Mountain View Obon Festival and Bazaar

When I was a child in Palo Alto I waited in anticipation for the Obon Festival*.  The annual festival was an opportunity for me to gain access to the Japanese culture which I knew absolutely nothing about.  As the posters advertising the date were hung I made excuses to slowly bike past the Buddhist Temple on Louis Road and I would watch the dancers in kimono's rehearse, their excited chatter fueled my enthusiasm.  Every year I would meander the rooms filled with bright crafts and artistically arranged flowers (Ikebana) while my mother was on the hunt for the perfect potted bonsai to add to our backyard landscape.  As I walked home with my pockets brimming with prizes, a bagged goldfish in one hand and a rice treat or teriyaki skewer in the other I knew that the next year was already on the horizon.  

In Mountain View, the Buddhist Temple will be hosting their annual Obon Festival and Bazaar Saturday, July 21 (4:00pm - 10:00pm) and Sunday, July 22 (noon - 8:30pm).  575 North Shoreline Boulevard, Mountain View, CA. 94043.  See the schedule of events below or visit their website. Website for MV Buddhist Temple Obon Festival and Bazaar

Keep in mind ...

• Parking can be limited during peak hours so I recommend that you walk.  If it's too far to walk spare yourself the frustration and plan to park a few blocks away.
• You are guaranteed to bring home a live goldfish ... if you want one!
• Admission is free but bring cash, you'll want to taste the delectable treats and your children will want to play the games which are very reasonably priced.
• Schedule your visit around the entertainment and don't miss the indoor exhibits.
• *Obon (お盆^?) is a Japanese Buddhist custom created to honor the spirits of one's ancestors.

2012 Obon Schedule
Obon/Hatsubon Service: Sunday, July 8, 10:00 am
Saturday, July 21 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm
4:30 pm	Mountain View Buddhist Temple Taiko MC, Mike Inouye, NBC Bay Area TV Traffic Anchor
4:00 pm to 10:00 pm	Food Indoors, Outdoors, Take-out Game Booths For Children and Adults Flower Shop Cut and Potted Flowers, Plants BCA and Cultural Books Homecrafts Sangha Hall, Rooms 1 and 2 Temple Cookbooks, T-Shirts
4:00 pm to 9:00 pm	Cultural Room Exhibit Ikebana Flowers, Suiseki Rocks, Mataro Kinokumi Dolls, Dharma School, Nakayoshi Gakko
6:00 pm	Jun Daiko Performance at the Yagura (tower) MC, Mike Inouye, NBC Bay Area TV Traffic Anchor
10:00 pm	Closing
Sunday, July 22 12:00 noon to 8:30 pm
12:30 pm	Mountain View Buddhist Temple Taiko at the Yagura (tower) stage MC, Mike Inouye, NBC Bay Area TV Traffic Anchor
12:00 noon to 8:30 pm	Food Indoors, Outdoors, Take-out Game Booths For Children and Adults Flower Shop Cut and Potted Flowers, Plants BCA and Cultural Books Homecrafts Sangha Hall, Rooms 1 and 2 Temple Cookbooks, T-Shirts
12:00 noon to 8:00 pm	Cultural Room Exhibit
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm	Children’s Hands-On Cultural Activities Bonsai trimming, planting, Balloons by Debbie, Taiko, Ikebana flowers, Hachi Maki headband stamping, Calligraphy names, Origami paper folding
3:30 pm	Jun Daiko Performance at the Yagura (tower) MC, Mike Inouye, NBC Bay Area TV Traffic Anchor
6:00 pm	San Jose Chidori Band MC, Bill Nishimoto
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm	Bon Odori dance MC, Bill Nishimoto
8:00 pm	Raffle Drawing
8:30 pm	Closing

Cantor Arts Museum at Stanford University and Taylor's Tips for Teaching Children to Appreciate Art

The Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford (Cantor Arts Museum) is a fantastic place to take your child/ren on a weekday. Admission is free, the galleries are diverse and there is a lovely Rodin sculpture garden with a sprawling lawn if your child gets antsy and needs a break.  

Keep in mind ...

• If the museum is really busy you may have to check your stroller and bags.
• Parking can be a little tricky so make sure to watch signs and avoid a parking ticket.
• The museum has a book store and cafe featuring healthy treats ($$) on the main level next to the left side entrance facing the Rodin sculpture garden. Visit or avoid, your call.
• Docent-led tours are available but I wouldn't recommend trying to participate with children.
• If you are up for a short walk the university campus is pedestrian-friendly.  Palm Drive leading to the famed Memorial Church and Hoover Tower is just up the street from the museum. 

VISITOR HOURS
Wednesday – Sunday	11am – 5pm
Thursday	11am – 8pm

OPEN: Wednesday through Sunday, including Easter April 8 CLOSED: Monday and Tuesday; Thanksgiving Day

ADDRESS
Lomita Drive at Museum Way Stanford, CA 94305-5060 Telephone 650-723-4177

 Cantor Arts Center Website

Taylor's Tips for Teaching Children to Appreciate Art

I am a huge art enthusiast and I am always desperate to step into any museum. After schlepping three children through nearly every museum in Northern California I have learned a lot along the way.

• If you are visiting an art museum with small children don't plan on actually enjoying the art yourself. Let's be honest, the focus will be on keeping your children engaged while simultaneously keeping their little hands away from the priceless pieces.
• Explain to your children beforehand that they are not permitted to touch the pieces of art and precisely why: oil and dirt on our fingers will destroy the art. 
• Don't be offended if security guards follow you around - they are also worried that your children will touch said priceless pieces.
• Pick galleries that you personally enjoy because you will generally be more comfortable fielding questions from your children with a certain level of knowledge. It is okay to say that you don't have the answers to their questions because unless you have a Master's degree in Art History you probably won't come close to knowing the answer. Write down questions to answer at home or to bring on your next visit. 
• Don't be upset if your children are aloof!  At the Santa Barbara Museum of Art my youngest son sat down in the first gallery, crossed his arms and stated, "I hate art". It happens, we move on, don't get mad, just hope the next visit is better.
• If your child doesn't like a piece keep moving, they can lose interest very quickly. If they aren't interested in anything, don't force it.  Art is diverse and what they see may not be pleasing to their senses and/or they'd rather be somewhere else in the moment. 
• Only pick a few galleries versus the entire museum. An entire museum will be a visual overload for a child and their cranky-level will go straight through the roof. 45 minutes is a good amount of time to see two or three galleries at a decent pace. 
• Borrow a library book specific to the genre or artist that you will be seeing and bring it with you to the museum. Let your child "find" similar pieces of art. 
• If you are planning on visiting a large-scale art museum like San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) or Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), visit the Google Art Project before your visit for an interactive study with your children. Google Art Project
• Bring along a pad of paper and pencil and encourage them to sit in front of a piece (that they like) and sketch a version of their own to take home. 
• Plan some art projects at home that parallel what you saw at the museum for a couple of days after your visit.
• When in doubt, try again on another day, there is no minimum number of times you should visit a museum.

*FREE* Summer Outdoor Concert Series

City of Mountain View FREE Summer Outdoor Concert Series

Pack a picnic dinner and a blanket and get ready to boogie.  These events are a great opportunity to hear great local bands for free.  All of the concerts are from 6:30pm - 8:00pm.

Thursday, July 19 at Cuesta Park ~ The Cocktail Monkeys: Hits of the 80's, 90's and today

Thursday, Jul7 26 at Thursday Night Live*, Castro Street ~ OTR: Classic rock and winner of KFOX's Last Band Standing.

Thursday, August 2 at Rengstorff Park ~ Caransarai: Santana tribute band

Thursday, August 9 at Thursday Night Live*, Castro Street ~ Metal Shop: 80's arena rock tribute band

Thursday, August 23 at Thursday Night Live*, Castro Street ~ Long Train Runnin': Doobe Brothers tribute band

Summer Outdoor Concert Series 

  

Thursday Night Live*: Castro Street is closed to traffic from 5:30pm - 8:30pm so that you and your family can walk the streets. It's a great night to eat out, peruse the book stores, look for goodies at downtown stores and buy fresh produce at the Farmer's Market stands. Kids activities are available and there are generally custom and/or classic cars on display.

UPDATE ...


City of Palo Alto Twilight Concert Series

All of the concerts are from 6:30pm - 8:00pm. 

Saturday, July 21 at Rinconada Park ~ Luce

Saturday, July 28  at Rinconada Park ~ Fil Lorenz Orchestra

Saturday, August 4 at Mitchell Park ~ Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quartet

Saturday, August 11 at California Avenue ~ The Unauthorized Rolling Stones

Saturday, August 18 at Mitchell Park ~ Teens on the Green 

Twilight Outdoor Concert Series 

Mountain View Farmer's Market

Mountain View Farmer's Market
Every Sunday from 9am to 1pm at the Caltrain Station

Voted #5 Best Farmer's Market in America, #1 in the Bay Area by America's Favorite Farmer's Markets!

There is something so very satisfying about shopping in the open air of a farmer's market. If you have picky eaters or children who are hesitant to try new foods, I recommend taking them to the farmer's market and letting them taste-test samples to their hearts content. They may just eat a piece of cucumber! At the Mountain View Farmer's Market nearly every vendor offers samples and the array of seasonal fruits and vegetables is dazzling. In addition there are a number of vendors who sell fresh fish, meats, pre-made ethnic foods, bread, tofu, hand-made toiletries and beautiful fresh cut flowers.

Keep in mind ...

• Come earlier to beat the crowds, come later to bargain for reduced prices.
• The Acme Bread line is usually pretty long.
• You can take a break and enjoy the balloon making tent but be prepared to pay about $3-5 for a shaped balloon.
• If your children are bringing their own money the best bang-for-their-buck are honey sticks. They can get several for $1 and it is a very satisfying purchase in their pocket.
• The desserts are gourmet and can be very pricey and are (of course) a huge draw for children. My son's always go straight for the cookies, $1.75 each. 
• If you want to experiment and/or enjoy cooking asian cuisine there are two vendors who sell very reasonably priced vegetables and herbs.
• The ultimate treat for moms and dads is at Scream Sorbet. Their Blue Bottle Coffee with Almond sorbet is decadent ... but $3 for a mini scoop. They sell them by the pint ($8-10) and will loan you an ice pack to take home.
• Parking can be difficult during peak hours so avoid the main parking lot and head over to the building next to the Caltrain lot.

 Mountain View Farmer's Market Website

Blue Bottle Coffee and Almond sorbet. So refreshing on a warm day.

Deer Hollow Farm and Rancho San Antonio

Bridge at Rancho San Antonio, animals and flower at Deer Hollow Farm

Hiking at Rancho San Antonio

Rancho San Antonio offers an amazing array of hiking trails within its 24 miles of open space.  The trail most frequented by families is the 3-mile Wildcat Loop. Serious hikers will want to try the very popular 8.8-mile PG&E Trail.  From higher ridges you will absolutely fall in love with the picturesque views. 

Keep in mind ...

•  Pack water, sunscreen and a hat. Most trails have large areas of direct sun and it can get toasty.  There is no access to water so please plan accordingly.
• Potty breaks.  This is an open space preserve and there are only a few bathrooms, all near the trail head and Deer Hollow Farm.
• Poison Ivy is prevalent.  Know your plant - leaves of three, let it be.
• Sorry, no dogs.
• Parking can be nearly impossible on the weekend.  There are two main parking lots and they fill up quickly.  Try visiting during the week. Rancho San Antonio Website

Deer Hollow Farm

The City of Mountain View supports this 150 year old working farm and education center.  Because it is a working farm you are able to purchase eggs and seasonal produce (when available) and visit the animals who live at the farm which include: chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, a cow, goats, sheep and pigs.  Your family can take a self-guided tour of the farm and garden.  Note that the barn and buildings are normally closed to the general public but the animals roam their pen during the day.  Because it is a working farm, docents and staff are generally available to answer questions when they are on site.

Keep in mind ...

• Lots of photo opportunities so don't forget your camera.
• Expect a short hike to the farm from the lower parking lot. 
• Bring a picnic lunch and eat under the open-air roof of the original barn.
• Check the city website for updates about docent-led opportunities and special events.  Deer Hollow Farm Website 

Directions

From I-280, north or south, take the Foothill Boulevard exit and proceed south on Foothill Boulevard approximately 0.2-mile to Cristo Rey Drive. Turn right on Cristo Rey Drive, continue for about 1 mile, veer right around the traffic circle, and turn left into the County Park entrance. There are several parking lots, including one designated for equestrian trailers. The trailhead for Rancho San Antonio is located adjacent to the 85-car parking area in the northwest lot. Access to Deer Hollow Farm is most accessible from the lower lot.

*FREE* Summer Outdoor Movie Night Series

Summer Outdoor Movie Night Series 

~ Free ~ 

Movie Starts at 8:30pm

Bring lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on.

July 20th - Puss in Boots - Whisman Park (400 Easy Street)

July 27th - The Incredibles - Eagle Park (652 Franklin Street)

August 3rd - The Muppets - Stevenson Park (750 San Pierre Way)

August 10th - Cars 2 - Sylvan Park (600 Sylvan Avenue)

August 17th - Happy Feet Two - Rengstorff Park (201 South Rengstorff Avenue) 

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