until suburbia!

Get together and play! Next Level, Mountain View

May 2, 2025Silvia

Community building can be done in many ways, like meeting people in churches or at political rallies. But one activity that gets people together like no other is playing games. If you like to play board games, your next level community building can be done in Mountain View. Actually, the place is called Next Level. They have little game rooms that you can rent and hang out with your friends. There are lots of games to choose from, or bring your own. The staff is super helpful and can guide you to get started.

For $7, you get access to the game library and can hang out as long as you like. They just had their soft-opening and they are working on their food and drinks menu. If you like the game, you might be able to purchase it here, too!

I know that game stores around the Bay have been offering tournaments, especially for the card game Magic. But Next Level understands the need to spend time together in a comfortable setting. Now, more than ever, we need to enjoy ourselves with others. If you are looking to connect with other board game enthusiasts, check out the social board game meetups every Thursday at 7 pm and Sunday at 11 am, or see their event section for their monthly events.

Next Level is located on 888 Villa St, in Mountain View. They are open Tuesday and Wednesday, from 5 to 10 pm and Thursday to Sunday, from 10 am to 10 pm.

What is your favorite board game?

I am not affiliated with Next Level.

Entrance of Sonoma Harvest in Fairfield, CA

Taste Test Sonoma Harvest Products, Fairfield

April 25, 2025Silvia

We received a warm welcome at the Sonoma Harvest tasting room in Fairfield. Since it was our first time, we were cleverly guided to the olive oils through a lot of really cute kitchen items.

There are a lot of flavored olive oils to try. You can cleanse your palate with some croutons. Next are the vinegars. Again, there are many interesting flavors to elevate your salads. Have you ever had balsamic vinegar so good that you might want to use it as an ice cream topping? Yes, that’s here for you to taste (you have to imagine the ice cream right now – but the richness is mind-blowing!). From sour to sweet, the next station was their creative jams. The strawberry chocolate and spicy peach are delish! We skipped the spicy section, with a BBQ sauce and chili oil, but returned to the kitchen gifts. This is the place if you like to buy local products.

The Sonoma Harvest tasting room is located at 770 Chadbourne Road in Fairfield. It’s close to the Jelly Belly factory. Free tastings are Wednesdays to Sundays from noon to 4 pm.

I am not affiliated with Sonoma Harvest.

Tour the Jelly Belly Factory, Fairfield

April 18, 2025April 18, 2025Silvia

The Easter candy of my youth was chocolate eggs. So, it was surprising to me to learn that the creator of Jelly Belly was a German immigrant. I always thought of these bean-shaped candies with the most unusual flavors and bright colors as very American.

I had planned to recommend the tour of the Jelly Belly factory as a fun Easter activity. But the production is on hold for 3 weeks (until April 23rd, 2025). You might think that the Easter Holiday would be the last time of year when they would stop production to clean. We took the tour last week anyway. And even though the factory was not producing, we paid the full admission of $8. Again, you might think ….. This is a self-guided tour with videos informing you throughout the walkway. They also added some interactive stations with video games and Ronald Reagan memorabilia. Reagan is the President who brought Jelly Belly to the nation’s attention. Jelly Belly is very appreciative.

I did enjoy the factory setting as I am a fan of production line equipment – like Boichik Bagels and Cocohodo. I can also appreciate that everything got a good cleaning, for the next flavors of jelly beans. And, we were able to admire the large, shiny vats used to polish the beans – you got a very clear view of the entire factory as you walked the glassed-in walkway one story up.

The kids might enjoy the little train ride across the parking lot to the museum. The museum is included in the admission. There are a lot of photo opps here. The end is currently a big Easter blow-up art scene. I do think the artwork created out of jelly beans is impressive. We admired Harry Potter and Star Wars characters at the factory entrance.

Wishing you a Happy Easter (if you celebrate).

The Jelly Belly factory is located at 1 Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield. Tours are $8 per person, $4 for children ages 3-17, free for under 2-year-olds. The self-guided factory lane tours and museum experience is open from 9:15 am to 4 pm daily, 7 days a week. I’d advise you to check their calendar for special events and closures before you go.

What is your favorite jelly bean flavor?

I am not affiliated with Jelly Belly.

See Emerging Artists at the Solano Town Center Gallery in Fairfield

April 12, 2025Silvia

Right now, the Solano Town Center Gallery hosts the high school student art show. You can see the annual showcase of high school art until April 19th, 2025. It is a very impressive collection of multiple disciplines, from fine art to mixed media, photography, and ceramics.

The gallery is located in the Solano Town Center shopping mall. While they offer their space for the high school students the gallery artists’ artwork moved a few doors over to the Common Grounds coffee shop. After you see the student art show, come have coffee and admire the Cafe’s gallery.

The Solano Town Center Gallery and Gift Shop is located on 1350 Travis Blvd., on the second floor near the Edwards Stadium 16 Theater. Opening hours are Wednesday thru Sunday, from 11 am – 6 pm.

Rolled cookie butter ice cream with fresh strawberries from Kween's in Mountain View

Roll up your Ice Cream, Kween’s in Mountain View

April 4, 2025Silvia

The trend to roll up ice cream comes from Thailand. It is sometimes known as stir-fry ice cream because the process of making it reminds you of stir frying. A liquid mixture is stirred constantly on a plate that brings down the temperature. Once frozen, it gets divided and rolled up.

Kween’s in Mountain View is a women-owned sweet treat dream. Besides the rolled ice cream, they sell scoops and freshly baked ice cream cookie sandwiches. I enjoyed a cookie butter roll with fresh strawberries. My friend let me sample her treat, Thai iced tea with crumbled up Oreos and condensed milk – also very yummy.

Kween’s has a few tables inside; we cherished being able to hang out and chat while eating the ice cream.

You can find Kween’s at 292 Castro Street in downtown Mountain View.

Have you tried rolled up ice cream?

I have no affiliation with this company.

Hike to See the Wildflowers at Fossil Hill Loop, Walnut Creek

March 28, 2025Silvia

I love to recommend short hikes. Hiking is just a great escape and if you like to get started hiking it’s great to have some options for shorter hikes and then being able to expand.

Fossil Hill Loop is part of the Shell Ridge Open Space area, Walnut Creek’s largest open space area. It is made up of multiple ridges. Shell Ridge and Fossil Hill are named after the marine fossils that were left behind when the ocean receded. This is a great place for hiking, biking, and horseback riding with its wide trails.

The Fossil Hill Loop is 3.2 miles long. Alltrails estimates this hike to take about an hour and a half. But we found a shortcut! If you use the Indian Creek Trail, halfway through it makes it a 30-minute hike.

We came here for the wildflowers. And while it was just the beginning of the season, the hills are already beautifully covered with California poppies and many other wildflowers. You have to stay on the path, but nonetheless, you can admire the blooms.

Social media has hyped up this place, and the small parking lot on Sutherland can overflow quickly. The city has therefore opted to close this entrance to the public every weekend. On weekdays, please be mindful of the neighbors and be careful driving past Walnut Heights Elementary School. Dogs are allowed on the trail, but they advise you to leash your dog, since it is a wildlife area with coyotes.

The trailhead and the small parking lot for the Fossil Hill loop are at the end of Sutherland Drive in Walnut Creek. Please hike responsible.

Where do you go to see wildflowers?

Admire From Life at the Mare Island Art Studios

March 21, 2025March 21, 2025Silvia

The art show From Life, at the Mare Island Art Studios, curated by Jean Cherie, is open to visitors each weekend in March from 11 am to 4 pm.

The exhibit shows works of art inspired by life models. I had the pleasure to meet Jean Cherie, one of the main artists in this show and curator. She pointed out how one model was sculpted and painted by different artists. This arouses different viewpoints of this model and puts the observer in a situation detecting similarities.

Besides the exhibit, they offer quick draw and sculpture sessions. A great hands-on approach to create art from the model yourself!

Jean also took me around to see some of the artists of the Mare Island Art Studios works. There are a variety of media being displayed, from pottery to mixed media. I was especially impressed by Priscila Soares mixed media work where she used wings on the ears of a woman to illustrate her own experiences of being hard of hearing.

I also enjoyed the outside area with sculptures, a succulent garden, and a beautiful view of the Bay.

The Mare Island Art Studios are on 110 Pintado Street in Vallejo, CA. The gallery is open on weekends from 11 am to 4 pm for the art show, regular hours are Sundays from noon to 4 pm.

Shop at the Urban Ore, Berkeley

March 14, 2025March 21, 2025Silvia

Did you participate in the buy nothing event on February 28th? One of the ways to save the environment and take a stand on consumerism is to shop second hand. An awesome place to find furniture, building materials, household and art supplies, and so many more things is the Urban Ore in Berkeley. Their motto is to End The Age of Waste. On 3 acres you can browse through a mass of recycled goods.

Here you might find something unexpected or practical. It is fascinating to see the stacks of doors and building materials like the rows of toilets. They have a first timer guide that gives tips on what to expect at the Ecopark (official name for the Urban Ore). Among other things they advise you to wear something warm that you don’t mind getting dirty.

I loved the posters and the old signs. At every corner there is something new to discover.

You can also drop off items that are in good condition. For a list of what the Ecopark accepts or not accept visit their website: https://urbanore.com/ecopark-store/drop/drop-off-rules/

The Urban Ore is located at 900 Murray Street in Berkeley. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 8:30 am – 5 pm, Sundays 10 am – 5 pm.

Are you into salvaged goods?

A bench overlooking the Bay at Point Pinole park

Visit Point Pinole Regional Shoreline Park

March 7, 2025Silvia

The first thing I noticed while hiking the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline Park was the typical Bay smell. Thankfully, it wasn’t persistent, and for me, it was an occasional whiff of offense. The smell is due to the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in the sediment. I guess one can call it the smell of the low tide.

What struck me next were the many eucalyptus trees. Usually, you’ll find native oaks in parks, and eucalyptus is considered an invasive species. As the Oakland Side warned in an article in October of 2024, “Eucalyptus trees are simultaneously dry and filled with flammable oil. They shed long, shaggy debris, covering the ground with dry fuel for wildfires, and when they catch fire, the oil in them burns hot and fast. Their seed pods can explode in a wildfire, shooting embers across the landscape.” (https://oaklandside.org/2024/10/29/oakland-eucalyptus-trees-wildfires-history/).

But here in the park, the eucalyptus has an interesting history. They were planted as a buffer for explosions. From 1881 to 1960, this site was used as a dynamite manufacturing company, the Giant Powder Company. Dynamite, the invention of Alfred Nobel, was essential in the development of California, blowing through mountains and building roads. Nowadays, the eucalyptus are home to many wildlife species, like deer, hawks, owls, and Monarch butterflies.

The park was well attended on a weekday. Lots of people were exercising and enjoying the view of the Bay.

Point Pinole has two entrances. One is on 5551 Giant Highway, Richmond, and the other parking lot is on 3000 Atlas Road, Richmond. Parking is $5 between April and October.

Relax in a Native Garden, Martha Walker Gardens, Napa

February 21, 2025Silvia

It’s almost spring and time to think about your garden again. I always love to see other gardens to get ideas or to just relax. Martha Walker Gardens in Napa, a California Native Habitat Garden is a perfect place to relax. Part of Skyline Park in Napa, the garden, a 2.5-acre site, is a tribute to Martha Walker. She was a beloved resident and naturalist of Napa. She taught classes and even had her own radio show: “Let’s Go Into the Garden”.

The garden invites school groups, hikers, and natural lovers to explore. Almost 200 different species have been planted. I especially enjoyed the little redwood grove. Even if it is just a small part of the park, the garden has a lot of paths and benches to enjoy peace and quiet. The Napa-Solano Audubon Society donated fruit trees to attract birds.

The entrance to the garden is gated to keep the deer out. But the gates themselves are really beautifully crafted, just a little tricky to open.

Skyline Park is located at 2201 Imola Ave. Napa, CA and open 7 days a week. Parking is $6. They don’t allow dogs on trails and close the park at sunset.

What is your favorite garden to relax in?