Wow, talk about an engineering site to see in Walnut Creek! If you so happen to be running,…read morewalking, biking, or hiking through the Contra Costa Iron Horse Trail, then you've probably been stopped by this clam-shaped suspension bridge upon first sight. As you cross it, you'll start to notice the steel side towers that basically look like an outer shell of a clam. Attached from tower to tower are the hanging support cables. From the top, the hanging cables loop once, hold up, and essentially suspend the walkway. The walkway is only about 10 feet wide, but the length of the bridge extends across the busy eight lanes of Treat Blvd. To me, this landmark really represents the good people that live in this city. This is one modern bridge that I feel people should really (for once) stop, analyze, and appreciate the geometry of this structure. Although this bridge isn't historic or has the popularity of the Golden Gate or Oakland-Bay Bridge, the gems of San Francisco; This architectural beauty truly is the pearl of Walnut Creek.

BRIDGE TROLL The…read moreonly trolls that pass under this bridge are the ones driving up and down Treat. I'm sure lots of motorists fall into that category, especially around commute times. But you can safely cross over Treat Blvd. using this pedestrian/cyclist bridge, and you don't even have to wait for the light to turn green. The walking trails and canal trails lead all around town. Intersections with cool bridges for the exercise enthusiasts make these trails even more enjoyable. I love walking over streets and not making cars stop while I try to get across.

Lots of details about this interesting corner of the Bay Area provided by our guide Dan G. He was a…read morewealth of information, pretty funny and as a local was able to share a lot of perspective on the islands changes. Great day trip and I wish we had more time to poke around.

Wonderful tour led by Jim. History + nature! A great morning spent on the island…read more For people who are looking to visit the Naval Museum on the island, it is no longer open, but this tour is operative and you get to see the naval chapel and walk around the area. I was originally looking for information about the museum and arrived at this page: https://www.mihpf.org/tours. I hope this will help you find their tour options and dates! All digitalized, no fuss. And it turns out I was the only who signed up for today's tour, and they did not cancel on me because of that. I really really appreciated it. One last thing, the money you spend on the tour goes into helping this foundation : ) Yay!

Beautiful park. Great dog park. Clean and peaceful. Haven't been for a while but it has always been…read morea pleasant experience when I go.

I like that there is free parking. I came here on a Sunday, a little before 12 PM, and it was easy…read moreto find parking. This is one of the biggest outdoor public play structures in the Bay Area that I've been to so far. There are picnic tables available for rental, and it's a great place to host a kids' birthday party. There is some shade in the play structure area, but I wish there were more. There are public restrooms, but they need more frequent cleaning during the weekend. I came here on a hot Sunday, and there were a smoothie/shave ice truck and a soft serve truck parked nearby in the swim center parking lot for purchase.

A gorgeous library with a large selection of books and music. There is even a mini bookstore and…read morecafe inside! The staff were very helpful in helping me sign up for a card, use my pin, and find the events going on. Highly recommend for families and individuals looking for a calm place to read or hang out.

I needed to work so I stopped here for some quiet time and meetings. This library is close to…read moredowntown so parking was a concern for me, at first. Then I saw they had an underground parking garage - please note that it's not free. The library is on the smaller side but there two levels. I came during a time when there was a mommy & me group session, so cute. But it didn't interrupt my work. The best part is that there's a coffee shop attached to the library called Prologue.

It's an enormous orb (by artist Tot Archer). Above a Planet Fitness. Seems fitting? Gives off Atlas…read morecarrying the world on his shoulders vibes. I'm always game for imposing structures.

Here's a well-designed Veterans memorial plaza --made Hallowed and Sacred ground. That means never…read moreis yelling done here and no playing or games are to be played here. That includes pokeman players. I stood here to recognize, honor, respect, and grieve at the sacrifice of GIs. For they left too many pieces of their youth in too many battles for too many years. As I always do during our visits to any Veterans memorials, I cried silently. For over and over and over I kept hearing young voices. They were softly saying: when you go home, tell them of us and that for your tomorrows, we gave our today. All Veterans memorials commemorate that the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one's country. Veterans answered the call. Isaiah 6:8 ESV: And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." Here is a memorial for those who wrote a blank check to the United States of America for up to and including their life. As I left, I remembered, all history, such as what is here, is prologue. February is Black History Month During World War I (28 July 1914 - 11 Nov 1918), despite rampant, violent and overt racism, more than 350,000 black Americans Served in US Army segregated units; 6,750 in US Navy though only allowed as coal heavers, messmen, stewards, and cooks; just over 5,000 in US Coast Guard as messmen others at segregated Life-Saving Stations there to aid ships in distress; the US Marines then barred all blacks. Approximately 1,200 of those holding US Army officer commissions during World War I were black. The French needed more military men during World War I and welcomed black Americans as equal comrades-in-arms. To French Army instructors, blacks were simply Americans to be trained for combat. The black Americans clearly excelled. The 369th Infantry regiment, later nicknamed the "Harlem Hellfighters", of which one Henry Johnson was a member, was among the first to arrive in France, and among the most highly decorated when it returned home. William Henry Johnson (circa 15 Jul 1892 - 1 Jul 1929), commonly known as Henry Johnson, enlisted 5 June 1917, in United States Army. Private Johnson performed heroically and above the call of duty in the first African American unit of the US Army to engage in combat in World War I. On watch in the Argonne Forest on 14 May 1918, he fought off a German raid in hand-to-hand combat, killing several enemy soldiers and rescuing a fellow soldier all while suffering 21 wounds. In 1918, the French government awarded Johnson with a Croix de Guerre with the highest Star and Bronze Palm. He was the first US soldier in World War I to receive that honor. Johnson's military heroism first came to national attention in an article by Irvin S. Cobb entitled "Young Black Joe" published in the 24 August 1918 Saturday Evening Post. Returning home, now-Sergeant Johnson participated with his 369th Infantry regiment in a victory parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City in February 1919. Veterans Bureau records show a "permanent and total disability" rating for tuberculosis granted to Johnson 16 September 1927. Additional Veterans Bureau records refer to him receiving monthly Veterans disability compensation and regular visits by Veterans Bureau medical personnel until his Service-connected all-too-early death 1 July 1929, in Washington, D.C. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery 6 July 1929. In November 1991, a monument was erected in Albany, New York's Washington Park in Johnson's honor, and a section of Northern Boulevard was renamed Henry Johnson Boulevard. The US Army awarded him awarded the Purple Heart in 1996, and in 2002, the Distinguished Service Cross. 4 September 2007, the Brighter Choice Foundation in Albany, New York, dedicated the Henry Johnson Charter School, with Johnson's granddaughter in attendance. A 1918 commercial poster honoring Johnson's wartime heroics was the subject of a 2012 episode of the PBS television series History Detectives. December 2014, City School District of Albany established a Junior Reserve Officers Training Program (JROTC) at Albany High School named the Henry Johnson Battalion in honor of him. The program currently enrolls over 100 cadets. 2 June 2015, he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in a posthumous ceremony at the White House. 2017, Albany-area PBS station WMHT aired a documentary about Johnson titled Henry Johnson: A Tale of Courage. Johnson's story is recounted in the song Don't Tread on Me (Harlem Hellfighters) by the Ukrainian death metal band 1914 on their album Where Fear and Weapons Meet, released 22 October 2021. 24 May 2022, The Naming Commission recommended that Fort Polk in Leesville, Louisiana, be renamed Fort Johnson after Henry Johnson, rather than its former namesake, a confederate who had taken up arms again US.

REVIEW #2900! The…read moreVeterans Memorial Plaza was dedicated on May 31, 2004. It's located adjacent to Walnut Creek City Hall and was one place that Gayle walked me through on our very first date back on March 9, 2005. It consists of a tree-lined and landscaped plaza, granite walkways and facings, quiet places to sit, small pools of water, strategically placed inscriptions, and obelisks marked with the 5 main military branches - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. I returned for the 2011 Memorial Day ceremony that started across the street at the Civic Park Gazebo and finished up here. This year's theme was to honor the more tan 80,000 American soldiers who remain missing in action. The guest speaker was U.S. Navy Cmdr. Renee Richardson, who works for the U.S. Department of Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office in Washington, D.C. Although that address was very good, one other main highlight for me was the recognition of a citizen who had worn a POW/MIA bracelet for years, and donated it to her solder, as his remains were finally recovered and given a proper military burial. The theme of "Leave No One Behind" was very powerful at that point. The other key highlight was Gayle's son (a Marine Veteran) laying a wreath at the Plaza in in memory of service personnel who paid the ultimate sacrifice. And all this while his daughter, wife, parents, other family members, a Marine Honor Guard, a military plane overflight, and other citizens (including Veterans) bore witness.

Best experience ever! I had 8 relatives from Japan come to visit my mother who is in Memory Care…read more Valley Vacay was responsive and bent over backwards to accommodate us. From picking us up at the airport, to driving us all over the Silicon Valley and San Francisco, the service was amazing. Edward, the owner, was our driver on the longest day 6:30am to 11pm, and he kept the group happy and met their every request--even a visit to Home Depot!? I cannot rave enough about Valley Vacay's services.

Edward is amazing and couldn't more highly recommend valley limo…read more We had a trip from SF to Sonoma for the day and the crew was on time, helpful, and so easy to work with. The car was new, had Bluetooth for music, and they had no problem getting to our favorite spots, even if they were off the beaten path. Will be booking again soon :)