View of RHV and Lake Cunningham (home of "Raging Waters") on my downwind departure from runway 31L |
Anderson Lake
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Hanford Municipal Airport (KHJO) Hanford, CA
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View of RHV and Lake Cunningham (home of "Raging Waters") on my downwind departure from runway 31L |
Anderson Lake
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San Luis Reservoir |
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Hanford Municipal Airport |
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Hanford Municipal Airport Runway 32 As soon as I landed, the first thing I did after tying down the plane and closing my flight plan was call an old college friend (who is married to another dear friend, who was my roommate during my college days) in Prescott, AZ. My friend had lived in nearby Visalia, CA so I wanted to know what was a 'must-see/do' while in Hanford. The first thing that came to her lips was "Superior Dairy Products Company"; it had (as I would soon find out) homemade ice cream, served in an ice cream parlor that had been there for over 70 years. So, I called a cab (Hanford Cab Company) and began my adventure.
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I have to say, that I knew that I had come to the right place while I was riding in the cab (Hanford Cab Company - no longer in operation, be sure to call the Marathon Cab on your visit - $6 fare apprx) for the short ride into the center of Hanford when (during a radio call to the cab driver) I overheard a call about an elderly resident who needed a cab but wasn't sure she would have enough money to pay for the entire trip. The cab driver said he would take the call for {her name, which I can't remember} and would make up any difference between what she had and the meter, because it was important for this resident to get to her doctor when she needed to (he obviously knew her and the elderly lady's situation/condition). I remember thinking, that would be a response that I wouldn't expect from a cab driver in the 'big city'; but here in little Hanford, people are motivated by the thought that there are simply things that are the 'right-thing-to-do',,, and they are done!
Click the door to see their menu!
Ya, know,,, more often than not company names tend to be more than just a bit of a misnomer, however this is definitely NOT the case with this wonderful place - the ice cream products are definitively, superior. It is an old-fashioned ice cream parlor that has been at this location for over 70 years. I was thoroughly pleased to see the faces of clean-cut and 'fresh-scrubbed' teenagers who were exceptionally polite and helpful; to some it may seem a small thing, but being from the city (San Francisco) it was 'bliss' being served by a polite young person who didn't have green spiked hair. I sat down to have a LARGE chocolate chip ice cream milkshake (served with the metal mixing cup). By the way, you won't believe the size of their generous ice cream scoops!
You are looking at a central park which sits across the street from Superior Dairy. In the distance you can see a bridal party taking pictures in this gorgeous park.
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A view from inside the Superior Dairy looking out at the street. Yep, those old model cars you see in the photo aren't an illusion.
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I believe that this is Hanford's City Hall. It overlooks the park. |
Hanford Auditorium (also bordering the park) |
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The Bastille is apparently a French restaurant of note in this area - being the kind of person that likes to be able to pronounce the food he eats I didn't take the opportunity to sample their cuisine (pretty darn sure they had no milkshakes so why bother <GRIN>). |
| You are looking at a very old clock (no,
really,,, you don't have to write me to thank me for telling you this,,,
the pleasure of sharing is enough for me <grin>).
It says: "City of Hanford, Est. 1891" |
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(This photo taken during a very recent re-visit to Hanford, replacing the original photo in this spot of the webpage)
Now THIS is something to take note of: The Hanford Fox Theater . I checked out the performers scheduled to be here and WOW! Click this link to be taken to their website with performer schedule: http://www.foxhanford.com/ You know, my estimation of these performers increased 10,000-fold when I saw that they would be willing to perform in what would be a very small venue for them. It impressed me greatly, because it seems to show that they want to give back to the small towns, since that is where most of them found their origins; i.e., in small towns. This looks like a 'must revisit' opportunity to me!
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A view from the other side of the park, looking down one of their main streets.
Map of Hanford area indicating the path to travel to get from the Superior Dairy Products Company to Deb's Main Street Deli and Maccagno's Bakery |
I spent a good deal of my time (after locating a store with sunscreen; I was wearing shorts) just walking around this quaint little town, trying to see what there was to see. My only disappointment was when I walked a half-mile or so from the center of town looking for some sunscreen, I found a strip of 'franchise infection' down a large boulevard. I had kind of been hoping against hope that the entire character of this town would be much the same as the older center of town... Alas, 'progress'..... :-(
Aside from the above, Hanford is a splendid place to visit and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone (especially 'city dwellers' who need a breath of fresh air and sunshine). I should tell you that it would be well-advised to see if one can pre-arrange a pick-up from the local cab company. It took almost an hour-and-a-half for the cab to show up to give me my 5 to 10 minute ride back to the airport (by the way, the fare was most reasonable,, about $6 or so each way). My guess is that things get busy on Saturday evening and they have a very limited amount of taxicabs/drivers - but this was no big deal and certainly one of those things you need to take-in-stride; after all,,, Hanford ISN'T the 'big city' and I thank my lucky stars for that!
Good Flights!
Below graphic designed by: Jeff Bucchino,
"The Wizard of Draws" (copyright owner) http://www.wizardofdraws.com
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