Gilroy hot springs will plan to open summer 2021, they are still looking for volunteers and…read moredonations. You can donate at: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/reopen-gilroy-hot-springs-in-2021 They are currently closed to the public. Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs has a tea house and cabins. This is the only hot spring/ onsen in the Bay Area! Excited for the restoration and reopening of this mineral rich, history rich state treasure!

Gilroy Hot Springs has a long history in the Japanese American community. Article from Watsonville…read moreRegister-Pajaronian. September 8, 1945: HOSTEL SLATED FOR RETURNING JAPANESE AT GILROY SPRINGS "Hostel accommodations for servicemen and ex-servicemen and women of Japanese ancestry and their families will be made available through arrangements completed this week between the Presbyterian Home Missions board and the War Relocation authority for joint sponsorship of Gilroy Hot Springs, owned by Frank Sakata, formerly of the Pajaro valley and now of Oregon. The hostel will be taken over Sept. 15. ...The hostel will be available to Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Clara county Japanese." Only 3 stars because most sources say it's not presently open to the public, it is, however, part of Henry W Coe State Park.

Had a pretty disappointing experience here on my first visit for a girls' wine day. We came in…read moreexcited to try somewhere new, do a tasting, and hopefully buy a few bottles to enjoy on the grounds, but the service immediately felt cold and uncomfortable. The staff member behind the bar greeted us with a blank, deadpan stare (otherwise known as a "GenZ Stare") that made the whole interaction feel awkward from the start. When we mentioned it was our first time visiting and that we were excited to be there, there was no warmth, no enthusiasm, and no effort to tell us about the wines or the property. Even the pours seemed careless. I know this is Gilroy and not Napa, but I still expected a welcoming experience and better wine service. Unfortunately, both the service and the wine itself were disappointing. The best part of this place was definitely the beautiful grounds, which would make a gorgeous wedding setting. Maybe this place is better suited as an event venue than a wine tasting destination, but based on my experience, I would not return. The two stars are for the beautiful grounds.

Kirigin is our new favorite winery in Gilroy and Monterey bay!!! Simply amazing wine and even more…read moreamazing wine clubs!! They have a huge selection of reds and their desert wine is to die for. They also host large events. I absolutely love the ambiance of the tasting room, which includes a very long tasting bar for those crowded days. By all means, allow a couple of hours for this tasting, you'll enjoy your time here. The downside, I'm currently living in MN and there's no shipping offered to that state, otherwise we would have joined a wine club.

The good: This place is just all-so American and I love it…read more My aunt comes here for the berry pie and buys several of them to bring to me in SoCal. She's a frequent customer and she seldom eats pies. She sometimes freezes them. It's packed with so many berries and has a pure berry taste. It's sweet but still maintains the tartness/acidity of the berries so it helps your ability to eat more of it. My husband finished almost an entire pie in one day. The bad: My aunt said the apple pie is too sweet and therefore prefers the more tart/sour berry pie. I wish I tried the pie with ice cream because that would have been a nice compliment. The interesting: They're family owned and have been around for decades. You can pick fruits here too.

Doing U-pick is fun: rounded up for the fun factor. The fruit is not organic. In case you want to…read moreeat the U-pick fruit on the spot: Bring a basket with holes in the bottom, and bottled water, so that you can rinse the fruit before eating. The lineup: 5/5: U-pick boysenberries: June 4: Blenheim apricots, June: $3.70/pound. About 70% were ripe. 3: Dutch apple pie. Kind of meh. 3: Strawberry shortcake. Bring your own maple syrup and pour some on top; it needs some sweetness. 2: Cherry pie. Kinda meh. For boysenberries, consider wearing latex gloves to keep your hands from getting stained red.

These state historic parks are almost always a gem that allows you to step into history and immerse…read moreyourself in a moment of time that helped shape California as the state it is. Most of these state historic parks are almost snapshot in religious history that was primarily due to the with the influence of Spanish missionaries visiting the west coast. San Juan Bautista state history park sits right next to the mission and lets you take a step into how those that founded the town lived. From hotel to the stable to the garden. Definitely a worthwhile visit.

San Juan Bautista State Historic Park is one of those truly special places that feels timeless. No…read morematter how often we visit, it never loses its charm. The mission church is absolutely breathtaking--built in the late 1700s, it's incredible to stand inside a structure that has been standing for centuries. The architecture, the craftsmanship, and the peaceful energy of the space make it impossible not to pause and take it all in. It's beautiful, humbling, and deeply moving. We happen to live only about 20 minutes away, which makes this place even more meaningful to us. We come out here religiously, sometimes twice a week, and it has become our little hideout. It's where we go to slow down, walk the grounds, clear our heads, and reconnect--with history, with the surroundings, and with ourselves. Every visit feels grounding. The surrounding area is just as special as the park itself. The historic downtown has an old-fashioned charm that's hard to find these days. It almost feels like a quiet ghost town frozen in time--in the best possible way. The preserved buildings, wooden walkways, and relaxed pace make it feel like you've stepped into another era. There are also some great local restaurants nearby, perfect for grabbing a meal and making a full afternoon out of your visit. What makes San Juan Bautista so unique is that it doesn't feel overdeveloped or commercialized. It's authentic, peaceful, and full of character. Whether you're a history lover, architecture enthusiast, photographer, or just someone looking for a calm, beautiful place to escape for a bit, this spot delivers every time. Founded in 1797, this place is a true California treasure. We're incredibly lucky to have it so close to home, and it's somewhere we'll continue coming back to again and again. Highly recommend--this is a must-visit.

We had such a lovely time at the Steinbeck House Mother's Day Tea. The service was exceptional, and…read moreknowing that the staff are all volunteers made the experience even more special. Everyone was so warm, attentive, and welcoming. The food and tea were absolutely excellent -- beautifully prepared and delicious. And of course, the house itself is charming, with gorgeous table settings that made the afternoon feel elegant and memorable. Everything was done with such care and attention to detail. A wonderful way to celebrate Mother's Day!

My wife and I had an amazing lunch on Thursday for our anniversary. The food is always terrific and…read morechanges monthly. Our server told us about the free monthly tours which included all three floors of the house and one was this Saturday, today. The tour was great and there was so much information on John Steinbeck and the history of the Salinas area. Our tour guide was John and he did a terrific job and had so many personal stories that he added into the conversation. Probably from over 12 years experience and knowledge of Steinbeck. Highly recommend and chicken mushroom crepe is hard to beat. Thank you and we can't wait to be back!

If you are a school or group learning about California missions history and interested in a tour of…read morethis mission, I highly suggest skipping the mission tour, and instead go directly to San Juan Bautista State Park, which is right next door. The land is literally connected to the mission and they offer wonderful programs about mission life. Benito is in charge at the Mission, and he screamed and yelled at our school group. And from what I learned, we were not the first. He is arrogant, hostile, aggressive, and incapable of keeping accurate schedules he makes himself. Our group consisted of women and children, almost entirely non-white. I spoke to Benito TWICE in advance of the field trip and scheduled the date and time directly with him. When I went to check in and pay before the start of our field trip, the ladies at the front called Benito, because he was somewhere else on the mission grounds on lunch break. He literally SCREAMED into the phone so loud, I could clearly understand. They may not have realized based on my race that I understood their Spanish, but I did. He kept screaming they don't set field trips at 1, but he did. We spoke in detail, and he set the tour at 1, knowing we were at the State Park Mission Life Program in the morning. The ladies were clearly intimidated by him, and kept trying to tell him that he spoke with me directly to set this up. He was angry about coming back from lunch. When he finally came, he stalked up to our group--of all women and children, almost entirely non-white--and started screaming at us about how they don't do field trips at 1. I spoke clearly and calmly to remind him that we had spoken and set this date and time. He looked at me in disgust, completely ignored and blew past me, then started addressing the group as "boys and girls." He addressed them like kindergarteners in 1950 every other sentence. His behavior was a disgrace to actually kind people-of-faith, and I'm guessing this is not the kind of legacy the church wishes to continue--MEN IN POWER SCREAMING DOWN AT WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF COLOR. It did, however, make for a very negative and real connection to actual missions history--clearly not something we were expecting our children would be exposed to on a school tour.

In July 2018, my friend Jinsol and I went on a road trip around California. We had initially…read moreplanned on going east (departing from/returning to the Berkeley area), however due to wildfires we ended up going thru the Bakersfield area, Los Angeles, Malibu, Big Sur, and San Juan Bautista. On our drive we had been seeing a lot of signs denoting the highway we were driving on as a historic route. Since we were nearing our return, we decided to check out one of the next historic sites, enter Old Mission San Juan Bautista. The Old Mission was a very enjoyable walking adventure. The grounds and buildings were well kept/maintained and had information available about the site and its founding, the corresponding church, and some of the smaller items - such as describing different parts of wheeled vehicular transport or blacksmith tools. A main building was also available to explore and included information about what daily life was like/included for inhabitants of the mission in the past. Both of us thought it was a satisfying last stop for our road trip and helped ease us back into our graduate school information-frenzy culture.