California Official Visitor's Guide 2024 - 160

san francisco bay area NEW+NOTEWORTHY
Malama 'Aina mural
EDITOR'S
PICKS
Picnic beneath centuryold
pepper trees at
Livermore's Retzlaff
Vineyards and sip
Isabelle's Blush Rosé,
which won gold at the
2023 San Francisco
Chronicle Wine
Competition.
Retreat from Silicon
Valley's buzz at the
new Treehouse Hotel in
Sunnyvale. The property
evokes Santa Clara
Valley's free-spirited,
pre-Internet era with
hammocks, naturethemed
sculptures,
and a beer garden.
Dokkaebier off ers a taste
of Asian culture in the
form of craft beer. The
Korean-owned brewery
pours distinctive brews
like Kimchi Sour and
Yuza Blonde at its Jack
London Square taproom
in Oakland.
San Jose's Street Art
S
an Jose is known for innovation, says
Michael Ogilvie, " but you can't have
innovation without creativity, and the
city's creativity is out there on the streets and
on the walls. "
As San Jose's public art director, Ogilvie
credits a collection of organizations
including Empire Seven Studios, the San
Jose Downtown Association, Local Color,
and the city's Cultural Aff airs department for
sponsoring the city's 150-plus murals.
" Th ere's a shared responsibility and
interest in beautifying San Jose, " Ogilvie says.
" Th ere are a lot of creative people here, and
not everybody creates with binary code. "
In 2023, artist Taylor Reinhold painted
Malama 'Aina, a tribute to Pacifi c Islander
culture, on an exterior wall of Pono Hawaiian
Grill on North Market Street. Th e project was
managed by Sarah Billings of the San Jose
Downtown Association, who watched as the
160 | VISITCALIFORNIA.COM
et
, Og
artist and his crew brought the mural to life.
" People were walking by, asking questions,
and engaging with the art, " Billings says.
" Everyone asked about the title, which means
'take care of the land.' "
Another of Billings' projects was Our
Off ering, a SoFA District mural honoring two
young San Jose organ donors. It features a
hummingbird and lotería cards.
One of Ogilvie's favorite murals is Mona
Caron's Limonium, which brightens the
San Jose McEnery Convention Center. Th e
painting depicts " fl ora that is oft en
neglected in an urban environment,
which b ig
ens t
San Jose McEnery Convention Center. Th e
painting depicts " fl ora that is oft en
neglected in an urban environment,
like small little fl owers that break
through a crack in the concrete. "
You could see it as a
" Th e city has a culture of
treating the streetscape as ae as a
possibility for creatiion. " on.
e ci y h s a c
ing t e s
ossi
ie s ys.
ture o
ets
li y f r cr
like small little fl owers that break
through a crack in the concrete. "
You could see it as a
metaphor, Ogilvie says.
Sausalito's vibrant art
community now has a
home at the Sausalito
Center for the Arts.
The downtown venue
showcases cultural
events, from visual art
to music to spoken
word, along with rotating
exhibits and art classes.
For a transcendent wine
country experience, book
a stay at The Madrona
in Healdsburg. After a
$6 million renovation,
the 1881 inn has never
looked better and it
bucolic D y Cr
location is ideal for
oenophile
location is ideal for
oenophiles.
looked better, and its
bucolic Dry Creek Valley
FROM TOP: COURTESY SAN JOSE DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION; NURI421/IMAZINS/GETTY IMAGES
FROM OP: C URTE
AN JOSE DOWNT WN
OCIATION; NURI421/IMAZINS GET
IMAGE
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California Official Visitor's Guide 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of California Official Visitor's Guide 2024
