Links
Park Links
San Jose Parks
Albertson Parkway
Trail Map
San Jose Trails
Friends of Santa Teresa Park
Santa Teresa County Park and Trails
Santa Clara County Parks
Santa Teresa Park Pictures
Santa Teresa Park Wildflowers, Spring 2002
Founders Day Fandango 11/18/06
Ranch Spirit Day 8/25/07
Mine, Fortini, Stile Ranch Wildflowers, 4/11/08
Coyote Peak, Rocky Ridge Wildflowers, Feb-Apr. '08
Bernal Hill wildflowers and views, Feb-Apr. '08 Part 1, Part 2
Coyote Peak, Rocky Ridge, Feb-April '08
Mother's Day Walk, Fortini-Stile, 5/4/08
Family Fandango Day, 8/23/08
Outdoor Photography Class/Wildflower Walk, Bernal Ranch/Hill 4/4/09
Geocaching Class, Fortini-Mine-Stile Ranch Trail, 4/11/09
Pre-Mother's Day Walk, Fortini-Mine-Stile Ranch Trail, 5/3/09
Healthy Trails Walk, 5/9/09
Mounted Rangers Unit Farewell 6/29/09
The Albertson Parkway
View of the Albertson Parkway from the Norred Trail in Santa Teresa County Park. The Curie Drive entrance is at the bottom. The power towers lead to the Hitachi Global Storage Technologies plantsite.
The Albertson Parkway is a
City of San Jose Trail. It was named in honor of Gary Albertson, a
local activist who led an organization that lobbied to reduce the
accidents on Monterey Highway between San Jose and Morgan Hill. This
dangerous stretch of highway was nicknamed "Blood Alley." Ironically,
Gary Albertson and his family were killed in a collision on Blood
Alley. This spurred the construction of the Hwy 101 bypass, which
greatly reduced fatal accidents. The Albertson Parkway runs under a
powerline easement for about 1/2 mile. The trail did exist for
many years, but it was a straight, unlandscaped, and unsightly path. It
was frequently full of trash and graffiti. The city re-designed the
parkway to become a more naturally winding landscaped trail with
interpretive signs. It was opened in July 2009. The pictures below are
from a walk along the trail on 7/17/09 from its southern entrance on
Curie Drive to its north end on Dondero, and back south again. They are
combined to show the route from south to north.
View of the Albertson Parkway from the Norred Trail in Santa Teresa County Park. The Curie Drive entrance is at the bottom. The power towers lead to the Hitachi Global Storage Technologies plantsite.
South entrance to the Albertson Parkway on Curie Drive. Note the power tower, which is also a cellphone tower. There are 2 power towers in the parkway. They are the reason this land was left undeveloped and a parkway could be built.
Interpretive sign on Rancho Santa Teresa and Santa Teresa County Park, whose hills and trails are in the background.
Closeup of the sign on Rancho
Santa Teresa, the historic 10,000 acre rancho owned by the Bernal
Family. The south end of the Albertson Parkway is only one block north
of Manila Drive, the boundary of the historic Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch
at Santa Teresa Park. It is also a half block west of the Bear Tree
Lot, part of the Santa Teresa Historic Area, which will be developed
into an interpretive site.
Bike riders coming in the south entrance. The tall grass is muhlenbergia rigens, called deer grass.
People looking at the Santa Teresa sign. The trail in the hillside is the Norred Trail, which runs from the Joice Trail above the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch to the Mine Trail above the Buck Norred Ranch site.
The small trees with the pink flowers are crape myrtle. Other trees planted along the parkway include redbuds and English hawthorn.
Looking towards the south entrance from near Jaggers Drive.
These are blue-eyed grass planted along the trail area near Jaggers Drive.
The fence along Jaggers Drive, looking south. The flowers are red carpet rose.
The section from Jaggers Drive to San Anselmo Way, with Conejo Drive on the left. Ahead is the interpretive sign on Gary albertson.
A closeup of the sign honoring Gary Albertson.
Looking back towards Jaggers Drive.
Trees and fence along Conejo Drive. The trees planted along the trail are paperback maples.
This short section between San Anselmo Way and Solano Drive contains the second power tower on the parkway.
Looking south to San Anselmo Way.
The start of the section north of Solano Drive.
Closeup of the sign on the bioretention system used in the parkway to capture runoff water and retain it in planted areas, instead of letting it run down the drains.
Looking south from the biorention sign. Moraga Way is on the right.
Fence along Moraga Way. The entry path leads right to the sidewalk on Esteban Way.
Looking south at the planted areas along the trail that are part of the bioretention system.
Looking north towards the north
trail entrance on Dondero Way and Cresta Vista Way. Ahead to the left
is Santa Teresa School. The powerline easement runs through a long
church parking lot. The powerlines continue north, crossing Santa
Teresa Blvd. and running through George Page Park. They cross Hwy 85
and run through the Raleigh Linear Park, ending at the Hitachi Global
Technologies' plant's power substation.
Looking south at the fence along Dondero Way.
At the end of Manila Way at Manila Drive, under an ancient oak tree, is a sign pointing to Santa Teresa Park's entrances farther down the street.
Long view from the Norred Trail in
Santa Teresa Park of the Albertson
Parkway and the powerlines leading to the Hitachi plantsite. Below is
Manila Drive and the Coyote-Alamitos Canal. Kaiser San Jose Hospital is
on the upper left.
Telephoto view from Santa Teresa Park's Norred Trail. The Curie entrance is at the bottom.
Telephoto view from Santa Teresa Park's Norred Trail. The Curie entrance is at the bottom.
Albertson Parkway 4/11/07
Curie entrance, looking north.
The Jaggers entrance, looking south towards Curie
The Jaggers-Conejo section, looking towards San Anselmo.
Looking south the towards Solano Drive
Moraga Way and Esteban Way.
The last section leading to Dondero.
View of the Albertson Parkway from the Norred Trail, 5/4/07. Compare this to the picture at the top of the page.
The pictures below
show what the Albertson Parkway looked like before the reconstruction. These
were taken on 4/11/07. The trail was a
straight asphalt path or just a sidewalk, with no landscaping. There
were a few scattered trees, lots of weeds, or bare dirt. It was
frequently full of trash.
Curie entrance, looking north.
The Jaggers entrance, looking south towards Curie
The Jaggers-Conejo section, looking towards San Anselmo.
Looking south the towards Solano Drive
Moraga Way and Esteban Way.
The last section leading to Dondero.
View of the Albertson Parkway from the Norred Trail, 5/4/07. Compare this to the picture at the top of the page.
Page created by Ron Horii, 8/4/09