Hollister, California: Casa de Fruta

Drive through Pacheco Pass and you'll see billboards touting Casa de Fruita's "World Famous Cup Flipper." When we visited late one night, we asked about him at the cafe. The waitress replied curtly that he wasn't there. "But what does he do, when he is here?" we asked her. "Nothing special." she replied. "He's just a man." Since then, he's been very dear to our hearts, whoever he is and whatever he does, and we can't think of him without bursting into song (from Jesus Christ Superstar), "He's a man -- he's just a man!"

Casa De Fruta, between Los Banos and Gilroy, on Highway 152: This is the mother of all fruit stands, it cover some 30 acres right off casa De Fruita parkway exit.

Buy fruit at Casa De Fruita, the fruit stand, fuel at Casa De Gas, or breakfast at Casa De Diner, (home of the "World famous cup flipper"). Did I mention the Casa De Cow, Casa De Buffalo and the Casa De Camel at the Casa De Petting Zoo? Right next to the entrance to the kiddie train ride, Casa De Choo Choo. Adults can tempt the tasebuds at the Casa De Vino , and a stay over night at the Casa De Rv Park.

Lots of old farming equipment, rusted machinery and the like about, as well as a rather shabby muffler person -- hard to tell, it's unpainted" -- next to the Casa De Gift shop. But of course, the real reason to stop is the Casa De Bathrooms.....

The "world famous cup flipper" hangs out at Casa de Fruta on highway 152, in Hollister, CA. At some point on 152 headed southeast towards CDF, there is a roadside billboard urging you to stop in and see the "world famous" cup flipper. The sign features a coffee cup being spun continuously by a motor. The cup-filpping referrers to a process whereby he would turn over an inverted coffee cup on it's saucer in one hand, while getting ready to pour with other. It is not so much a "flipping" as it is a "bashing". Makes a lot of racket.

There is a roadside restaurant and campground famous for "The Cup Flipper." A friend and I stopped there several years ago...had lunch and of course wanted to see "The Cup Flipper," but were told by our waitress that he was on vacation.

When asked what if he really flipped your coffee cup into the air and caught it on the saucer she relied, " No, not really.....he just sort of rattles it around a bit." Well we laughed and made fun of this guy saying what a loser he must be....and asked the waitress what else he does for a living besides jiggling coffee cups, and she says, "Oh, well he owns all of this, he's a millionaire, he's in Hawaii right now."

That'll show us! We had a great time, got pictures with the waitress in front of the sign, with coffee cups of course, and were on our way....