It was late spring when we last visited Sandy Wool Lake. A hint of green still covered the quickly browning hills. Water reeds stood tall along the water’s edge, an abundance of waterfowl swam and splashed in the lake, and ducklings followed behind their momma. Tucked in amongst the lakeside vegetation were plenty of fishermen…
Category: California
Old-World Doors at Santana Row
Santana Row is a European-style village in the heart of San Jose filled with upscale shops, international dining options, courtyards, fountains, intimate public seating areas, and live music on weekends. It offers an artfully designed oasis in Silicon Valley to socialize and unwind. It’s simply a beautiful place and I like spending time there. The…
Broken
It’s time for another look at Alviso, a historic San Francisco Bay Area town. It’s a small community of about 2000 residents and has a mix of time-worn and well-kept vintage homes, authentic Mexican restaurants, decaying abandoned factories, and long-gone businesses. Silicon Valley development goes on around the town but not much in it. Despite…
Quiet Moments
Wordless Wednesday
Nevada City Doors
Nevada City is the governmental center of Nevada County in the State of California. Wait, what? Yup, it’s located in California, not Nevada. Another “Say what?” fact about Nevada City is that it is twinned with Penzance, a seaside town in Cornwall, UK, and the nearby tin and copper mining town of St Just in Penwith, Cornwall, UK. Per Wikipedia, the twinning is a result…
Mission San Juan Bautista
Located on a low hill overlooking the fertile San Juan Valley, Mission San Juan Bautista sits on a rising crustal block on the Pacific side of the San Andreas Fault. Since it was established in June of 1797, the mission has suffered damage from a variety of earthquakes. Shaking was said to be so severe…
Got nuts?
Wordless Wednesday
Portal to the San Francisco Bay Trail
A quirky house-shaped structure and doorway frame the entrance to a boardwalk over the Alviso Marina Park salt marsh. The boardwalk leads to the San Francisco Bay Trail and the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, a favorite location for bird watching, hiking, and bike riding. On this evening visit, the sun’s golden…
Casa Juan de Anza
About an hour south of San Jose, the historic town of San Juan Bautista has some fine examples of old adobe style structures. One of my favorites, the Casa Juan de Anza, is one of only four historic adobes still standing in San Juan Bautista. Built in 1799, Casa Juan de Anza sits at the southwest…
Sunset over the Alviso Marsh
Live life as if it were created just for you. —Maya Angelou
Happiness Comes in Waves
“Smell the sea, and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.” -Van Morrison
Spanish Style Gardens & Doors
Do you have a special local spot you go to when you need an escape from the bustle of daily life? For me, it’s the Spanish-influenced gardens and artisan shops at the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. Every season brings different blooms and lush green vegetation thanks to our mild California climate. I last visited…
California Winter Wonderland
A series of rainstorms have rolled into the San Francisco Bay Area this week. After a fairly dry and sunny month of February and early March, we are cheering the rain on! The hills and fields are bursting with the growth of new grasses in glorious shades of green – our version of a winter…
Street Details: Los Gatos
Today, a selection of street details that caught my eye in Los Gatos, California. I was drawn to the patina of aged wood and painted corrugated metal siding on the backside of a shop called Natural Creations. Plants growing on the inside of the shop peeked through cracks in the structure. A toy dog was humorously…
Horses & Doors
Some fresh air, a walk with the dog, and finding a few interesting doors to photograph was my motivation for a short excursion to a nearby horse stable yesterday. Buddy loves to be around the horses and they don’t seem to mind his calm presence. Check out the blue shoes on this white beauty. Hmm….
Unworldly Beauty at the Alviso Salt Ponds
One late summer day, I headed to Alviso Marina County Park for my usual walk on the trails around the tall grasses of the saltwater marshes. The day was sunny and breezy without a cloud in the sky. The onshore breeze kept me cool and put me in the mood to explore beyond my comfort…
The Sweet Taste of Satisfaction
While I’m not Greek, I’m a lucky gal married to a Greek, and love all things Greek, especially Greek food. It’s an annual tradition for us to celebrate my birthday with a classic Greek meal of grilled lamb chops with baklava for dessert. Ah, the sweet taste of satisfaction when I bite into a juicy,…
Bay Area Coastal Towns
Living in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, we have the pleasure of hosting many family and friends from across the states and overseas. Of course, San Francisco and Napa Valley always top the must-see list for first-time visitors. Nevertheless, we manage to lure our guests on a tour of our favorite Bay Area…
Street Scenes: Historic Downtown Pleasanton
One of my go-to places for lunch with friends is Historic Downtown Pleasanton. Mid-19th-century architecture mixed with modern-style businesses give the town a unique, eclectic vibe. A good variety of restaurants, cafes, and boutique shops make this a perfect spot to spend the afternoon. Today, a selection of doors, historic buildings, and street decor for…
Bayside Canning Company Blues
There can be an uneasy beauty in scenes of decay and crumbling structures. Places once teaming with life now abandoned and weathered by decades of sun, wind, rain, and neglect. Places we often pass by and ignore as they’ve become a fixture along our route to somewhere else. For me, that place was the former…
