Casa de Fruta
Encyclopedia
Roadside attraction
A roadside attraction is a feature along the side of a road, that is frequently advertised with billboards to attract tourists. In general, these are places one might stop on the way to somewhere else, rather than being a final or primary destination in and of themselves. The modern...
located in an unincorporated area of Santa Clara County, just west of the Merced County line, in the Pacheco Valley
Pacheco Pass
Pacheco Pass, elevation , is a mountain pass located in the Diablo Range in southeastern Santa Clara County, California. It is the main road over the hills separating the Santa Clara Valley and the Central Valley....
of Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
, along State Route 152
California State Route 152
State Route 152 is a state highway that runs near the latitudinal middle of the U.S. state of California from Watsonville to Route 99 southeast of Merced...
. Casa de Fruta was founded as an orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
by the Bisceglia brothers, who were Italian immigrants, in 1908. Three teenaged grand-nephews of the first owner of the orchard opened a roadside cherry
Cherry
The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
stand in 1943, and eventually sold other fruits. In 1967 the remaining two grand-nephews opened a restaurant, Casa de Coffee, gas station, Casa de Diesel, children's playground (including Casa de Choo-Choo, a scale model miniature train with a full size man for the engineer, for children to ride), and gift shop. Casa de Fruta today includes a Good Sampark RV resort, inn, Casa de Sweets, and Casa de Wine. Even the bathrooms in the Chevron Gas Station are called Casa de Restrooms. It is also the current home of the Northern California Renaissance Faire, which takes place in September and October each year.
The locale was known to American Indians and was first written about when Spanish missionaries discovered the artesian well there in the 1790s. The water source was popular during the Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
.
One reference says the nearby intersection of State Route 156
California State Route 156
State Route 156 is a state highway in California, USA, running from Castroville to State Route 152 near Hollister.This route is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System.-Route description:...
and State Route 152
California State Route 152
State Route 152 is a state highway that runs near the latitudinal middle of the U.S. state of California from Watsonville to Route 99 southeast of Merced...
may be called "The Don Pacheco Y."