HOLLISTER — San Benito County has plenty of faults.
And that’s a good thing.
It’s because the biggest fault of all — the San Andreas — literally helped bring a large chunk of Southern California north.
It created what is today Pinnacles National Park, arguably the biggest attraction in San Benito County.
Motorcycle enthusiasts may disagree. That’s because Hollister, San Benito’s county seat, is where the infamous “riot” — some argue more rowdiness than mayhem especially by today’s standards — broke out in 1947. That inspired the 1953 movie “The Wild One” starring Marlon Brando.
But when it comes to flexing muscle, the largest displacement motorcycle is a wimp compared to the forces of nature.
The Pinnacles Rocks in the national park are believed to be part of the Pinnacles-Neenach Volcanic Field that occurred 23 million years ago near present-day Lancaster in Southern California, some 195 miles to the southeast.
The San Andreas Fault split the volcano and the Pacific Plate crept north, carrying the Pinnacles with it.
Many of the national park’s formations in the higher elevation provide nests for North America’s longest bird by wingspan — the California Condor. They have wingspans of 9.5 feet and live an average of 60 years.
There’s a bit more to San Benito County than just a bunch of rocks and big birds.
Hollister, itself, offers an array of mom and pop style restaurants.
While my last visit was three years ago, over the years I’ve stopped with friends four different times at four different restaurants and was never disappointed.
It might be local sourcing of the ingredients.
Given San Benito County is the the eastern edge of the World’s Salad Bowl — aka Salinas Valley — stopping by roadside produce stands on day trips is a must.
While many heading to San Benito County from the Northern San Joaquin Valley via Pacheco Pass (Highway 152) past the 2 million acre-foot San Louis Reservoir make the stop at Casa de Fruta with its lush produce offerings, on-site amusements such as train rides, and dining options. It isn’t in the county.
Yes, it has a Hollister address but it is on the southeastern reach of Santa Clara County.
If you enjoy the Casa de Fruta experience, the produce at smaller roadside stands within San Benito County can, at times, be even better.
What kind of crops are grown in San Benito County?
Given its part of the World’s Salad Bowl, there are eight of the county’s top 10 crops that could make their way to salads. The list includes miscellaneous vegetables and row tops are No. 1 followed by — in descending order — wine grapes, lettuce salad mix, spinach, broccoli/broccolette, cattle/livestock, romaine lettuce, pasture, peppers, and fresh market tomatoes.
The No. 4 crop — spinach — would keep Popeye happy for a while given the 2021 crop value was $35.2 million.
That’s a lot of spinach but the real producer is neighboring Monterey County at $173 million. That said, 50 percent of California’s spinach comes from the Salinas Valley.
The national park aside, San Benito County isn’t exactly a hotbed for destination tourists.
It does have its share of wineries and even one of the state’s off-road vehicle parks in the form of Hollister Hills.
And there is San Juan Bautista State Historic Park.
The park is part of a nationally recognized historic landmark adjacent to California's 15th Spanish-era mission. It was founded in 1797.
The park and its Plaza represent what was once the town square of the largest town in central California and a vital crossroad for travel between northern and southern California.
Visitors can gain an appreciation of California's people, from Native Americans through the Spanish and Mexican cultural influences, right up to the American period in the late 19th century.
The park includes several structures built in the 1800s. The four main historic museums are the Plaza Hotel, the Zanetta House/Plaza Hall, the Plaza Stables, and the Castro-Breen Adobe. Many of the interiors are furnished with vignettes or colorful and informative exhibits that help create a unique learning environment for people of all ages. The park also features a blacksmith shop, a historic jail, and an early American settler’s cabin.
The park is open daily for self-guided visits and also offers guided walking tours by advanced reservation. Call 831-623-4881 for information.
The overall county has 1,389 square miles and 66,677 residents. Of those, 43,346 reside in Hollister and 2,142 in San Juan Bautista — the county’s only two incorporated cities.
By comparison San Joaquín County has 1,426 square miles and 789,910 residents. Lodi’s population of 67,021 is 344 larger than the entire county of San Benito.
The county created from Monterey County on February 12, 1874. Chunks of Merced and Fresno counties were added later.
Today, the county borders Santa Clara, Monterey, Fresno, Merced, and Santa Cruz counties.
The county is named after San Benito Valley.
Father Juan Crespi, a key figure in the Spanish colonization of California, named a small river in honor of San Benidicto (Saint Benedict), the patron saint of the married during his expedition in 1772. It is from the contraction of this name that the county took its name.
The county’s highest point is San Benito Mountain at 5,267 feet. It also happens to be the highest peak in the Diablo Range. The mountain’s rock is comprised of asbestos.
It means little vegetation grows in the area. You will see some vegetation, however, such as the San Benito evening primrose.
No, it’s not that Hollister
One last little tidbit.
A few years back on the way to Monterey with some teen visitors from North Dakota, they were astounded to see a mileage sign as we were crossing Pacheco Pass on Highway 152 that listed “Hollister”.
They incorrectly assumed we were as few miles from the inspiration — or birthplace — of the Abercrombie and Fitch clothing line “Hollister” that was wildly popular at the time.
They asked to make a quick side trip, and we did.
I didn’t want to spoil the fun so when we arrived in Hollister during the quick detour off our route. They were expecting a surf city given that is the mythical story A&F created when they rolled out their Hollister line that — according to Piper & Jaffray financial services — was one of the top five teen clothing brands globally based on 2019 sales.
Imagine their surprise when we ended up driving through the county seat of San Benito that is very much a dusty agricultural town that is a good 30 plus miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Instead of finding the streets filled with surfer dudes, we passed a number of farm workers.
I further deflated their bubble when I informed them Hollister wasn’t even a coastal city in Southern California as their marketing hype alludes to. Instead it was a company founded in Ohio that — according to A&F — pulled the name Hollister out of thin air. When they threatened to sue Hollister merchants in 2009 to prevent them from selling T-shirts with their city’s name on it, they claimed they were stunned to find a city that actually was named Hollister.
What I missed the opportunity to do was brag on Hollister of being the Earthquake Capital of the World given it is in the heart of the most earthquake prone county in California — San Benito.
There are other places that contend they are the Earthquake Capital of California. They are Parkfield in Monterey County and Coalinga in Fresno County.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
