Travel

San Jose Art Walk Tour

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged art / family / outfits / san jose / staycation by
Standing in front of the “Veteran’s Memorial of San Jose” and next to “Untitled” by Kenneth Matsumoto.

wearing: hoop earrings / grey scarf / charcoal cardigan (super soft!) / black long sleeve tee / black belt with snake buckle / holiday nail polish / black handbag / destroyed jeans (under $40) / Gucci platform sneakers /

I love finding local, cultural activities to explore and show my kids. When I heard about the San Jose Art Walk in downtown San Jose, I was excited to learn it was both an opportunity to walk around and get fresh air, as well as explore outdoor art.

The San Jose Art Walk is a public art tour of over forty different art pieces. There is a combination of murals, statues, and more! When I first looked at the map, I thought it would be a one day activity. I was wrong! There is a lot to explore; making this is a great multi-day activity.

There are a few installations which are best seen after dark. We all hopped into the car one evening and following the map, we explored LED light art installations around downtown San Jose. It was really interesting! I don’t have photos to share because we were in the car and I was driving. You will just have to explore the light installations yourself!

The second time we went downtown to explore the art walk, we parked near the Discovery Museum and walked throughout that portion of downtown, up to Cesar Chavez Plaza. This took roughly an hour and a half. We were able to see roughly 25% of the tour. We will definitely have to head back down to see the other portions of the art walk we missed!

From top left: Momotaro / Horizon / Space Dance for Peace 1 / Plumed Serpent /

Each art installation has a placard which describes the piece in more detail than you find on the map. It’s fun to follow the map, and look for each piece. In some cases, it feels like a scavenger hunt as you try to find an installation hidden in a courtyard, or behind a building. It’s a fun activity with the kids!

If you are local to the Bay Area, or you are visiting, this is a fun and free activity you can do! You can be ambitious, and try to see the entire art walk in one day, or you can break it up into different days like we are doing. Either way, it’s a great way to enjoy outdoor art while getting some exercise.

Here is a link to the San Jose Art Walk map-if you can print it out before you go, I highly recommend doing so! SanJoseca.gov.

Shop my casual fall outfit online:

Have you gone on the San Jose Art Walk in downtown San Jose? What did you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Thomas Fallon Statue 1989

History San Jose

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged family / outfits / san jose / staycation / summer 2020 by

One of San Jose’s best kept secrets is History San Jose park. This mini, historical town features buildings which were saved from demolition, and brought here to recreate San Jose’s early days as an American town.

The buildings all have some sort of special meaning to local history. They were lived in by people who helped settle the area, or they were businesses which were a first in the area. Such as the first candy shop owned by the O’Brien Family pictured below. (apologies for the reflection, I took this photo through the window since the building was closed.)

The park is often used for events, picnics, and corporate parties. Some of the buildings are normally open to the public, and serve as mini-museums which tell their story, and how it fits into local history.

Of course right now, since we are partly shut-down due to the pandemic, only the outdoor areas are open. We will have to go back when things open back up in order to show the kids the inside exhibitions.

History San Jose is a beautiful park to spend some time walking around, and learning about local history. If you are local to the Bay Area, I highly recommend checking it out. There is free parking right in front-but it is limited. So arrive early. Otherwise, there is a fee lot a few feet away from the entrance. If you are traveling to the area, be sure to check it out, and learn about our early days!

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Have you visited History San Jose? What did you think? You can learn more on their website here.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Fun day at the Zoo

 in Travel  tagged family / outfits / san francisco / staycation / summer 2020 by

San Francisco Zoo

Zoo day! We were so excited when we heard the San Francisco Zoo was allowed to re-open. It’s a great place to go with the family; and since it is outdoors, it is very safe.

The SF Zoo has tons of safety protocols in place, which made it a fun, relaxing way to get out of the house while staying safe.

The Zoo now offers online reservations so they can limit how many people enter the zoo at one time. This is great because it leaves a lot of space between visitors. I felt like I was taking a VIP tour of the zoo! You know I love me some VIP treatment!

In addition to spaced out visitors and easy reservations, everyone wears a mask. The zoo also roped off high touch areas in order to remind visitors to visit touchless. We felt really safe, and enjoyed the private walk-through of the zoo. Did I mention we felt like we had VIP treatment? Oh yeah, it was like that.

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We took about three hours to wander through the SF Zoo and visit all the animals. The hippo even came out of the water for us! He started by playing with a giant ball. Then, he splashed and swam around. After he was done swimming, he climbed out of the pool and ate some grass. It was amazing! I have been visiting the San Francisco Zoo since I was a small child, and this was the first time I saw the hippo so active. I guess he was happy to see guests returning to the Zoo to visit him!

Then we saw this guy taking a morning nap on an old keg. I guess he partied a little too hard the night before. LOL

I dressed comfortably for the occasion; knowing I would be doing a lot of walking. I cannot even tell you how amazing it felt to put on an outfit and go somewhere. Let alone wear jeans! Who knew jeans could feel so good?

wearing: mask / blue and gold earrings / black and white top / black handbag / gold chain cuff / gold and blue cuff / black belt / jeans / summer nail polish / white sneakers /

The zebra and I had the same color palette in mind that day.

It was a really fun day at the zoo! If you are local, and are looking for something safe to do, this is your activity! Visit SFZoo.org and book your reservations! If you aren’t local, be sure to visit our zoo when you visit us. It’s a relaxing day outside, and the animals will be excited to have visitors again!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy