Vince and I scheduled today as a valleycation date. I love that word. My friend, Mary, coined it. It is like a stacation – a vacation where you stay at home and enjoy what you have at home. A valleycation is when you visit locations in the San Joaquin Valley (where we live) that you have always wanted to see, but never had the time-or took the time to visit like a tourist would. We left home about 11:00 and Vince was already starving. “Where can we eat between here and Fresno?” he said the second I got into the passenger seat.
“There are two good places I think you’d like. Spike and Rail in Selma and Kady’s Country Kitchen in Kingsburg.”
“Oh well, I guess we could go to Subway,” he responded unenthusiastically.
Normally that would be the end of the conversation, and we would go to Subway, but I determined this would be different. “No, this is a special date, and Subway is unacceptable to me because it’s not special. I’ll Yelp some places.” I found three places, and he rejected them after trying to find one that didn’t seem to be where it should have been according to my iPhone map.
“Let’s just drive into downtown.”
“What about the Pizza place that I mentioned, Corsaro’s? It’s downtown.”
“Here’s a bakery. How about that?” It was next to the 4.5 star pizza place. A woman happened to come out of the pizza place about that time, so I asked, “How is the food here?”
She rolled her eyes like she was in heaven and just couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into lunch, and said, “Really good. Here let me show you my bread sticks.” She opened her box, and they looked and smelled delicious.
So we ate at the pizza place, and it was ok. I would give it 3 stars. The people were marvelous. The woman who took our order even knew me because her niece participated in History Day in Tulare County.
Down the street was Baby Cakes, one of Mary’s favorite places.
We got a peanut butter chocolate and a salted caramel Baby Cake, and a cookie, which was out of this world delicious.
As we got into our car and began eating our sweets, the high school dismissed for lunch, and students swarmed the restaurants like ants. We smiled and ate our Baby Cakes in the car, and left with just enough time to make it to the 1:00 tour of the Underground Gardens.
I have lived in the area 28 years, and haven’t been to the gardens, though I have driven past them hundreds of times and never known it.
Around 1900, Baldassare Forestiere, a second son asked his wealthy father what he was going to inherit. When his dad told him nothing since he was the second son, Baldassare left for America to seek his own fortune. A hard-working lad, he found work in Boston digging tunnels for the subway. A few winters cured him of wanting to live there, and he hopped on a train and headed west for California. He made it to Orange County, and discovered that he loved growing oranges, but land was not cheap even back in 1900. So he asked around and eventually decided to settle in Fresno. He bought 80 acres, and set about readying his fields for orange groves.
Fresno and Tulare Counties have some interesting soil types. They have wonderful delta soil from all the rivers that flow from the Sierra Nevadas down the Fresno, Kern, Kings, Kaweah, and numerous other rivers and creeks into what used to be Tulare Lake, the largest freshwater lake other than the Great Lakes in the United States. They also have a soil type known as hard-pan. This soil is more like cement. As it turned out, this ambitious lad, Baldassare Forestiere, had purchased 80 acres of mostly hardpan. Not to be discouraged, Forestiere picked up his old stand-by trade, digging and began to dig. During the day he dug for hire, and helped create some of the amazing canals we have in this arid agricultural region. By nights and weekends he dug tunnels in his property. He started out with a large underground room, and discovered that the 115 degrees on top of the ground was only about 75 or 80 in his tunnel room. So he moved into his tunnel. He built skylights, and planted his orchard underground. It flourished, as did he. By age 40 he retired, and tunneled full-time on his property. He ended up with 5 acres of tunnels. We only saw 2.5 of them.
Although he died without having married or children, his brother and his bother’s children bought the property, and kept it in the family, where it remains today. The tunnel house is truly a work of art. This is a tour definitely worth the investment. Photographs definitely don’t portray the amount of tunnels that we saw, and we didn’t see them all!
We drove home, and marveled at where we live, wondering how we overlooked such a treasure for so long.
What are the places in your neck of the woods that you know are there for sightseers, but YOU haven’t taken the time to go see them?
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
What a wonderful day out! In the old days, travelling with Mr Ex, we always popped into a bakery to buy an apple turnover each. I’d never had them before I married, mum was more into cream buns and chocolate eclairs for treats. You can’t go wrong for food in a bakery; sweet or savoury, it’ll be there. That underground treasure is amazing! We did the touristy things around here when we first arrived. 🙂
LikeLike
I think you can’t go wrong with chocolate anything, but apple turnovers are nice too. I have lived in this area for 30 years almost, and last summer was the first time I ever went to the Underground Gardens. I realize that I really don’t know where I live at all. I’m writing a book about my little town, and sometimes I have to get in the car and try to find the spot I’m talking about because I’ve never seen it before. 🙂
LikeLike
By the way, thanks for visiting so many of my posts. You make me feel downright popular! 🙂
LikeLike
What a fascinating place! I love the ballroom. Thanks for sharing your pics. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Sylvia. When you come see me, I’ll take you there! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, then I could do a post titles ‘2 female bloggers go underground’. That would have everyone guessing. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perfect! 🙂 hehehe or should I write herherher
LikeLiked by 1 person
That horse if from Sweden … it’s our Dalahäst – here is my blog from last years challenge about the horse, we sell more horses than what Paris sells towers. http://wp.me/p293Pw-1HM – lovely post again, love cupcakes – but only to look at .. don’t like the icing .. want them naked *smile – so they are really only muffins then. Baldassare Forestiere,is some place, why aren’t allowed to film ???? Nearly missed your slideshow … amazing photos.
LikeLike
Who knew? We sure didn’t. My family would love to wander through these tunnels, although my husband is 6’7″ Gotta take a valleycation to Fresno one of these weekends. Thanks for the info!
LikeLike
There are plenty of stops along the way where the trees are growing – WIDE, HIGH skylights. You won’t regret going! Thanks so much for stopping by and reading and commenting! 🙂
LikeLike
You are doing what I have always wanted to do but never took the time!! Every time we pass the underground gardens I want to stop – Now I have to go!
LikeLike
You really do, Sally. It’s lovely! It only took me 28 years. 🙂 See you bright and early tomorrow. You must have gotten back safe and sound. 🙂
LikeLike
Hi MVBF Marsha. Thank you for the lovely photographs of your day out. Flirt candles (i had to leave this as I said “the (Tamils) tunnels” 😀 ). The tunnels are definitely a wonderful attraction as well as the cake shop. Ralph Expo X 😀 hehe !!
LikeLike
hahaha There are some glitches with having dragon breath! I think I like flirt candles better! hahaha I enjoyed your flirt candles, those on your site and those in my comment box!!!! Too funny! When you come to visit, these are definitely a must see, but you will have to duck constantly as you can see!
LikeLike
I am looking forward to the visit and the ducks 😉
LikeLike
hahahaha You may have to duck even to get into our door. Remember we are hobbits! 🙂
LikeLike
Hobbits ??? I’ll be banging my head more than normal then. I like your new Gravatar pic 😀
LikeLike
Thanks MFR – no photoshopping, either. My camera takes a better picture than my iPhone! That’s good to know.
LikeLike
Wonderful place!!!
LikeLike
Thanks, and you’re not seeing the half of it! 🙂
LikeLike
That seems like a very enjoyable trip.. That toddler is beautiful!
LikeLike
He was sometimes happy, and sometimes not. He ran into the wall once too many times! Poor guy.
LikeLike
Yes, kids tend to do that.. what eyes!!!!
LikeLike
I know!
LikeLike
Wow, what great history this place has. I wonder if people thought him odd? Living alone, tunneling through his land???
And the food pics! It’s 8:30 in the morning and I want pizza. I’m with you, I don’t do dark meat. 😛
LikeLike
I’ll go back to Hawaiian next time. You can’t go wrong with that! Yes, I think people thought he was strange, although he did have some girlfriends, we were told. He was quite gregarious. However, his friends couldn’t have stayed too long. I saw the bathtub, but no toilet. No mirror in the bathroom either! That says, no girls to me, how about you?
LikeLike
I think he must have like living alone for sure! I agree with you, Hawaii is the way to go. That is one of my dream destinations. Not sure I’ll ever get there though.
LikeLike
You will. I never thought I would either. I was about 55 when I went the first time! 🙂 You’ll love it! 🙂
LikeLike
Well, I still have a few years then! I’m 53! Thanks Marsha! I love anywhere I go!
LikeLike
Yes, you’re still a babe in the woods. My friend Jan called me yesterday, and she is going for the first time just before she turns 62. 🙂
LikeLike
I loved this line – “We left home about 11:00 and Vince was already starving” LOL!
This place sounds wonderful and I just adore the pics! 😀
One day I’ll go sightseeing close by my place, but I need to have a house first 😉
LikeLike
You definitely do, Dianne! But with your new body, I would think you could do anything in record time!!! “)
LikeLike
what wonderful sights and food too 😀
LikeLike
Thanks! It was a lot of fun! 🙂
LikeLike
it looks fun
!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LikeLike
I enjoyed reading about this amazing place. Baldassare must have really loved digging! I like the idea of the orange trees growing through the skylights.
LikeLike
You would have loved it! It was one of the most unusual placed I’ve visited. Like being in Italy right here in Fresno! 🙂
LikeLike