In Mountain View, we really just do get a view of the mountains, from a distance. But just twenty minutes southwest of Mountain View is Saratoga, which really is nestled at the base of the Santa Cruz mountains. It comes with an old timey downtown (a mix of mid-century buildings and Victorians), an old quarry turned into a park, a hundred year old Japanese garden (Ben and I in that garden above), and many wineries.
In January Samuel and I took a quick trip to Saratoga, intending to see that Japanese garden and a winery. We instead took a hike in the quarry park, a 64-acre former mining site. (Samuel next to a quarry park sign above.) If you're ambitious, you can walk from this park all the way to the Pacific. As it was getting dark, we elected to head back to our car.
So yesterday, Steven, Benjamin and I picked up the Saratoga thread and headed out to the Hanoke Gardens and The Mountain Winery. The Hanoke Gardens was a love project of Ms. Isabel Stine, who fell in love with all things Japanese at the 1915 Pan-Pacific Exhibition. She brought over a Japanese imperial gardener and built a Japanese garden retreat in a Saratoga hillside. Over 100 years old and going strong, the garden now hosts tea ceremonies and origami folding parties. We simply walked around and sucked up the serenity.
Nearby was the The Mountain Winery, accessible via a winding steep, and very scenic, road. The Mountain Winery has its roots in the Paul Masson winery, established in 1852. The original chateau is still there, surrounded by an entertainment "bowl" that hosts some big name talent (see above). No shows when we visited. We were there for wine tasting. You can try three wines for $15. The views are free.
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