Last weekend was the Almond Festival in Capay Valley. A 108 year old tradition celebrating the beautiful sight of almond trees in bloom. I heard that the bloom is usually best experienced a week before the festival, around mid February. But maybe because of the unusual weather patterns we had, blossoms held off for a while. They are in full bloom now and it is a spectacular sight!
Going up Rd 16 you will go by small towns that offer various activities, local delicacies, arts and music. We went all the way to Rumsey and enjoyed getting to know the local farmers, were impressed with the art show, and will be back next year for their famous oven fired pizza. We had already decided to stop on our way back in Guinda for BBQ oysters offered by the volunteer fire department. At the Grange Hall, crafts were available and we savored our almond vanilla ice cream.
After we enjoyed the festivities I wanted to stop at an almond orchard and take a few pictures of the Yolo snow and the trees. This turned out to be more involved than we bargained for. Our car got stuck in the mud and it took us a long time to push it out on the road.
The Almond Festival of Capay Valley is always the last weekend in February.
I’m sorry, it is not cheesy at all. Pacifica actually has a pretty cool history, and a visit to the Pacifica Coastside Museum, also known as the Little Brown Church, will tell you all about it. You’ll be greeted by one of the volunteer guides and walked through the two rooms full of artifacts and information signs.
The other greeter is a 8-foot statue of Pacifica. This is a replication of 80-foot Pacifica used at the Golden Gate International Exposition 1939/40 held on Treasure Island off of San Francisco. Our guide informs us proudly that she was there!
A contest was held in 1957 to find a name for this newly incorporated coastal city. Maybe still reminiscent of the International Expo, or an urge for peace after WWII, Pacifica won the contest. Wikipedia explains the symbolism for Pacifica at the Expo: “Pacifica was the theme statue for the exposition, representing world peace, neighborliness, and the power of a unified Pacific coast.”
Upstairs, the first thing you’ll notice is the model train set up in the middle of the room. Before 1920 the railroad planned to go from San Francisco to Santa Cruz. It was never completed as it ran into major obstacles, like the earthquake in 1906 and numerous landslides. But at the beginning it was thought to be a great escape for city dwellers tired of San Francisco to acquire a beach escape in Salada Beach, as it was known back then.
Other exhibit items talk about the history before beach culture like, Mammoth bones, First Nations and their conquerors.
Cheese History
Returning to the cheesy part – you did not think I forgot? – we have to enter the gift shop. Oh yes, the tiny room is filled with history books and local art. The real kicker is the contents in the little fridge in the back. Cheese!! This history begins with Pacifican Kathleen Manning’s discovery of an old cookbook and how she uncovered the origin of Monterey Jack. Apparently this cheese was created in Pacifica’s Mori Point Inn in 1888! The recipe was stolen by a disgruntled employee and he ran with it to Jack’s Ranch in Monterey where the cheese made a name for itself. Read more here about the fascinating story. Or better yet, stop by the Pacifica Coastside Museum and buy a pound of this historical cheese for $8.
The Pacifica Coastside Museum, on 1850 Francisco Blvd, is currently open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, from 1 pm to 4 pm. Visits to the museum are free. Proceeds of the cheese sale go to the Pacifica Historical Society.
What do you think about this cheesy history?
To learn about Pacifica’s local history you might also consider taking the self-guided walking tour.
In 2017 I started my series of 50 things, a challenge to find 50 interesting things to explore in one city. Mountain View, CA was the first city I chose and it was about time to update it.
Many attractions I had previously mentioned changed. Places closed down, Android figures disappeared, and new gardens came to my attention. It’s clear that this project is constantly in motion and I will do my very best to keep everything up to date.
Luckily some of my favorite things are still around, like relaxing at Shoreline Park, the in-person festivals, and the farmers’ market on Sundays.
What are your highlights in Mountain View, CA?
Please let me know if there are any places you would like to see on this list, or have any comments.
Around this time of the year I miss the German Weihnachtsmärkte. A festive way of celebrating the season. There you can meet some friends, warm up with some Glühwein (mulled wine), or punch, have some candied almonds, and shop for some artisan gifts. Yes, this is an idealization, my mind ignoring the crowds, but these fairs definitely are part of the Holidays. If you are ever in Berlin for December make sure to visit many of these markets because they all feel different.
Christmas in the Park in San Jose’s Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park compares to a Christmas market in Spandau. Here are a lot of carnival rides for little kids. I was greeted by the smell of kettle corn. There are also candy shops, Belgium waffles, and churros to munch on. You can’t buy Glühwein, but there is a hot chocolate booth. The crowds were not bad and the line for food was reasonable.
Most people enjoyed the community stage, where local groups performed Christmas acts. But the special attraction of this fair is the hundreds of Christmas trees that are decorated by local businesses, high schoolers, and families, and the animated Christmas themed figures that move about. These figures include the stable of Santa’s reindeers, a train with trolls working, and a band of a fox, a skunk and a raccoon.
There is also a photoshoot opportunity with Santa on an outside stage and some Lego landscapes with a Holiday theme.
Christmas in the Park is a San Jose tradition for over 40 years now. For people preferring a more socially distant experience, they have continued the drive-thru light experience Blinky’s Illuminated Holiday near Raging Waters that was established last year (tickets are required) or you can sign up for a zoom meeting with Santa.
Christmas in the Park is located at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose. Admission is free. The experience is open every day till January 2nd, from noon to midnight.
Is Christmas in the Park part of your Holiday tradition? This is a nice place to come at night and see the lights on the many Christmas trees. The last time I was here, in 2017, I stopped by during the day, and seeing these many trees is still special.
The farmers’ market at the College of San Mateo is most likely voted for ‘Best View for a Farmers’ Market’. Every Saturday from 9 am – 1 pm you can shop for local produce, grab some lunch, listen to some music, and sign up for your compost class. A list of vendors can be found on the webpage of the Pacific Coast Farmers Market, but they also do a great job updating their facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CollegeofSanMateoFarmersMarket/, to highlight seasonal produce.
Nothing says fall like huge pumpkins. Other stands sold apples, one had an amazing variety of succulents, and of course there were lots of stands with everything else in season. The Buds contributed their music and had two little girls dance to it. Our discovery was the ramen stand, where you can buy concentrated broth and fresh noodles.
And, like I said, the view is outstanding. Even on a cloudy day you can see San Francisco and the Dumbarton Bridge. The planetarium has an atrium that is perfect for enjoying your lunch.
The College of San Mateo is located at 1700 West Hillsdale Boulevard. Parking is available at the Galileo parking lot, next to the planetarium. Don’t worry there are signs.
What is your favorite farmers’ market?
One of the biggest, if not the biggest, farmers’ market in Silicon Valley is in Mountain View. About every town has their own farmers’ market with their own feel. Try them all!
The gallery exhibit from Works ‘An American Mosaic’ celebrates many firsts, first live gallery exhibit for this year, first collaboration with Mosaic America and School of Arts & Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza. For me this was also my first time at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose. Last Sunday I enjoyed the Chili Mole Pozole Festival with live music, artisan vendors, and, of course, the exhibit of ‘An American Mosaic’.
The $10 entry fee was for the festival and it came with a bag of tortilla chips and a choice of salsas. My two salsas were both pretty spicy.
Fourteen San Jose artists express their creativity and love for the Bay Area. As diverse as the artists are their works, with sculptures, painted bottles, and many different painting styles. It felt good to be experiencing art again and I enjoyed the multitudes of ideas and approaches. My favorite was Tulio Flores RGB.
This exhibit will tie in with the upcoming free Mosaic Festival on October 2. Mosaic America celebrates the diversity of America through art, performance, movement, and food. So, maybe this will be your first festival of the year?
If you are still a bit hesitant about festivals you can view the exhibit the next two weekends (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) from 12 – 4: except October 2nd.
The Silicon Valley Mosaic Festival is Saturday, October 2nd, from 12 – 6pm at the School of Arts & Culture Gallery at Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock Ave at King Road, San José
We are all ready to go out again to meet friends. I know, the mask mandate for indoor places has been reinstated. Nevertheless you could go to the Castro Valley Marketplace, shop and hang out at the many outside tables. This is a much smaller version of the San Francisco Ferry Building, but they both talk to the foodie in you. Castro Valley Marketplace has olive oils and spices, an artisan bakery, and a butcher, a sushi counter, and a brewery. All of this gets put together with a natural food store. Oh, and the basement has a cellar and lounge. You immediately get why their slogan is: “Only good things, only good food”.
We visited on a Sunday with the brunch crowd. There was a band playing outside and people were enjoying themselves. Nobody seemed to mind the 50 minutes wait for their food order. This space is made for gatherings. If you want to grab a quick bite you might choose the prepared foods at Castro Valley Natural Grocery. This, by the way, is Castro Valley’s first locally owned, independently operated, and certified green whole health market. Besides the tables outside there are a few tables upstairs. The upstairs right now hints at the potential for more gatherings with a pop out kitchen. Future plans are to have cooking classes and local makers to share their talent and products.
Formerly the Daughtrey’s department store, the Castro Valley Marketplace had its grand opening on July 9th, 2021.
You can find the Castro Valley Marketplace at 3295 Castro Valley Boulevard.
I did not receive any compensation to publish this blog post.
Remember my post from two weeks ago: Treat yourself to something sweet? If you were looking for the alfajores and did not have time to stop by the Wooden Table Cafe in Oakland, you can find them at the Castro Valley Natural Grocery store!
Today my mother would’ve been 80. Being German she loved coffee and cake in the afternoon. I’ll definitely have a nice piece of cake and a strong coffee in her honor. In this post I picked five Bay Area bakeries with special treats I love. I am not affiliated with any of the businesses and have not received anything for posting this. (This is not to say I wouldn’t be open to a taste test.)
Pastelaria Adega – San Jose
One of my favorite sweets is pastel de nata, a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry. Pastelaria Adega in San Jose does it right. You can watch them making the tart and stirring the custard in a large copper pot. Besides the traditional plain they also have fruit versions. If you are not interested in custard, maybe try some of their donuts, or savory items?
Alfajores – You had me at dulce de leche; put two shortbread cookies around and you get this Argentinian dessert. For an extra indulgence try them covered in chocolate! They also have many gluten-free options.
Cocohodo is a traditional Korean pastry, shaped like a walnut, filled with bean paste and a chunk of walnut. If I still had a small child this would be my go-to place. You can watch the machine that makes the pastry right there, while also enjoying their great coffee.
Another Korean favorite are taiyaki – fish shaped cakes filled with either custard, hazelnut spread, or red bean paste. They are freshly made and come in four fishes. The cafe is actually a hair salon and due to COVID restriction not a sit-down cafe. The taiyaki are fun when they are warm, but they don’t travel well.
Mini Taiyaki Cafe
5075 Stevens Creek Blvd
Santa Clara, CA 95051
Rosalind Bakery – Pacifica
The artisan bread at Rosalind is amazing, but their croissants are what I crave. The almond one is filled with almond paste, topped with shaved almond, and the crunch is music to my ears.
Yes, you read that right, ice cream tacos. This is not your usual decision between cup and cone. If you insist on a cup you can get this here too, but where’s the fun in that?
The cones at Rocko’s are shaped like taco shells. You pick your flavor of ice cream. (By the way, they also offer vegan ice cream flavors.) Some liquid nitrogen makes sure this stays in place. Sauce? Sure! Three kinds of chocolate or peanut butter. For me white chocolate, please. For some fun crunch you can have this dipped into some nuts. Et voilà – an ice cream taco!
Nitrogen, vegan ice cream, a love for real ingredients. It should not surprise that behind Rocko’s is Lori Phillips with a PhD in Immunology. Rocko’s evolved from an idea in 2013 to an ice cream cart that grew into a food truck. The food truck is still around, ready for your next party. The brick and mortar stands in Santa Clara, near the university.
Rocko’s currently operates with limited hours. Please check their website.
Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos
2905 Park Ave, Santa Clara, CA 95050
All of this is my personal opinion. I did not receive any form of payment for this post.
And if Ice Cream Tacos are too much for you, you can always search for the classic ice cream experience – Burlington’s It’s It!
Some wise man once said: “When fish smells like fish it is old.“If you want to be sure you buy the freshest fish I highly recommend the Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay.
As you enter the Pier, you can read signs on what fish have been caught that day, the prices, and which boat is selling. You can also Call the Fish Phone at 650-726-8724 for information about which boats are selling and what is available.
This is a great way of buying local, fresh fish.
What an adventure even if you haven’t caught the beauty yourself!
Where do you buy your fish?
If you prefer fishing yourself you might want to check out my post about Fishing on a Public Pier.
Last weekend was the Almond Festival in Capay Valley. A 108 year old tradition celebrating the beautiful sight of almond trees in bloom. I heard that the bloom is usually best experienced a week before the festival, around mid February. But maybe because of the unusual weather patterns we had, blossoms held off for a while. They are in full bloom now and it is a spectacular sight!
Going up Rd 16 you will go by small towns that offer various activities, local delicacies, arts and music. We went all the way to Rumsey and enjoyed getting to know the local farmers, were impressed with the art show, and will be back next year for their famous oven fired pizza. We had already decided to stop on our way back in Guinda for BBQ oysters offered by the volunteer fire department. At the Grange Hall, crafts were available and we savored our alm
ond vanilla ice cream.
