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NOTES ON THE VALLEY
Expanding access to Yosemite's wondersOne of the most awe inspiring treks I’ve been on in California is located in Yosemite National Park. The Mist trail is a seven-mile round trip which takes hikers...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on May. 24, 2023Last comment by Giselle Harris, on Jun 1, 2023 at 9:52 am | 7 comments | 1249 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
A tale of sister citiesIn April, Pleasanton welcomed more than two dozen officials and community representatives from Tulancingo, Mexico. As Jeremy Walsh documented in a
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on May. 17, 2023Last comment by Carole Lee Manning, on May 18, 2023 at 10:14 am | 1 comment | 1073 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
The simple beauty of arranging natureAs a kid whenever I went to the library or bookstore with my mom I would always head straight to the comic section. While I was absorbed in the stories about people...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on May. 10, 2023There are no comments yet. 1299 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
Strawberry trails foreverThe lower trailhead of the Strawberry Canyon fire trail is easy to find. The road touches the south eastern edge of the Berkeley campus and then takes you through...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on May. 3, 2023There are no comments yet. 1098 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
The rich history of Reinhardt Redwood ParkThe beautiful weather over the past week finally managed to pull me out of a cold funk. This winter was so long there were moments that I thought I would never be...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Apr. 26, 2023There are no comments yet. 1227 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
From beans to bargaining: Baristas organize for unionizationIt took me a few months to finally try out the espresso machine at work. Right next to the drip coffee brewed once at seven in the morning is a beautiful Simonelli...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Apr. 19, 2023Last comment by Bay Area Native, on Apr 25, 2023 at 4:42 pm | 5 comments | 1820 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
That other basketball team in northern CaliforniaThis past weekend I joined a group of friends and drove up to Sacramento to watch a Kings - Warriors game. All but two of our group were Warriors fans. I was the...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Apr. 12, 2023There are no comments yet. 1447 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
Check out the superblooms this springOne of the key reasons I love living in the Bay Area is its lack of monsoons. Heavy rains and winds over the past few months have me second guessing this love. If...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Apr. 5, 2023There are no comments yet. 1888 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
College textbooks 101While I loved reading growing up, books were the bane of my existence in college. I went to a college which operated on the quarter system. Three times every year...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Mar. 29, 2023Last comment by Kasey Kee, on Mar 30, 2023 at 11:04 am | 2 comments | 1443 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
The sticker shock from electricity billsAs a kid power outages were an exciting experience. My parents would light candles throughout the house and it would feel like we were on a mystical adventure. As...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Mar. 22, 2023Last comment by DM, on Mar 28, 2023 at 12:15 pm | 15 comments | 2138 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
A brief history of trains and their connection to the Tri-ValleyIt’s hard out here for a freight train lover these days. This past month we witnessed a catastrophic train derailment in the midwest. The derailment released over...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Mar. 15, 2023Last comment by Rich Buckley, on Mar 17, 2023 at 12:28 pm | 2 comments | 1396 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
Snow daysThis past week the Bay Area was treated to a white Friday. Many mountaintops and high elevation areas were blanketed with snow. This might have seemed magical to...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Mar. 1, 2023There are no comments yet. 1441 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
The local chocolate factoryEvery time we had visitors from out of town our family would pack up and do the standard Ilavarasan San Francisco tour. This would involve driving to San Francisco,...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Feb. 23, 2023There are no comments yet. 2086 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
Let's be kind to the beesIn Jeremy Walsh’s recent What a Week article he talked about a slew of bills that Tri-Valley Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan had introduced to date. While all...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Feb. 15, 2023Last comment by Gary Nolan, on Feb 21, 2023 at 9:25 am | 2 comments | 1333 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
Book it to the libraryLast year I was visiting my brother in Oak Park, Illinois and one of the things that showed up most on any “sights to see” website was the public library. Since...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Feb. 8, 2023Last comment by JJ, on Feb 10, 2023 at 3:58 pm | 3 comments | 2342 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
The future of homeworkHey GPT, please write me a haiku about how the Sacramento Kings are a better basketball team than the Golden State Warriors. ==I Kings rise up strong, Warriors...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Feb. 1, 2023There are no comments yet. 2247 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
Now we're cooking with gasAs I’ve gotten more into cooking over the past few years, I’ve fallen in love with gas stoves. After years of using old electric stoves I felt like my eyes were...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Jan. 25, 2023Last comment by DKHSK, on Jan 30, 2023 at 10:40 am | 6 comments | 1916 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
An end of year reflectionAs this year draws to a close, I figure now is as good a time as any to reflect on the past year. I started this blog series back in the middle of March not really...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Dec. 21, 2022Last comment by Pton Resident, on Dec 26, 2022 at 8:18 am | 1 comment | 2633 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
Something brewing in the Tri-ValleyFor me, there's only one thing better than enjoying a cold beer with friends on a hot summer day. Enjoying a cold beer in a heated home with friends when it’s...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Dec. 14, 2022Last comment by Karl A, on Dec 14, 2022 at 9:26 am | 1 comment | 2358 Views
NOTES ON THE VALLEY
Wine about itI’ve never been a wine guy. The world of wine can be intimidating and overwhelming for those who are not familiar with it. With so many different varietals, regions,...
Original post made by Monith Ilavarasan on Dec. 7, 2022Last comment by DublinMike, on Dec 10, 2022 at 9:48 am | 1 comment | 2145 Views
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2023 guide to summer camps
Looking for something for the kids to do this summer, learn something new and have fun? The Summer Camp Guide features local camps for all ages and interests.
