outstanding in Its Fewer Fields

Agriculture has always been the main industry in San Benito County. Fruit and nut orchards, vegetable farms, hay fields, cattle ranches, dairy farms, poultry ranches, and seed companies could be found throughout the county. Today, these agricultural enterprises are not in large numbers but they are still here. Thankfully.

All of these photos were taken yesterday, within a mile or so of downtown Hollister.

 Wild mustard growing in an empty lot

 The Diablo range in the near distance.

 

 Freshly plowed fields.

 

 Burst of spring in the middle of fields.

 Irrigation pipes...water tank.

After the Rain

I hope it continues to rain during the coming spring months. The mountains around Hollister have already sprouted their green wear. It can only get better. The photo shows the mountain above Lone Tree Road last week, after several weeks of occasional rain. 

Humanity on Highway 25

First off, no, I haven't give up on this blog. Not yet. I've just been catching up with a lot of things. And not being successful. So, of course to handle being overwhelmed with days, months, and years of stuff that needs being caught up with, I start another blog. Heh-heh. This and That. Here and There. is the other virtual place where I hang my thoughts. I invite all of you gentle readers to check me out there as well.

Okey-dokey, enough said. So, what's new on Highway 25?

For one, the beauty of humanity is in bloom. A group of San Benito High School students are doing their best to raise money to help a frosh classmate who has been diagnosed with cancer. A couple weeks ago, the students went around town and videotaped folks dancing on the spot. Their objective was to post the video on YouTube to spread the word around. And, they did. Here it is from YouTube.




For more info, check out the "Locals Show Off Dance Moves for Cancer Fundraiser" from the Hollister Free Lance.

What Was Once Here?

Happy New Year, One and All! 

Here I am.  Let's just say I've been in hibernation. Still am, for that matter. But, it's high time for me to start taking highway 25 to, from, and around Hollister before 2010 is over. 

This photo is for all you current and former Hollister residents.  Do you know where this is in downtown Hollister? What's missing—and I don't mean part of the fence? (Click on the photo to get a larger image, if you think that might help.)

Still don't have a clue. Check out this web page: "Hollister Courthouse"

If you want to know more about what happened to the missing landmark, check out these pages:

• "Not Possible to Save the Catalpa Tree," Hollister Downtown Association
  
• "Outreach Set Up for Local Contractors on Courthouse Project," Hollister Free Lance
  

Autumn Has Not Left Hollister. Yet.

Red, yellow, and orange leaves float through the air and cover lawns, sidewalks, and streets. A completely chaotic, colorful, comforting mess. That's one of the things I like about the fall season. 


In Hollister, the best looks of autumn can be found on Monterey and West streets. This little peek is how it looked this afternoon on Monterey Street, between Fifth and Sixth.

 

Snow on Them There Hills

Yep! Snow in Hollister. Ok, be technical. Snow on the mountains that flank us to the east. A lot of snow. Lovely snow. And cold.

The husband and I were walking downtown this afternoon when it began to hail lightly. Hard on the lips, I'll tell you that.

The 2009 Lights on Celebration

Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus will be coasting through downtown Hollister this year in the annual Candy Cane Lane Parade.  Saturday, November 28, 2009, in fact.

Main street, aka San Benito Street, will be closed downtown for the celebration. Here's the schedule:

• 5 to 5:30 pm: pre-parade events

• 5:30 to 6:30 pm: Parade! Whoo-hooo!

• 6:30 to 8:30 pm:  Santa's Village, Merchant Open House, and live entertainment

For more info, click over to this Hollister Downtown Association link.

For photos of  last year's event, click here.

Local Organic Tomatoes. Yum!

Yesterday, we drove out to the Mariquita Farm on Lover's Lane to pick us almost 30 pounds of sweet-tasting organically-grown tomatoes. When I say pick, I mean pick 'em straight off the vines. And, when I say sweet, well, think of the yummiest, melt-in-your-mouth, freshest candy you've ever eaten. That's how the sliced tomatoes I roasted in the toaster for about half-an-hour tasted. Triple orgasmic sweet! The raw tomatoes were delightfully wholesome-sweet too.

The Mariquita Farm is a small family organic farm. The folks are based in Watsonville, but also do farming here in San Benito County. They grow most, if not all, their crops for the Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA). They open their tomato fields to the public for picking only on certain days. This Saturday, tomorrow, is the last day. It's between 9 am and 1 pm. 50 cents a pound. Definitely worth a road trip!

Links for more info:

Mariquita Farm

Tomato U-pick Details

CSA Program

History in Play Around San Benito County

Yes, I know it's been awhile. It'll probably still be awhile before I can get back into some kind of routine blogging. But I thought I'd pop in to tell you about all the fun things that are happening this Saturday September 19, in and out of Hollister. Ok, and some on Sunday September 20, too.


Paicines Ranch Open House

Paicines Ranch, also known as Rancho Cienega de los Paicines, has been around since the mid-1800s. Today, the current owners breed cattles and horses. It sells free range grass-fed beef to the public. It also rents its historical buildings for events. On Saturday afternoon, you can tour the grounds, including the Grogan House where Judy Garland was married. The ranch is a straight shot on the 25, about 15 minutes south of Hollister. For more info, click here to get to the Paicines Ranch Web site.

Chicken Festival and Parade

Cock-a-doodle-doo! It's the the annual Chicken Festival in San Juan Bautista, several miles west of Hollister. There's a crowing contest, a Chicken dance contest, Chicken bingo, a Chicken parade, and more. Why chickens? There's a bunch of 'em roaming wild through the streets of the hamlet. Some locals love 'em. Some wouldn't mind making 'em into chicken soup. Join in on the fun, either or both Saturday or Sunday. For more info, click-a-doodle here to the San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce.

Civil War Event

The San Benito County Historical Society (SBCHS) will be hosting a Civil War event at the San Benito County Historical Park. For info and photos, click here to go to the SBCHS Web site. Also, click here to read an article in the Hollister Free Lance about the event.

Renaissance Faire

Hear ye. Hear ye. The Renaissance Faire is back at Casa de Fruta, a few miles north of Hollister. It's open every weekend through October 18. For more info, click ye on over to the Northern California Renaissance Faire Web site.

The Original Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital

Show of hands, Hollister folks: Who was born in this here building?

You. You. You. Me. You over there on the other side of the world. And a whole lot more.

This building stands at 910 Monterey Street. The corner of Monterey and Hawkins streets, to be exact. It’s the original Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, which was built and presented to the city of Hollister by Mr. Thomas S. Hawkins.

Mr. Hawkins was one of the city’s founders. His granddaughter, the Hazel Hawkins, the sweetie of his heart, died from appendicitis in 1902. She was only nine years old. According to the story I’ve heard, Mr. Hawkins felt she may have lived if there had been the proper medical facility in town. So, he built one for the community as a tribute to his “Little Sunshine.”

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital opened in November 1907 and served as the community hospital until the hospital district was formed in 1957. In 1962, the hospital moved into its modern digs on Sunset Drive. Today, Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital is part of the San Benito Health Care District which also includes skilled nursing facilities and a home health agency.

The old hospital building was used as a nursing home for many years. Then, somewhere along the line, it was turned it into an office building. And that's what it is today. The hair stylist who does my hair had her salon there for several years, which gave me a chance to prowl the corridors.

It’s a very beautiful building, as you can see. If you ever have a chance, pop in and take a glance of what’s inside. The left (or south) corridor especially. I'll just leave it at that.

By the way, does anyone know where the baby nursery used to be? The surgery? Just wondering.

Here are a couple of links to learn more the hospital and the Hawkins family:

• Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital
• A Family History Behind Hazel Hawkins by Marty Cheek

The County Fair is Coming!

First things first. I gotta brag about my recent contest winning at Sew, Mama, Sew! I won a yard of free fabric in its recent Free Fabric Friday contest. So many wonderful choices. Thank you Sew, Mama, Sew!

If I had more time, I’d sew something with the fabric to enter in this year’s San Benito County Fair. Maybe next year. But I still plan on entering photographs. My quest is to be bestowed a ribbon. Blue, red, chartreuse.... I don’t care. I just want a ribbon.

The fair will be from Friday, October 2 to Sunday, October 4 at Bolado Park, which is several miles south of Hollister on Highway 25. You can't miss it.

The deadline for entries (crafts, baked goods, art, livestock, floriculture, and so forth) is Friday, August 28. You can download entry forms from the San Benito County Fair Web site. You can view the schedule of events at the Web site, too.

Want to read about last year’s county fair? Then clickity-click here.

Ring a Ding Ding for the Ding A Ling Cafe

Haven't had the time or inclination to venture out and write about things in and about town. Maybe things will get better once my current project is finally complete. The other day, though, the husband and I went off to do errands. As a treat, we decided to have breakfast at the Ding A Ling Cafe. You heard right...just like the sound of a bell. Ding-a-ling. Ding-a-ling. Ding-a-ling. Hmmm. I wonder if that's why it's called the Ding A Ling Cafe.

When I was a kid many hundreds of years ago, the Ding A Ling was on Fourth Street in downtown Hollister. I don't remember when it moved out to the airport. The Hollister Municipal Airport, that is. That's all the directions you need. The airport is a few miles north of town on San Felipe Road. You turn into the airport and voila there's the Ding a Ling on the western edge of the lawn.

I've never thought about the Ding A Ling being an airport diner, but I suppose it is. I like the food there. Portions are big, but you have the option to order mini-portions, which I think are half-portions.

That day I had a yearning for pancakes and an Italian sausage patty. The two pancakes filled up the plate, but they were very light so I wasn't stuffed at all when I ate them alllll up. The sausage was delish. The taste reminded me of grilled venison. The patty was a wide rectangle shape with one edge hanging over the small round dish. My husband happily helped me polish it off.

The cheery cute-as-a-button waitress asked if we wanted salsa. I'm glad we got it. Another delish treat to put on my pancakes. Just the right combo of tomatoes and heat to create a mellow bang for me.

Ding-a-Ling serves breakfast and lunch. You can sit indoors or outside. If you want to eat there at the beginning of the week, call to find out if it's open. A few years ago, I've driven over on a Tuesday or Wednesday (can't remember) to be disappointed 'cause it was closed.

Some links to check out:

• Yelp Reviews of the Ding A Ling.
• FAA Info for the Hollister Municipal Airport.
• For skydiver want-to-be's, the Adventure Center Skydiving, Inc. is kitty-corner from the Ding a Ling. I jumped out of a plane with them a couple years ago. Definitely a flying leap of fun!
• And, for you folks who would like an adventure in a glider, the Hollister Gliding Club is right next door.
  

Hollister's Own Abercrombie

The 2009 Miss San Benito Rodeo was crowned over the weekend. Drum roll please. . . . Hail Queen Alyssa Abercrombie!

Is she related to the A in A&F, the corporation that has a fit about Hollister businesspeople sporting their hometown name's on their merchandise? Don't know. Still, who doesn't like the irony of it all. Now, if only one of the other contestants had been a Fitch.

A Hearty Congrats to our new Miss San Benito Rodeo!! She will be reigning over the 76th Annual San Benito County Saddle Horse Show & Rodeo on June 26 and 27 at Bolado Park.

She'll also be in the annual parade, which takes place on Thursday, June 25 through downtown Hollister. To see photos of last year's parade, please click here.

Pedaling Along Southside Road

I don't care what the calendar says. We are now in wonderful, wondrous summer! The hills around Hollister are now golden brown. The thistles are outstanding in the field, as are the bales of hay. What better thing to do on a summer day than to pedal around the backroads. Yep.

Yesterday, the husband and I wandered along Southside Road. Only a bit because we're bordering on out of shapeness. Again. The road parallels CA 25 between Hollister and Tres Pinos. By the end of summer we ought to be pedaling the full length of the zigs and zags, and ups and downs of Southside Road to Tres Pinos.

The photos are just a few of the sights we saw yesterday. Just click on the photos to get a full-size gander. And, yes, the sky was truly that blue.

Lots to Do In and About Hollister, California

It's gonna be a hopping town this week!

May 13: The Farmer’s Market
The farmers, food vendors, craftspersons, and others will be coming to town every Wednesday, from 3 pm to 7 pm, starting this week. Whoo-hooo! The Farmer's Market a whole new set up this year. The farmers will set up their booths on Fifth Street (between San Benito and Monterey streets), while the food vendors and nonprofit groups will be found in the parking lot behind the Vault as well as on the lawn beside it. Live entertainment is also being scheduled. To see a list of products that will be sold, check this link at the LocalHarvest Web site.

May 14: The Expo & Job Fair
The San Benito County Expo and Job Fair (also known as the San Benito County Trade Show) will be held this Thursday, from 2 pm to 7 pm at the Veterans Memorial Building in Hollister. This year’s theme is ECO-nomics, which highlights the growing green industry in the county. Click here for a story, published by the Hollister Free Lance, about last year’s event. For more info about the fair, contact the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce.


May 13-15: Wings of Freedom Tour
This week, living aviation history will be flying into the Hollister Municipal Airport. It will be one of the stops for the Wings of Freedom Tour, which is sponsored by the Collings Foundation. Featured on the tour are the B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-24 Liberator, and the P-51 Mustang—all restored WWII aircraft. Walking tours cost $12 for adults and $6 for 12 and under.

Other Events this Week

• 5/16: 2009 Rattle & Roll Car and Motorcycle Show, Road Angels Car Club, Bolado Park

• 5/16-5/17: 7th Annual Passport Weekend, San Benito County Winegrower’s Association
  

• 5/16: Summer Outdoor Concert, “The Dizzy Burnett Jazz Trio & Shakedown, Guerra Farm Vineyard
  

Can a Business Own a Town's Name?

Hollister, California.

Yes, I wrote the name. I'll write it again.

Hollister, California! That's where the heck I live.

Will Abercrombie & Fitch sue me because it says "Hollister California" is its trademark for its fictional surfside town. Will it sue me and every resident who writes Hollister, California to the question "Where do you live?" Or, will it sue all of us residents because we write Hollister, California as part of our return address on our correspondence?

Why am I being so rhetorical...so cynical? According to a report on a Bay Area news station last night, Abercrombie & Fitch has sent letters to Hollister merchants notifying them that the use of "Hollister" in their names or merchandise is an infringement on the big corporate's brand. Really? People can't tell the difference between its clothing line and say the Mexican products sold at the Hollister Super Market? Sheesh!

To view the story covered by KTVU, a news station out of Oakland, California, click here.

Dining Out, Helping Out!

The Community Food Bank of San Benito County (formerly known as the Community Pantry) will be holding its first annual Dining Out Helping Out event this Thursday, April 30. Sponsoring restaurants of the event will donate a portion of their receipts on Thursday to the food bank. Those restaurants are:

• Café Ella
• Dunneville Store
• Inn at Tres Pinos
• Jardines Restaurant
• Margot’s Ice Cream Parlor
• Papa Murphy’s Take N Bake Pizza
• San Juan Oaks

According to its Web site, the Community Food Bank serves about 1,700 bags of food to over 5,000 people weekly. And, it puts 92 cents of every dollar they receive into feeding those in need.

So, if on Thursday, you're seeking to enjoy a cup of coffee, a sandwich, a dessert, a take-out meal, or a sit-down one, be sure to swing over to one of the above local restaurants. You'll be feeding your tummy happy yummies as well as those of others.

Santa Barbara Ice Cream

2/27/12 Update: The Santa Barbara Ice Cream Parlor is no more. Bummer!

Today was hot. No, it was HOT! In the 90s at one point. So, Dick and I headed out to the new ice cream shop in town for tonight's dessert— the Santa Barbara Ice Cream Parlor. My mom and I would’ve been perfectly happy to eat ice cream for dinner. But, a wise man said otherwise.

Santa Barbara Ice Cream Parlor is a franchise established by McConnell’s Creamery of Santa Barbara. I’ve never had any of McConnell’s ice cream but I figure if the ice cream is made in Santa Barbara, it just may be worth my while.

I was right.

The shop has been open for a few months, and the friendly young man behind the counter said they’ve been doing well, but should do better once they begin advertising. It’s in an ideal location, on McCray Street, right next to the Premiere Cinemas.

All the ice creams and sherberts looked so fresh and delicious. We went with a pint of Mint Chocolate Chip (Dick’s standard) and a pint of Coconutty Professor, as I’d been craving coconut for a while.

My mom, Dick, and I were not disappointed when we finally ate our dish of ice cream after dinner. With our first taste, Dick and I exclaimed in unison, “This ice cream is yummy!” Really, we did say that at the same time.

The Mint Chocolate Chip was laced full of tiny chiplets and the Coconutty Professor had a surprising amount of toasted coconut and walnuts. Both ice creams tasted rich yet light. They reminded me of gelato, while Dick thought it was like eating homemade ice cream.

Santa Barbara Ice Cream sells cones, shakes, floats, smoothies, and coffee blasts. It also takes orders for customized ice cream cakes. I also noticed iced cold drinks on sale and a rack of other snacks.

Starting Tuesday May 19, the shop is starting its promotion Baler Bailout Tuesday’s. Between 6 and 9 p.m., it will sell single scoops of ice cream for one dollar a scoop. You can't beat that that these days.

Tomorrow will be another HOT day. I can hardly wait for us to eat the rest of the ice creams. Yum!

Historical Fifth & San Benito

Isn't this sign hysterical?

It’s one of my favorites around Hollister. Not to worry. Head on down. There’s lots of parking, on the street and in the parking garage. You just can’t park where that particular sign stands.

I suppose a sign of having lived a long life is when the downtown you've always known is now called "historic." What I wonder is if there's a Historic Downtown Hollister, where's the modern one?

According to a brochure by the Hollister Downtown Association, Historic Downtown Hollister is from Third Street (north end) to South Street (south end, naturally) and between Monterey Street (west end) and East Street (east end). That’s five cute blocks from north to south and two blocks, just as cute, from west to east. Easy to mosey or stride. And, yes, you will find most of the downtown shops and restaurants within those boundaries.

Here's a peek at what's on the historical corner of Fifth & San Benito Streets.

Yes, that's part of the Diablo range in the background.

This was the old Bank of America building.

Deli-issh Eats!

Dick and I may have found our go-to place when we want a deli-ishhh sandwich. For us, it means taking the Highway 25 bypass to get across town and then turning north on San Felipe Road to head towards the Hollister International Airport. It’s well worth driving the extra minute or two to to get to Victoria’s.

This Italian deli is in one of those nondescript industrial-park store fronts. Inside, it definitely is far from bland. It’s cute and clean with a sense of fun. That day, balloons and signs wishing "Happy Birthday Nana" were sprinkled about the shop. The deli is mostly a take-out place, but there are a few tables for sit-down eating.

Victoria’s serves breakfast and lunch fare. The lunch menu includes salads, soups, sandwiches, and pastas. There are also desserts. A breakfast menu is also available. Click here to download a copy of the menu.

We each went with a box lunch, which included a deli sandwich, choice of pasta salad or chips, a cookie, and soda. Dick ordered a turkey sandwich, while I asked for a forest ham. My mom's a light eater, so I figured I could share my sandwich with her. But, I also ordered her a cup of clam chowder, in case the sandwiches were petite.

When we opened the boxes at home, we were very surprised with the hefty portions. How big? Dick and I are not dainty eaters, but I was full after eating half of half of my sandwich, while Dick was content after eating half of his. Leftovers for dinner or for lunch the next day. I, being the cook, am always grateful for one less meal to think about creating.

The sandwiches, the pasta salad that came with my meal, and Mama’s clam chowder were all delish! Fresh, tasty, and tummy-satisfying. A cute, roll-sized baguette came with the soup. Both the soup and roll were hits with my mom, and, she's a very picky eater. Next time we go to Victoria's, I plan on trying the pasta pesto, lasagna, or cheese ravioli. . .or, maybe the Meatball Italiano sandwich…or the turkey avocado or. . . .

The downside to Victoria’s: It’s only open Monday through Friday. Victoria's is located at 1745 San Felipe Road, #3.

For more about Victoria’s, check out these two links:

• a Yelp review
  
• Victoria's Italian Deli open in North Hollister, The Weekend Pinnacle