Listener Nick Loey often drives between the Bay Area and Southern California. He's long wondered about the giant paintings that dot many Central Valley highways depicting scenes of farming and Americana. We talk to the artist who made them famous and get reaction from people living and working in agricultural communities about the art.Additional Reading: Is There A Story Behind Those Giant Paintings Off Central Valley Highways? Yes, and It's Fraught Center for Farmworker Families United Farm Workers Foundation Join us in August for Bay Curious Trivia! We've got two dates: August 23 and 24. Reported by Cesar Saldaña. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Darren Tu, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett, Vinnee Tong, Ethan Lindsey and Holly Kernan.

Twenty-seven miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Farallon Islands jut out of the Pacific. On the clearest of days, the grouping of 20 islets is visible from shore. We dive into the history of these islands — from their earliest human visitors, to the people who have called them home over the decades. Then, we take a trip to the islands with reporter Izzy Bloom to learn about the animals that are thriving in this wildlife refuge. This episode answers a question from Bay Curious listener Ali Moghaddam.Learn more: In Search of Whales (and Other Creatures) at the Mysterious Farallon Islands Bay Curious: The Gold Rush Delicacy That Started a War—Eggs Video: The Farallon Islands - "California's Galapagos" Reported by Olivia Allen-Price and Izzy Bloom. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Darren Tu and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett, Vinnee Tong, Ethan Lindsey and Holly Kernan.

Bay Curious listener Ken Katz noticed that many of San Francisco's current hospitals used to have names affiliated with ethnic groups, like the French hospital or the German hospital. We wondered why that trend existed and when it changed.Additional Reading: Why Were Many SF Hospitals Once Affiliated With Ethnic Groups? Cast your vote in the next voting round Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, April Dembosky, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett, Vinnee Tong, Ethan Lindsey and Holly Kernan.

Sharp Park in Pacifica was the site of a prison camp during World War II, where residents deemed "highly dangerous" were sent. It's lesser-known than the larger Northern California camps, like Tanforan or Tule Lake. In this episode, we learn what is known about this camp, and get to know some of the people who passed through its gates.Additional Reading: Pacifica’s WWII Prison Camp Has Been Largely Erased, But It Was There The Little-Known History of Japanese Internment on Angel Island Reported by Adhiti Bandlamudi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett, Vinnee Tong, Ethan Lindsey and Holly Kernan.CORRECTION: An earlier version of this episode included an inaccurate statement about Japanese allies. It has been corrected. We regret the error.

Take any popular dish – pizza, ice cream, hot dogs – and try to trace its origin story. Chances are, you’re going to go on a winding road with conflicting accounts of who actually invented the dish, or whether it was invented by one, single person at all. KQED’s Silicon Valley reporter Adhiti Bandlamudi recently ate a dish so mish-mashed with foods from different countries, that she found herself on a food origin story journey that led her across the world and then back to the Bay Area. Additional Reading:The Sizzler: The California Origin Story Behind One of India’s Flashiest DishesReported by Adhiti Bandlamudi. Special thanks to Victoria Mauleon, Sasha Khokha and Suzie Racho for their work on this story. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett, Vinnee Tong, Ethan Lindsey and Holly Kernan.

San Francisco has left a mark on American tattoo history. In today's episode, we learn about longtime Bay Area resident Ed Hardy's impact on the industry, and the evolution of tattooing in America. Share photos of your custom tattoo with us on Twitter using the hashtag #BayCurious or tweet them to @oallenprice.Additional Reading: Are You Inked? How a San Francisco Tattoo Artist Changed the Industry KQED Spark video on Ed Hardy Reported by Sebastian Miño-Bucheli. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli, Chris Hoff and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett, Vinnee Tong, Ethan Lindsey and Holly Kernan.

Monterey Jack cheese get its name from the nearby city of Monterey, but the city of Pacifica alleges it should really be called Pacifica Jack. On this week's episode, we get into the origin story behind this basic pantry cheese.Additional Reading: Move Over Monterey? Pacifica Lays Claim to Iconic Jack CheeseReported by Christopher Beale. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett, Ethan Lindsey and Vinnee Tong.

Dawn Linhardt lives near Golden Gate Park and often wanders through the AIDS Memorial Grove at its eastern end. She finds it to be one of the most tranquil and secluded places in the park and wanted to know more about how it came to be. It's the story of a community finding new ways to come together and overcome loss.Additional Reading:  Healing Through Nature at the National AIDS Memorial Grove A Very Curious Walking Tour of Golden Gate Park Reported by Amanda Stupi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett.

These days, the Golden Gate Park Polo Field in San Francisco is probably best known as the home to music festivals like Outside Lands. But for nearly 3 decades, polo matches were a regular sight on the field.Additional Reading: Does Anyone Play Polo at the Golden Gate Park Polo Field Anymore? Buy Tickets for our Japanese Tea Garden Walking Tour Reported by Ryan Levi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Thanks also to Sarah Rose Leonard, Lance Gardner, Kyana Moghadam, Amanda Font and Rebecca Kao for their help on this series.

The Murphy Windmill is one of the largest windmills outside of Holland. It, along with the smaller and older Dutch Windmill, once provided essential water for irrigating the park. Though they are no longer used, the park still spins them on special occasions. We take a tour inside!Additional Reading:  Golden Gate Park's Windmills Were Essential, Then Abandoned for Decades Buy Tickets for our Japanese Tea Garden Walking Tour Take a DIY walking tour of Golden Gate Park with our guide Reported by Suzie Racho. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Thanks also to Sarah Rose Leonard, Lance Gardner, Kyana Moghadam, Amanda Font and Rebecca Kao for their help on this series.