Author: KQED

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 Cheese

Reported 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.

The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park was originally built as a temporary exhibit for the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894. But the public loved it so much that it became a permanent fixture of the park. It boasts a tasty claim to fame in the origins of the fortune cookie.

Additional Reading:

• The Japanese Tea Garden: A Beloved S.F. Landmark With A Troubling Past
• Unwrapping the California Origins of the Fortune Cookie
• Join us for a walking tour of the Japanese Tea Garden with Sango Tajima
• Take our DIY "Very Curious Golden Gate Park Walking Tour"

Reported by Olivia Allen-Price and Suzie Racho. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Amanda Font, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett.

Bison once roamed the West, but settlers hunted them to the brink of extinction in the 19th century. A captive breeding program operated in Golden Gate Park helped the species rebound. Today’s bison aren’t used for breeding anymore, but they remain one of the park’s popular attractions.

Additional Reading:

• What's With the Bison in Golden Gate Park?
• How Bison are Saving America's Lost Prairie
• Buy Tickets for our Japanese Tea Garden Walking Tour
• Take a DIY walking tour of Golden Gate Park with our guide

Reported by Jessica Placzek. 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.

Bay Curious listener Will Kardas heard once that it was a magical combination of spit and manure that allowed early San Franciscans to tame the sand dunes that became Golden Gate Park. We've got the true story behind the myth and more on the early history of this urban gem.

This is the first in a six-part series that explores the history behind some of our favorite features in the park. We kick off the series in our podcast feed on May 26, with new episodes appearing daily from May 30 to June 3.

Additional Reading:

• Golden Gate Park Was Once Miles and Miles of Sand Dunes
• Buy Tickets for our Japanese Tea Garden Walking Tour

Reported by Katrina Schwartz and Olivia Allen-Price. 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, Amanda Font, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett.

Sabrina McQueen grew up in Walnut Creek and would often see people driving around in purple limos. The locals call them "Purple People," and she's been wondering about them for decades. The group's official name is Lafayette Morehouse and they're one of the few 1960s-era intentional living communes that have survived the decades.

Additional Reading:

•  This Bay Area Sex-Loving Commune Is Still Going Strong

Reported by Jon Brooks. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Jen Chien, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett.

Former Menlo Park resident Jim Timmons remembers the park around the Stanford Dish fondly. It has tons of wildlife and great views. But he wants to know more about the massive satellite dish in the middle of it. The 1960s-era parabolic antenna radio telescope was built to keep tabs on the Russian space program at the height of the Cold War. It's still used for research.

Additional Reading

• No, the Stanford Dish Isn't Listening For Aliens, But It Was Designed to Spy on Russia
• Sign up for Bay Curious' monthly email newsletter

Reported by Rachael Myrow. 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, Jen Chien, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett.