frugal sightseeing Archives - Page 28 of 31

Welcome the Long-Distance Travelers, Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz

December 30, 2016February 2, 2025Silvia

The migration path of the monarch butterflies is quite amazing. They are the only insects that migrate to places that are 3,000 miles away. From October to January the monarchs visit the Bay Area. Last week I named Ardenwood, the historic farm in Fremont, as one of the places you can see monarchs.

Another special place to see them is the Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz. They created a boardwalk for people to observe and learn about the butterflies. For some reason the clusters are at Lighthouse Field State Beach, two miles away from the Natural Bridge State Beach.

In an eucalyptus tree hundreds of them bundle together and warm each other. They look like brown leaves, but when it gets warmer they start flying off. The monarchs need a temperature of over 55F to be able to fly.

Some monarchs live for only four to six weeks, while others live six to eight months and have to fly really far to escape the cold weather. What is amazing is that the fourth generation returns to the places the first generation came from.

Have you seen a cluster of monarchs before?

Entrance to Ardenwood Historic Farm, Fremont

See a Historic Farm, Ardenwood Historic Farm

December 23, 2016February 2, 2025Silvia

Sometimes I feel it’s worth to remember that we have an easy life. We can go to the store and buy whatever we feel like – even fruit and vegetables that are not in season.

If we just step back in time about 150 years, we can see that it was actually hard work to get food on the table.

The Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont is a great exhibit of early farm life, livestock and local history.

They have cute signs in front of the coops and stalls to teach and engage the little ones about the animals inhabiting them. There are a few varieties of chicken, little piggies and some unusual birds. This is a great place to bird watch, over 99 different species have been recorded. A Guide to the Birds of Ardenwood Historic Farm

During the winter month, from December to mid-February monarch butterflies overwinter here. In the summer they offer tractor rides and the train operates between the Ardenwood station and the Deer Park station. You can also see an original Victorian garden and visit the Patterson Victorian house.

There is a lot to see and to do, especially for little kids.

Entry fee is between $3 and $6, for special events $8.

What is your favorite time period?

Two interpretations of The Thinker in Stanford

You Decide: Rodin vs. New Guinea Sculpture Garden

December 16, 2016February 2, 2025Silvia

Stanford is famous for their large Rodin collection. In fact the bronze collection with over 200 pieces is amongst the largest in the world. Two of the best known sculptures are ‘The Gates of Hell’ and ‘The Thinker’. You can admire them inside and outside the Cantor Arts Center. They also offer docent lead tours Wednesdays at 2 pm, Saturdays at 11:30 am, and Sundays at 3 pm, rain or shine. Meet in the main lobby. Learn more

https://museum.stanford.edu/view/rodin.html

A different display of art is the New Guinea Sculpture Garden. As a modern / tribal collaboration project they mixed traditional stories with modern ideas. When they learned about the famous Rodin sculptures one of the artist proclaimed: ‘”I can do this – even better!’ Their versions of ‘The Gates of Hell” and ‘The Thinker’ can be found among a multitude of other sculptures.

Which is the better version will be in the eye of the beholder. If you are willing to judge or explore you can find the garden on the corner of Lomita and Santa Teresa. They also do a tour every third Sunday at 2 pm.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea_Sculpture_Garden
Which artist do you prefer?

Patrick Dougherty's Whiplash at the Palo Alto Art Center

Wander Around the Weaved Whiplash

December 9, 2016February 2, 2025Silvia

The latest public art installation in Palo Alto is a willow weaved whiplash from artist Patrick Dougherty.

This is his second work, the first one, also made from natural materials was dismantled in June. This new one, called Whiplash, stands in front of the Palo Alto Art Center facing Embarcadero Rd. and is an impressive construction, with multiple rooms and windows, that lead you into a courtyard.

It is made out of only natural materials and a very enchanting place. The smell of the willow was very strong on my visit, maybe because it rained? This definitely added to the experience.

I can see little kids run through the crafted arches, or play hide and seek. (I’m sure kids will be even more inventive!)

If you still need to satisfy your art hunger you can check out the sculpture garden and the current exhibits in the Art Center.

Have you seen Patrick Dougherty and over 60 volunteers work on this for three weeks in November?

Wind Walk sign at Seal Point Park in San Mateo

See Which Way the Wind Blows, San Mateo’s Seal Point Park

November 18, 2016February 2, 2025Silvia

“When hot air rises, cooler air rushes in to fill the space it leaves, thus making wind at the land’s surface.” This quote is from an educational sign at San Mateo’s Seal Point Park ‘Wind Walk’.

This park is located next to the bay. I started the walk at the top, where you can also park your car.

The first sculpture there is a wind rose with multiple layers that spin. Next to it are three interestingly shaped sculptures.

One looks like two giant cymbals, one an organ and one a tree-like piece.

If you follow the lower path you will walk by three groups of three wind structures. Only one of the nine was moving when I was there. It might be that the wind was not very strong.

This is all built on a landfill. So, I congratulate the city of San Mateo to create a great retreat out of some rubbish. I’m not quite sure the sculptures work as proof of wind, but they are interesting to look at nonetheless.

Do you know of any wind sculptures?

Follow the Spiral/Spiritual Path, Labyrinth

November 11, 2016February 2, 2025Silvia

Walking a labyrinth is a tool for meditation and problem solving. One foot in front of the next in an ever bending path. It is hard to explain but it helps you focus, helps you find the answers within you.

When I explored my first labyrinth, I started with making photos of it. Someone from the church came out, took a look at me and said: “Oh, you are admiring it!” “Yes,” I replied “and I’m gonna walk it too!”

It is both the beauty of the shape as well as a humble, meditative experience. I love that there are so many different labyrinth around, ones with a grassy path, concrete, sand or brick. The labyrinth locator web site can help find one near you.

The Modern Labyrinth Movement was founded at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Here are two labyrinths, one inside, one outside, with interesting programs like: yoga in the labyrinth, and candlelit walks.

A copy of the Grace Cathedral labyrinth, which is itself a replica of the Chartres Cathedral labyrinth in Chartres, France, can be found outside of the Grace Lutheran Church in Palo Alto.

So, how do you walk a labyrinth?

There are many ways to walk a labyrinth. Will it be a playful, spiritual, or meditative journey?

For example: Take a few deep breaths, enter with a question. The first step in sets the pace for your walk. When you reach the center, stay there as long as you like; listen intuitively for the answer to your question, then walk out again.

Wikihow

Have you ever walked a labyrinth?

Here are a few labyrinths in Silicon Valley:

Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto
505 East Charleston Rd.
Palo Alto

Grace Lutheran Church
3149 Waverley St
Palo Alto

First Congregational Church
1985 Louis Rd.
Palo Alto

St John’s Lutheran Church
581-583 E. Fremont
Sunnyvale

St Thomas’ Episcopal Church
231 Sunset Avenue
Sunnyvale

Pet the Mayor Dog, Bosco

November 4, 2016February 2, 2025Silvia

In 1984, Sunol California, elected the first dog to be honorary mayor. He defeated two humans as a write in candidate and held the position until his death in 1994.

Sunol erected a bronze statue of Bosco, to honor the Labrador mix with his signature bandana.

Usually his duty as honorary mayor would mean that he headed the Halloween parade. In 1990 a Chinese paper commented on the fact that in the U. S. a dog was elected as a proof of the failure of democracy. This was after the Tiananmen Square protests.

So, Bosco was invited by local Chinese students to participate in a demonstration in front of the San Francisco Chinese embassy.

His favorite hang-out was a local bar. So it makes sense that there is a bar in town called Bosco’s Bones & Brew. Make sure to get a seat by the bar, where they have a stuffed dog “peeing” beer.

While this makes a cute story, please vote!

Have you voted yet?

Soundsuit Up!

October 28, 2016February 2, 2025Silvia

When I saw pictures of the new exhibit at the Anderson Collection at Stanford I was confused. Nick Cave an artist, okay. But these colorful costumes from the man I knew who ‘really didn’t want you to know about a girl’. (Watch Wim Wenders movie Wings of Desire, if you are not sure what I’m talking about or this clip on YouTube)

Of course there are two famous Nick Cave! They even met, at least once, in New York.

Well this Nick Cave is a dancer, a collector and an artist. The suits are whimsical, they contain a lot of things he found in flea markets. But they also hide the person, they are true color-blind.

Nick Cave created his first soundsuit after the Rodney King beating. From twigs he collected in a park, where he tried to reflect on the beating and the riots that followed the police officers acquittal. He made a sculpture that would strike him as a “second skin”. “I started thinking about the role of identity, being racially profiled, feeling devalued, less than, dismissed.”Cave said. While the first one is not wearable, it striked the creator as a form of armor. He liked the sound the twigs made, so he named it Soundsuit.

There are eight Soundsuits and a video installation where people actually dance in the suits, that you can scrutinize at the Anderson until August 2017.

Just to see them is impressive.

What is your costume?

Be Bamboozled, Foothill College Bamboo Garden

October 21, 2016February 2, 2025Silvia

No, it doesn’t have to do with alcohol. I just thought it would be a fun new word for this cool hidden garden.

The Foothill College bamboo garden is with over 70 species one of the largest gardens for bamboos in the United States. You can find it below the Japanese Cultural Center on the Los Altos Hills campus. It is only 2 acre, but because of the layout with hidden pathways, it appears much larger.

This is an amazing place to escape and find some quiet time.

Thanks to Gerhard Bock’s blog you can look up the diffferent varieties on his site: http://www.succulentsandmore.com/2012/05/foothill-college-bamboo-garden-part-1.html

http://www.succulentsandmore.com/2012/05/foothill-college-bamboo-garden-part-2.html

The Azumaya, a Japanese garden pavilion was fenced off when I was there. But hopefully they will open it up again, since it seems a great gathering place for the students and visitors.

Have you been bamboozled lately?

Celebrate One Less Wall, Part of the Berlin Wall

October 14, 2016February 2, 2025Silvia

The Berlin Wall was almost 28 years a divider between East German Berlin and West Berlin. An 87 mile separation between a city and it’s people.

The fall of the wall on November 9th, 1989, was one of the most amazing and greatest historical incidences of my lifetime. After the peaceful revolution, an inner movement for freedom, the border to the West was opened and almost a year later the German Reunification was concluded.

Today, probably the best use of it, makes up the East Side Gallery, in Berlin, the longest open air gallery in the world.

But if you don’t have time and/or means to go to Germany, you can view part of the Berlin Wall in Mountain View in front of the public library. Generously donated by the Golzen Family.

Can you remember where you were when the wall came down?