Cool ghost town visible from train - San Jose to Sacramento…read more It was so fun discovering this small ghost town in the middle of the South at wetlands. A raucous history clings to Drawbridge - hunting and maybe gambling at one time or another. Built in the 1870s and it became 'ghostly' after the last person left in 1979. I like the background of the town and how it spices up the history of the southern part of San Francisco Bay.

I found out about Drawbridge on Atlas Obsura and was fascinated. It's definitely one the better…read moreelusive urbex destinations. You technically can't go here so I won't go into detail on how to get there but it's best to find someone who's been here before to guide you as it can be tricky to find and some entrances might be blocked off. The abandoned buildings on the side of the train tracks are spread out and you can get some nice photos with the hills and marshland in the background. It's worth going but this is a production. It's about a 9-mile walk and yes you do have to watch out for the train. Most of the time it's fine but there is a small stretch when you need to cross a bridge over water and let's just say you don't want to end up like those kids on Stand By Me. If you don't want to do the walk you can take an Amtrak Train which goes through it.

Hidden Lake is a great serene park for having lunch, watching ducks, and a great place to exercise…read more Get your steps in at this park by walking around the lake or if you go up the steps there is a pathway that is nicely paved. Ride your bike around the lake or if you have a little one have them burn their energy riding a bike, scooter, or roller skate. Plenty of people are there especially in the morning so I have always felt safe. I have seen some people fish here at different times of the day. It has a small parking lot located in a safe neighborhood. There are no bathrooms at this park.

***the lake itself is part of a community called HIDDEN LAKE as well***…read more OVERALL: Meh. Wouldn't go out of my way to drive here to walk; therefore the 4 stars rating. Due to being part of a community, there are a ton of guest parking (especially near the gates to this park) BUT if you keep driving, the parking lot for this "park" is on the outside (you turn in with the sign "HIDDEN PARK LAKE" in green lettering/tanish brown background and there are a few spots for you to pick from). Two stairways up to other flat cement ground trails. Very quarry lake vibes but not much water. Lake itself is a smaller circular flat cement ground leveled trail. Regarding up the stairs: One way does end up at another park whereas the other way just ends up in another neighborhood/main road. Lack of shade. Lots of ducks. There's few places to sit. Few trash bins. No visible toilets.

This is my favorite art piece among the awesome collection of exhibits at the Google Visitor…read moreExperience in Mountain View. The unique sculpture, created by Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson Art, features a grizzly bear made up 160,000 pennies and a steel frame. The illusion of this artwork is engaging, and the detail impressive, both during the day and under the moonlight. Love seeing this creative portrayal of my spirit animal on display at the Google Gradient Canopy :D

This bronze sculpture is situated in a business park setting in front of one of the Google…read morebuildings (formerly NetApp), almost hidden in the brush between the sidewalk and parking lot. The artist, Thomas Ostenberg, aims to utilize thought and emotion on a more powerful level in his art, conveying a sense of balance, hence the balancing act displayed in Above Conflict. The titles of his sculptures emphasize the intended meaning (following ideals that bring joy and positivity) beyond the sometimes playful depictions of animals interacting with humans. This particular art piece, though unkempt in appearance with run off and a bit of wear and dirt, is still in pretty good condition considering the sculpture is more than two decades old. It's not something I would recommend going out of your way to see, but if you're in the area, it's free and easy to stop by (parking available right in front) and give it some attention... it sadly looks like an afterthought now.

Epoch is a public art installation located in the City of Sunnyvale, California. Located on Java…read moreStreet and adjacent to the NetApp headquarters, it is the work of Brad J. Goldberg. Goldberg, a native of Rhode Island, specializes in large outdoor installations. His works can be massive and often incorporate element of the surrounding community into account. From the artist: "Artist Brad Goldberg sees his work as a fusion between sculpture, landscape, and the built environment. Sculptures are seen, not as isolated objects, but rather as spirit-creating components of larger spatial experiences. The desire to work with the environment as a whole allows the creation of a unique non-preconceived response to the total aspect of a place." Epoch is a fantastic instillation. Its composed of three large granite boulders that have been cut in half and arranged in a split fashion. The cut surfaces have been polished smooth and the whole face has been engraved with binary code which reflects the technological aspect of the area. I freely admit that I can still send rudimentary signals with semaphore (Thank you Boy Scouts) but binary code reading is beyond my skill so I have no idea if there is a message in teh code. However, as I was taking a picture of a snail on the surface I noticed that several words were engraved into its surface breaking up the strings of 1 and 0's. The words I found were: Change, Nature, Community, Listen, Integrity, Imagination, Evolve, Substance, See, Chaos, and Craft. The artist intent was to show "words which can be seen to align or conflict with today's technological advancements". If that was his true intent he really hit it spot on. Epoch as noted is located in a technology park and basically surrounded by office space. There is very little in the area beyond this installation and it should be treated as a stop as opposed to an outright destination. There is a light rail station right next to the street for the public tranpost inclined.

This has got to be the most beautiful wild mustard growth I have ever seen. It is simply…read moreheart-stopping, especially for motorists driving past 880 towards Milpitas. The field measures about 1-2 acre and located between business buildings. It is amazing how this piece of land is still undeveloped. To get there (if my sense of direction is as good as my math), from 237 East, take McCarthy Blvd exit. Bear right and make another right turn onto Dixon Landing Road. You will pass by Ranch 99 plaza and Cisco.

This area of Milpitas is very pretty. Sometimes there are sheep here. It makes me wonder. It…read moremakes me want a sheep.

Lupe the Mammoth is a cool (not so) little structure on the Guadalupe River Trail about 4 miles…read morefrom Alviso. There's not much around the area, so unless you are biking or jogging on the trail, it might seem out of the way to view such a simple little-known monument. But it has a neat little story behind it for anyone interested in art, science, history, or nature, or even just cool quirky attractions that are free of cost. A guy came across the collection of bones while walking his dog along the trail back in 2005. How awesome is that, it's like finding a dinosaur in your backyard! The actual remains can now be found at the Childrens Discovery Museum in San Jose where they can inspire kids to "dig for fossils" and explore the past, but the unique sculpture on the Guadalupe River Trail marks the setting of this magnificent discovery. And it is far from ordinary. It's beautifully crafted out of bent steel pipes, and almost twice the size of the actual baby mammoth remains. The area and the exhibit itself are not run down by trash or graffiti or shady characters, so it makes for a pleasant experience and worth checking out. The area is actual pretty quiet and scenic, besides the Trimble Road highway (there's an underpass that connects the trail if you're looking to cross the busy street). It's surrounded by business parks, with private parking only. So there is no parking at the exact location of the mammoth statue. However if you're driving, there is free street parking on Seaboard Ave (6am-10pm), next to the nearby 76 gas station, within walking distance... Though the sculpture can easily be viewed from Trimble Road, please don't stop on the street (illegally) and block traffic. This isn't the most exciting attraction in San Jose so you shouldn't have too high of expectations. But if looking for a low-key outing that won't cost you a penny, this is a great option (to appreciate this work of art in person, not just through photos).

You can see it from the road, but you can't drive to it (at least not that we could tell). It…read moreappears to only have a bike path leading to it. It was smaller than I was expecting. My husband and I quickly stopped on the side of the road so I could take a picture. I would have given it 4 stars if there would have been a parking lot where we could stop and take pictures and walk around. Still a cool structure though.

So beautiful at night!…read more Several of the uprights and downlight are broken on the Aurus sculpture, which makes it look not as nice as its sibling across the street. Notice in the photo there is only the southern downright working; northern downlighting was broken. Also 3 out of 4 uprights were broken.

Auras is an outdoor art installation located in the City of Sunnyvale, California. Located on…read moreBordeaux Drive and in the middle of a large office complex, the sculpture is the work of artist Cliff Garten. Garten, who is based out of Venice, California, has not only a Masters of Fine Arts (sculpture) but also a Masters in Landscape Architecture (Harvard) which he uses to incorporate his designs into the environment in which they are placed. From the artist: " There is a latent potential in every public place and situation to become more than the specific functions it appears to perform. Public and private experiences are never distinct, but exchange places throughout the day. My search for a place where desire intersects with our everyday activity is the search for sculptural forms which engage us in the poetry of our own actions and define our personal and social histories. The necessary facts of our public infrastructure are cause for the possibility of a public expression through the conscious design and integration of art. Sculpture defines our interaction and movement by creating energy between things, generating interest in public activity, reframing our private lives and creating a sense of place within public and private realms." Working in a variety of mediums, the vast majority of his work focus on large public installations and can be seen around the world. Auras (the plural form) is appropriate because this installation features two of the sculptures. One on either side of the street. They are slight offset in relation to each other. Both are nearly identical to my eye and feature sort of a basket within a basket form. Made of stainless steel the interlocking lattice has a very cool effect on the light patterns that filter through. Apparently at nigh they are lit with multiple colors which I was unable to observe. Aside from the pleasing patterns, there was very little in the way of contemplation one would find with say an abstract sculpture. However, there was a sort of relaxing quality in their symmetry. Auras as noted is kind of in a remote location and is better off as a single stop as opposed to a destination. There are several other art installations nearby (I'm slowly getting to all of them), but little in the way of other infrastructure nearby unless you are working at one of the building in the area.

The Double Diver is an outdoor art installation located in Sunnyvale, California. The work of…read moreartist Carole A. Feuerman, it was commissioned by and located in front of a Net App Corporation Office. Feuerman is considered one of the pioneers of Hyperrealist style. This style which was derived from Photorealism, really strives to emphasize details and focuses extensive on the subject. From the artists website: "Feuerman seeks to connect with her viewers on an intuitive level, evoking emotion and engagement. It is often the viewer's participation, or the object/viewer relationship, that completes her work." He sculptures are seen around the world and in many major museums. This work is one of her largest outdoor projects to date. The Double Diver was commissioned by Net App in 2012 with a desire to showcase the companies values of integrity, trust, adaptability and teamwork. It is really striking in both scale and the level of detail present in the sculptures. The figures are clearly show their dependent nature on each other. This is my first experience with this particular artist and her detail work is on the level of Rodin (albeit in a different style). The figures are overlapped with rounded scales that enhance and add detail. It does kind of looks very similar (NERD alert) to the movie representations of Mystique's (of XMEN fame, played by Jennifer Lawrence) skin when she is not shapeshifting. They overlap in fascinating patterns. This particular art installation is not really around anything, nor is there other things to do in close proximity. As such it is much better as part of a larger activity. The Bay trail is close by, as are several other large scale outdoor art within a few miles. There might be a eatery tucked away here or there, but they typically only work during office hours so you will need to plan ahead.

This 2023 aluminum metal sculpture, located in front of the Sunrise Senior Living facility in…read moreSunnyvale, is surrounded by a couple benches as well as a small garden of flowers and plants (and even a couple fruit trees) creating a simple but beautiful setting for relaxing and appreciating the artwork. The artist, Michael Kalish, is known for his unique license plate collection including portraits of iconic figures such as Albert Einstein and Superman, as well as impressive artworks (particularly roses) made of car parts. But his Floral Sky design and creation is just as impressive and beautiful, the Sunnyvale version, Sunflower Sky, creating a nice outdoor space I was able to take advantage of on a sunny Monday afternoon. There's also easy street parking on Manet Drive, adding to the convenience of checking out this lovely art piece.