Schoolchildren staunchly sing “It’s a Grand Old Flag, a high-flying flag, and forever in peace may she wave!” all year round. Public buildings everywhere fly the stars and stripes; flags adorn countless homes, libraries, fire stations and capitols around the country, but somehow, around the 4th of July red, white, and blue are everywhere; for a few days at least, the country unites around its flag, its values, its hometowns.

Morgan Hill, one of Silicon Valley’s most charming small towns, does the 4th of July in a big way. Named after an early land-owner, who was actually named Hiram Morgan Hill, present-day Morgan Hill is a community of about 39,000 about 30 minutes south of downtown San Jose and a world apart with its suburban meets rural, neighborhood meets vineyard meets ranch lifestyle. The one reasonably high hill in town is not called “Morgan,” but “El Toro.”

This past Saturday more than 45,000 people turned out for Morgan Hill’s 115th Independence Day Parade, featuring marching bands, children’s groups, bands on floats, and horses as well as the usual complement of local officials. I am not sure which is more fun: marching in the parade and waving a flag, or standing along the parade route, waving, of course, a flag.

Nestled in a valley between the Santa Cruz and Diablo range, and only about 15 miles inland from the Pacific Coast, Morgan Hill is blessed with the perfect climate for a parade, tending a garden, raising a family, or just decompressing from a Silicon Valley life.

For more information about the community of Morgan Hill, please visit our website , www.AlteraSV.com, and explore the community links.

Posted By: Colleen Badagliacco