V is for. . .

Veterans!

Veterans Memorial Building

Veterans Day Parade

Veterans' Mural

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U is for. . .

Utility boxes.

Last December, the City of Hollister funded a project to paint murals on five plain utility boxes throughout Downtown Hollister. The murals, painted by Joel Esqueda and Rolan Resendiz, local artists, depict various cultural aspects of Hollister and San Benito County.

The mural on the utility box at the northwest corner of South and San Benito Streets celebrates cowboys and the annual rodeo.

At the northwest corner of North and San Felipe Streets is another utility box with a colorful mural. It honors the Ballet Folklorico, a traditional Mexican dance performed at local festivities.

On this utility box is a poem by local award-winning poet Rachelle Linda Escamilla. It reads:

"Our hands, like water, 

shape the land. 

Our bodies split 

the grassland; 

this valley 

a labor of love."

~ Rachelle Escamilla 

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T is for. . .

Tractors. Vintage ones, too.

The tractors on this page can be seen around the grounds of Casa de Fruta, a roadside orchard resort several miles northeast of Downtown Hollister. Along with having an amazing display of old-time tractors and other farm equipment, Casa de Fruta has a great produce stand, wine tasting, restaurant, carousel, mini-train, and more.

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S is for. . .

The former home of John and Almira Steinbeck on Monterey Street

The Steinbecks. 

John and Almira Steinbeck, to be precise. They were the grandparents of author John Steinbeck, who was born in Salinas and lived there until he graduated from Stanford. 

John and Almira Steinbeck were originally from Prussia. They first moved to Palestine before migrating to the United States. They settled in Hollister around 1874. They owned a dairy on  Line Street, which back then was in the country. When they retired from farming, they moved into town, purchasing a house on Monterey Street. 

As a child, John Steinbeck and his family, from what I understand, visited their grandparents in Hollister by driving a surrey over the Gabilan foothills via the Old Stage Coach Road. Part of the road is known today as the Anza Trail. Something to think about the next time you hike that trail. 

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R is for. . .

Rally. Motorcycle Rally. The Hollister Freedom Rally!

This year, thousands upon thousands bikers from all over the United States will trek to Hollister on the Fourth of July weekend to take part in the annual motorcycle rally that celebrates "The Birthplace of the American Biker". This event has been held officially, and unofficially, since 1997. The city of Hollister held the first rally to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a biker's incident that happened in Hollister over the Fourth of July weekend in 1947, upon which the movie The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando, was based.

I've written about the 1974 incident, as well as the history of the rally event, in an earlier post. If you're interested, check out this page.

This year's free motorcycle rally will be a three-day celebration, taking place on July 3, 4, and 5. In addition to lots and lots of bikes, there'll be live music, contests, and biker games throughout the event. A few of the major highlights are:

• The Touring Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall on display from July 3 to July 6 at Dunne Park
• Thunderbirds concert on July 3
• The Guess Who concert on July 4
• Sons of Anarchy stars Tommy Flanagan and Mark Boone, Jr. sign autographs on July 4
• July 4 Fireworks

For more details about the 2015 Hollister Freedom Rally, visit its official website.

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Q is for. . .

Running along this hillside is the San Andreas Fault. This is below Mission San Juan Bautista, about seven miles east of Hollister.

Quake quips.

What did the San Andreas Fault say to the Calaveras Fault?

Answer: "What's shaking?"

Hollister is smack in the middle of earthquake country. It sits on and near two active faults that do their shaking thing nearly every day. Someone told me that we have earthquakes every day, but most are so slight you can't feel them. I don't get concerned until the house starts rocking or I see the trees rolling during an earthquake wave.

The infamous San Andreas Fault runs about nine miles southwest of the Hollister. Geologists say you can see evidence of it as you head up Cienega Road to the wineries and Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area. This fault also runs behind Mission San Juan Bautista, about seven miles west of Hollister.

The Calaveras Fault, a major branch of the San Andreas Fault, starts somewhere south of Hollister and actually runs through town. You can especially see it at Dunne Park between Sixth and Seventh Streets.

This bend was caused by the Calaveras Fault.
It's on Sixth Street across from Dunne Park.

If you want to learn more about the San Andreas and Calaveras Faults, check out these links:

• The Calaveras and San Andreas Faults in and Around Hollister by Deborah R. Harden, Heidi Stenner, and Imogene Blatz
• Geology Cafe.com: San Andreas Fault in the Cienega Valley, Wine Tour Route in San Benito County
• Geology Cafe.com: Calaveras Fault in Hollister, California

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A Different View of Downtown Hollister

Just when I think I've photographed everything under the sun in downtown Hollister, I see this view. Don't you think that if the banner wasn't there, the photo could be of somewhere in Southern California? 

By the way, that's the tower of the Porter House on Monterey and Sixth Streets.