Fresno is not much to get excited about, but it's a nearby stopping point after our four days in Sequoia/Kings Canyon. It's also within striking distance of our next stop, Yosemite National Park.
We have no idea where we are when we pull into Fresno or where to go to find a hotel. The guidebook is a little vague. So we just drive around the wonderful city seeing ALL sides of life and places dubious and shady. It's a good glimpse of the social scene in a less than glamourous American city. Eventually, we stumble upon the historic Fresno Water Tower which also doubles as a Visitor's Centre. The two very unbusy volunteers are shocked to see us walk in — apparently no one comes downtown to Fresno — not on the weekend. They longwindedly set us straight, shipping us up the highway to a more "lively" area — the Blackstone Strip which is lined with every chain restaurant ever incorporated in America, your Targets and Banana Republics and more than a few hotels. Oh, and if we're interested in going clubbing in Fresno, our Visitor Centre volunteers have a brochure for that...
We choose a Best Western for our stay, shower off the sequoia dust and head to Whole Foods for lunch (Fresno does have a Whole Foods Market, thankfully — you can't beat the very, very complete salad bar).
We take the rest of the day to do laundry, Skype with family, eMail, etc. We also look into campsites in Yosemite National — reservations are required for most of the sites. It's going to be much more populated and a very different experience in one of the most visited U.S. national parks.
In the morning, we decide to take another day and just chill — even if it is Fresno. We lounge for a bit, then head out and get some camping groceries. We catch a movie (Drive) at the Edwards 24 billion multiplex and visit the one attraction in Fresno the guidebook advises us not to miss.
The Forestiere Underground Gardens are the dream and vision of Sicilian immigrant Baldasare Forestiere who dug out some 70 acres under the hard Fresno soil to create a subterranean home and citrus garden. Having first worked as a subway builder in Boston, Baldasare dreamt of owning his own citrus farm in California. However, upon purchasing a large plot of land in Fresno, he discovered the soil (rock) was completely unsuitable for growing crops. He also found summers in Fresno to be unbearably hot.
His solution to beat the heat and rocky soil was an underground home and garden which he dug and designed entirely by himself over the course of 40 years. Baldasare died in 1946 and his remarkable creation is now run by his extended family who do the restoration work on the many tunnels and rooms and offer guided tours.
It's not much to look at from the outside, but we soon find the underground marvel well worth the visit. Magical, charming, and peaceful are all words we repeat during the first rate tour. For an underground home and garden, it is remarkably light due to the skylights Baldasare included.
Some photos of it all below. Yes, we asked endless questions and hijacked the tour — we can't help ourselves. It was definitely the highlight of our day and visit here in Fresno.
Tomorrow, we rise early and hit the road once more, refreshed and ready to see what Yosemite has to offer.
No comments:
Post a Comment