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Charles Buntjer & California
I was born on a farm in nothern Illinois in 1940. I always dreamed of living in the big city all of
my life. My stepmother got me an interview in the summer of 1959, I was 19 years old. It was Freeport, at a huge manufacturing plant. I was hired a month later and of all things, sent to Chicago to learn how to create punched cards to store data, sort the cards for reports and wire boards to program IBM Tabulating Machines!
In 1961 I moved to Rockford Illinois, second biggest city in the state, a huge manufacturing center. I had a nice apartment and lots of friends plus my sister Yvonne and her family lived there so I was very happy. What could go wrong I thought.
In July of 1963, I was 23 years old and I thought I had it made but then got a letter from the government that I had been drafted. I was sent to Fort Knox Kentucky and was at the top of the privates in abilities, top sharp shooter, highest I.Q. and so on, but found out I was being sent to the Presidio of San Francisco to work in the computer installation overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island and downtown San Francisco. I knew I was never going to leave San Francisco and California.
California Overview
California, situated on the West Coast of the United States, is the most populous state in the country and is renowned for its diverse culture, thriving economy, and stunning natural landscapes. Its capital is Sacramento, and its largest city is Los Angeles. With a population of 39.24 million (2021) people, the state is a global hub for technology, entertainment, and innovation, serving as the headquarters for numerous tech companies and Hollywood studios. California is also celebrated for its scenic beauty, encompassing landmarks like the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, the picturesque coastline of Big Sur, and the majestic redwood forests. The state's cultural diversity is reflected in its vibrant arts and culinary scene, influenced by a mix of cultures from around the world. Additionally, California's progressive policies on environmental conservation and sustainability underscore its commitment to addressing climate change and promoting renewable energy initiatives.
California History
The history of California can be divided into the Native American period (about 10,000 years ago until 1542), the European exploration period (1542-1769), the Spanish colonial period (1769-
1821), the Mexican period (1821-1848), and United States statehood (September 9, 1850–present). California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America. After contact with Spanish explorers, many of the Native Americans died from foreign diseases. Finally, in the 19th century there was a genocide by United States government and private citizens, which is known as the California genocide.
After the Portolá expedition of 1769-1770, Spanish missionaries began setting up 21 California missions on or near the coast of Alta (Upper) California, beginning with the Mission San Diego de Alcala near the location of the modern day city of San Diego, California. During the same period, Spanish military forces built several forts (presidios) and three small towns (pueblos). Two of the pueblos would eventually grow into the cities of Los Angeles and San Jose. After Mexico's Independence was won in 1821, California fell under the jurisdiction of the First Mexican Empire. Fearing the influence of the Roman Catholic church over their newly independent nation, the Mexican government closed all of the missions and nationalized the church's property. They left behind a "Californio" population of several thousand families, with a few small military garrisons. After the Mexican–American War of 1846-1848, The Mexican Republic was forced to relinquish any claim to California to the United States.
The California Gold Rush of 1848-1855 attracted hundreds of thousands of ambitious young people from around the world. Only a few struck it rich, and many returned home disappointed. Most appreciated the other economic opportunities in California, especially in agriculture, and brought their families to join them. California became the 31st U.S. state in the Compromise of 1850 and played a small role in the American Civil War. Chinese immigrants increasingly came under attack from nativists; they were forced out of industry and agriculture and into Chinatowns in the larger cities. As gold petered out, California increasingly became a highly productive agricultural society. The coming of the railroads in 1869 linked its rich economy with the rest of the nation, and attracted a steady stream of settlers. In the late 19th century, Southern California, especially Los Angeles, started to grow rapidly.
After 1900, California continued to grow rapidly and soon became an agricultural and industrial power. The economy was widely based on specialty agriculture, oil, tourism, shipping, film, and after 1940 advanced technology such as aerospace and electronics industries - along with a significant military presence. The films and stars of Hollywood helped make the state the "center" of worldwide attention. California became an American cultural phenomenon; the idea of the "California Dream" as a portion of the larger American Dream of finding a better life drew 35 million new residents from the start to the end of the 20th century (1900-2010). Silicon Valley became the world's center for computer innovation.
History of the Flag
The flag of California, also known as the Bear Flag, features a striking and iconic design. It
includes a single red five-pointed star positioned in the upper left corner, a bold red stripe along the bottom, and a depiction of a California grizzly bear walking to the left on a grassy mound.
The words "CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC" are inscribed between the grass and the red stripe.
The bear on the flag symbolizes strength and unwavering resilience, reflecting the spirit of the people of California. The flag's design pays homage to the state's brief period as an independent republic in 1846 and serves as a powerful symbol of California's rich history and distinctive identity.
Presidio of San Francisco - Army Base
Specialist Class 5 |
Presidio Computer Center |
The Presidio of San Francisco is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.The Presidio of San Francisco is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
This is the first place I lived at when I flew into San Francisco and took a bus downtown and finally found my way to the barracks next to the Golden Gate Bridge. I vowed never to leave California!
Chuck's View of San Francisco
Can you believe my fantastic view of San Francisco from my apartment on the 28th floor of the Fox Plaza Apartments!
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, financial, and cultural center within Northern California, United States
San Francisco City Hall is the seat of government for the City and County of San Francisco, California. Re-opened in 1915 in its open space area in the city's Civic Center, it is a Beaux-Arts monument to the City Beautiful movement that epitomized the high-minded American Renaissance of the 1880s to 1917. The structure's dome is taller than that of the United States Capitol by 42 feet (13 m). The present building replaced an earlier City Hall that was destroyed during the 1906 earthquake, which was two blocks from the present one.
Sausalito
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Sausalito is a city in Marin County, California, across the Golden Gate Strait from San Francisco. It’s known for its Richardson Bay houseboat enclaves, built by artist squatters after WWII. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Bay Model Visitor Center has a functioning 3D hydraulic model of the Bay Area, plus exhibits about the area's waterways. The Marin Headlands offers Golden Gate Bridge views.
One can take the ferry from the Ferry Building to Sausalito, Tiburon, Alcatraz, Oakland and Angel Island.
Angel Island State Park
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Angel Island is an island in San Francisco Bay. The entire island is included within Angel Island State Park, administered by California State Parks.
This is the largest natural island in the San Francisco Bay, offers some of the best views of the surrounding Bay Area. With great hiking trails and many other recreational opportunities readily available, Angel Island is truly a hidden gem in the midst of the urban Bay Area.
One can take the ferry from the Ferry Building to Sausalito, Tiburon, Alcatraz, Oakland and Angel Island.
Treasure Island
Connected to Yerba Buena Island |
View from Treasure Island |
Treasure Island in San Francisco is home to a growing number of parks and trails that highlight its natural beauty and offers serene outdoor experiences. As part of ongoing redevelopment efforts, the island features new green spaces and waterfront parks with breathtaking views of the city skyline, Bay Bridge, and Golden Gate Bridge. The island’s trail system is perfect for walking, running, or biking, winding along the coastline and offering panoramic vistas at every turn. With plans for additional parklands and recreational areas, Treasure Island is a hub for outdoor enthusiasts seeking both relaxation and adventure in a peaceful, island setting.
One can take the ferry from the Ferry Building to Sausalito, Tiburon, Alcatraz, Oakland and Angel Island.
Farallon Islands
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The Farallon Islands, or Farallones, are a group of islands and sea stacks in the Gulf of the Farallones, off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States.
Alcatraz
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Alcatraz Island is a small island 1.25 miles offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military prison.
Yosemity
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Yosemite National Park is in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s famed for its giant, ancient sequoia trees, and for Tunnel View, the iconic vista of towering Bridalveil Fall and the granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome. In Yosemite Village are shops, restaurants, lodging, the Yosemite Museum and the Ansel Adams Gallery, with prints of the photographer’s renowned black-and-white landscapes of the area.
Mount Tamalpais State Park
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Mount Tamalpais State Park is a California state park, located in Marin County, California. The primary feature of the park is the 2,571 feet Mount Tamalpais. The park contains mostly redwood and oak forests. The mountain itself covers around 25,000 acres.
Point Reyes Peninsula
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On the western side of the bay, the Point Reyes Peninsula is primarily a 71,000-acre park, complete with pristine beaches, hiking trails, and unobstructed views of the coastline. On the eastern side of the bay, a series of small communities line the waterfront. You can find a wide selection of cozy B&Bs, delicious dining establishments, and a variety of activities, entertainment, and cultural attractions to suit every interest.
When San Francisco locals want to get away, they also head for Tomales Bay. The long, slender bay separates the Point Reyes Peninsula from the mainland. While it is picturesque, everyone comes here for the oyster.
Muir Woods National Monument
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Muir Woods National Monument is part of California’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area, north of San Francisco. It’s known for its towering old-growth redwood trees. Trails wind among the trees to Cathedral Grove and Bohemian Grove, and along Redwood Creek. The Ben Johnson and Dipsea trails climb a hillside for views of the treetops, the Pacific Ocean and Mount Tamalpais in adjacent Mount Tamalpais State Park.
Ames Research Center
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The Ames Research Center, also known as NASA Ames, is a major NASA research center at Moffett Federal Airfield in California's Silicon Valley. It was founded in 1939 as the second National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics laboratory.
I first went there to visit in the early 1980's when they were developing the Space Shuttle!
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills Yard Work |
Viviane's Beverly Hills House |
Beverly Hills Hotel Lobby |
Chuck & Viviane in Vienna! |
Beverly Hills is a city in California's Los Angeles County. Home to many Hollywood stars, it features the upscale shopping street of Rodeo Drive. The expansive Beverly Gardens Park has fountains and rose gardens, plus an illuminated Beverly Hills sign. The 1920s Greystone Mansion is the backdrop for many films. Known as a celebrity haunt, The Beverly Hills Hotel is set in tropical gardens and has a poolside cafe.
I met Viviane on a cruise from southern tip of Chile to the southern tip of Argentina. We climbed on glaciers and drank whiskey in glasses with glacier ice. We became friends and traveled to Vienna for the 1999/2000 Millenium and for the real Millenium, 2000/2001, we celebrated it in Morocco!
Santa Anita Park - Arcadia
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Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races, including both the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap.
Gail brought us very nice lounge chairs to sit in. We got a special place to sit and had great waiter service. We had a good laugh, some people came over and asked for advice as far as betting on the horses. We asked why were they asking us. They said we looked like we were special and in the know.
San Diego
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San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of California known for its beaches, parks and warm climate. Immense Balboa Park is the site of the renowned San Diego Zoo, as well as numerous art galleries, artist studios, museums and gardens. A deep harbor is home to a large active naval fleet, with the USS Midway, an aircraft-carrier-turned-museum, open to the public.
Palm Springs
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Palm Springs, a city in the Sonoran Desert of southern California, is known for its hot springs, stylish hotels, golf courses and spas. It's also noted for its many fine examples of midcentury-modern architecture. Its core shopping district along Palm Canyon Drive features vintage boutiques, interior design shops and restaurants. The surrounding Coachella Valley offers hiking, biking and horseback riding trails.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - the world’s largest rotating tram car - travels over two-and-one-half miles along the breathtaking cliffs of Chino Canyon, transporting riders to the pristine wilderness of the Mt. San Jacinto State Park. During your approximately ten-minute journey, tram cars rotate slowly, offering picturesque and spectacular vistas of the valley floor below.
Once you reach the Mountain Station - elevation 8,516 feet - enjoy two restaurants, observation decks, natural history museum, two documentary theaters, gift shop and over 50 miles of hiking trails.
Monterey
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Monterey is a city on California’s rugged central coast. Its Cannery Row, one-time center of the sardine-packing industry, was immortalized by novelist John Steinbeck. Today, it's a popular strip of gift shops, seafood restaurants and bars in converted factories. Also famous is Monterey Bay Aquarium, with thousands of marine animals and plants on display in underwater and interactive exhibits.
Filoli - South of San Francisco
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Filoli, also known as the Bourn-Roth Estate, is a country house set in 16 acres of formal gardens surrounded by a 654-acre estate, located in Woodside, California, about 25 miles south of San Francisco, at the southern end of Crystal Springs Reservoir, on the eastern slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
I met Virginia at the Central YMCA and we became friends and traveled the world for over ten years. Jordan, Dubai, Indonesia, Jamaica, the Greek Islands, Spain, Portugal, even taking the Cunard Queen Mary 2 on a cruise TransAtlantic plus other destinations.
Long Beach
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Long Beach is a coastal city and port in Southern California. Moored in its Queensway Bay, RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner and museum ship. The waterfront Aquarium of the Pacific features touch tanks and a shark lagoon. Modern and contemporary works are on display at the Museum of Latin American Art. Rancho Los Cerritos is a 19th-century adobe home and museum set in expansive gardens.
Santa Catalina Island
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Santa Catalina, one of California’s Channel Islands, lies southwest of Los Angeles. It's known for its wildlife, dive sites and Mt. Orizaba, its highest peak. The resort town of Two Harbors lies to the north. To the south, in the city of Avalon, palm trees and cabanas line Descanso Beach. Avalon’s circular, art deco Catalina Casino is a cultural center with a movie theater, ballroom and museum.
Hearst Castle
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Hearst Castle, known formally as La Cuesta Encantada, is a historic estate in San Simeon, located on the Central Coast of California. Conceived by William Randolph Hearst, the publishing tycoon, and his architect Julia Morgan, the castle was built between 1919 and 1947.
Napa/Sonoma Wine Country
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Napa is the largest city and county seat of Napa County and a principal city of Wine Country in Northern California, United States. Located in the North Bay region of the Bay Area, the city had a population of 77,480 as of the end of 2021.[9] Napa is a major tourist destination in California, known for its wineries, restaurants, and arts culture.
Sonoma is a historic city in northern California at the heart of the renowned Sonoma Valley winemaking region. It's known for its art galleries and the colonial-era Sonoma Plaza. Surrounding this plaza are significant 19th-century adobe buildings including Mission San Francisco Solano and the Sonoma Barracks, once used by the Mexican military. Seasonally, the square hosts a popular weekly farmer's market.
Point Arena
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Point Arena, formerly known as Punta Arena is a small coastal city in Mendocino County, California, United States. Point Arena is located 32 miles west of Hopland, at an elevation of 118 feet. The population was 460 at the 2020 census, making it one of the smallest incorporated cities in the state.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
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Humboldt Redwoods State Park is a state park of California, United States, containing Rockefeller Forest, the world's largest remaining contiguous old-growth forest of coast redwoods.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory - Crescenta Valley
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The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center in La Cañada Flintridge, California, Crescenta Valley, United States. Founded in 1936 by California Institute of Technology researchers, the laboratory is now owned and sponsored by NASA and administered and managed by Caltech.
My friend Viviane, living in Beverly Hills, has a friend working at JPL and we were lucky to have a private tour. We saw them programming the rovers on Mars. Here we are floating over Mars! Lost in Space?
Venice Beach
Known for its bohemian spirit, Venice is a buzzing beach town with upscale commercial and residential pockets. Free-spirited Venice Boardwalk is the site of funky shops, street performers and colorful murals. There’s also a skate park and Muscle Beach outdoor gym. Abbot Kinney Boulevard features foodie hot spots, stylish boutiques and coffee bars. A picturesque enclave of canals is surrounded by modernist homes.
Sacramento - State Capital - Train Museum
Sacramento, capital of the U.S. state of California, lies at the confluence of the Sacramento River and American River. The district of Old Sacramento harkens back to the city’s Gold Rush era, with wooden sidewalks and wagon rides. One of several museums in Old Sacramento, the California State Railroad Museum depicts the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, one of the country’s earliest technological feats.
The California State Railroad Museum is a museum in the California State Parks system that interprets the role of railroads in the Western U.S.. It is located in Old Sacramento State Historic Park at 111 I Street, Sacramento, California.
San Diego
San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of California known for its beaches, parks and warm climate. Immense Balboa Park is the site of the renowned San Diego Zoo, as well as numerous art galleries, artist studios, museums and gardens. A deep harbor is home to a large active naval fleet, with the USS Midway, an aircraft-carrier-turned-museum, open to the public.
Los Angeles
Chuck - Grand Opening Disney Symphony Hall
Los Angeles is a sprawling Southern California city and the center of the nation’s film and television industry. Near its iconic Hollywood sign, studios such as Paramount Pictures, Universal and Warner Brothers offer behind-the-scenes tours. On Hollywood Boulevard, TCL Chinese Theatre displays celebrities’ hand- and footprints, the Walk of Fame honors thousands of luminaries and vendors sell maps to stars’ homes.
Death Valley
We got caught in a rain storm! Rangers had a good laugh!
Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. It is thought to be the hottest place on Earth during summer. Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the point of lowest elevation in North America, at 282 feet below sea level.
Truckee - Skiing
Dangerous Drives at Times Great Skiing - 1970
Truckee is an incorporated town in Nevada County, California, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 16,180, reflecting an increase of 2,316 from the 13,864 counted in the 2000 Census.
In 1968 I was swing shift supervisor of one of the largest computer centers west of Chicago. Patti came to work with me after she graduated from college. We became friends and she said she had a cabin in Truckee and I should learn to ski. We still are friends after all these years. We had a lot of fun skiing all those years ago!
Stinson Beach
North of San Francisco Great Beach & Rentals
Stinson Beach is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Marin County, California, on the west coast of the United States. Stinson Beach is located east-southeast of Bolinas, right across the channel that terminates the bay mouth bar of the Bolinas Lagoon. at an elevation of 26 feet.
Calistoga
Vineyards Geysers - Hot Springs - Spas
Calistoga is a small city in California's Napa Valley. It's known for hot springs, mud baths and wineries, including one set in Castello di Amorosa, a medieval-style castle. The Old Faithful Geyser of California erupts at regular intervals. Works by Italian artist Carlo Marchiori are displayed at the Ca'toga Galleria D'Arte, in town. To the southeast, Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park has an 1846 mill.
It also is a great place to go to a spa and be put in a warmed volcanic mud bath and then massaged and wrapped in a sheet to relax. After, a glass of champagne!
Chuck's View of San Francisco
Can you believe my fantastic view of San Francisco from my apartment on the 28th floor of the Fox Plaza Apartments!
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, financial, and cultural center within Northern California, United States
Created
on 2025.05.05
Updated on
2025.05.05