Uvas Road (County Highway G8), Santa Clara County, CA, 4/1/2010
"Once upon a time the world was sweeter than we knew" is from a song written by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams for their 1962 musical "All American". For me this all American pastoral scene is just that: a glimpse back in time to a sweet unspoiled world. I wish all of earth were still this lovely today. After meeting in Uvas Canyon County Park near Morgan Hill, CA one spring afternoon, a friend and I decided to leave the chilly canyon and explore the beautiful surrounding countryside. Here is one of the vistas we found, capped by a glorious display of cumulus clouds. As the cows contentedly grazed on alfalfa I happily captured the view on film. This landscape in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains is 600 feet above sea level. Standing by Uvas Road south of Casa Loma Road, we're looking southwest toward Llagas Creek and Manzanita Ridge in Rancho Las Uvas, which was an 11,080 acre Mexican land grant given in 1842 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Lorenzo Pinedo. The grant was 3 miles west of present day Morgan Hill, and covered this hilly area drained by Uvas Creek and Llagas Creek. The grant name means "ranch of the grapes" and refers to the abundance of sweet wild grapes (Vitis californica) that grew along this area's main watercourses once upon a time.
