Capitola Wharf is such a beautiful place to visit! The views of the Pacific Ocean, Capitola Beach…read moreand the colorful village are absolutely gorgeous. It's a lovely place for a relaxing walk, watching the waves, enjoying the fresh ocean air and taking photos. We also enjoyed watching people fishing and looking out for marine life. The atmosphere is very peaceful and quintessentially California. It's especially beautiful around sunset, when the light over the water and the colorful buildings make everything look even more magical. Definitely worth stopping by if you're visiting Capitola. It's an easy and relaxing way to enjoy the coast and the beautiful views!

Nestled right on the picturesque Capitola Beach, this 855 foot pier was sadly damaged in 2023 by…read moresevere storms, ripping off part of the pier deck and eventually partially collapsing the two businesses housed at the end of this pier, Wharf House Restaurant and Capitola Boat and Bait. Since then, the wharf has thankfully been restored at a cost of $8M, of which $425K was raised through local efforts. And although Wharf House has not re-opened, Capitola Boat and Bait has fortunately resumed operations at a new, temporary location on the pier. I have fond memories of renting a skiff at the bait shop and heading out with my friends to do some fishing. And am really glad to see the business survive such a disaster and re-open after an extended shutdown. Addition to skiff rentals, you can rent kayaks and fishing gear here and do some fishing either on the pier or on the water. The pier now also hosts various local events and live music. Offering fun activities to enjoy in addition to the beach itself. A must-visit if you find yourself in or driving by the small but beautiful town of Capitola.

I was on a walk around Willow Glen when I chanced upon this beautiful, older house. I paused to…read morelook at it when I saw the signs that said it's a landmark which made sense. From some online research... "The Buffington House on Lincoln Ave in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose. Landmark No 35. Designated May 20, 1986. Dedicated Founders Day 1988. Inscription: Lulu and Howard M Buffington, police and fire chief, city of Willow Glen. Representative of residences that lined Lincoln Avenue. This residential complex included a house, carriage house and other structures when it was renovated in 1988. The Buffington House was converted to commercial office use in 1988. A 9,000-square-foot office expansion, designed in 1991-1992 and costing approximately $800,000, was added to the property c, 1995, designed by Bamburg."

I love this place. It has a huge history, and you can read about it's history on various signs put…read moreup in the cemetery. The only thing is that there is unfortunately trash scattered about the cemetery, and there are homeless people that sleep on some of the graves.

It's about as nice as a cemetery can get, really. Aside from the homeless people camping out there…read morenow and then, and honestly I don't blame them for gravitating to it. It's in a very pretty location, and there's a lot of history to be found there. My only concern is the girl with her hand stuck in the wall by the street. Someone should go ask if she's okay.

Davenport Jail, Cabrillo Hwy CA Sat 8/28/21…read more By virtue of curiosity I ventured around the Davenport Roadhouse and discovered this old Davenport Jail near The Slow Coast Wine Bar by Beauregard. This tiny facility holding two cells was built in the year 1914, I'm truly surprised. Obviously it saw little use in this peaceful community. I can hardly wait to tell you how cute this little jailhouse is! As local tails say it, the jail once held two boys from San Mateo, overnight, for stealing horses. It also held local drunks on occasion, till they sobered up. In 1936 new Front Street jail had opened in Santa Cruz, so naturally there wasn't much use for the Davenport Jail any more. There's a Davenport Cement plant nearby. The building is made out of Santa Cruz Portland Cement produced at the plant. In its present use, the jail became a museum of history of Davenport and the north coast region. It has been dedicated as historic landmark on June 21, 2014 by the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus Credo Quia Absurdum El Viceroy Marques De Branciforte Chapter 1797. When you're driving down Hwy 1, you might want to stop by and take a look. It's a few steps down from the Davenport Roadhouse. Great food and drinks if you so choose! Cheers, enjoy! Review with photos posted Sat 8/28/21 There's a sign on the wall But she wants to be sure 'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings In a tree by the brook There's a songbird who sings Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven

"To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, One…read moreclover, and a bee, And revery. The revery alone will do, If bees are few." -- Emily Dickinson I've been meaning to visit this location for over a year now, as I first found it while perusing the State's Historical Landmark Website*. It's essentially a plaque that was installed at the approximate location of an old ranch that imported in the first Honeybees into CA. The plaque is located in front of the USO office at Mineta International Airport (SJC) in between Terminal A & Terminal B. The inscription on the plaque reads: "Here, on the 1,939-acre Rancho Potrero de Santa Clara, Christopher A. Shelton in early March 1853 introduced the honeybee to California. In Aspinwall, Panama, Shelton purchased 12 beehives from a New Yorker and transported them by rail, 'bongo,' pack mule, and steamship to San Francisco. Only enough bees survived to fill one hive, but these quickly propagated, laying the foundation for California's modern beekeeping industry." It's a pretty tame tribute to something that's actually a pretty historically significant event that still affects our everyday lives. So, to liven things up I dug-up a few fun/interesting facts** about our friends the HoneyBee: 1) The average worker bee produces about 1/12th teaspoon of honey in her lifetime. 2) A hive of bees will fly 90,000 miles, the equivalent of three orbits around the earth to collect 1 kg of honey. 3) A colony of bees consists of 20,000-60,000 honeybees and one queen. Worker honey bees are female, live for about 6 weeks and do all the work. 4) The bee's brain is oval in shape and only about the size of a sesame seed, yet it has remarkable capacity to learn and remember things and is able to make complex calculations on distance travelled and foraging efficiency. 5) Americans consume about 285 million pounds of honey each year. On top of that, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that honeybees pollinate 80 percent of the country's insect crops--meaning bees pollinate over $20 billion worth of crops each year. The plaque isn't worth going out of your way for; especially since it's at the airport and there's no free parking. But, if you're visiting the USO office, or looking for some time to kill before your flight, then head on over and pay tribute to our bestest insect friend: The Bee. *http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=21387 **Facts courtesy of: http://mentalfloss.com/article/53691/13-fascinating-facts-about-bees & http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/honey-bee-facts.html

Once abandoned and in ruins, when we first moved to the Bay Area it was a desolate and decayed huge…read morelot with a pet goat and a caretaker in a mobile home to shoo off explorers and vandals. Built in the 1930s by Kenneth Kitchen. It's inspired by romanticized Hindu mysticism as well as the arcane and occult. Because of this the site is covered in symbology and hidden meaning. From the obvious all seeing eye at the front gate to the mini details in the brick there is an esoteric design language that keeps it all unified and cohesive. The legend is also complemented by the fact that the owner and brothers were bricklayers and stone masons and it was only constructed under moon light. It was purchased in 2016 and lovingly restored and developed by the new owners to preserve the local folk-art style architecture. The new main house is next to the "court of mysteries" and a lot of the missing abalone and smashed brick has been painstakingly replaced.

The Court of Mysteries (which also goes by The Red Brick Castle, among other names) is a beautiful…read moremonument and home in Santa Cruz, which not many people know about. It has a very interesting history to it, and though you cannot go inside the house or on the property itself (because it is a private residence), you can still appreciate the architecture from out front, including a lovely fountain in the courtyard, and learn about the stories and mysteries that have defined this unique landmark. These stories can easily be found online, but some of the most interesting details are that the original builder (Kenneth Kitchen and his brother) built it only during the night, modeled it after a Hindu temple, and incorporated hidden messages throughout, using shapes, astrological symbols, and dashes and dots resembling morse code, with possible connection to the occult. Also, there is no historical record of Kenneth Kitchen after he left Santa Cruz in the 1950's, so yeah a lot of oddities to drive your imagination and make you wonder. One of the most intriguing parts of the Court of Mysteries is the "Gate of Prophesy" which has two magnificent towers and an intricately designed archway with the mysterious triangular structure at its center. Beautiful trees and vegetation surround the brick and abalone "temple" and entire site, creating a picturesque scene overall. Apparently the property was restored a few years ago by the previous owners (I'm pretty sure that rebuild didn't occur "only at night"). They even built a house on the left side to live in while reconstructing the Court of Mysteries. The property was subsequently sold in late 2021. If you're interested in a quick visit, it's easy to just park right on the street, take a few photos of the amazing archway and towers, and peek through the gate to see what the Court of Mysteries looks like today... and then maybe amuse yourself with the legend and history behind this strange phenomenon.

This fountain goes by different names including White Memorial Fountain and The Claw. The sculpture…read morewas created by Aristides Demetrios in 1964 and commissioned to honor two former Stanford students, a pair of brothers who passed away in separate accidents prior to graduating. The artist's work meant to present a constantly changing form based on the viewer's angle and the stream of water. Just like the lake I had visited prior on campus, this display was flowing with water this past weekend, the sculpture and fountain as well as the surrounding environment full of life on a Sunday afternoon. With plenty of trees, grass, and open seating in the area, it's a lovely site to just relax and appreciate the view.

Its also known as the White Memorial Fountain. Created in 1964 by Aristides Demetrios, this bronze…read moreand copper structure sits across from the entrance to the Stanford Bookstore in the White Memorial Plaza The fountain, also know as 'The Claw" was commissioned to memorialize two brother who died in accident before they were able to graduate from the University. The artist wanted to tell the story of the students unrealized potential "The tragedy of someone dying so young is that you never know what he/she might have become. The fountain is a metaphor for that. It starts in bronze-which is firm, durable and set in place. It terminates in water patterns that are diaphanous and mutable-the very reverse of anything solid. It speaks to what they might have become." The fountain is a popular spot for both visitors and student. You can find jugglers, Tai Chi Classes, and other activities going on. It also can get crowded given that it kind of the center for student life being right by the Bookstore, The Post Office, The Tressider Union, and the Old Union. As with many things on the campus, its more of a stop than a destination and is better grouped as part of a walking tour.

"Just Don't Try to Visit on the Weekend"…read more This locomotive is well worth seeing. It is part of the official San Jose history park. Here's the problem: The History Park is closed on the weekends. That's right, the very time that people want to visit is the very time that they keep it closed. The locomotive is very close to the perimeter fence, so you can actually get a good look at it outside the park. It helps if you're really tall. There is free parking close by, in a dilapidated parking lot.