Castro Valley

Population: 61,388 (2010)

Visitors to Castro Valley shouldn't miss:

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The 2013 Rowell Ranch Rodeo in Castro Valley

• Lake Chabot Park, a 315-acre park where visits can rent boats and participate in a myriad of recreational activities, notably the spring fishing derby.
• The 90-year-old Rowell Ranch Rodeo, which hosts numerous shows, picnics, and of course rodeos throughout the year.
• Castro Village, the commercial center of the area.

Notable current and former Castro Valley residents:

• Rachel Maddow, host of MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show."
• Garrett Dillahunt, actor in "No Country for Old Men" and star of Fox's hit comedy "Raising Hope."
• Ed Sprague Jr., former MLB player and head coach at University of the Pacific.

Castro Valley Fun Facts:

• Castro Valley's Neighborhood Church is home to the well-known local landmark of three giant intersecting crosses overlooking I-580.
• Castro Valley's mini-golf course Golden Tee Golfland has a recognizable sculpture of a mountain with dragons emerging from it. The reason behind this was that the previous owners of the land had a massive safe that was simply too big to move, so the new owners just covered it in concrete.
• The town is named after Don Guillermo Castro, a Mexican soldier who was given 28,000 acres in return for his service. His continued gambling led to every last plot of land being sold off for debt.
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  Working as a Park Ranger for the day at Chabot Regional Park in Castro Valley as part of my "In Your Shoes" events