nerdy fun Archives - until suburbia!

Admire Old Toys, Hayward Toy Museum

December 12, 2025Silvia

We came for the giants and found the toy museum, too! Last week, I reported on the Muffler Man and other giant statues at Bell Plastics in Hayward. To my surprise, this is also the place to see toy banks, banned toys, and Pez.

If you missed your chance to go to the Pez Museum in Burlingame, head over to Hayward to see this extensive collection! Bruce Kennedy, the avid collector who acquired the plastic statues for Bell Plastics, got his collection bug started as a kid with toy banks. First, it was glass banks. But it evolved into all things antique. Now there are molds for antique toy banks, all kinds of birth banks, and glass baby bottles. When he took over the Pez collection from his friend Gary Doss, he installed a colorful floor that reflected the dispenser’s uniqueness. You can still take a photo with the world’s largest Pez dispenser. Also, the collection of banned toys is on display, with my favorite: the Atomic Energy Lab. This museum also holds some collector’s items like the first comic book (Famous Funnies No. 1) and the first wireless remote control (Zenith Flash-Matic).

I opted for the tour included in the price and received an extensive presentation. The museum is $10 for adults, $5 for kids 12 to 17, or $24 per car. You can find the Hayward Toy Museum on 2020 National Ave. in Hayward. Opening hours are Monday through Friday from 4:30 pm to 7 pm, and Saturdays from 10 am to 6 pm.

Look up at the Muffler Man, Hayward

December 5, 2025Silvia

Big Mike, aka the Muffler Man is, at 20ft, a true roadside attraction. At Bell Plastics in Hayward, many of the old fiberglass attractions found a second home. Collector Bruce Kennedy has been restoring and preserving these giants since 2011.

Big Mike was originally installed in the 1960’s on Mission Boulevard at the Morris Car Wash in Hayward. Kennedy, who has now quite a collection of these oldies around, saved him. From a waving Santa to the octopus that formally decorated a car wash, it’s a trip to yesteryear.

There is also a Paul Bunyan statue, a giant lumberjack. The funniest I found was the Alfred E. Neuman giant, of MAD comics fame (he is sometimes called Half Wit)! This one got restored with a Hawaiian shirt and was briefly featured in the 2008 movie “Semi Pro.”

All statues seem to be missing the axes they once carried. There is one axe in the office that was left there by an anonymous donor. But it was too big for Big Mike.

I’m so glad that these statues found a savior! What a great roadside attraction.

Big Mike and all the other statues can be seen for free at Bell Plastics, located at 2020 National Ave., Hayward, CA. Opening hours are from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, and Saturday, 10 am to 6:00 pm.

Thank you, Joel Baker, the founder of American Giants, for the comprehensive article on Bruce Kennedy’s collection.

Watch a Free Movie at the Odd Fellows in Davis

October 4, 2024Silvia

I must admit I’m highly suspicious of the organization of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Although I really like the name – a fraternity with a motto of “Friendship, Love and Truth” can’t be that bad, right? Well, their highest members are called the Patriarchs Militant, which makes me think their principle only extends to their tribe.

Anyway, please comment below if you would like to enlighten me on the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF).

The IOOF is the organizer of Davis’s Classic Film Festival. Each year since 2014, except for 2020, they have shown three classic movies in the Upper Hall of the Lodge. Derrick Bang, film reviewer for the Davis Enterprise, delights the audience with the film’s backstory and other anecdotes.

This year’s Classic Film Festival is showing “1960s Heist Classics”. It starts with The Italian Job (1969) on October 6th featuring a young Michael Caine as the heist mastermind. Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway will head the romantic heist movie: The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) on October 13th. The final showing will be on October 20th: How to Steal a Million (1966) In here Audrey Hepburn and Peter O”Toole will entangle in heist and romance. All shows start at 7:01 pm. Doors open at 6:29 (odd it is!).

You can find the Odd Fellows Hall at 415 2nd St in Davis, CA. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. You can also support this festival by consuming beer, wine, or soft drinks from the bar while you enjoy their free popcorn.

I am intrigued by this film festival and will report back.

Are you supportive of the IOOF? Do you like film festivals?

Look Down While at UC Berkeley, Part 2

May 17, 2024Silvia

Last week’s post about the Free Speech Monument was very timely – since they established their right to protest at the university which others are now currently exercising.

This week’s post is more a ‘beginning of summer’ one. Not too serious. But if you are interested in quirky things about the Bay Area you might appreciate this post.

Another interesting thing you might see while looking down at UC Berkeley are the parking spots reserved for their Nobel Laureates. A sure nod to Berkeley’s overwhelming Nobel Prize winners. Currently the UC system counts 70 people who have been awarded 71 Nobel Prizes. UC Berkeley’s contribution is 27 faculty and staff members who were affiliated with the UC when they received their award; or joined UC after their recognition. Second in line is UC San Diego with 16 prize winners.

When Berkeley News posted their interview with Nobel winner Reinhard Genzel, they actually titled it: The biggest perk to being a Berkeley Nobelist? Free parking.

You can look for the parking spots while on campus – they are marked with blue signs ‘Reserved for Nobel Laureate, Nobel Laureate Reserved Space, Special Permit Required At All Times’. Atlas Obscura locates them as:

“Five of the parking spots can be found on University Drive, outside Campbell Hall (Physics). There are two more behind Latimer Hall (Chemistry), and one over at Evans Hall (Economics).”

Here you also learn about the history of the spots. Apparently Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz, who received a Nobel Prize in 1980, just asked for the spot. This started a common practice.

Where do you park when you visit UC Berkeley?

Look Down While at UC Berkeley

May 12, 2024Silvia

I always encourage you to look around. It makes sense that you do this on the UC Berkeley Campus, too. There is plenty to admire, like the Sather Tower, Cal’s well-known symbol, or the Doe Library with its impressive internal architecture.

But there are also some interesting marks at the tip of your foot. When you enter Cal from Telegraph Ave right before you pass through the ornate Sather Gate, you should look down for the round plaque on the ground. You will encounter the Free Speech Monument.

The Free Speech Monument with a six-inch hole and concrete circle represents a protest autonomous zone. Its inscription reads “This soil and the air space extending above it shall not be a part of any nation and shall not be subject to any entity’s jurisdiction.” This public art by Mark Brest van Kempen, installed in 1991, commemorates the Free Speech Movement that started in the 1960s at Sproul Plaza. Named after the first act of civil disobedience on an American College Campus the Free Speech Movement in 64/65 was protesting the right to protest on a college campus.

When I came up with the idea for this blog post I had no idea how timely this would be.

Are you protesting right now?

http://www.weirdca.com/location.php?location=705

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/30278

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sproul_Plaza

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Speech_Movement

Visit the First Williams-Sonoma

April 12, 2024April 7, 2024Silvia

If you are like me you might have thought that Willams and Sonoma are two people that got together to sell the finest cookware. Or you saw the kids musical “Dear Edwina”?…one song references “Williams” and “Sonoma” as people that sing along with the Fairy Forkmother to teach a chef how to set a table.” Fairy Forkmother – What a wonderful term!

In fact it was Chuck Williams who founded the first specialty cookware store in Sonoma, California in 1956. The store, a 1906 house on Broadway, was also the home of Chuck and his mother until they relocated the business in 1958 to San Francisco. The two story house is filled with pictures and newspaper clippings of Williams’ journey to become a culinary icon. It closed when they relocated to San Francisco, but in 2014 this location was opened again.

His former bedroom is now the design studio currently filled with Stanly Tucci’s cookware in a I-really-want-all-of-this kitchen. Upstairs, where you now can admire the furniture, was his mother’s living quarters.

It is interesting to see how a great idea became one of the biggest and most successful retail businesses. They started as a catalog mail company and then expanded into stores like Pottery Barn, Hold Everything, and West Elm.

If you like to dive deeper into the evolution of cookware you should stop by the Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum in Napa. This museum showcases his extensive 4,000 pieces cookware collection.

The first Williams-Sonoma store is located 605 Broadway, Sonoma, CA.

Do you have a Fairy Forkmother?

*I do not get compensated for mentioning this business and this blog post is my personal recommendation.

Follow the Bagels at Boichik Bagels Factory

March 29, 2024Silvia

I love seeing things being made. At Boichik Bagels in Berkeley you can watch the conveyor belts of doughy bagels being made into their glutenous treat. The factory is located at 1225 Sixth St. in Berkeley. Opening hours are from 7:30 am till 1 pm. If they run out of bagels they might close early!

When we got there to order lunch we were almost too late for the taste test.

And we were too late to watch the bagels being made, though we were able to try the bagels and their famous white fish spread. I definitely plan to go back and see the factory during operation hours.

Nonetheless I liked the big window where a whole school class could put their noses on to get a closer look at the machinery. But the most sensible thing was the block for shorter people – I saw a little girl standing on it – to get a better view.

The outside seating was great, except for the next door neighbor who has an automated triggering system that tells you you are trespassing even if you just crossed the street.

Boichik has four more locations in the Bay Area and is expanding. There is a factory tour on Saturdays at 8:30, but I’m not sure I can make it that early. I will report if I do. Mahjong Mondays 10am – noon might be an option for further exploration.

Have you ever seen bagels being made?

The Boichik Bagels factory is located at 1225 Sixth St. in Berkeley. Their opening hours are every day 7:30 am – 1:00 pm (or until sold out).

Party at the Art Butiki, San José

January 12, 2024Silvia

What is Art Butiki you might ask? A Comic book store, a T-shirt printing business, and an all age music venue, in short a cool place to hang out.

We visited during comic store hours, Monday – Friday 11am to 4pm. With an interesting selection of comic books and t-shirts, the store also has some seats and two sofas to let you chill. Behind the counter the owner Dan Vado explained the uphill battle of running a cult classic store and music venue, and let us peek in the back at the event space.

While Covid closed the place down, he found a workaround by recording local artists. The resulting videos can still be watched on YouTube or the Art Butiki website. Offering local musicians a stage for an all age audience is a tough business. Ticket prices for the shows are only around $20. The 300 person venue looks cozy and iconic, decorated with a lot of tiki figures.

I came across Art Butiki while I researched my list for 50 Free Things to do in San José. They have some events that are free, like a Drink ‘n Draw, open mic, and jazz jam. While I usually only note things in my 50 lists that I have been to, I include these because I still want to check out events at Art Butiki. I hope you’ll visit this independently owned venue and support local artists.

Art Butiki is located at 44 Race Street in San Jose’s The Alameda neighborhood. Parking might be a challenge; if you have to park in the neighborhood be mindful.

The entrance to the Bigfoot Discovery Museum in Felton, CA

Search for Bigfoot, Bigfoot Discovery Museum, Felton

September 15, 2023Silvia

The sightings of Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, are so frequent one can’t blame the believers. If you still need convincing or if you are a hardcore fan of the hair-covered humanoid I highly recommend the Bigfoot Discovery Museum in Felton.

Almost opposite the entrance to the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains in Felton is the Bigfoot Discovery Museum. It has been open since 2006 and represents the collection and research efforts of Michael Rugg and Paula Yarr. You can see countless images, captured footprints, and the Patterson-Gimlin Film. The film from 1967 is a one minute footage of an unidentified creature the filmmakers believe to be a Bigfoot. The museum has this movie on an infinite loop along with other validating pieces of proof. I also enjoyed the map of the Bigfoot sightings in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The free museum is a curiosity of a curiosity and well worth a stop on your way to Henry Cowell Redwoods Park. Donations are appreciated. Opening hours are Wednesdays to Mondays from 11am to 6 pm.

Do you believe in Bigfoot?

A sign in front of The Orb: Low headroom. Do not climb!

Don’t Climb the Sculpture Garden at Google

August 26, 2023Silvia

I stopped by Google’s Charleston East building to see if they moved the Android figures. The building itself is taking shape, but it looks like the inside is still under construction. There are a few signs that remind you that the area is only open for Googlers. At every entrance there are very helpful security guards. When they asked me what I was looking for I mentioned that I thought this building was open for visitors. Since it is not open at all right now, they directed me to the sculpture garden on the East side of the building.

From afar you can already see that these sculptures are not the beloved Android figures. The Orb by Marc Fornes / Theverymany, LLC towers prominently and attracts attention. The ultra-thin aluminum parts structure is made up of 6441 individual flat pieces and 217,847 rivets. It is interesting to stand underneath and admire it. But please don’t attempt to climb any of these sculptures! Even though the information sign says these sculptures are here for you to explore, it means through curiosity, touch and play. Climbing is not part of the play.

In front of the Orb is Hou de Sousa’s Go. These double sided black and white disks invite you to flip them manually to create images, or get inspired by the profound questions printed on the disks. In their words “an art machine powered by the public”.

Other sculptures of the Charleston East Plaza Artworks are:

Curious by Mr & Mrs Ferguson Art

Halo by SOFTlab

Quantum Meditation II by Julian Voss-Andreae

Rockspinner by Zachary Coffin

Officially the area will open in the Fall of 2023. You can get there by parking in the Shoreline lot for the Amphitheater and walking to the corner of Shoreline and Charleston.

Do you have a favorite sculpture you interact with?