The summer of 2011 will go down as one of the coolest in decades for Silicon Valley (or, as my hairdresser joked, “summer was canceled“).  Live entertainment goes on and daytime productions are more comfortable than usual so get out there and enjoy the offerings in the west valley areas of Los Gatos, Saratoga and San Jose before we finish out the warm season!

Free music in Los Gatos:

Did you know that the town of Los Gatos features three different concert series each summer?  There’s Music in the Park (Sundays), Jazz on the Plazz (Wednesdays) and Vasona Vibrations (Saturdays).  I posted every concert date/time and info on each venue on my Live in Los Gatos blog.  See the entire list of the free summer music in Los Gatos here (there are 10 still to go!).

Fiesta de Artes in Los Gatos – art and wine festival

An annual tradition in Los Gatos each summer is the Fiesta de Artes on the Civic Center Lawn (on Main Street near Los Gatos High School) and this year it’s back on Aug 13 & 14 2011. Running from 10am to 6pm both Saturday and Sunday, this is a much beloved Art & Wine Festival (the only one in Los Gatos).  Visitors will enjoy loads of musical entertainment, a variety of food and wine, and more than 150 vendors.  Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club, the Fiesta de Artes has been a part of summers in Los Gatos for over 30 years.  Come on out and enjoy!

For more information, please visit http://www.lgfiesta.org/

Shakespeare in Silicon Valley

Take in some of the magic of the bard!  The Los Gatos Shakespeare Festival runs through August 6th – this year the offerings include Macbeth (we saw it opening night – well done!), Twelfth Night and Charley’s Aunt.  Check out showtimes and other info on the website at http://www.LGShakes.org  or get tickets online:
http://www.festivaltheatreensemble.org/tickets/

Another venue with Shakespeare is Shady Shakespeare, up at Sandborn Park in the hills over Saratoga.  This year’s run began just a couple of days ago and continues through early September. What’s playing?  Henry V and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Read more at http://www.shadyshakes.org.

And finally, you can view Shakespeare at Montalvo this year, as Shakespeare Santa Cruz comes over the hill to perform.  (If my memory serves me correctly, they used to do so at the Paul Masson Mountain Winery in Saratoga in the 80s and early 90s – at least I recall taking in some of Shakespeare’s plays there in my younger days!).  This series runs only in September and includes The Comedy of Errors plus a more contemporary show, Danny Scheie.  (As always with Montalvo, this is not the most affordable of the venues – but the setting is lovely.)  Learn more at http://www.Montalvoarts.org.

Looking for a weekend getaway in the San Francisco Bay Area?  Consider Los Gatos or Saratoga – great dining, shopping and entertainment year round, but never more than in summer!

Silicon Valley residents, mark your calendars!  Plan to be at the Pruneyard in Campbell to listen to the Michael Jackson tribute band, Foreverland!

The band will be onstage Wednesday, July 27th, starting at 6pm, to help raise funds for Portera.  This is the 3rd annual event and it promises to be a lot of fun!

Since this is a fundraiser, donations of food, gently used clothing and cash are very welcome.  Please read all about the event on the downtown Campbell website.

Summer 2011 is around the corner & now’s a great time to schedule your enjoyment of the fabulous, free musical venues which are coming our way!

In the town of Los Gatos there are 3 series of free concerts – between them, there are 30 performances spread out between early June and late August. In a nutshell – here’s the general schedule (though not every venue has concerts every week)

Vasona Vibrations 5-7pm every Saturday June & July at Vasona Park

Music in the Park 5-7 pm Sundays on the Civic Center lawn from June 19 – Aug 28

Jazz on the Plazz 6:30 – 8:30pm, Town Plaza Park, June 22nd through August 24th

To see the entire spread, including a chronological list with who’s playing when and most with links to the performer’s websites, please see the full post on my Live in Los Gatos blog. Los Gatos Free Music Concert Series: Music in the Park, Jazz on the Plazz and Vasona Vibrations Schedule of Events and Performers

Stop by downtown Saratoga’s Wildwood Park (20764 4th Street off Big Basin Way) on Sunday 8/8/2010 from noon to 6pm to enjoy an afternoon of free music plus activities & entertainment for kids, including an appearance by a magician!  A variety of bands will be onstage, and Saratoga’s own Mike Gurley will be performing too.

This is a benefit for the Susan G Komen breast cancer research fund, so will be a live auction and donations would be very much appreciated.

The Santa Cruz, CA, Lighthouse

Santa Cruz is just 30-60 minutes “over the hill” but in many ways is an entirely different world than Silicon Valley.  I spent a lot of time there while growing up in Santa Clara and Saratoga, mostly because my grandparents lived in Pasatiempo (a lovely neighborhood centered on a golf course) in Santa Cruz and later in retirement communities nearby.  Jim and I lived in Santa Cruz ourselves for three years when we were newly married.  [I taught first at Marello Prep in Santa Cruz (now closed) and later at Notre Dame High School in Salinas while living at the coast, in life before real estate.]

We have a lot of wonderful memories & experience with the Santa Cruz – Capitola – Aptos – Soquel area.  Today I wanted to share a few general tips and food tips for those who may be new to this part of California and spending some time by the coast.

Some general tips

1. Weather: always, always have layers available as the shore is unpredictible.  It might be 100 in Willow Glen but cold and windy with the fog rolling in at the wharf.   The coastal communities have varying degrees of fog, sun and wind: microclimates are the norm.  If it’s sunny and toasty at the lighthouse, it may not be that way at Seacliff Beach. Don’t rely on webcams!
   
2. Restrooms: know where the restrooms are before you visit.  The city of Santa Cruz has a list of public restrooms and a map online. It’s pretty awful if you spend a lot of time shopping on Pacific Avenue (downtown Santa Cruz), only to find no bathroom when you need one.  Your visit will be happier if you plan ahead!
3. There’s more to do than just the beach: the coastal communities near Santa Cruz have loads going on with festivals, shows, musical productions and more.  Check out the online roster of events near the Monterey Bay.
4. The Boardwalk has no admission fee and is a great place to people-watch and get tasty junk food, even if the rides don’t appeal to you.  In summer there are free music concerts on Friday nights (check the website for info) and on Monday & Tuesday evenings after 5pm they celelebrate 1907 nights: rides and hot dogs, cotton candy and most fountain drinks are just $1 each.   This is a bargain!
   
5. The Lighthouse on West Cliff Drive has beatiful views and is a wonderful place to take photos of the area.  It’s also a fun spot for watching surfers and those throwing a frisbee or walking or riding past (people watching, generally).  The area has a paved path which makes it great for bikes, roller blades, strollers and wheelchairs too. (When we lived there, we could occassionally see an otter or two in this area also. I’m not sure if that is still true or not, but I hope so.)
6. Traffic:  “Beach Traffic” happens in summer on weekends and holidays.  It can begin as early as 10am if there’s a very bad heat wave inland, but usually does not really kick in until 11am or later.  The return wave of cars climbing over the coastal range begins at around 4pm and can last until 7 or 8, depending on when the fog rolls in.  Beach traffic can double your time in the car, so try to avoid it!
7. Highway 1:  Although many improvements have been made to the connection between Highway 17 southbound and Highway 1 southbound, “The Fish Hook” is still no fun and the traffic on 1 south of Santa Cruz seems to be eternally congested despite widening.  While getting to Santa Cruz from San Jose may be smooth, things will nearly always slow down as you inch south from there toward Capitola, Pajaro Dunes or Monterey.  Allow extra time.  Or, just go extra early. (The pic below was taken on Friday, July 23, 2010 at about 5pm.)

Traffic Along Highway 1 South of Hwy 17 in Santa Cruz on a Friday Afternoon

Some food-related tips

1. Shadowbrook in Capitola is a wonderful restaurant - a great place for brunch, lunch or dinner.  It’s built into the side of a hill going down toward the Soquel Creek and you can ride the funicular down the the restaurant.  Great service.  There’s a nice patio overlooking the river – fun to watch the people in paddleboats go by and see the ducks and other birds too.  Romantic spot.  Do make reservations.  1750 Wharf Road, Capitola 95010   (800) 975-1511
2. Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria in Capitola can’t be beat!  Pasteries and desserts are fabulous, but so are the roasted meats and savory food items.  Eat there or take home; there is also outdoor dining available (with heat lamps and clear plexiglass walls to break the wind). Not fancy, but delicious!  504 Bay Ave Capitola, California USA 95010 831.462.1200
3. Mackenzie’s Chocolates in Santa Cruz.  Truly delicious chocolates in all kinds of shapes, including cell phones, airplanes, a lighthouse, banana slugs (the mascot of UC Santa Cruz) etc. They offer milk, dark and sugar free chocolates too.  Plan to go early and put the chocolate in a cooler for the trip over the mountains if need be!   They don’t have the same closing time all seven days of the week, and several times we have arrived there only to find the store closed (M-F closes at 5:30, Saturday at 4pm and Sunday at 5pm). 1492 Soquel Avenue   Santa Cruz, CA 95062   831-425-1492
4. The Wharf is full of great restaurants and super views, but my favorite is The Miramar Fish Grotto.  The service is good, food is great and prices are reasonable for the area.  45 Municipal Wharf Santa Cruz, CA 95060-5460  (831) 423-4441

Whether you are visiting the Santa Cruz area for a few weeks or a few hours, there are many things to do in addition to the most obvious attractions at the beaches.  I hope my tips will be helpful and you’ll love your time along the coast.