***the lake itself is part of a community called HIDDEN LAKE as well***…read more OVERALL: Meh. Wouldn't go out of my way to drive here to walk; therefore the 4 stars rating. Due to being part of a community, there are a ton of guest parking (especially near the gates to this park) BUT if you keep driving, the parking lot for this "park" is on the outside (you turn in with the sign "HIDDEN PARK LAKE" in green lettering/tanish brown background and there are a few spots for you to pick from). Two stairways up to other flat cement ground trails. Very quarry lake vibes but not much water. Lake itself is a smaller circular flat cement ground leveled trail. Regarding up the stairs: One way does end up at another park whereas the other way just ends up in another neighborhood/main road. Lack of shade. Lots of ducks. There's few places to sit. Few trash bins. No visible toilets.

Beautiful place to walk no restroom and limited parking look for all the turtles in the lakeread more

Cool ghost town visible from train - San Jose to Sacramento…read more It was so fun discovering this small ghost town in the middle of the South at wetlands. A raucous history clings to Drawbridge - hunting and maybe gambling at one time or another. Built in the 1870s and it became 'ghostly' after the last person left in 1979. I like the background of the town and how it spices up the history of the southern part of San Francisco Bay.

I found out about Drawbridge on Atlas Obsura and was fascinated. It's definitely one the better…read moreelusive urbex destinations. You technically can't go here so I won't go into detail on how to get there but it's best to find someone who's been here before to guide you as it can be tricky to find and some entrances might be blocked off. The abandoned buildings on the side of the train tracks are spread out and you can get some nice photos with the hills and marshland in the background. It's worth going but this is a production. It's about a 9-mile walk and yes you do have to watch out for the train. Most of the time it's fine but there is a small stretch when you need to cross a bridge over water and let's just say you don't want to end up like those kids on Stand By Me. If you don't want to do the walk you can take an Amtrak Train which goes through it.

As small business month is quickly approaching I was thinking how wonderful and vibrant a community…read moreJapantown San Jose is. There so many seasoned and new diverse small business owners here in the heart of Japantown. Classic Loot, Zonkey, Roy's, Santo Market, Taqueria Corona, Minato, Hukilau, Kazoo are among my families favorites. We have also enjoyed and welcomed new businesses too like Banne (yummy sourdough) and Furbaby Fancy petgrooming (the most posh and elite pet grooming experience) into our rotation as well! I should have just listed all the businesses here! So proud of the businesses that contribute to our community!

There's definitely a lot of history, community love, and shops and restaurants here. It's smaller…read morethan the other Little Tokyo in LA and Japan Town in SF (I think), but because we came around midday lunch time on a Tuesday after Fanime, not many stores or restaurants were surprisingly open? Maybe it's due to being after Memorial Day or because most of them were night time dinner service only restaurants. Either way it's much cleaner than Little Tokyo in LA and with less jump scares and trash everywhere. Easier to find parking and more affordable, in a sense, than Japan Town SF. Stopped by the Japanese grocery store and Santo Market while we were here. Fun to kill a couple of hours, I suppose. I just gotta come back here again when more things are open !

This festival started out a couple of years ago as a really good one to enjoy. This year though,…read moreit was barely better than doing ones laundry. The amount of vendors selling crafts has gone way down and those participating here have to jack up their prices because the Milpitas Chamber was sucking 10% off the top for all money made by the vendor. This is a perfect way to keep the little guys away and to make the big guys really gouge the customers. As to beer or wine? What a joke. We are in the middle of Micro Brewery America and are offered Michelob and a couple of other tap choices. Wine was worse. If it wasn't for Schlossadler Wines being there as a booth trying to sell wine by the case but offering tastes of their great line, the fair only had Beringer which is about $13.50 a bottle. At the festival it was $5 for half a plastic glass. I go to an Art and Wine festival for the arts and crafts and for some wine. Milpitas lacked in every regard here. Try to do better next year. More variety for the wines and foods. Do something to attract as many vendors as you had three years ago.

This festival changed its name to Celebrate Milpitas. This was very packed and very…read morehappening...Then suddenly it wasn't so much...and cancelled it this year. The real story??? They changed the people planning the festival, and the traffic died and then no more...the economy probably added to it. The new people planning it didn't advertised it as much...it was a balloon over the Wells Fargo building on Calaveras...that was it! They didn't continue any of the signs all over Milpitas and in high traffic areas...real sad! Hopefully in 2010 they'll revive it...

Solid pedestrian bridge linking the cities of Santa Clara and San Jose…read more This red rust color bridge is a special link across the Guadalupe River. The only pedestrian bridge for miles. Not only is it utilitarian useful, but it also melds organically with the local landscape. One can appreciate its aesthetically pleasing form. I appreciate the views of the river, trees changing colors and view of golden hills in the east. Why does the sky appear bigger here?

Drumroll...... For…read moremy widely anticipated 500th review, I present to you the upside-down airplane!!! Now I had a hard time agonizing over whether or not I wanted to put this little known local curiosity up into the spotlight, but I figured that it would be worth it for you yelpers! So, what exactly is the upside-down airplane? Well, it's exactly what it sounds like. You gather a bunch of friends with a heady sense of adventure and get in the car. Start out in Fremont on Morrison Canyon Road and go past the residential area and then go up into the mountains and wind around for a bit and choose the right forks in the road, and you'll reach a dead end. At this dead end, you can see some gates barring you from entering any further into private property. If it's a sunny day or you just happen to have good eyes, you can spot this little airplane that is built upside down on top of this tower. How curious... If you're out at night or if you're unlucky, an old man with a big light will come out of his trailer and chase you away. That means RUN FOOLS!!!!! With your heartbeat thudding wildly in your ears, you drive down the windy mountain road, your demise only an arms width away, until it somehow dumps you off in Sunol. Don't worry...680 is nearby, so you can hop back on the freeway and mosey on home. If you're here for other reasons, there are lots of private little spots to pull off on the side of the road, and you'll often see cars parked off to the side with the windows fogged up. I wonder what they could be doing in there? Hm. There you have it Yelpers! You have torn from me the one spot that no one has ever heard of. Don't abuse it too much! So what's the story about this place? I guess since I'm writing an expose, I should go all the way... Apparently the upside down airplane is the location of a test antenna site for a company called TRW. The wire mesh model of the upside down airplane is supposed to act like an antenna. There are lots of antennas set up around here for whatever purposes, who knows? Supposedly they are still in use. They've been up here for many many years, and been the source of entertainment for many high school and college kids. This spot is passed down through word of mouth and car rides at night...until now. Watch out, they have security here year round and will chase you away. Why? Because you're not supposed to be here. If you would like to pursue this curiosity some more there are many pictures for your entertainment. And if you're lucky, maybe I'll take you up there myself one day ;)

Ride your mountain bike up there ...... You'll need to stop a time or 2 to stuff your heart & lungs…read moredown ..... Have fun on the way down!

Lupe the Mammoth is a cool (not so) little structure on the Guadalupe River Trail about 4 miles…read morefrom Alviso. There's not much around the area, so unless you are biking or jogging on the trail, it might seem out of the way to view such a simple little-known monument. But it has a neat little story behind it for anyone interested in art, science, history, or nature, or even just cool quirky attractions that are free of cost. A guy came across the collection of bones while walking his dog along the trail back in 2005. How awesome is that, it's like finding a dinosaur in your backyard! The actual remains can now be found at the Childrens Discovery Museum in San Jose where they can inspire kids to "dig for fossils" and explore the past, but the unique sculpture on the Guadalupe River Trail marks the setting of this magnificent discovery. And it is far from ordinary. It's beautifully crafted out of bent steel pipes, and almost twice the size of the actual baby mammoth remains. The area and the exhibit itself are not run down by trash or graffiti or shady characters, so it makes for a pleasant experience and worth checking out. The area is actual pretty quiet and scenic, besides the Trimble Road highway (there's an underpass that connects the trail if you're looking to cross the busy street). It's surrounded by business parks, with private parking only. So there is no parking at the exact location of the mammoth statue. However if you're driving, there is free street parking on Seaboard Ave (6am-10pm), next to the nearby 76 gas station, within walking distance... Though the sculpture can easily be viewed from Trimble Road, please don't stop on the street (illegally) and block traffic. This isn't the most exciting attraction in San Jose so you shouldn't have too high of expectations. But if looking for a low-key outing that won't cost you a penny, this is a great option (to appreciate this work of art in person, not just through photos).

Columbia mammoth spotted along the Guadeloupe Trail! Ok, actually it is only the whiff of a memory…read moreof a memory locked in a skeleton fossil over 12,500 years old. A sculpture of a mammoth made of what looks like curved metal bars sits under a tree waving at commuting cars trundling along the street. It is massive and I think quite cool. I hope the city makes it a habit of putting more sculptures and works of art along the trail. There is a small information board that gives you the low-down on Lupe, her discovery, and how old it is. A cool snippet of one of the coolest cousin to elephants that used to wander in Silicone Valley in the Pleistocene period. Tres cool! The large metal structure isn't in the best location, but can easily be visited by joggers, walkers and bicyclists wandering along the Guadeloupe trail where is passes through the city of Santa Clara.

We visited the town of Niles on a Sunday morning/afternoon to check out Charlie Chaplin Days at…read moreNiles Essanay Silent Film Museum. We were so excited just to attend this museum and event that we had no idea that the entire neighborhood would set us up for such a fitting suprise. As we approached our venue, we noticed how charming this quaint little town was. It isn't your typical shops and eateries, rather a couple sweet shops and bars along Niles Blvd, a salon, an art gallery, and other miscellaneous businesses here and there... Then the vast majority of shops are antique stores and unique gift shops with quirky and delightful items for sale, many nostalgic pieces, just endless vintage treasures, store after store after store! They each had their own identity and character too, it wasn't a repetition of cheap, knockoff goods.  Some cool finds were signs/home decor for sale with clever and unique quotes, vintage sports apparel and memorabilia, lots of animal-themed items, a really old Ken and Barbie set, plenty of classic toys, an old typewriter, knives, and so much more. That was more for entertainment, not for buying this time around. However, we did pick up an old chess set with beautifully designed Inca and Conquistadors chess pieces from Keith's Collectibles and Books.  Other antique and specialty shops along Niles include Diamond in the Rust Maker's Market, Mantiques, Lost In The Attic, American Trading Post, Les Belles Antiques, Paula's Grandtiques, A Moment In Time, Devils Workshop & Mercantile, and My Friends and I. And most of these businesses were open on a Sunday, till 5pm, the eateries and bars open later of course. There were even a few classic and antique cars parked along the boulevard, and Niles Flying A (social club for car enthusiasts). Even if you're not into shopping (or window shopping), they hold a good number of events here annually and throughout the year, including antique faires, flea markets, farmers markets, car shows, dog shows, concerts, garden tours, holiday lightings, and of course special events at the Essanay Silent Film Museum, which is what we attended this day. Such a cool town, beyond just Niles Blvd.. several beautiful parks nearby too. It's hard to believe it's part of the city of Fremont, since it seems and feels like its own little world. I will definitely be back.

Unexpectedly charming little corner of the Bay Area - we stumbled on it by accident and loved it…read more If you go - make sure you visit the train cars at the station, and stop by the plaza to spin the steel reels and watch the moving pictures, an homage to the silent movie museum nearby. If you're peckish, Bronco Billy's serves superb and inexpensive pizza, and there are excellent coffee and ice cream shops as well. Can't wait to be back!

Located at Edith Morley Park in Campbell, near the percolation ponds, this wall sculpture is…read morecomprised of symbols of nature as portrayed by the artist, Glen Rogers. Her works focus on elements representative of feminism, spirituality, and living earth. This particular piece presents shapes and images that support this theme. And the setting features lovely trees along the wall that complement the steel sculpture beautifully. It's worth checking out if you're in the area.

This is a temporary art exhibition at Plaza de Cesar Chavez, featuring oaxacan animal sculptures…read moremade of fiberglass and metal construction and painted with colorful and imaginative designs. My faves were the lionbull, the happy alien, and of course, the rabbit (by artist María Jiménez). A couple of the artworks are located across the street, near the SJ Museum of Art and in front of Bijan Bakery, but the rest are scattered throughout the park, a lovely sight to see among the beautiful trees and decorative lights in the plaza. Supposedly the statues themselves light up after dark. But perhaps they were broken during my recent visit, or maybe these creatures partied too hard over the weekend during the Pride festivities, cuz only one was illuminated with color-changing lights at nightfall. It was still enjoyable to explore these creative pieces during the day, especially on a Monday afternoon without the distraction of annoying crowds. Plus it's free to view, unless there's a special event happening which charges an admission fee. San Jose Jazz and its partners are hosting various community gatherings and activities in the plaza through the end of September as part of this exhibition, including cultural festivals and movie & music nights. These are great opportunities to check out this fun and unique art display and celebration of Mexican tradition and heritage. And just maybe, if you're lucky, you'll get to see all of the sculptures lit at night during these events.

The three stars is for the Coco movie shown last night, next to the Art Museum. The problem was…read morethat the view of the movie screen was faded, because of a city sidewalk spotlight which was aimed directly at the movie screen. This made the movie harder to see. Because one of the palm trees cast a shadow over the right-third of the screen, the right side of the screen was easier to see than the left side of the screen, which suboptimized the experience, because our eyes keep reminding us that one side of the screen is faded, while the other side is not, which forces the mind to continually have to adjust for the whole hour and a half. But the black statue at the other end of the park lit up well in the dark: