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.

This is the only Italian Villa mansion with a baroque ornamentation that you would ever find in…read moreFresno, so tourist, architecture buffs and history lovers, this is perfect place for you to visit. This is a historic site and it should be on your must visit list while in Fresno. This mansion located in downtown Fresno, is one of its kind and unfortunately it is now a law office and doesn't showcase the lavish feature of its interior anymore to the public: three story twelve luxurious room, 4500 sq feet space. However the exterior of the house really is something to see and take plenty of picture off. Plus if you do visit this building, it wont be the only thing on your list to visit because 1 block away is the St John Cathedral and also the Meux mansion. There is no parking around its since its really close to the community hospital, I would suggest parking on R street near the church and take the opportunity to appreciate and take pictures of this architecture marvel. It looks like something that should be in Hollywood to be honest. most people in Fresno can pass it without even knowing that they have this beautiful building. If you must know the building was constructed for Herman H. and Helena S. Brix in 1910-1911. Herman H. Brix made a pioneering contribution to the development of Coalinga and was influential in the commercial expansion of Fresno. In addition to its historical associations, the Brix Mansion possesses considerable architectural significance. Designed by architect Edward T. Foulkes, it represents a brilliant example of a period-inspired Italian Villa, the only residence in Fresno built in this lavishly-embellished style. So take the opportunity to visit this unique mansion and bring your friends to impress them about the landmarks and historical building of Fresno.

Continuing north on I-5, this vista point is a rest area but has no services. There are a few trash…read morecans and a fantastic view. The spot overlooks the Dos Amigos Pumping Plant and one branch of the California Aqueduct. Two caption signs here, one of which explains how the water is moved for the aqueduct and the other the California Grassland Wetlands. There's no shade here but you're probably not staying for long. [Review 17551 overall - 347 in California - 1069 of 2022.]

Located less than five miles north from the John Erreca northbound rest stop, this Vista point…read moreright off of I-5 in Northern California provided some unobstructed views of the California Aqueduct and the pumping station. The station was built between 1963 and 1966. Its purpose is to provide enough energy for the water to continue to flow another 95 miles. Not sure if worth the stop, though the asphalt road off the highway provides a lot space for cars and trucks to park, along with plenty of runway to gain highway speed to re-enter the freeway.

I have driven past this at least 20 times. We finally pulled off to stop and why would a treat the…read moreviews are breathtaking and the visitor center is modern it has a fun 3-D interactive tour of the damn very clean restrooms and lots of information written on walls for people who like to read that. It was warm, but there are lots of shady spots under the trees and a nice set of benches to just sit and take in the reservoir. Kid friendly. Not pet friendly.

If you want to have a newly experience in nature, put this on your lists…read more They got a mini theater for the public information. So nice about it i saw Pres. Kennedy speech did a speech . Try it! Be ready to have your jacket, it's kinda cold and windy too. So come a have a day tour with your friends and families.

The city of Los Banos appears to be doing an excellent job supporting local businesses. I was able…read moreto visit numerous restaurants in the historic downtown area and enjoyed every minute. The town appears to be thriving and certainly has some excellent food. I especially like the attention they have given to preserving historic buildings in the area. There is such a friendly and small town feel that I felt welcomed even as a first-time visitor. Thank you!

Los Banos is basically the last affordable, drivable city close to the bay area--well to San Jose…read more From south SJ it takes exactly about an hour in near perfect road conditions (meaning not getting stuck behind slow cars and trucks on the 152), and also assuming you are used to driving through Pacheco Pass and not going on a snail's pace through there. Gilroy is 30 mins away with the same criteria above. You are closed to the I5. There is an In-n-out close by, not in the Los Banos city borders, but neighboring small town Santa Nella 10-15 mins away. Fresno is also about an hour with a straight through boring drive but easy. If you are thinking of Los Banos as a place to live because the bay area priced you out, you have to accept it's short comings. Pacheco pass can be crazy during rainy season or if very windy, and traffic can and will be bad at certain times through the 152. So if you commute a lot to the bay area, you have to make sure your car is very reliable, and be prepared--have AAA, phone service in the mountains, spare tires, air inflator, etc. The city itself isn't bad. It's only about 40,000 people. Not really big enough to grow a big gang presence and you don't hear much negatives on the news about it. You do hear thugs go to small towns, but they seem to be going to north valley cities and towns. There is a walmart, target, hobby lobby, home depot to name a few. They dont have any luxury stores or a Costco. Gilroy is your best bet, a long with other brand name shopping there. I could see Los Banos getting bigger because of it's close proximity and price, but I feel the 1 lane 152 and pacheco pass might limit that. A lot of the people I have met who live here all work in the bay area. Homes if you were only working in Los Banos are expensive as of 2022 (new homes going for $500-650K), and although that is "cheap" by bay area standards, that is expensive for most locals and long time "LB" residents. Schools are not really well rated, so that is a decision you have to make. Overall, I've passed by Los Banos A LOT and I always found it ok. The lack of being isolated and far from other busy cities might be a deal breaker for some.

This place blew me away. I had Rhanda (I think that's the spelling) as a guide and she was SO…read moreterrific. This is a historical landmark and she walked me through every room with great detail on the origin story and the rooms we were in. One of the best tour guides I've had. I have never experienced anything this - you have to really appreciate the amount of work, design and detail by Baldassare Forestiere - truly a feat! Very grateful the family makes this available for tours. Highly recommend if you appreciate gardening, architecture, art, engineering etc. They also did a great job of reminding me of my appointment and following up afterwards. If in Fresno area, this is a don't miss!!

My family along with our cousins and aunt decided to tour the Forestier Underground Gardens. It was…read moresuch a gem to visit. The gardens were built in an unexpected park of Fresno and these is a lot of history behind them. Parking was somewhat difficult but once you enter, the staff were very kind, organized, and positive. Our tour guide Raul was super sweet and provided a lot of history regarding the gardens and the family who built them. Raul had my 3 young boys engaged and interested. He answered all my questions and was so open to conversation. You could tell Raul was proud to be there telling all of us how the Gardens came to be. The Gardens are very interesting. I've never seen anything quite like these. The smell of all the citrus trees combine with the natural cooling underground was amazing and made the tour comfortable. If you have any time i do recommend visiting these secret gardens.

A very beautiful well kept cemetery. Surrounded by the mountains and the valley, very serene…read more The ceremony for my husband was in September and I couldn't ask for a better day and a better place to bury him. My husband served in the navy and the pastor who conducted the service couldn't have been nicer. There were many comments on how nice the ceremony was. Thank you to all service men and women who helped me with the burial of my husband. My husband was buried with honors Sincerely, Patricia Vanlier

My dad, my grandpa and grandma are all buried here. The grounds are well kept and the process for…read moremy dad's burial were made easy by the front office. They also did a 21 gun salute for my dad which was really nice. Sometimes when you come in they have all the flags being flown which is pretty nice. There is also a Korean War memorial wall with my other grandmas brother's name on it that I found. He passed away in combat and it was really touching to see his name on the memorial all these years later he was not forgotten. I'm sure my grandma would have loved that.

I've visited most of the 21 Spanish missions in California, as well as missions in Arizona and…read moreMexico. I've even written a book about the California Missions (The California Mission Guide). Mission San Juan Bautista is my favorite mission to visit! It was the 15th mission in California, and was founded in 1797. The mission itself is mid-sized, and it is well preserved; it is still an active Catholic church. (The climactic scene in Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 film masterpiece, Vertigo, was filmed at Mission San Juan Bautista. There is now a popular coffee shop in town called Vertigo, in honor of the film.) What makes this mission my favorite is the surrounding town. The slogan of San Juan Bautista is "The City of History," and it's well-deserved. Across the street from the mission you'll find the Castro-Breen adobe, built in 1836, and the Plaza Hotel, built in 1856. You can also visit the Plaza stable, built around 1870, which features a small collection of buggies and wagons. The town's original main street is just a couple of blocks from the mission. There is a self-guided walking tour that features almost 50 historic sites from the 1800's. There also restaurants, shops and antique galleries. Plan on spending a full day in San Juan Bautista!

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.

The Court of Mysteries (which also goes by The Red Brick Castle, among other names) is a beautiful…read moremonument and home in Santa Cruz, which not many people know about. It has a very interesting history to it, and though you cannot go inside the house or on the property itself (because it is a private residence), you can still appreciate the architecture from out front, including a lovely fountain in the courtyard, and learn about the stories and mysteries that have defined this unique landmark. These stories can easily be found online, but some of the most interesting details are that the original builder (Kenneth Kitchen and his brother) built it only during the night, modeled it after a Hindu temple, and incorporated hidden messages throughout, using shapes, astrological symbols, and dashes and dots resembling morse code, with possible connection to the occult. Also, there is no historical record of Kenneth Kitchen after he left Santa Cruz in the 1950's, so yeah a lot of oddities to drive your imagination and make you wonder. One of the most intriguing parts of the Court of Mysteries is the "Gate of Prophesy" which has two magnificent towers and an intricately designed archway with the mysterious triangular structure at its center. Beautiful trees and vegetation surround the brick and abalone "temple" and entire site, creating a picturesque scene overall. Apparently the property was restored a few years ago by the previous owners (I'm pretty sure that rebuild didn't occur "only at night"). They even built a house on the left side to live in while reconstructing the Court of Mysteries. The property was subsequently sold in late 2021. If you're interested in a quick visit, it's easy to just park right on the street, take a few photos of the amazing archway and towers, and peek through the gate to see what the Court of Mysteries looks like today... and then maybe amuse yourself with the legend and history behind this strange phenomenon.

Once abandoned and in ruins, when we first moved to the Bay Area it was a desolate and decayed huge…read morelot with a pet goat and a caretaker in a mobile home to shoo off explorers and vandals. Built in the 1930s by Kenneth Kitchen. It's inspired by romanticized Hindu mysticism as well as the arcane and occult. Because of this the site is covered in symbology and hidden meaning. From the obvious all seeing eye at the front gate to the mini details in the brick there is an esoteric design language that keeps it all unified and cohesive. The legend is also complemented by the fact that the owner and brothers were bricklayers and stone masons and it was only constructed under moon light. It was purchased in 2016 and lovingly restored and developed by the new owners to preserve the local folk-art style architecture. The new main house is next to the "court of mysteries" and a lot of the missing abalone and smashed brick has been painstakingly replaced.

I love this bridge. From the classic arch to the concrete columns in perfect symmetry that bridges…read moreHighway 1, which straddles the cliffside where the Pacific meets Central California. Whether shrouded in fog or on a crystal-clear day, the view still captures people's hearts with awe and amazement. It was completed in 1932 and soars 260 feet above the coastline floor. Now in order to view this magnificent engineering marvel with one of nature's most spectacular backdrops, one has to stop, get out of the vehicle, and take the time to absorb what's around you. If just driving across, you can't see the good angles, and you'll be out of view within seconds. Because this is a narrow highway on a cliffside, there simply is not a lot of room to park and gaze for the amount of people this spot attracts. I passed by on my way to check into my campsite on a Sunday afternoon and it was packed to where standstill traffic occured. People were literally waiting for a parking spot to open up, so I had to hop on the opposing side of traffic for a bit to get past the congestion. I came back Monday morning around 8 am and I was the only person there. So timing is of essence here. There are a few viewing spots. 2 from the front (North and South ends) and one from the back. All are different angles with their own unique perspective. The one from the front on the North end is the most popular and have the most spots to park and view. And that viewing spot from that corner actually has a trail created by people that go down the cliffside about a 1/3 of the way down surprisingly. And the views changes pretty dramatically the further you go down. But you have to be very bold and somewhat athletic to go down that far. There are no barricades or safety measures so one slip could be an irreversible accident. I went down so far that on the way back up there were spots where you have to use all your limbs to scale back up, can't just simply walk back. I wouldn't have attempted this if there were dozens of people I had to navigate around. But on a quiet morning without another soul there, it was extremely peaceful filled with veneration and awe. I'll include a part of a poem by Robinson Jeffers who settled in this area in the middle part of the 20th century, and fell in love with the environment here. I totally get it. "I gazing at the boundaries of granite and spray, the established sea-marks felt behind me. Mountain and plain, the immense breadth of the continent before me and the mass and doubled stretch of water."

An architectural marvel and one of the most photographed bridges in California…read more Spans a deep, rugged canyon with breathtaking canyon-to-ocean perspectives. this iconic concrete arch bridge is the definitive landmark of Highway 1. Best Viewpoints: Pull off into the designated parking areas on the north side of the bridge just before crossing to get the classic postcard shot framing the bridge against the coastline.