Here are twelve things you can do before worship services at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Visalia, which meets every Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Friends Meeting House.
1. Take a stroll in the Kaweah Oaks Preserve
The Kaweah Oaks Preserve, containing some of the last of our magnificent Valley Oak forests and meadows, is free and open to the public from dawn to dusk 365 days a year days a year. Choose from four different nature trails. The Preserve is located one mile from the Friends Meeting House where the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Visalia meets every Sunday.
2. Have a picnic at Mooney Grove Park and Tulare County Historical Museum
Originally designed to preserve giant Valley Oak Trees, the park now has not only these beautiful trees, but large grassy areas, picnic arbors, a duck pond, and the county historical museum. Don’t miss the original world-famous "End of the Trail" statue by James Earl Fraser and the Pillar Square Monument dedicated to the Six Pillars of Character!
3. Explore Downtown Visalia
Unlike many of America’s cities, Visalia has a wonderful thriving downtown area. Old fashioned parking along tree-lined streets is supplemented with a downtown parking garage and the free Visalia Trolley. Restaurants, coffee houses, live music, shops, theatres, art galleries, and historical plaques are all within walking distance of hotels and the convention center. Watch for special events like parades and open-air music in Garden Street Plaza.
4. Help fight poverty by buying or donating new and used building materials at the ReStore
The ReStore is
operated by Habitat for Humanity of Tulare County. Save your money, neighborhood, community and the earth! The ReStore diverts items that might otherwise end up in the land-fill, while financially supporting building new Habitat for Humanity houses to combat poverty in Tulare County.
5. Buy local produce at our Visalia Farmer’s Market
Supporting our local farmer’s market promotes sustainable living, aids environmental protection and saves energy.
Our Visalia Farmer’s Market operates year round on Saturdays 8-11:30 am at the Sears Parking Lot on the N/W Corner of Mooney & Caldwell in Visalia (Sequoia Mall).
In addtion, from
April through August you'll find the Farmer's Market on Thursdays from 5-8:00pm at Church and Main Streets in downtown Visalia. More information...
Visit the Family Farm Fresh website to learn more about getting a basket of pesticide-free, Tulare County-grown produce delivered to your home or work place.
6. Take your kids to Imagine
U – Children’s Interactive Museum
A friendly learning center filled with hands-on scientific, cultural and
artistic exhibits for the whole family. Check out their weekend classes
and other special events.
7. Check out the Visalia
Public Library
"The library is the temple of learning, and learning has liberated
more people than all the wars in history." - Carl Thomas
Rowan
With the online card catalog, it is easy to order books from interlibrary
loan, so our library can obtain books available in much larger communities.
8. Attend a concert at the historic Visalia Fox Theater
The art-deco Fox Theatre is the landmark of Downtown Visalia. A restored atmospheric movie theater with a unique East Indian motif, this beautiful theater is a wonderful performing arts and event venue, featuring independent films and concerts. Music can be anything from rock, or country music, to the Tulare County Symphony.
9. Enjoy Live Theater
Visalia's live theater community groups — The Enchanted Playhouse, The Visalia Community Players, The Fourth Wall and College of the Sequoias — put on theater productions throughout the year. Also, musical theater put on by our county office of education Theater Company, and the local high schools often feature amazingly terrific performances.
10. Visit the Tulare Historical Museum
The Tulare Historical Museum is another small gem of a museum showcasing the history of the City of Tulare, with collections of art glass, and on Olympic Champion Bob Mathias and Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. Traveling exhibitions sponsored by the California Council for the Humanities, special exhibits and works by artists of all disciplines also frequent the museum. A gift shop offers unusual gifts and hard to find historical books.
11. Enjoy Japanese Art.
The Ruth & Sherman Lee Institute for Japanese Art is a small museum located at 15770 Tenth Ave, southeast of Hanford.
12. Visit the world-famous Sequoia
and Kings Canyon National Parks
Last but not least! Just an hour from Visalia, see the largest
living things on Earth, and enjoy beautiful forests, canyons, rivers,
and mountain peaks.
The Generals Highway climbs over 5,000 feet from chaparral and oak-studded foothills to the awe-inspiring sequoia groves. From there, trails lead to the high-alpine wilderness which makes up most of these parks.
Now, in the summer season you can take the Sequoia Shuttle from Visalia to Giant Forest - only $15, price includes park admission.
