take the kids Archives - Page 10 of 28

At the Bay Model. The sign reads: Find your way around the Bay

Walk around the Bay, Bay Model, Sausalito

June 17, 2022Silvia

It is really an accomplishment of the US Army Corps of Engineers: The Bay Model in Sausalito is as large as two football fields. If you are like me this sounds big, but you only get the real idea of how big this actually is once you stand in the viewing area and you are trying to grasp the entirety.

The Bay Model was built in 1957 to simulate salt-water intrusion, changes to tidal flows, and even movement of pollution. Nowadays the computer models have taken over and this is an educational facility. The US Army Corps of Engineers still operates the facility and offers educational programs and tours.

On my recent visit I was greeted by a ranger. Before I got my map and self-guided tour brochure she gave me a run-down on the model. Going first up a ramp I choose the outside lookout to see kayakers leaving the marina. When you enter the exhibit there are historic facts and explanations of the Bay. Did you know that the gold diggers used hydraulic mining? The run-off was full of sediments and made the Bay rise by more than 10 feet, causing muddy floods!

The next stop was a short movie, conveniently translated in four other languages besides english. After the movie, be prepared to be blown away. As I mentioned earlier, the scale is massive! Every 14.9 minutes a 24 hour tidal cycle gets recreated. Some of the educational devices are closed off due to COVID restrictions.

Have you walked around the Bay?

The Bay Model Visitor Center is located at 2100 Bridgeway in Sausalito. Admission is free. Opening hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9 am – 4 pm and Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm.

Sign for Cascade Falls at the entrance to the park.

Chase a Waterfall, Cascade Falls, Mill Valley

June 10, 2022Silvia

It is always great to hear water running down a creek and catching the sight of a waterfall. Mill Valley’s Cascade Falls is a short drive from downtown, up Cascade Road. Be aware the parking is very limited. You can also walk up Cascade Drive and marvel at the imposing houses along this curvy road.

On entering the park you will quickly come upon a split in the road. The right path leads over a bridge to the waterfall. It is a short hike and any further hike is blocked off for now. We first went up the left path. When asked some passersby about the waterfall they directed us back and mentioned that the water is getting low.

I still found the amount of falling water from the maybe 10 feet drop impressive and calming.

There is also a bench where you can take in the scenery and listen to the burble.

According to my research Three Wells (three swimming holes) is nearby. When you take the left path going up you can see two of the swimming holes below.

Cascade Falls is located in Cascade Park, at 420 Cascade Drive, Mill Valley 94941.

Have you listened to a waterfall burble recently?

Have a swimmingly good time at the Rotary PlayGarden, San Jose

April 29, 2022Silvia

As I said before, when my child was younger we searched out interesting playgrounds. I am a big fan of the all-inclusive playgrounds here in the Bay Area. There is usually a lot of thought that goes into the design of these playing areas. One of these all-ability playgrounds is the Rotary PlayGarden in San Jose. A fun place to climb, swing, ride, and run around.

When you enter the PlayGarden the theme is clear, you are ‘swimming’ in an imagined river with fishes. The beige and blue foam ground reflects the beach and water features remarkably well. Fishes are objects to touch everywhere.

The Rotary PlayGarden is part of the Guadalupe Gardens, a collection of ‘gardens’ that also include the Heritage Rose Garden, the historic orchard, and the community gardens. Adjacent to the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy Visitor & Education Center, it has ample parking in front.

As the playground is gated you have to adhere to the opening hours, which are Thursday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm.

Where do you go and play?

Other all-ability playgrounds are the Magical Bridge playgrounds and Walnut Creek near Heather’s Farm.

Experience 50 things to do in Mountain View, CA

April 23, 2022April 25, 2022Silvia

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.

Watch the YouTube video of 50 things to do in Mountain View!

Slide with Airport View, Junipero Serra Park

April 8, 2022Silvia

Junipero Serra Park is a 108 acres of trails and other outdoor enjoyments, like two playgrounds and picnic tables. Its hilly location leads you to an impressive view over the Bay right in view of the San Francisco airport. The Meadow View playground is near its highest point. There are some climbing structures, but the two parallel 54-feet metal slides are the focal point of this playground.

Imagine a speedy slide while watching planes land and take off. The playground is in the middle of a woody area and has plenty of shade. Parking is $6 and you can pay right next to the playground.

I also hiked part of the 1.2 mile Quail Loop Trail which starts next to the playground. On my visit I saw some wildflowers, but not the Douglas Iris that an information sign talked about. Overall it was a pleasant hike with some elevation and a spectacular view!

Junipero Serra Park is just east of 280 at 1801 Crystal Springs Rd, San Bruno, CA 94066. Parking is $6, dogs are allowed on leash.

Are you a slide enthusiast? If so, you should also try the Magic Mountain slide in San Mateo. At 55-feet this is the metal longest slide in Northern California!

Hand Down Black History – Domini Hoskins Black History Museum, Redwood City

March 11, 2022March 11, 2022Silvia

Open sign for the Domini Hoskins Black History & Learning Center. Sign reads: Black history is American history. Hand dwon the history. March1-March31 from 11 am - 5 pm, closed Mondays (Special Groups by appt only) For more infromation, contact 650-921-4191 Carolyn_Hoskins56@yahoo.com https://www.facebook.com/hbhlc

I enjoyed the article by thesixfifty about the Domini Hoskins Black History and Learning Center. Somewhat fitting for Black History month, Redwood City has enabled Carolyn Hoskins to display her collection of African American historic artifacts downtown at the former World Market. Lucky for us they are open for another month!

Part of the mural by Jose Castro, showing a black fist with the words: Power to the people.

Admission is $5 to see this vast display of what American black culture means. The volunteer at the door explained the history behind the collection. Carolyn Hoskins was asked by her grandson Domini about any other famous Black people, because he was tired of writing about Martin Luther King again. I am not sure if Carolyn suggested her late husband, Robert “Bob” Hoskins, a former 49er, as one example. Nevertheless Bob has a special place right at the entrance.

The exhibition begins with historic figures from the slave trade, mixed in with literature references, for example Alex Haley’s Roots. There are tables with black inventors, sports legends, famous women, the first black president and the first lady. The pop culture section was designed by Carolyn’s daughter Kathy. In fact you can see Black history displayed over 22,000 square feet.

Part to the mural by Jose Castro, showing George Floyd and the words Black Lives Matter

This amazing collection of Black achievements can be seen until the end of March, 2022, at 890 Jefferson Ave. in Redwood City; or hopefully longer. It is open every day except Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friendly volunteers are on-site to answer questions. No photographs are allowed, except of the Black Lives Matter mural by Jose Castro in the back.

MLK of course still plays a role in this museum. To dive deeper into his writings and accomplishments you might want to visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University.

Soil & Water garden plot at the Heritage Park in Mountain View.

Plant with Soil & Water, Mountain View Heritage Park

March 4, 2022March 4, 2022Silvia

Sign in garden box: Smelling me calms the body - lavender

How did I miss this? A true community garden at Heritage Park is now in its sixth year. Earlier this month I discovered Heritage Park in Mountain View and wrote about the tiny house. But the city also reserved room for a garden project. You can volunteer for Soil & Water every Saturday from 10 am – noon. This is a family friendly event that will teach you about gardening. Once a month Soil & Water will try to offer a kid-focused event. But in any case they will provide easy activities, like watering, for the little ones. Teenagers are also welcome and can earn community service credits. Volunteers will share the harvest.

View from the entrance of the Soil & Water community garden plot, Heritage Park.

To get started you can sign-up on their website. Due to COVID-19 the number of volunteers is limited and masks might be required. If you plan on helping, you should also bring gloves, a hat and a water bottle.

Heritage Park is at 771 N. Rengstorff in Mountain View.

If you like to expand your garden volunteering you can help out at the SCU Forge Garden, Wednesday 10 am – 1 pm, Friday 9 am – 11 pm.

Native Rain Garden sign at the native plants garden in Bol Park

Learn about Native Plants, Bol Bark Palo Alto

February 18, 2022February 18, 2022Silvia

I found the 12,000 sq ft native plants garden by accident the last time I was in Bol Park to visit the donkeys. Beyond the playground near the intersection of Laguna Ave and Roble Ridge Rd busy volunteers have created a treasure trove of native plants. There is signage for every plant. It is great to learn the names of the flora. The walkway is a path covered in wood chips and bordered by branches.

A sign explaining the native rain garden system.

One info sign teaches the passersby the benefits of a native rain garden, installed in 2018. The practical reason here was to capture stormwater and reduce the flooding of the nearby bike path. An added plus is that the habitat creates homes for birds, insects, and wildlife.

I was delighted to see a blooming manzanita, one of my favorite trees from the Bay Area. But the other plants are also getting ready to impress. It is definitely fun to see the variety of native plants. If you would like a tour of the garden the Growing Natives Garden Tour offers docent led tours on April 2nd, 2022.

I also enjoyed the bench to relax in the shade.

The native plants garden is open year round and located at 3502 Laguna Avenue, Palo Alto.

Do you know many of the native plants?

A signpost showing two errors with the word trail

Chase a Waterfall, Castle Rock State Park

February 11, 2022February 11, 2022Silvia

Rain is always welcome here in the Bay Area, since droughts seem to contribute to an ongoing misery. This means waterfall hikes are a special treat in the winter, as proof of enough rain to make a stream.

Recently we drove to Castle Rock State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The roads wind up, inviting expensive cars to test out their speeding abilities. On our way there, an array of police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances blocked one lane of this challenging road. Assuming some car went off the cliff, we carefully resumed our journey, only to get passed by an impassioned speeder.

Climbing rock at Castle Rock State Park.

Castle Rock State Park is a destination for rock climbers and hikers. The large boulders on the Castle Rock loop trail are perfect for any climbing skill level. The hike to the waterfall overlook is 1.2 miles, out and back. You’ll walk by a stream and experience an elevation loss of 265 feet (and gain on the way back). When you arrive at the overlook you are looking down at the waterfall. So, be careful if you are afraid of heights.

The waterfall itself is not as gushing as you might come across in Yosemite or Hawaii, but nonetheless nice to listen to.

Be prepared for an uneven path with rocks and roots poking out.

Parking fee is $10, preferably paid by card. The parking lot holds three restrooms and electric car chargers. The Castle Rock State Park is open from sunrise to sunset, the address is: 15451 CA-35, Los Gatos, CA 95033. We stopped at the nearby vista point, just outside the park, for an amazing sunset.

Have you seen the waterfall at Castle Rock State Park?

Another hike I can highly recommend is the loop trail of the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.

Immigrant House at Heritage Park in Mountain View

Admire the Tiny House at Heritage Park, Mountain View

January 21, 2022February 17, 2022Silvia

The entrance to the Immigrant House at Heritage Park in Mountain View and an information signage in front.

Heritage Park at 771 N. Rengstorff opened in 2016 to show off Mountain View’s history as a farm town. The grand jewel of the 1.2 acre park is the 1880s-area Immigrant House. Once thousands of these tiny houses were homes for the immigrant workers of the Valley of Heart’s Delight. With a footprint of about 400 square feet it is basically a tiny bedroom and a kitchen area. Immigrant House is Mountain View’s last such cabin.

Interior of the Immigrant House, a kitchen setting.

Thanks to the Kiwanis Club, a grant from Google, Santa Clara County, private donors, and the Friends of the Immigrant House, the Immigrant House moved twice and landed at its permanent location. Currently, due to the pandemic, there are no guided tours for the inside of the house. But you can take a peak and see the lovely decorated interior. The front room shows a table with two stools, a shelf and a kitchen cabinet. The bedroom has a tiny bed.

The oven was also used for cooking. The information signage in front briefs us that the cost of rent in the 1930s and 1940s was $11 per month. A whopping $161 in today’s terms. To put this in perspective, farmworkers.org lists the farmworker wages between 1929 and 1933 to $1.90 a day.¹ Assuming a 6-day workday, monthly wages are about $46. This means rent would have been roughly 1/4 of their income, and clearly counts as affordable in today’s terms.²

80-year-old windmill at Heritage Park, Mountain View.

Other amenities of the park are the 80-year-old windmill, bees, and a community garden. The 130 trees originate from the previous owners and include 30 different varieties. There are tree identifiers placed next to them. Hopefully the annual Harvest History Festival, celebrated in September, can resume this year.

It is great to see the historic significance of the workers of the Valley of Heart’s Delight in the focus of this park.

Have you been to Heritage Park?

If you’d like to peek into local history I’d also recommend the Los Altos History Museum. They have another tiny house example of this time period, a tank house.

Footnotes

¹“As the Depression deepened, the growers slashed wages and laid off workers. Between 1929 and 1933, wages dropped from $3.50 to $1.90 a day.” https://www.farmworkers.org/strugcal.html

²Affordable Housing: Affordable housing is generally defined as housing on which the occupant is paying no more than 30 percent of gross income for housing costs, including utilities. https://archives.hud.gov/local/nv/goodstories/2006-04-06glos.cfm