can't believe i forgot to write a review for this amazing place! Filoli is one of my favorite…read moreplaces ever! Such beautiful gardens and amazing trails around this gorge estate. I went here last time i was i. the bay area with a few friends on a day trip. i want to go again for the halloween event that runs u til Nov 1st or so but will have to check timing. If you haven't been to Filoli you are definitely missing out. Gorgeous place, awesome exhibits and a beautiful place for weddings (been to a few here) Def recommend! https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdwXGlLBMAd/?stkn=YTBkY3dpbXJ0MTJl

This recent Gilded Age exhibit drew the crowds, and even with timed ticketing, we were wishing for…read moremore breathing room this past Monday. After viewing the exhibit in the historic house, we wandered through the always in bloom Rose Garden, and looked at the seasonal vegetables in the vegetable patch, admiring the large pumpkins. Lots to browse in the gift shop and nursery, and the Quail Cafe offers sandwiches, soup, salads, pastries, and coffee bar drinks.

Likely a beautiful winery, extremely disappointing experience…read more We chose Thomas Fogarty Winery as part of a special 70th birthday celebration and were really looking forward to enjoying the property and views that the winery is known for. Unfortunately, when we arrived we learned that the property had been rented out for a private event. We were never informed of the full buyout when we made our reservation. As a result, instead of being able to enjoy the grounds, we were seated in the front area next to the parking lot and essentially excluded from the part of the property that was a major reason we chose Thomas Fogarty in the first place. I completely understand hosting private events. What I don't understand is continuing to accept tasting reservations without clearly telling guests in advance that their experience will be significantly restricted. Had we been told, we simply would have chosen another winery for such an important occasion. The wine wasn't the issue. The problem was paying for and planning around a Thomas Fogarty winery experience and then arriving to discover that the experience we reasonably expected wasn't available and the service staff was rude and dismissive. For a normal afternoon this would have been disappointing. For a milestone 70th birthday that we specifically planned in advance, it was extremely frustrating. If the property is substantially unavailable because of a private buyout, customers holding tasting reservations deserve to know before they arrive.

I can't recommend Thomas Fogarty Winery enough! My husband and I held the kick-off event for our…read moredaughter's graduation weekend there. Booking for our 13-person wine tasting party was easy over the phone. All of my questions were answered to my satisfaction, including about the level of difficulty of the walking tour we could add to the reservation. When we arrived, the views from atop the hill were breathtaking! The property is gorgeous! We had an indoor or outdoor seating option, based on the weather. We luckily had a spectacular, sunny day, so the outdoor patio was quickly set up for us. Our hostess, Jodi, was wonderful! She was very accommodating and knowledgeable about the history of the winery. She shared informative and entertaining stories about the founder, his family, and about day to day operations. We had a wonderful, festive time! The wines we tasted, and ordered glasses of, were delicious! A more robust snack game would have been welcomed, but the charcuterie and cracker packs were just enough to keep the alcohol from going too much to our heads. I would definitely go back to the Thomas Fogarty winery when I'm in the area again!

It's a winding, hilly, and somewhat dark drive up to the most breathtaking event venue I have seen…read morein the Bay Area. Plenty of shade and cute benches. I definitely want to have my next event here. It's quiet and full of trees and romantic. It is perfect for work events, weddings, parties, and more. Book your next event here, I promise you that you won't regret it.

Beautiful place for an event, but unfortunately the price and fees make it too expensive.read more

Directions here were very easy to find, parking was very open with handicap spaces on an early…read moreMonday afternoon! I noticed they had outhouse style restrooms which were cleaned, stocked with toilet paper and hand sanitizer. The path down is slightly downhill, and is dirt paved. Wear shoes you definitely do not mind being covered in dirt. Maybe a three minute walk. There were people picnicking quietly for an afternoon date on the lawn with a blanket, that's a great idea. There is a large grass area for many families to enjoy together. Seeing it in person was really nice. Brought some teenage girls here who really enjoyed it. We enjoyed taking some pictures together. I definitely see why this area is used as a professional photography spot!! Will I come here again: if in the area and cooler weather absolutely for a gorgeous family style picnic!!

Pulgas Water Temple is definitely a unique little spot and the fact that it's completely free to…read morevisit is a huge plus. I can absolutely see why people stop here for photos and the dome and pool make for a very pretty setting. That being said, I spent maybe 10 minutes here before feeling like I had seen it all. There's not a lot to explore and my visit was made particularly less enjoyable by how crowded it was. There were at least three people doing elaborate professional photo shoots and dozens of what I can only describe as full-on Instagram productions happening around the area. It was noisy and there wasn't much room to move around and it really took away from what I imagine is a normally peaceful experience. I was here on a weekday afternoon as well so I'm not sure when a slower time might be to visit. I feel like I should preface this review with the fact that I stopped here immediately after spending the morning and early afternoon at Filoli, so in comparison it probably isn't helping me have a hugely favorable opinion of my experience here. There are also signs advising that no dogs are allowed, which I think is pretty ridiculous. This is definitely worth a quick stop if you're in the area, especially because parking is free and there's no admission fee. However, unless you are one of the people who are spread out on a blanket or carrying boxes of props for a full-on production, this is definitely not a place that you would spend very much time. For me it was an interesting, very quick, one time stop.

My husband brought us here. We loved our time. So great that…read morethey sold cold water !!! We enjoyed the train ride so nice and we were the only ones since we came in a week day! I'm looking forward to coming back and bringing more family. Great photos and the ride is definitely worth the price.

Came here on a Saturday morning around 11am. Tickets for train and carousel is $5 per person and…read morefree for kids 2 and under. The train ride is less than 10 minutes with no cover so we brought our hats. It's a quick ride and you pass by the parking lot and a park. My girls enjoyed it. After we played by the nearby park. There is a bathroom close to the train ticket booth and lots of tables to enjoy a snack or even lunch. They were just starting the grill to cook the food for lunch but our girls were hungry so we left to get food elsewhere.

Fantastic venue for couples seeking authentic rural setting with beautiful views while not…read moresacrificing creature comforts for guests. Hope I can work a wedding here again in the future. John Marburger

I am a wedding planner and my team just did an amazing wedding at Pearson Ranch this past weekend!…read moreKaren and Chris and kind, patient, and extremely organized and made the entire wedding planning process a treat! This is a wonderful venue for those looking for a country wedding in northern California. I look forward to working here again!

This is beautiful little spot on Stanford Campus. A true gem of cacti of all kinds. I've been here…read moreabout 3-4xs times now, and it's always lovely to just walk around. It's definitely a beautiful greenery backdrop for photos as I did a photoshoot for a client here a few months ago. We took a bunch of photos here, and then we walked over to the Quad for an outfit change and a change of scenery. We saw *the* Robert Downey Jr. at the Quad that day! That was awesome! :D I usually come here on a Saturday or Sunday and just park at the medical clinic, which is basically right next to this spot.

This review is long overdue from 2020; I for visited this spot in 2016 or so and loved it so I…read morebrought my husband here during the Covid shut down in 2020 and we took a nice walk, it was awesome to check it out, explore the vacations cacti and spend some time in nature. Parking can be difficult. Overall a great and well kept garden e

I've only recently found out about this place. It was mentioned in the SJ Mercury Newspaper as a…read moreplace where artists can stay & do whatever they want there. Some even create artwork for Djerassi and then they invite the public to view the art. My friend A. made reservations. They only have 120 spots for the summer/fall series where they only take phone reservations for their popular FREE 2-mile hike (from 10:30-1p). Our date was Sun 7/20/08 and they said to be at 2325 Bear Gulch Rd West at 9:45am. We waited & waited some more, they finally met us as 10:10am. They then check to see if you have reservations & make sure everyone shows up in your party. Then you have to fill out a release form I think. I just signed it without reading it. Then you get in your car & follow them up the road. It's a long narrow road enough for 1 car only. Finally get to the Artists' Barn where there are 3 bathrooms for everyone to use. Chris, one of the guides, made sure everyone at the barn had clothes on. That's weird to me. The hike is really slow with lots of stopping to see the different artwork. Some moderate stretches of uphill, but mostly flat. I liked City of Salt by Nicholas Kahn, 2001-2002 David Nash-charred sphere, pyramid, cube in redwood stumps, 1989 John Roloff-Vanishing Ship, 1989 Roland Mayer-Dialog, 2004 Supposedly there are 35 sculptures/art pieces. We didn't see them all. One pit-toilet at nearly the end of the hike. Annual Open House, this yr: Sunday, Aug 3, 2008 from 1-4p. It's $25pp by reservation only. Have some self-guided sculpture tours & some food by their Program Chef. It was just ok for me. Maybe worth it to go once.

From the website:…read more "The mission of the Djerassi Resident Artists Program is to support and enhance the creativity of artists by providing uninterrupted time for work, reflection, and collegial interaction in a setting of great natural beauty, and to preserve the land on which the Program is situated. Each year dozens of artists from across the United States, and many from around the world, travel to the open hillsides and deep redwood forests of SMIP Ranch to take inspiration from the beautiful surroundings and seek refuge from the distractions of the outside world. While in residence, the artists work in peaceful isolation within a supportive community of fellow artists and Program staff, and thrive on the intellectual stimulation and collegial interaction that comes from living in this close-knit community." It is truly an amazing property and only open to the public at select times. We went on a Director's sculpture tour which takes about 4.5 hours and shows you only a small portion of the 580 acre property. Led by the director of the program, it's $40 a head but is really worth it. It's also a fairly strenuous hike with a nice picnic stop in the middle, pack a good lunch and water. And wear hiking boots: the terrain is wet, grassy, uneven and sometimes muddy. There is a portajohn at the picnic stop but otherwise it's all nature. Over 40 sculptures by the resident artists have been installed in the landscape and it is fascinating to discover them in this gorgeous natural setting. Other less comprehensive tours are available which are free, led by program staff, and are only 2.5 hours long but I am really glad we did this one. They also have an open house in July when the artists' studios are open to the public and a fundraiser in the fall. So go to http://www.djerassi.org/ and reserve a tour if they have any spots left. It is an amazing resource in the Bay Area that I think few people take the time to explore. Now that we are on the mailing list we will definitely be going back.

I was a chaperone for two field trips here and the children were really enjoying trying to use the…read moreold tools. Our host was great and everything is so clean and authentic ! They learned many lessons about the olden days. They did a scavenger hunt and kids had to guess what the old things did. The screen show was great, too. Thank you! Karen

Saw this place one day out of the corner of my eye while lost on Kings Mountain Road when I saw the…read moresign... returned another day only to find it closed. Went today (open Saturday Noon till 4pm). Interesting place, a flashback to simpler but rougher times in the "old West". A little slow if you go on a day without the pre-mentioned & reviewed activities and/or events, but still nice to see how it was to live through memorabilia of that long-gone era. At one point I commented out loud that an item hanging from the ceiling looked to be a bedpan, and the attendant sitting bored behind the counter corrected me saying it was a popcorn popper, and the bedpan was 3-1/2 feet to the left, over the door. Interesting but boring unless you use your imagination. PHOTOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING: Lots of bygone era items to photograph but very dark. If you're into history this is nice to visit, but bring an external flash so you don't kill your camera battery using your built-in flash extensively. The exterior of these old structures is very photographically excellent... hint, hint. http://www.historysmc.org/woodside.html NO parking anywhere except for the unpaved dirt parking lot - if the parking lot is closed, then the "store" is also. Hours Tuesday/Thursday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday/Sunday 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. Admission Free (donations accepted within)

We used The Foam Crew for our 150th Celebration of our City's incorporation. Dante was very easy…read moreto plan with, and the end result was amazing! The entire crew made an impact on our community event. Great music, family fun activity it was a big hit, more so than the climbing wall!

This was our Second time having the Foam Crew, and they truly are the best! We had them for my…read moreson's 4th birthday, and he could not stop talking about it afterward. In fact, when we asked what he wanted for his 5th birthday, the ONLY thing he asked for was another foam party! If you're thinking about having a foam party, this is an absolute must. Dante and his team are the best in the business and really know how to put on a show. They bring the energy, keep the kids entertained, and make the whole experience unforgettable. We'll definitely be having them back again!