They don't know the form requested and where it goes after telling them multiple times it's on the…read morewebsite 3 Rd floor.i actually pulled it off the wall after getting tired of answering questions and said here it is. They act like they don't know and stick their nose all in your form filled out to read it. Very odd since it's private info that goes to the place you turn it in to. The security guard looks like they are unwell and wearing an unhealthy face diaper on their chin. Hence the term chinjury. Odd ballish experience. The guard also put his nose all in my report instead of asking the name of the form and to see where it goes, then giving me the answer. Just dazed and confused staff or acting that way , to ask more questions and be nosey instead of giving prompt service.

I exited the BART downtown station and rounded the corner to catch the bus up the hill…read more When my fig tree is producing fruit it is an amazing site to see, I don't know anyone who can eat that many figs. So I bring them to a brilliant guy at work who entertains my questions while he eats them. On this particular day, I see a young gentleman asking for food. To Self "I bet he would really appreciate some fresh fruit. I'll give him this bag of figs instead of taking them up the hill." I hand him the bag of figs. He looks in ... Guy - "What are they?" Me - "They are fresh figs. It's a fruit, kinda sweet." Guy - "How do I eat them?" Me - "You can peel them or eat them whole." *Pause* Guy - "Are they organic?" ONLY in Berkley.

We love living in Rio Vista, California, the people here are just fantastic. They're just life…read more"Leave It To Beaver" neighborhood, the only negative to this City, is we didn't move here sooner. The people who sold us our House, were Angels to the nines. We are so lucky, to move into this house. Now it's Our belief that if you make a move to Paradise (not that City) there is a price and it's such a minor price. The Rio Vista Bridge makes all traffic, East & West bound on Highway 12 come to a complete stop and just east of the Bridge is a Four Way Traffic Light where Highway 12 and Highway 160, so all that traffic build up, waiting for the Bridge to come down, but most of the time, they have to wait on the Junction of the 2 Highways Lights. Like I said, it's like, "everyone wants the go to heaven, but no one wants to die". Like I said...we found heaven, but with little price to pay, waiting for our Town's Bridge.

Being in the area, I first heard about an air show at nearby Travis AFB many months ago, and called…read morefor info - I was so early in contacting them that nobody was prepared to answer or provide any replies. I had a website however and kept checking it as I love military aircraft and air shows in general. Finally the time came and went with a friend who had a car. I expected lots of traffic for this event so woke at 6pm and was on the road w/cameras and snack food by 7am. Traffic was surprisingly good so stopped to eat then proceeded to base after its open house gates opened at 8:30am. Parking was very well-coordinated. At the security checkpoint, I was asked if I were military and I showed my ID card. I was then allowed to go thru checkpoint while everyone else was checked and bags searched!!! Yaaay! Saw all the cool static displays and aircraft, and the human traffic was good but massive later. Lots of porta-potties available and labeled per gender, which I thought was courteous/kind to the women. Lots of activities for grownups, kids and families and all FREE. Lots of food stands. Air show started at 10:30am tho high winds hampered the parachuting team jump. All stunt aircraft performed as scheduled closing w/Thunderbirds flying F16s. Narrated throughout but hearing protection not worn by many was very sadly noticed (I wore and brought for my friend too). PHOTOGRAPHICALLY: Tripod brought by many photogs but not seen used. Difficult to use when lens is pointing straight UP. Brought my 100-400 which I noticed many others using also. Worn wide-brim soft hat to cover face from bright sun. Used wide-angle 18-135 for static displays, switching to longer lens later for air show. Bring extra cam battery and card - shooting performing aircraft can eat lots of virtual film!!

Yesterday we did a nice day trip to the Golden Gate national recreation area, where we visited the…read morehistoric site for the Nike missile silo number 88L. as of April 2026, the site is only opened on the last Saturday of the month between 12 and 3 PM. There is a free parking, but the lot is small so if it is full, you can park at one of the other parking lot that are located either below the side or past the site. However, you would have to walk either uphill or downhill from the other parking lot and that is roughly about 1/3 of a mile. This was a very interesting visit and we were able to see several radars, equipment, and missiles from the Cold War in a guided tour by several elderly military volunteers who maintain and run the tours. Some of them who worked at that same site between 1950s and 1970s. Due to the current political administration, they have lost most funding and it was very shocking to hear that the site opens once a month and that it is staffed completely by all volunteers. They told us that one ranger visits for two hours every month due to budget cuts to the park system. Volunteers are in their 80s and 90s, and after talking to them, they feel sad that their history and experiences will be lost due to lack a funding since it is very likely that the site will close completely as the volunteers become unable to keep these going due to their age and lack of parks personnel and national parks funding. The site has multiple things to see, they have a very small area where they show a movie and have some artifacts to see, then you move over to another area where you can see some missiles and lastly you walk over to the site where they store some of the missiles and you get a chance to observe how they bring one up and down (and also go underneath where you can see where they have them stored and their communications area.

This was the first place our 11 year old truly made a comment about how cool something like was…read more We were the first tour of the day, so when they opened the doors to lift the missile; the water from the rain dumped down making a huge dramatic effect to add. This was one of the most interesting and cool places we've gone too. Having been at White Sands too, it was cool to see it all "put together". I can't recommend this stop enough. Junior Ranger program was short too, which my son loved.

The Marin Civic Center is a beautiful Frank Lloyd building. As a Marin county resident, I am always…read moreso thrilled to go to one of our civic offices so I can walk around the spaces. It is a living, functional part of our daily lives. How many people are lucky enough to have a place to do your county business that also gives you something beautiful in return? The farmer's markets are also fantastic.

I attended the funnest outdoor event on Halloween, 2020. It was a thoughtful alternative to regular…read moredoor-to-door trick or treating. I stopped by the Civic Center for an evening walk and found a drive up holiday event. There was a charge to drive into the area and cars then processed by giant spiders etc. to a drive-up option for hot dogs, and beyond. It looked fun but since there is a charge it does not seem equitable for those who could not pay over $10 per car.

My husband and I were visiting Napa and spoke to a woman whom I made the mistake of not getting her…read morename, but I had to give a shout out for the Napa chamber of commerce, given she was so very sweet and kind, gracious and seriously well mannered. She actually thanked us for coming to Napa and supporting the tourism in the city. She recommended a breakfast/brunch place, which we're going to try tomorrow.

The people at the Napa Chamber of Commerce are REALLY good at taking FREE stuff, but they totally…read moredrop the ball whenever it's time to recompense and they NEVER follow thru on their promises. My dealings with the Napa Chamber of Commerce, I was initially alarmed to find out that this place had a 5 star yelp rating, but once I saw that there were only 2 reviews it became much more understandable. My experience with the Napa Chamber of Commerce was far from a positive one. In my business dealings with them, they were completely underwhelming. Their staff failed to honor numerous agreements we had in place, and it became rather cumbersome for me to contact them regarding egregious business ethics. Many things were promised to me as part of some work I did for them, and they failed to compensate me with anything that they said the would. They seemed incredibly slow and inattentive whenever I reached out to them, but I can't help but notice the expedience in which I was removed from their mailing list after I reached out to them. My experience with the Napa Chamber of Commerce was very unfavorable, and I hope to spare others from this deplorable experience.

When crossing the eastern span of the San Francisco Bridge, few people realize the history of the…read moremilitary in the area. One specifically, the Nimitz House, hidden just under the freeway on the east side of Yerba Buena island, has an incredible story and history! This house was the final residence of General Chester Nimitz, the leader and architect of WWII Pacific Theater. Simply said, the man whose leadership and strategy was used to win the war and allowed the Allies to proclaim victory. This house is a three story mansion and shows its unique architectural splendor as you approach it. It contains large windows which enabled views of the east bay and if you search the internet, you will see the elegant interior - a fitting home for its resident and his family. Gen Nimitz past away in this home at the age of 81 from a stroke. Unfortunately, California is not maintaining the residence and it has been falling in disrepair. Paint, windows, and the structure are all showing signs of neglect. Don't let its condition stop you from visiting though. Although you can't enter, you can appreciate its history and marvel of the fantastic area and views it provided.

Have you ever fallen into a rabbit hole of discovery on the Internet, only to find yourself, at…read more3am, looking at pictures of seemingly abandoned buildings on islands off the coasts of California or Mexico, which you found by zooming into said islands on Google maps and looking through the posted photos, then wondering who the hell this random guy named Christian is who posted the photos not even five months ago? What is Christian's story, you wonder, as you continue to look through the other attractions of the island, which does not include residential or commercial buildings, only to discover a few hiking trails that lead seemingly to nowhere...but what's this? A campsite with no electricity, running water, or bathrooms? Just a field on an island designated as a campsite, reached by some trail made by a dude with a machete, or something? But despite the lack of these amenities...there are picnic tables! Who decided first that it should be a campsite? Who brought the tables? What are the backstories? I've found some neat places online using this exact technique, and I've been fortunate enough to visit such places. It's cool to stand in the location of such a place after seeing all the pictures online and building it up in your head, and honestly, what makes these places better is when there aren't a ton of people crowding around when you get there, trying to take a picture for their Instagram. Sometimes, like in the case of this house, I do the reverse and come upon a neat building, art piece, or other landmark as I'm out doing other things, then furiously search the Internet for more info on the history. For me, the places that are a bit mysterious are the coolest finds. We came across this spot accidentally; we had gone to see the mission in downtown and stopped to check out Treasure Island on the way back. We drove around a bit looking for a good place to see the skyline, and came upon this very unique bit of Yerba Buena, which is somewhat hidden on the side and requires you take some twists and turns down a side road. Although there is an informational board in front of this house that suggests many people visit this place, the houses are surprisingly well-kept, with all windows intact and walls free of graffiti tags, and things are generally not trashed by garbage human beings. Looking into and around each of the houses, I got the sense that this is an area that is largely unvisited, especially compared to the neighboring areas of San Francisco, and now even Treasure Island. I wanted to do my own digging to see how well-known this weird circle of Victorian-style houses, juxtaposed beneath the modern industrial backdrop of the various overpass-bridges, are to people my age online. The results were interesting. One Reddit post with someone claiming you can rent these out for events. Quite a few articles discussing some cool historical facts, like how the Navy wouldn't let the developers of the overpass build over the house if it would block the sunshine (this house was where Admiral Chester W. Nimitz lived the last years of his life). You can easily see the curve of the overpass, as if someone nudged it out of the way. Not a whole lot more on it, other than apparently Willie Brown (past SF mayor) trying to make it the mayor's ceremonial mansion (god, please don't). Overall, despite not being able to go inside any of these houses, they're kept in beautiful condition by someone I'm assuming to be a groundskeeper, and a stop here is worth it for the view alone. Just don't mind the whizzing and whirring of the cars commuting from above.

OK, so I'm very biased. Full disclosure: I work at this wonderful, little community organization…read morethat has helped people living with HIV/AIDS for over 21 years. It is the only drop-in day center of its kind serving Alameda and Contra Costa County residents. I think what sets this agency apart from other places is the manner in which it delivers its services: with a special warmth, compassion, and respect for the clients it serves. The staff at Vital Life Services and its small army of committed volunteers will keep providing care and hope to people living with HIV/AIDS until there's a cure for the virus.

So perhaps I'm a little biased too. I also work at VLS (but only part-time, so that makes me only…read morepartly biased). But really, this is just an amazing organization. Picture this: you enter the building and are immediately enveloped by a warmth and friendliness that makes you feel supported, special and loved. Countless visitors, volunteers and clients remark on how welcome they feel at the center. It's a little community of folks, clients and staff alike, who genuinely care about the health and well-being of everyone who finds their way through the door. Maybe it has to do with the delicious smells wafting out of the brand-new open kitchen. Morris, Michelle and the volunteer chefs work their magic and serve 2 hot delicious meals each day. And then there's Andy, the brains and brawn behind the soon-to-be launched take-out and catering BBQ business that will help keep this little non-profit afloat. OMG, you have never tasted BBQ this delicious, ever. But VLS is more than just food and family. It also provides massage, acupuncture, counseling, case management and other services to the 500+ clients. Some of them, in addition to the challenge of living with HIV/AIDS, also have homelessness and addiction issues. For them, VLS is a lifeline. I can't imagine where they'd be without it.