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Almaden Valley

4.0 (1 review)

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The Flintstone House - Turtle rock

The Flintstone House

4.1(12 reviews)
52.7 km

Neat local flavor to take a look out…read more It's actually someone's house that they live in, so make sure to be mindful and polite when visiting (because I can't imagine how annoyed the neighbors would be with randos going in and out as well as just thinking this place is an eyesore with how rich and pretentious the neighborhood already seems). There are statues of the saber tooth there and Fred, some dinos. Lots of purple and orange colors. It's not only just Flintstones theme as there are bunnies, aliens, Terracotta warriors and an eclectic mix of decor. Neat, fun and interesting stop if you're nearby and on the way somewhere else.

Flintstones House Hillsborough CA Wed 4/12/23 ©…read moreLet me start by saying, this quirky house is not a tourist destination! For decades, this prominent feature in Hillsborough hills just off the scenic route Hwy 280 brought happy feelings to passers by! Of course it's been a curiosity for decades in existence... but wait! All it is, a wonderful single family residence, with a twist in a story full of intrigue & litigation! And it has its own Wikipedia page! I've told myself, Grey, you live close by, you've got to write about the Flintstones House! It's a curiosity worth noted, yet a source of controversy to its neighbors! A colorful authentically looking residence in the affluent Hillsborough community uniquely affected the inner moods within the neighborhood, while much of the story remained hidden from public eye. The listing wasn't on the Yelp maps until recently, a yelper put it on during the pandemic, the house itself has been gracing the hill for decades in existence. The Flintstones house has been renovated & changed hands some years ago... I believe it used to sport an off white stucco, at some point it got repainted bright orange & purple... sold in 2017 & that's when complaints began. As the storytelling goes, the original Flintstones suburban sprawl developed in real life! Much controversy to it in the recent years due to the current owner coloring it even brighter burnt color resembling the cave & decorating the yard even more...beauty is in the eye of the beholder! Neighbors considered yard decorations an eye sore! So they brought forth the law suits. The installations of dinosaurs became a point of contention. Maybe historic inaccuracies were getting on their nerves? :-) After all, all we know is that Fred & Wilma enjoyed the company of their pet dinosaur Dino, but were there many others in the Stone Age? What about a Giraffe, a woolly mammoth, and a Fred Flintstone himself?! I understand neighbors didn't want any attention in the affluent town they reside in. Well, the owner won the law suit! She gets to keep her dinosaurs! Not only that, but also $125K from the city for originating the architectural review in the first place! And we the public got to enjoy this amazing architectural creation for years to come! *Well, he packed his guitar and his bar-room tan, Gotta get some miles behind him as fast as he can, Another destination, some place else to play. *But as the night approaches, a change is in the air His heart is pumping fast, he's got no cares The music befriends him, it can take him anywhere It's a honky-tonk engagement But there's no better place to play His mind feels like crazy pavement He's getting crazed out every day [ Review #766 w 2 pix on May 2, 2023 ] Flintstones House! Hillsborough CA Wed 4/12/23 Yabba Dabba Doo! @Flintstones House Hillsborough CA Wed 4/19/23

Photos
The Flintstone House - Alien on mailbox

Alien on mailbox

The Flintstone House - Sign

Sign

The Flintstone House

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Japantown San Jose - Kogura Gift Shop

Japantown San Jose

4.2(168 reviews)
10.5 kmDowntown

As small business month is quickly approaching I was thinking how wonderful and vibrant a community…read moreJapantown San Jose is. There so many seasoned and new diverse small business owners here in the heart of Japantown. Classic Loot, Zonkey, Roy's, Santo Market, Taqueria Corona, Minato, Hukilau, Kazoo are among my families favorites. We have also enjoyed and welcomed new businesses too like Banne (yummy sourdough) and Furbaby Fancy petgrooming (the most posh and elite pet grooming experience) into our rotation as well! I should have just listed all the businesses here! So proud of the businesses that contribute to our community!

There's definitely a lot of history, community love, and shops and restaurants here. It's smaller…read morethan the other Little Tokyo in LA and Japan Town in SF (I think), but because we came around midday lunch time on a Tuesday after Fanime, not many stores or restaurants were surprisingly open? Maybe it's due to being after Memorial Day or because most of them were night time dinner service only restaurants. Either way it's much cleaner than Little Tokyo in LA and with less jump scares and trash everywhere. Easier to find parking and more affordable, in a sense, than Japan Town SF. Stopped by the Japanese grocery store and Santo Market while we were here. Fun to kill a couple of hours, I suppose. I just gotta come back here again when more things are open !

Photos
Japantown San Jose - Tōno Coffee Project - a San Jose pop-up

Tōno Coffee Project - a San Jose pop-up

Japantown San Jose - Bay Wheels e-bikes

Bay Wheels e-bikes

Japantown San Jose - Santo Market

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Santo Market

Ursa Mater - Ursa Mater

Ursa Mater

5.0(2 reviews)
8.7 kmDowntown

"As my artist's statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore full of…read moredeep significance."―Calvin San José has a long line of, shall we say, questionable Public Art (PA) projects; everybody knows about the giant dog turd statue Quetzalcoatl―or as I like to call him Quetzacaca ( goo.gl/lvswBr )―in the Plaza de César Chávez. Let's also not forget the Fallon Statue debacle ( goo.gl/wKEv0g )―and don't get me started on the mangled shopping carts (goo.gl/vbB6NE) passing for a statue on the corner of Alma Ave and Almaden Rd. Need I go on?! So, whenever CSJ does something right I love to point it out. I first read about Ursa Mater (aka Mama Penny Bear) in the Merc from my buddy Sal Pizarro's column. Ursa Mater is a gigantic piece of coin art that was put together by Hayward-based artists Mr & Mrs Ferguson. She first made an appearance at last year's Burning Man festival and is now prominently displayed in Paseo de San Antonio―just east of Plaza de César Chávez, right by Bijan Bakery. The statue of Mama Bear and her two cubs sits at least 10-12' tall and is completely covered in 200,000 pennies ($2,000 worth) to make up the bears fur. It's pretty cool to look at from afar, and even cooler up close. I suggest getting here quickly to check her out, as she will only be on display until the end of May. And then we'll be back to staring at Quetzacaca forever. FOL...

I like to think that these represent the bear on the California flag. The name Ursa Mater…read more Is an excellent play on words by the artist. Ursa Major is Latin for "greater she bear" So Ursa Mater translates roughly to "She bear of matter" ( I only understand a very small amount of Latin so this may or may not be the exact translation). The bear and her cub are made of pennies so it seems the artist's intention was to make a realistic mother bear out of " matter" , hence the name. Also behind the pennies is a concrete core. It's as if these bears have a real fur made out of metal. As the previous reviewer said, there are are a lot of bad San Jose art pieces, but this one is fantastic. Just an edit: it seems to be gone now. Very sad.

Photos
Ursa Mater - Made of 200,000 pennies!

Made of 200,000 pennies!

Ursa Mater - Ursa Mater

Ursa Mater

Ursa Mater - Baby Bears =)

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Baby Bears =)

Tree 9 - So sad you can't climb tree 9 anymore!

Tree 9

4.4(14 reviews)
32.3 km

For my first review of 2010, i've decided to do a review on something that holds a special meaning…read moreto everyone who has visited it. Tree 9. This majestic and gorgeous tree towers above all the other redwoods around it. once you make the hike up and enter the clearing, the branches beg you to climb it and look at the view it has to offer. The first time i visited the tree, it was in the middle of the night. But the day i saw it in broad daylight, i was blown away by its presence. The branches are smooth from the hundreds who have climbed it before. They stick out in all directions to give even the most fearful the chance to brave it and climb up. 2010 is a new year for me, and it is a new year for this tree. This tree has so far survived all who has wanted to cut it down for the purpose of expanding ucsc. The Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) has been put on hold so far, giving this tree another year to bask in the sun. Contrary to what people think about the name, whether a girl died by hitting 9 branches on the way down, that 9 people died so far, to the fact that it's located above College 9, the name comes from the fact that way back in the day, the tree was actually stop #9 on the ucsc trail tour. and so now the winter is slowly drawing away and the branches call out again to all the banana slugs. I will be back soon. and this time i'll make it to the top! If this tree falls, we will all fall with it. but keep standing tall Mr. Tree 9. another amazing thing: the tree is minutes away from the open field where full moon drum circles are held every month. *wolf howling*

Once upon a time there was a tree where the residents of ucsc could swing on and have fun. Times…read morehave changed, however, and they removed the swing set because of safety reasons or other things. Either way, it is no longer there, and for this reason I have decided that this tree in particular deserves one star out of five.

Photos
Tree 9 - Poor limbless tree

Poor limbless tree

Tree 9 - No more swing :(

No more swing :(

Tree 9

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Widmer World

Widmer World

4.7(76 reviews)
49.2 km

Widmer World is amazing! There is a sign to help direct you where to park (neighborhood street…read moreparking) nearby. This was our second year visiting and the family hosting this is always so friendly. This year, one of the older ladies even offer to help us take photos outside on the driveway. All of the Christmas decorations, displays, and lights are beautiful. It extends from the front yard through the backyard with many Christmas displays and different cartoon / Disney characters / themes throughout the yard. This is defintely a good stop every year.

I visited this free holiday attraction on Friday, and even with the freezing winter temperatures, I…read moreenjoyed my time here. I arrived around opening time (6:00pm), and there was just a short line for entry. With so much to see and admire about this place, the walk thru was much longer than I expected, though that's partly cuz I didn't know you could pass people till I reached the mid-point. It's only one-way through the various pathways and illuminated tunnels that make up this experience, but if people stop and block foot traffic for long periods of time (for instance, families telling their toddler to look at every single doll and figurine in the windows and displays, or having them pose to take pictures like tourists), there's enough space to just pass them. Widmer World presents a range of themes and collections, including Disney (mickey mouse, toy story, disney princesses, etc), Minions, Snoopy, Santa, Abominable Snowman, geese, penguins, and stuffed animals galore. Cardboard cutouts with artwork, inflatables in various characters, moving props and decor, and animated xmas figures. Detailed miniature displays of various scenes including a charming village, a carnival with ferris wheels, roller coasters, and hot air balloons, and a festive model railroad with multiple trains moving along the tracks. It's so much more than a light show lined with impressive displays all around. It's a whimsical wonderland with lots of moving parts and interactive exhibits to delight guests of all ages. There's a scavenger hunt to find 12 gnomes, as well as a Mr. Potato Head coin toss game, and at the end of the walk thru, there's a guest book you can sign. In the front of the house, a giant chair is available for photo ops, along with more holiday lights and decorations. There are also signs directing visitors on where to find street parking (since you can't park in the court where this event is located).

Photos
Widmer World
Widmer World
Widmer World - Light displays and exhibits

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Light displays and exhibits

PG Butterfly House

PG Butterfly House

4.7(24 reviews)
70.9 km

Great place for interesting and unique photo opportunities. Very colorful and fun. It exists for…read moresuch a touching and loving reason; gives one a sense of love and caring between a couple. I'm so glad the people who have this property now have kept it up.

This was such a wonderful place to finally visit, especially after all the trips we've taken to the…read morearea. First off, this eclectic house was created out of the love a husband had for his wife while she was losing her eyesight. It's a really beautiful story, and I'll include the link if you want to read more: https://www.pacificgrovebutterflyhouse.com/ Because of J's love for his wife, Sonja, this brightly colorful home covered in mirrors and butterflies still stands today. It exists for such a touching reason and really gives you a sense of the love and care they had for each other. I'm so glad the current owners have continued to maintain it. During their life together, Sonja and J supported the Blind & Visually Impaired Center of Monterey County with donations from people who came to admire the Butterfly House. You can donate as well if you feel moved to do so (blindandlowvision.org). Just keep in mind that this is a private residence. We actually saw the homeowner heading inside and waited until they were in before taking a look. I'm sure they're kind and happy to share the story, but it's also important to respect that this is someone's home and daily life. Sadly, J passed away in 2020 and Sonja in 2022.

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PG Butterfly House
PG Butterfly House
PG Butterfly House

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Almaden Valley - localflavor - Updated May 2026

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