Alviso Adobe Return

The last time I was at Alviso Adobe Community Park was when I was with my dad, who took some lovely photos of a striking sycamore tree in the large field across from the adobe house. This time, I actually went into the park itself to see the historic building, an adobe built in 1854 during California's Spanish-Mexican Rancho Era. This is one of the few remaining adobe houses in the Bay Area.

The park is not really set up for hiking. If you want a walk, then the Castleridge Staging Area to Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park is literally across the street. Instead, Alviso Adobe is a park that focuses on the culture and history of the Amador Valley, using the adobe house as a lens.

Unfortunately, I did not do a good job of researching the park before I went, so the house itself was not open for tours. Here on the official website to the park, the hours for the house are posted as follows:

Summer (6/12-8/9) Hours:

• Wednesday-Friday: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• Saturday - Sunday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

I would have liked to have seen the inside of the house, but it was still cool to see the outside of the house. This was a short and sweet stop, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

The grounds around the park are stroller accessible, and I think that this would be a great place to bring an elementary-school aged student, perhaps one who is doing the California 4th Grade Mission Project (where that is still in effect). Although this is not a mission, the museum does discuss pre-Columbian history and the interaction of Native Americans with European explorers/settlers. Perhaps precisely because this is not a mission, it will not be as controversial of a site for discussing California state history.