"Land of Medicine Buddha" is a sanctuary in Nisene Marks State Park that offers traditional and contemporary programs based on Tibetan Buddhist practice. Founded and led by Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche and inspired by the Dalai Lama, Buddhist events and workshops are offered to the public. On the beautiful hiking trail you can see Buddhist paintings and sculptures as well as prayer flags. There is a bookstore and a place where a staff member can explain the Buddhist prayer practice and you can ring the bell and turn the prayer wheel in a set ritual. If you have a lot of time, you can also take part in numerous courses where you can learn about Buddhism, explore your own spirituality, practice yoga or meditate together.

On a day off I also went to Santa Cruz and looked at the city center there. On the way I stopped at the beautiful art shop “OM Galerie”. It's hard to walk past the store without being drawn in by the beautiful decor and scents. The store works with family businesses in Asia and around the world, promotes Fair Trade and supports cooperative home-based businesses in developing countries. Each item is handmade by one of the many families of tailors, cobblers, lantern makers and lamp makers. 

Here I bought some lovely birthday presents for my Scottish colleague at my home in Triform. Including beautifully designed books and a vertical garden. I am very grateful to her for the time we spent together and asked the residents in California to make some nice things for her in the weaving mill, as she passionately takes care of the residents in Triform every day and always comes up with new creative projects. They put in a lot of effort and together we packed a big package. My colleague wrote to me that she unpacked the package together with the child in our house and a resident. She was really happy!

With a length of 2,745 feet (836.68 m), the Wharf is the longest pier on the west coast of the USA. It was opened in 1914 to ship potatoes to San Francisco during the Gold Rush and to supply the mining camps in the Sierra Nevada. Later, the Wharf became the bassis of the fishing industry in the north of Monterey Bay. In the 1950s, the Wharf was transformed into a leisure facility and a popular tourist attraction, which today attracts 1.5 million visitors a year. Many stores are lined up here, including souvenir, candy and wine stores as well as numerous restaurants. My highlight is the seals relaxing under the jetty. You can go down a flight of stairs and observe the animals up close. There is a place on the pier where music is often played and couples and groups dance. You can just join in here if you're in the mood to dance!

The Boardwalk with its huge amusement park was founded in 1907. It is the oldest amusement park still in existence in California! In the 1930s and 1940s, the Cocoanut Grove event center was a popular meeting place for big bands such as Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton and Tommy Dorsey. There are three giant roller coasters (Giant Dipper, Sea Serpent, Undertow), 9 thrill rides, 18 rides for families and eight rides especially for children. Two of the rides are even National Historic Landmarks. The Giant Dipper is a historic wooden coaster that opened on May 17, 1924 and is still one of the most popular wooden roller coasters in the world with a height of 21m and a speed of 89 km/h. Over 60 million people have ridden the roller coaster, for which 100,000 meters of wood, 743,000 nails and 24,000 bolts were used. You can book the rides individually or simply get a day pass wristband for 50 dollars if you want to try everything once.  

The indoor arcades offer the largest selection of games in Northern California. Just walking through the hall and taking in all the visual and acoustic impressions is a lot of fun. In addition to classic slot machines, there are also machines where you control vehicles, aim guns at the monitor or have to move around. There is laser tag, pinball, a vintage game collection, bowling and a mini golf course. Outside there is a picnic area where you can share the food you've brought with your friends at picnic tables overlooking the beach. There are lots of tasty snacks here, such as corn dogs, deep-fried artichokes, candy floss, chocolate-covered bacon and deep-fried Oreos and Twinkies, but the prices are very expensive, even by fairground standards. Better to bring your favorite snacks and enjoy them on the beach! 

The Homeless Garden project is very worthy of support, as there are many homeless people in Santa Cruz - there are said to be 1850 in the entire county. A lot of support is offered to the homeless on their own organic farm. For example, vocational training, paid transitional jobs and support services. But the community also benefits from educational and volunteering opportunities. In Santa Cruz, there is a store selling organic baking mixes, herbal salts, natural bath and body products and hand-dipped beeswax candles. The herbs and flowers all come from the 3.5-hectare organic farm. Over 50 local artisans offer handmade jewelry, pottery, photography and art media in the store. The money goes back into the Homeless Garden Project to support the homeless.

Abbot Square has now become one of my favorite places in Santa Cruz. It's a large square with lots of tables and chairs. During the day there are parasols. In the evening, when it gets cooler, there are torches next to the tables which create a nice and cozy atmosphere. There is Wi-Fi, so I often write my blog here, a clean public toilet and lots of stores where you can get delicious food (Italian sandwiches, burgers, vegan food, Venezuelan food, fried chicken, pizza, burritos, sushi) and drinks. You can also bring your own food, so I like to bring food from the supermarket and buy a freshly tapped Paulaner beer from the barrel on site. You pay 7 dollars for a large glass of beer, which is very cheap by American standards. A 0.33 liter bottle of Corona costs around 9 dollars in the club. Numerous events take place on the square, including markets, public concerts, comedy nights and art exhibitions. This is where I like to spend my free evenings!

Gayles is a huge bakery! Just like in a government office, you have to take a number at the entrance and are then called to place your order. There are a lot of people waiting, so you need to be clear about your order beforehand. But that's not so easy with the huge selection! For an overview, you can take a look at the menu on the website:

https://www.gaylesbakery.com/menus/

The bakery in Capitola was founded in 1978. Initially 74 square meters in size with a range of 10 different dishes, a rosticceria, an Italian delicatessen with a rotating spit, was later added. Today, the store covers 930 square meters and has 150 employees! There are more than 500 different pastries, cakes, cookies, breads, sandwiches and main courses. I particularly liked the Bear Claw, a flaky pastry with a sweet filling of almonds and nuts, which is cut and baked in the shape of a bear claw. The Bear Claw was invented in the USA in the 1910s. There is a covered terrace with a fireplace where you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Or you can take your things with you and have a picnic on the nearby beach. 

Marianne's Ice Cream is a wonderful ice cream store! I can't remember a store with such a wide selection of ice cream flavors. The store was founded in 1947 and named after the founders' daughters: Mary and Anne. There are ice cream flavors such as Blue Bubble Gum, Alice B Toklas Fudge Brownie (after the movie with Peter Sellers), Watermelon Sherbet, Cantaloupe and Sam's Special Rum Raisin. They have grown from 13 flavors to more than 105. Cosmopolitan Magazine included Marianne's Ice Cream in a list of 41 “Instagram-worthy” ice cream parlors in the United States. Even President Biden has had ice cream there: 

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/video/president-biden-enjoys-santa-cruz-county-ice-cream-on-air-force-one/3135404/

Vanillas

Vanilla Bean
Old Tyme Vanilla
Butter Brickle
Black Raspberry Marble
Chocolate Chip
Cookie Dough
Heath Bar
Heaven
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough
Cookies & Cream
Pralines n’ Cream
Chocolate Ripple
Root Beer Swirl
Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough
Strawberries & Cream
2AM Truffle

Chocolates

Bittersweet
Chocolate
Chocolate Almond
Chocolate Chocolate Chip
Cinnamon Chocolate
Fudge Brownie
German Chocolate
Malt Ball Fudge
Mandarin Chocolate
Mocha Chip
Peanut Butter Cup
Rocky Road

Fruits

Banana Almond Fudge
Burgundy Cherry
Cantaloupe (seasonal)
Coconut Fudge
Coconut Pineapple
Fresh Banana
Ginger
Lemon Custard
Lavender
Macapuno
Mango
Northern Oregon Blackberry
Peach (seasonal)
Pumpkin
Rum Raisin (seasonal)
Spumoni
Strawberry

Nuts

Black Walnut
Butter Pecan
Macadamia Nut
Maplenut
Pistachio
Toasted Almond

Coffees

Cafe
Coffee Almond Fudge
Kahlua Krunch
Koffee Krunch
Irish Coffee & Choc Chip
Mudpie

Caramels

1020

Caramel Fudge Crunch

Cinnamon Caramel

Salted Caramel

Otter 841

Sherbets

Orange
Pink Lemonade (seasonal)
Rainbow
Raspberry (seasonal)
Watermelon (seasonal)

Others

50/50
Blueberry Cheesecake
Bubble Gum
Cardomom Pistachio
Eggnog (seasonal)
Green Tea
Horchata
Licorice
Mint Chip
Cookies & Mint
Peppermint Stick
Raspberry Cheesecake
Strawberry Cheesecake

Sorbets

Green Lemon

Lemon

Raspberry

Strawberry

Mango

No Sugar Added

NSA Butter Pecan
NSA Cafe
NSA Mint Chip
NSA Vanilla Bean

Novelties

Nutty Bar
Vanilla Bar
Chocolate Sandwich
Coffee Sandwich
Mint Sandwich
Strawberry Sandwich
Vanilla Sandwich
Choc Dipped Cheesecake
Frozen Bananas
Nutty Bananas
Grasshopper Pie
Mudpie
Turtle Pie

The “Staff of Life” organic market was often recommended to me by colleagues. At first I wondered what was so special about this store, as I already know organic food stores from Germany. But this country is actually an excellent store that places a lot of emphasis on sustainability. We eat peanut butter that is freshly made from nuts in the supermarket - without any artificial additives! Of course, it tastes a little different to the peanut butter you buy in the supermarket, but here you know: it really does contain only peanuts! 

The store was founded back in 1969 and has developed from a small natural food bakery into a large natural food supermarket. There are thousands of non-GMO and gluten-free products, an open-air section for organic produce from local farms, the largest bulk section in the county, the largest vitamin and supplement section in the county, 40 varieties of bread and pastries made fresh daily, a large deli section, a salad and hot food counter with dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, a butcher with hormone-free and antibiotic-free meat and poultry, and an open-air cafe with coffee, smoothies and juices. They avoid single-use packaging and make it possible to fill individual items in reusable containers and pay by weight. The building has been certified as a green building and uses many different energy-efficient and sustainable technologies (see photo). A very impressive supermarket!

Little Caesars, the third largest pizza chain in the USA behind Pizza Hut and Dominos, is not an insider tip. I wanted to try the place out and was very surprised! Here in the USA, prices are often much higher than in Germany, and as caregivers we don't have a big budget either, so we often look closely at how much food we get for our money. Quality is important, but if we pay 25 dollars for a meal and it doesn't even fill us up, it's not worth it. Little Caesars has a large selection of delicious pizzas (thin, crispy pizza; normal pizza with a pretzel crust; thick Chicago style pizza) which all cost only around 10 dollars and are so big that I could live on one pizza for two days and even my two colleagues couldn't finish the Chicaco style pizza. If you only have a small budget but want to eat your fill, you should stop by here. The place is not far from the beach, so you can grab a pizza and eat it in the picnic area with a view of the sea or directly on the beach.

For lunch, we ordered from Pretty Good Advice. This is a vegetarian restaurant that serves breakfast sandwiches, vegetarian burgers, salads, soups and vegan soft serve ice cream. I'm often skeptical about vegetarian burgers, but the burger was super tasty and I hardly noticed that it wasn't meat. I was told that behind the small chain with two stores is a star chef who has built up the restaurant alongside his work as a business. You can really tell that this is not fast food from an assembly line, but that a lot of work is put into the individual burgers.

One evening we went to the MeloMelo Kava Bar. I wanted to try the drink “Kava”, which my colleagues recommended to me. Kava is traditionally consumed in the Western Pacific region, e.g. in Polynesia, Vanuatu, Melanesia and parts of Micronesia and Australia.  Traditionally, fresh or dried parts of the kava root are infused with water. The rhizome of the Piperis methystici rhizoma is usually ground into a fine powder or crushed in a mortar. If the whole plant is used and kneaded during production, the kava drink later also contains a saliva-promoting enzyme. It is offered in various forms in the store, for example with water or milk; I ordered it as hot chocolate with kava. It is drunk in half a coconut shell. It reduces anxiety and tension, has an analgesic effect, relaxes and reduces restlessness and leads to slight euphoria. Kava is not a drug, but a normal drink. Unfortunately, I didn't like it at all. I'm generally very relaxed by nature, so I tend to look for things that make me less tired and more talkative, such as drinks with caffeine or caffeine tablets. Anyone looking for a drink with these effects should give it a try, but I'll leave it at one cup. Instead, there was an open stage where people could sing and make music with their instruments. A group of young women played the guitar and sang beautifully, which definitely made the visit worthwhile.

After taking part in the parade to mark Martin Luther King Day, we drove to the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden. Here we enjoyed a delicious picnic and walked around the park for a while.

Founded in 1964, the facility is located on the campus of UCSC, the University of California Santa Cruz. Plant lovers can enjoy a wide variety of plants from the southern hemisphere here. There are many different regional gardens: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, California, butterflies, eucalyptus, succulents and conifers. The Australian garden is probably the largest collection of Australian plants outside Australia with over 2000 species. My favorite is the Aroma Garden. There are numerous plants here that smell very good: Mints, salvias, lavender, oregano, thyme and other drought-tolerant perennials and shrubs.

A colleague gave us an insider tip to visit the World Market Santa Cruz. In addition to furniture and furnishings, there is also a large department for food and drink from all over the world: Japan, Korea, Italy, England, France, Germany, Scotland, India, Australia, Spain, Canada, Hawaii and Africa. 

Including many German products that we really missed, such as Milka chocolate and Paulaner beer. For the fact that the products are imported, the prices are still okay. A Milka bar costs 3 dollars (2.78 euros) instead of 2 euros as in Germany. Two Haribo Gold Bear bags of 142 grams each cost a total of 5 dollars. Hanuta, Katjes, Lindt, Rittersport, Kinderschokolade and many other snacks take you back home. There are also many interesting sweets, such as freeze-dried fruit gums or Japanese Pepsi. Japanese Pepsi is made with special spices and prepared using a special heat-free process. The taste has been adapted to the Japanese market and is said to offer a smoother, more subtle sweetness. I didn't taste much difference, but perhaps this is only noticeable in a direct comparison. 

My house often goes to Wilder Ranch State Park on Sunday, our outing day. I have the day off, so I haven't had the chance to visit the park yet. The walking group went to the park this week, so I was able to experience for myself why my house loves it so much.

The park used to be a dairy farm; today, you can visit a museum in the restored buildings. It's a bit of a walk from the parking lot to the ocean, but the path along the coast rewards you with beautiful views of the California coast. In a bay that's off-limits, there are numerous sea lions that you can observe from above.

The Portola Expedition, in 1769, was the first European land exploration of Alta California and camped in the park. They gave many important names along the way, such as the San Lorenzo River, the Pajaro River, and the Santa Cruz River. The Franciscan missionary Juan Crespi noted in his journal how difficult it was to travel along this stretch of coast: "The path was very difficult on this march because of the many ravines [arroyos]." With the founding of Mission Santa Cruz in 1791, the area became part of the mission's rangeland. The secularization of the missions in 1834 divided the mission land into large allotments called "ranchos." The Wilder Ranch was part of the Rancho Refugio. Dairy farmer Delos D. Wilder, along with L. K. Baldwin, acquired part of the former ranch in 1871. The Wilder family operated the dairy until 1969, when the state acquired the land in 1974.

In my opinion, the most beautiful redwood park can be found in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. The 1871-hectare park is located between Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley near Felton. Here you can find coast redwoods, coast Douglas firs, California bay laurel, tanbark oaks, Pacific strawberry trees, yellow pines, California hazelnuts, and bigleaf maples. There are 24 km of hiking trails. A very well-maintained hiking trail ("The Loop") leads from the parking lot, from which I even spotted deer. Some trails lead to small sandy beaches along the San Lorenzo River, while others offer views of the Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay. The tallest tree in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, a coast redwood, is approximately 277 feet (84.42 m) tall, about 16 feet (4.87 m) wide, and about 1,500 years old.

We often go to Rio Del Mar Beach. It's a lovely place to take a stroll, have a picnic at one of the covered seating areas, or go for a jog along the long promenade. On holidays, our community often goes to this very popular, and unfortunately often polluted, beach to collect trash together. The houses are mostly AirBNBs for tourists, but many people from the area still meet here with their families to barbecue and swim. On the way to Seacliff, you pass a half-sunken ship, the Palo Alto. It was intended as a concrete ship for use in World War I, but it wasn't completed until 1919 and therefore never saw service. After 10 years in dock, the Seacliff Amusement Company bought the ship in 1929 and converted it into an amusement boat with a swimming pool, dining room, and dance hall, connected to the beach. In 1931, after the company went bankrupt, the ship broke apart in a winter storm. Initially used as a fishing spot, the damage became so extensive that it was eventually closed to the public. It was gutted, cleaned, and now serves as an artificial reef. A beautiful eye-catcher on the beach! In 2023, a pier leading to the wreck was dismantled after storm damage.

After my marathon, I wanted to treat myself to a professional massage in Santa Cruz. My search quickly turned up the Well Within Spa, one of the largest spas in Santa Cruz. I paid $295 for two people. This included:

• 50 minutes for two in a private spa room

• A 50-minute massage for each person

Soaking in hot water is an ancient tradition for relieving the stress and tension in our lives. Each room overlooks a traditional Japanese garden with a waterfall and koi pond and features a heated whirlpool with jets, a shower, and a changing area. In addition to the whirlpool, the room also includes a sauna. Relaxing music plays in the background, and warm towels, shampoo, conditioner, and herbal tea are provided.

It was a fantastic experience! Having a private room with a sauna and whirlpool is a great luxury, and the massage afterward truly reset my body. I walked through Santa Cruz afterward and felt like I was more aware of everything and had left all the stress behind me. Unfortunately, the price is disproportionate to what I get here as a caregiver for people with disabilities. Therefore, I won't be able to afford this luxury again for a while.

A colleague from the SAGE Group recommended the Wingstop restaurant to me. I love fried chicken, so I tried the chain near Capitola Mall. The chicken, which comes with or without bones, is prepared with a sauce. There are numerous sauces to choose from. My favorite: Boneless Wings with Hickory Smoked BBQ or Hot Honey Rub. They also offer bone-in wings, chicken sandwiches, crispy tenders, fries, and brownies. On Tender Tuesday, they offer two tenders for three dollars—a great way to try different flavors for less.

MEXICAN STREET SPICE

A smoky, Mexican street corn-inspired dry rub, blending chili, garlic, and cilantro with charred notes and a bright touch of lime for a rich, zesty flavor topped with Parmesan cheese crumble.

ATOMIC

It's the hottest we've got. Find out for yourself.

MANGO HABANERO

It's sweet, with heat. And then some. Seriously.

CAJUN

Tossed in original hot, dusted with bold and zesty Cajun seasoning.

ORIGINAL HOT

The first sauce we tossed. Full of heat and tang. It's called original for a reason.

HOT HONEY RUB

Sweet honey in a fiery dry rub.

LOUISIANA RUB

A crispy, spicy dry rub, with a distinctly Cajun drawl.

SPICY KOREAN Q

Ginger, garlic, sriracha, and crushed red pepper create the perfect balance of sweet and spicy.

HICKORY SMOKED BBQ

Bold. Smoky. Sweet. Rich. It's everything you love about BBQ, but better.

MILD

That O.G. hot, turned down a notch.

LEMON PEPPER

Zesty lemon. Cracked black pepper. This dry rub is the ultimate gateway flavor.

GARLIC PARMESAN

Savory garlic, buttery parmesan. This dry rub is simple, potent, and delicious.

HAWAIIAN

A sweet and tangy blend of island citrus balanced with rich Asian flavors.

PLAIN

No flavor? No problem. Get 'em plain.

Companion Bakeshop Aptos is our Academy class's favorite coffee shop. We like to go here during Resthour to sit in the coffee shop and work on our assignments, or we take it with us to nearby Seacliff Beach. I wasn't a big coffee fan before my year here. But they have delicious coffees where the coffee flavor stays pleasantly in the background but delivers a lot of caffeine. There are seasonal specials, like a raspberry mocha on Valentine's Day or a summery orange cappuccino in early June. Both are delicious! The prices are very reasonable by American standards, and there are many delicious baked goods from the in-house bakery, which you can watch in action behind a glass window. In my opinion, Companion Aptos has the best baguette in the area!

Sourdough Boules

SIMPLE

A mix of white and whole wheat flours, sourdough starter, and salt. Available everyday.

€10.50

WALNUT

A mix of white and whole wheat flours, sourdough starter, salt, and toasted walnuts. Available Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

$9.50

LOCAL

A blend of two varieties of whole wheat flour, sourdough starter, and salt. Available everyday.

€9.00

GOAT HORN

A mix of white and whole wheat flours, sourdough starter, salt, and goat milk cheddar. Available Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

$9.50

THREE SEED

A mix of white flour and whole wheat flours, sourdough starter, and salt, rolled in poppy, sesame, & sunflower seeds. Available everyday.

Sourdough Batards

LIGHT & FLUFFY

White flour, sourdough starter, and salt. This loaf is double fermented, meaning it is extra sour. Available everyday.

€9.00

HOLY MOLY BATARD

A mix of whole wheat and white flours, sourdough starter, salt, poppy, sesame, & sunflower seeds, oats, and molasses. Available everyday.

€11.00

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

PICNIC

A mix of white and rye flours, sourdough starter, yeast, and salt. Available everyday.

$9.50

Sourdough Rye Breads

TRADITIONAL RYE

Rye flour, sprouted rye berries, caraway seeds, sunflower seeds, sourdough starter, and salt. Available everyday.

$9.50

ANNIE'S RYE

A mix of rye, wheat, and spelt flours, cranberries, raisins, walnuts & pumpkin seeds. Available Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

$9.50

Specialty Breads

SMALL SEEDED FRENCH BAGUETTE

A mix of white and malted wheat flours, sourdough starter, yeast, salt, with poppy, sesame, & sunflower seeds on outside. Available everyday.

$5.50

CHOCOLATE CHIP DEMI-BAGUETTE

A mix of white and malted wheat flours, sourdough starter, yeast, salt, and vegan chocolate. Available Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

€5.50

LARGE FRENCH BAGUETTE

A mix of white and malted wheat flours, sourdough starter, yeast, and salt. Available everyday.

€6.00

LARGE SEEDED FRENCH BAGUETTE (EPI)

A mix of white and malted wheat flours, sourdough starter, yeast, salt, with poppy, sesame, & sunflower seeds on outside. Available Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

€7.00

CHALLAH

White flour, eggs, extra virgin olive oil, sugar, salt, yeast, with either poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or salt on outside. Available Friday (in-store only).

€12.00

A colleague recommended Chick-fil-A to me. The chain doesn't have a permanent store here, but parks a food truck in front of the Capitola Mall on Saturdays at lunchtime. She said it's much better than the fried chicken from Kentucky Fried Chicken, Wingstop, or Safeway. I went there with great expectations and was unfortunately completely disappointed. It's very expensive - I paid $18 for 8 nuggets, medium fries, and a medium Coke! The chicken wasn't particularly crispy or well-seasoned; for a little less money, I could get 20 nuggets, large fries, and a large Coke at McDonald's. The nuggets taste much better, too! The menu is very limited; in addition to nuggets, there are also chicken burgers.

I visited the Gobi Mongolian BBQ restaurant with my Korean and South African colleagues. It's a fantastic restaurant! You get two bowls that you can fill with meat, vegetables, noodles, and other ingredients from the buffet. A chef cooks your selections on a large platter in front of you. The price of $20 also includes a side of rice, crispy dough pieces, a drink, and ice cream for dessert. Such a large portion, with a drink, side dish, and dessert for only $20! It was incredibly delicious, and I was a little sad I hadn't visited this wonderful restaurant before. Definitely give it a try; there's something for everyone here.

The Jury Room bar is located in Santa Cruz. It features a free jukebox, pool tables, and live bands. However, the bar is best known as Edmund Kemper's favorite bar. In the early 1970s, while committing a series of brutal murders in the Santa Cruz area, Kemper often drank at this bar. The bar was located right across from the county courthouse and was a popular after-hours hangout for local police officers, lawyers, and courthouse staff. Kemper was sitting at the bar and had many conversations with off-duty cops. He reportedly asked them about the ongoing murder investigations, getting their thoughts on the unknown killer—without them suspecting it was him. He bought drinks for them and seemed harmless. He was later convicted of murdering seven women and one girl between May 1972 and April 1973. Years earlier, at the age of 15, Kemper had murdered his paternal grandparents. Kemper was nicknamed the "Co-ed Killer". Most of his non-familial victims were female college students hitchhiking in the area. Most of his murders included necrophilia, decapitation, dismemberment and possibly cannibalism. He requested death penalty, but the capital punishment for suspended at the time. He is still incarcerated at California Medical Facility in Vacaville.

It's sometimes difficult to find a place where we volunteers can meet in the evenings. We can't be too loud in the community in the evening, going to the numerous fast-food restaurants isn't healthy, and bars often don't allow anyone under 21. We discovered that we could also meet at Fast Eddy's Billiards. Here you can play pool, air hockey, and darts. There are also a few arcade machines and sitting areas for chatting. Those over 21 can order a beer, while those under 21 are also welcome in, but are limited to Coke and the like. It's a nice place for volunteers to meet outside of the community for once.