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North San Jose, San Jose, CA

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North San Jose is a neighborhood in San Jose south of Highway 237 and just north of downtown San Jose. It is home to many headquarters of famous tech companies such as Samsung, Roku, and Cisco. It also houses the San Jose Airport and the local MLS soccer team. Founded in 1965, the San Jose Airport was originally a flight school but the city decided to develop it into a municipal airport. Named after former mayor and congressman, Norman Y. Mineta, this airport serves 12 million passengers annually and has 44 nonstop destinations. Due to the proximity to downtown, many buildings in the area cannot exceed a certain height due to air traffic. Founded in 1974, the Earthquakes were founded as a part of the North American Soccer League but joined the MLS in 1994 and played in the MLS’s first ever game against D.C. United. Since then, the team has won two championships (2001, 2003) but unfortunately finished the latest 2024 season in last place in the league Built in 2015, this stadium was ori...
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Le Paris Artisan & Gourmet Café

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  With another location in Napa, Le Paris Artisan & Gourmet Café in American Canyon is located just down the road from the city hall. This location is unassuming from the outside but has a cozy atmosphere on the inside with a fresh aroma of pastries and coffee. A café au lait is a coffee drink with equal parts coffee and steamed milk. It originated in France in the 18th century and means coffee with milk in French. This drink, unlike a latte, is served without the foam. The coffee at this location was alright, but I would definitely go back for their pastries. Overall Review Café au lait: 8/10 Morning Bun: 10/10 Total: 8.5/10
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Breckenridge, CO

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  Breckenridge is a municipality in Summit County, Colorado. Founded in November 1859, Breckenridge was named after the prospector Thomas Breckenridge. Breckenridge started as a gold mining town before eventually becoming a big ski town. In 1887, Tom Groves and another prospector found the largest nugget ever seen in Colorado. Nicknamed “Tom’s Baby”, this nugget weighed 13 lbs. 7 oz. The gold rush lasted until the early 1900s and skiing was then introduced in the early 1960s. In 1961, skiing was introduced to Breckenridge with multiple trails opening up between then and 2013. Breckenridge now averages 1.5 million skiers per year on its slopes. The ski resorts open mid-November until the end of May with Breckenridge getting on average 350 inches of snow annually. As a result, Breckenridge has many part time residents as well as visitors. Some things to do in Breckenridge include skiing and snowboarding during the winter, hiking and mountain biking in the summer, taking a tour of the...
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The Local - Alameda, CA

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  The Local is a community spot located in the heart of Alameda, CA at the original location of the Masonic Lodge that was built in the 1890s. Ever since, it has been through many different transitions until it became what is now The Local. Not only do they serve coffee and pastries, but also sandwiches. Taro is a root vegetable that has a nutty taste to it. At The Local, one of their staple drinks is the Taro Latte which was surprisingly good. The taro did not overwhelm the drink at all. The chocolate chip cookie was toasted to perfection and provided a compliment to the taro latte. Overall Review Taro Latte: 10/10 Chocolate Chip Cookie: 10/10 Total: 10/10
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Alviso, San Jose, CA

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  Originally its own town, the Alviso district in San Jose, California was founded on March 26, 1852 and named after the California ranchero Ignacio Alviso. Now, Alviso is San Jose's only waterfront district and at 13 feet, is the lowest point in the San Francisco Bay Area. Steamboats regularly traveled from San Francisco to Alviso until railroad become more and more popular. On March 12, 1968, Alviso was officially incorporated into the City of San Jose and now is home to a small neighborhood as well as a few headquarters for some tech companies. Totaling 18.9 acres in size, the Alviso Marina County park is the highlight of this community. It offers amazing views of the bay as well as the surrounding mountains. The salt ponds at this park stretch as far as the eye can see. Another interesting phenomena is the color of the water which is pink. This is due to some microscopic algae that live in very salty water. The two main things to do in Alviso include visiting the Alviso Marina ...
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States Coffee - Benecia, CA

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  Located in Benicia, CA just across from the old state capitol building, States Coffee provides a safe and welcoming atmosphere for the community. The franchise was founded by Keith Gehrke, who had already been in the industry for 10 years and invented Able Kone, a stainless steel coffee brewing filter. It’s first location is located in Martinez and has since also expanded to Berkeley. The Gibraltar is an espresso based drink with steamed milk much like a cappuccino. The difference is The Gibraltar is served in a 4.5 oz Libbey Gibraltar rock glass. The Morning Bun was fresh but dey and the cafe did not have a toaster to toast this for me, but nonetheless, it was good. Overall Review The Gibraltar: 9.5/10 Morning Bun: 7.5/10 Total: 8.5/10
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Benicia, CA

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  Benicia was founded in 1847 by Mexican General Mariano Vallejo who sold the land to Robert Semple and named the city after his wife's second given name. They say the first rumors of the discovery of gold was leaked in a tavern in Benicia which then prompted the Gold Rush. Benicia was the first city to be incorporated into the San Francisco Bay Area in March 27, 1850. Benicia was the initial county seat of Solano County but it was then moved to Fairfield. Benicia also became the third site to become the California State capital from February 11, 1853 to February 25, 1854. The restored capitol building still stands tall to this day. A few things to do in Benicia includes visiting the Benicia Capitol State Historic Park, Benicia Public Pier & Beach, and the Benicia Fire Museum. Benicia Stats County: Solano Incorporated: March 27, 1850 Area: 14.12 sq. mi. Elevation: 26 ft Population: 27, 131
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