28 County Parks – part 5 of 5

Alviso Marina County Park

Alviso Marina County Park
Alviso Marina County Park
The Salt Marsh Safari is free, though you have to sign up for tickets online in advance. The hour and a half boat ride through the Alviso slogh, which is the Guadalupe River flowing through the marsh lands on its way to the San Francisco Bay, comes with county park staff to guide the learning.
Alviso Marina County Park
Alviso Marina County Park
Alviso Marina County Park
In the San Francisco Bay, looking south east. Flowing towards us from the left comes the Coyote Creek water as it mixes with the Guadalupe River water coming in from the right. In other words, this is all water that has already flowed flowed through several of the county parks we have been visiting.

Ed Levin County Park

Ed Levin County Park
Ed Levin County Park
Ed Levin County Park
Ed Levin County Park

Penitencia Creek County Park

Penitencia County Park
Penitencia County Park

Joseph D. Grant County Park

Joseph D. Grant County Park
Lick Observatory from the ranch house garden. So many humming birds in here.
Joseph D. Grant County Park
Joseph D. Grant County Park
Joseph D. Grant County Park
Black-tailed deer.
Joseph D. Grant County Park
A family of nine wild boar. This day had so much wild life!
Joseph D. Grant County Park
Turkey Vulture above. There were also countless wild turkeys on the ground.

Hellyer County Park

Hellyer County Park
Hellyer County Park

Martial Cottle County Park

Martial Cottle County Park
Martial Cottle County Park
Martial Cottle County Park

Wow. That was all 28 Santa Clara County Parks. That was a great adventure for us. We saw so much wildlife, so many reservoirs supporting our drinking water, played and explored in some of our favorite places, found new places, and learned much. In fact, I continue to learn as I research the parks we visited and things we read, saw, or heard from park rangers and other visitors.

Visiting them all, one after the other, was an arbitrary challenge I came up with… And it turned out wonderfully… And it became a sweet and memorable family experience.

28 County Parks – part 3 of 5

Almaden Quicksilver County Park

Almaden Quicksilver County Park
Almaden Quicksilver County Park
Almaden Quicksilver County Park

Los Gatos Creek County Park

Los Gatos Creek County Park
Los Gatos Creek County Park
Los Gatos Creek County Park

Vasona County Park

Vasona County Park
Vasona County Park
Technically, the train station pictured here for the one-third scale train is in the city park adjacent to the county park, though most of the track runs through the county park.

Lexington County Park

Lexington County Park
Lexington County Park

Villa Montalvo County Park

Villa Montalvo County Park
Villa Montalvo County Park
Villa Montalvo County Park
Villa Montalvo County Park

28 County Parks – part 2 of 5

Mount Madonna County Park

Mount Madonna County Park
Mount Madonna County Park
Mount Madonna County Park

Chitactac-Adams County Park

Chitactac-Adams County Park
Chitactac-Adams County Park
Chitactac-Adams County Park
That symbol on the rock, like ripples, is a 2000 year old petroglyph!
Chitactac-Adams County Park

Uvas Reservoir County Park

Uvas Reservoir County Park

Uvas Canyon County Park

Uvas Canyon County Park
Uvas Canyon County Park

Chesbro Reservoir County Park

Chesbro County Park

Calero County Park

Calero County Park
Calero County Park
My oldest took this photo.

28 County Parks – part 1 of 5

The arbitrary mission I assigned myself was to pack lunches, snacks, water, and kids into a car and visit, or revisit, each of the 28 Santa Clara County Parks within a few days. I don’t know how arbitrary missions and the accomplishment of them can be so satisfying, but it was a wonderful adventure.

Santa Teresa County Park

Santa Teresa County Park
Santa Teresa County Park
Santa Teresa County Park

Coyote Creek County Park

Coyote Creek County Park
Coyote Creek County Park

Motorcycle County Park

Motorcycle County Park
Motorcycle County Park
Motorcycle County Park

Field Sports County Park

Field Sports County Park
Field Sports County Park

Anderson Lake County Park

Anderson Lake County Park
Anderson Lake County Park

Coyote Lake Harvey Bear County Park

Coyote Lake County Park
Coyote Lake County Park
Coyote Lake County Park

West Santa Clara St. Mural

San Jose Mural

I could stare at this downtown San Jose mural every day. I am enamored with this. I adore it. Created by San Jose artist Lacey Bryant.

San Jose Mural
San Jose Mural
San Jose Mural
San Jose Mural

I love the art of it, the movies my mind creates inspired by it, the fantasy, the San Jose references within the work, the flow of emotions and thoughts I come to when staring at it.

San Jose Buildings

Here are a few buildings that I was admiring on a walk.

San Jose Buildings
Bank of Italy Building, which became Bank of America.
San Jose Buildings
Top of the Bank of Italy building.
San Jose Buildings
San Jose Buildings
San Jose Buildings
Historic 1904 building preserved until repair and development of building and surrounding land.
San Jose Buildings
San Jose Buildings
Close up of KQED building, location of the world’s first radio station.
San Jose
The Great Seal, and also the spot of the annual ice skating rink in downtown.
San Jose Buildings
Family Court House.
San Jose Buildings
San Jose Buildings
Once the main post office, now the San Jose Museum of Art.

Happy Place on 4th Street

Being introduced to this place this year pleased me beyond all expectations. If I found this place anywhere in any town on any road trip, I would have been so completely proud and happy with myself. So, to be taken here, right in San Jose, on 4th street, where I had never been… well, it blew me away.

4th Street Bowl Coffee Shop
Coffee Shop at 4th Street Bowl

First, I should say that I find Diners and Coffee Shops to be one of humanity’s special places. And, I love to enjoy them, to eat, drink coffee, and basque in the humanity and time within them.

This one, right in San Jose at 4th Street Bowl, is quite special. Let me share some of the beautiful highlights about this coffee shop. Plenty of energy with customers and staff. Lots of windows. A looooong counter and a bunch of booths. A big menu. A glass door and windows that connect and look into the bowling alley. The alley is not updated. There is a cocktail lounge, a pool hall, a few video games, and of course, the coffee shop, all connected to the alley. Despite the simplicity of my words, the reality is a poetry of place and presence. It is a block of time and a splash of nostalgia whipped with distraction and covered in coffee. It is a treasure.