Unity is six interlocking steel rings created by abstract expressionist sculptor Bruce Beasley…read more commissioned by the city of Fremont at a cost of $206,000, Unity is 22 feet tall, 33 feet by 33 feet, weighs 3700 pounds. the view from all angles is similar. while it can mean anything that is interconnected thru common bonds, Beasley states Unity represents the synergy of Fremont, it's residents, the elected government, the city staff, the businesses & the physical environment. Bruce Beasley creates art works displayed all over the world.

This museum, run by members and volunteers, showcases a small collection of materials from various…read morebus companies as well as actual buses guests can explore on site, some inside the garage and some parked outside on display. I checked out a few of them, and the staff was nice enough to unlock buses by request since I was the only visitor there and only a couple of them had their doors open initially. He also shared the history of some of the vehicles, such as the Pacific Greyhound Lines #1945 which was originally a General Motors coach (Missouri Pacific Stages #821), used in films (just like several others on site) converted into a motorhome, and restored before being donated to the Pacific Bus Museum. There was plenty of interesting details to learn about each, and I enjoyed viewing the posters and ads inside the buses too. There's a $5 donation fee for adults, and free admission for kids. I purchased a pull back toy bus from the gift shop for my nephew before leaving. They sell pricier model buses too (around the $75 range), as well as printed shirts. I'm not a fan of the limited and unpredictable hours of operation, but altogether I had a positive experience at this unique museum.

Never knew this place existed. Very cool collection of vintage buses and most if not all of them…read moreare in full working condition.

We went this morning to see if anything new looked good. It seems like it's much smaller this year…read more The good was there's much more food trucks and vendors. Also a very large police presence. Not sure why,but better than no presence at all. Plenty of available parking today. The bad news, no new vendors.

This year's festival was a letdown since they cut the vendors in half, which meant a shorter…read morewalking radius and fewer Asian fusion options. I'm not sure why there were over five permanent jewelry vendors at the Art and Wine Festival when you only need two. There wasn't much local artwork, fewer wine options, and generic beers. The food trucks were mostly carnival food, bbq, jerky, local bakers, and Asian desserts. I enjoyed getting the same lemonade from Macs by Icky, bean pie from Delightful Foods, a non-alcoholic pina colada from Tropical Hut, and a colorful soft serve from Twisted K's. I even went home with free sodas thanks to Shasta. The barbecue and food truck options were good, but a bit pricey. Love the live Latin and Country performances so far, way better than Martha Reeves' brutal national anthem. That one kept me in a good mood despite the 95-degree weather. Also, don't forget to spin the wheel at the Ohlone College and Half Price Bookstore tent to win a freebie. I even got a free tote, a foldable dog bowl, and a magnetic clip from the Fremont Police, and a firefighter hat from the Fremont Firefighters. You can find free parking in Civic Center Place or street parking near city hall.

Beautiful ambiance and filled with so many beautiful trees and plants. The deck over the water is…read moreabsolutely serene, and I love it when the turtles come out of the water and relax on the nearby rocks. The Koi fish are absolutely beautiful and the Japanese marble stones, depicting, beautiful descriptions of Hayward sister cities add so much uniqueness to this garden. Families come here to enjoy celebrations, quality time, and overall peaceful views.

Five stars because it costs no yen…read more As far as Japanese gardens go, this one is my least favorite because it is rectangular, with a visible metal fence perimeter, with ugly trash and graffiti visible from across the creek and no opportunities to feed the koi fish. Three things, though, that make it special is that they have memorial plaques, stray cats, and blowtorched wood for an aged and weather-resistant finish. From 1913-1962, the site was a practice site for farming and raising livestock for Hayward Union High. It became a garden by the late 1970s, and when dedicated in 1980, focusing on botany (with plants donated by local Japanese-American nurseries) rather than religion. Every first Saturday at 1pm there's a free lecture/tour. It's not especially beautiful or big (3.5 acres) or exciting (the few people I saw there were on their phones), but it's a peaceful, clean area. I think informational displays could help people enjoy it more. Or phone chargers. Information like, many of the wooden connections (including the main entry gate) have notches instead of notches to fit together like puzzle pieces. This more authentic approach prevents rust. Or, the garden uses the Shakkei technique: when you can stand at the highest point, the surrounding trees are meant to look like distant mountains, with specific plants blended with the Japanese maples and native Oaks to make the garden feel ten timers larger than its actual 3.5 acres. Or, the hand-selected granite boulders from the Sierra Nevadas are buried one-third into the ground so it looks like they are growing, which is why I don't manicure myself often. .

What can we really say about Fremont other than...It's Fremont. I went to Azevada elementary school…read morefor several years in my former/younger life here. If you're not over 40, we didn't go there at the same time. lol I have fond memories of fremont from my youth, that include The Fremont Hub, NewPark mall, and a lot more...but it's very different today. I've noticed it's become less diverse and a lot different. Still a cool place to visit, not the hub of entertainment, but safe and quiet for the most part. It has a beautiful landscape as most cities in the bay that run along the foothills and bodies of water at the same time.

What a beautiful Bay Area city, rolling hills, historic farming area, great community spirit…read more I work in Fremont and have found my co-workers love it here, with hiking and bike trails everywhere. Especially notable is the Community Spirit: The Shaolin Festival (5/15) was enhanced by several elected officials describing the importance of strong community & family- health, unity, hope. It was inspiring to me, as a volunteer at this event.

this mural viewable in the 7-11 parking is faded and quite old. no doubt a comic book store was…read moreonce a tenant in the building behind it. Batman, Superman, Captain American, Flash, Spider Man, Hulk, and Wolverine can be seen in the mural. doubt such a mural can be painted these days as Marvel and DC comics don't mix their heros with other groups. creator: United BUstvie?

Faded but has great memories! When I see this I know I'm home! (My mural). This was painted when…read moreAmerican Comics was there. When I had this painted, 9-11 had just happened. This was in honor of the strength of our country. Look at the top right corner... clearly has 9-11 on it.

Epoch is a public art installation located in the City of Sunnyvale, California. Located on Java…read moreStreet and adjacent to the NetApp headquarters, it is the work of Brad J. Goldberg. Goldberg, a native of Rhode Island, specializes in large outdoor installations. His works can be massive and often incorporate element of the surrounding community into account. From the artist: "Artist Brad Goldberg sees his work as a fusion between sculpture, landscape, and the built environment. Sculptures are seen, not as isolated objects, but rather as spirit-creating components of larger spatial experiences. The desire to work with the environment as a whole allows the creation of a unique non-preconceived response to the total aspect of a place." Epoch is a fantastic instillation. Its composed of three large granite boulders that have been cut in half and arranged in a split fashion. The cut surfaces have been polished smooth and the whole face has been engraved with binary code which reflects the technological aspect of the area. I freely admit that I can still send rudimentary signals with semaphore (Thank you Boy Scouts) but binary code reading is beyond my skill so I have no idea if there is a message in teh code. However, as I was taking a picture of a snail on the surface I noticed that several words were engraved into its surface breaking up the strings of 1 and 0's. The words I found were: Change, Nature, Community, Listen, Integrity, Imagination, Evolve, Substance, See, Chaos, and Craft. The artist intent was to show "words which can be seen to align or conflict with today's technological advancements". If that was his true intent he really hit it spot on. Epoch as noted is located in a technology park and basically surrounded by office space. There is very little in the area beyond this installation and it should be treated as a stop as opposed to an outright destination. There is a light rail station right next to the street for the public tranpost inclined.

I grew up going to an amazing library where the children's section was magical, full of books that…read morehelped your imagination soar. The library was an important place to pass the time. And as I grew up it was a place for projects and study. But, as an adult and bookstore giants came into my life, I went to libraries less and less. I'm in a season of life where frugality is important to me so I'm desiring to visit public libraries more often with hopes to find a similar magic as what I experienced as a child. Except, my magic now is different from then. Work space is important to me now. Fremont Main Library is in central Fremont near Lake Elizabeth. I haven't used it to check out books in a very long time and with online and digital books, it's easier to download from home, but there is nothing better than touching a physical book that creaks in the binding when you open its covers. But, I'm here to do some work and be out in the world while I do without spending any money. Perfect place for this! Connection: Wifi is great! Just select the library, hit connect and you're in the game. Space: Two floors. There is a nice map in the entrance hallway, pointing you to the different shelf sections so you can find what you need. Check out is automatic now. The Main Desk is super helpful if you have any questions. There is very comfortable cushioned seating with really long tables (LOVE) (and single spots) around the library. The AC is quite cool, so if you run cold bring a sweater. If you run warm, the air will feel amazing! And if you're super lucky, you might get a table by the window with a stunning view of Mission Peak. The parking lot has a lot of spaces. You. might even find a shaded spot under some trees. The library is walking distance to Lake Elizabeth. Fuel: No food in the library. I see water bottles at other tables so I suspect water is fine. The only issue I have with this library are the hours. I wish it had full 10am-9pm hours like many other libraries. Those are the hours I grew up with, making library entrance accessible for everyone no matter their lifestyle and life limitations.

The only library in Fremont where you can register for an Alameda County library card to access all…read moreAlameda County libraries and online resources. So cute, they offer a mini library card you can hang on your keychain. It's big, with two floors, and includes clean restrooms, meeting rooms for community events, a plant seed library, study rooms, a children's section, printers and computers, and a makerspace for 3D printing (must sign a waiver beforehand). Sometimes a book sale. It's not that fancy, with no cafe inside like other libraries have in the rich area. Most of the books are outdated from the 2010s; only a few novels are updated to the past few years. I wish they offered more up-to-date design books on topics like User Experience Design and AI, which I read as a refresher in multimedia design. You can borrow up to six books for over two weeks, and they automatically renew the next return date. I prefer to read three per month to be considerate. Scanning several books at the kiosk is easier and faster than a checkout line. They do have great access to free online resources such as audiobooks, music streaming, Hoopla Digital (Netflix dupe), and full access to magazines and newspapers without subscriptions. You can also use your library card to get free passes to certain museums and galleries across the Bay Area on Discover & Go. Sometimes they might have National Park passes to Yosemite, which you have to check with the library first around May. Plus, they offer free seminars like resume writing from Ohlone College, filing taxes, and family activities for kids. There's even a glasses donation box courtesy of the Lions Club International. Lots of parking in front with easy access to Lake Elizabeth, pickleball courts, and the Fremont Police Department. I also love that they provide a library locker near Irvington Community Park and Warm Spring Community Center, where you can pick up books that you reserved online with your library account, which is so convenient to walk to from home. You can drop your books in the return box next to the lockers. I don't have to drive to the main library to avoid silly children and encounter homeless people lying near the return box.

What a great train ride! Lots of different cars to explore and ride during the approx. 90 minute…read moreride. The Conductor and Brakeman were both eager to talk about the NCR, and were very knowledgeable about the rolling stock. As my bro-in-law was a volunteer at the So Cal Railroad Museum, he chatted up the Conductor, and we ended up getting an unadvertised tour of the yard, seeing all the engines, cars, and work units that were being renovated. Mason, our energetic and enthusiastic guide, showed us almost every piece of rail history in the yard, and knew the history of them all. Everyone there is a volunteer; Mason is an artitect and volunteers nights and weekends. Be sure to ask about a yard tour. It's not always available. And be sure to visit the quaint town of Niles! It's worth an hour or three!

10/10 -- Worth Every Penny (Parlor/Dome Car Experience)…read more If you're considering the Niles Canyon Train of Lights, do yourself a favor and splurge on the Parlor Car or Dome car. It completely transforms the experience. From the moment you board, you're treated like a VIP: dedicated seating in a fully enclosed caboose, attentive service throughout the ride, and complimentary warm drinks and sweets that are perfect for a cold, wet winter night. Being waited on while rolling through a glowing canyon? Yes, please. One of the biggest perks is having your own reserved space, while still being free to explore the rest of the train--knowing your seat is secure and shared only with fellow Parlor Car Riders. It strikes the perfect balance between comfort and adventure. I've done both the 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm departures, and while both are enjoyable, 4:30 pm is the clear winner for me. You get to take in the scenery before the sun fully sets, which adds a magical transition from daylight to twinkling lights. The 7:30 pm ride feels more social and cozy--great for lingering conversations with family and friends--but the earlier ride lets you truly appreciate your surroundings. As for the cost, it's important to note that this railway is 100% donation-funded and entirely volunteer-operated. Knowing that every dollar goes directly toward preserving the historic railway, maintaining the trains, and supporting the volunteers who make this experience possible makes the price feel even more justified. You're not just paying for a ride--you're supporting a piece of living history. Bottom line: Cozy Thoughtfully curated For a great cause Perfect for winter evenings If you're on the fence about the Parlor Car or Dome Car upgrade--it's absolutely worth it.