Things To Do in Los Gatos

Since 1988, the San Jose Giants have teamed up with the San Francisco Giants to showcase up-and-coming baseball stars, 148 of who have gone on to play in the major leagues. Under the expert eyes of a keen coaching staff, the Class A-Advanced California League team has won 11 championships and in 2009 earned the John H. Johnson President's Trophy for most dynamic bubblegum blowing. The 2012 season kicks off in April, with a packed schedule pitting the team against fellow Minor League rivals as often as seven days a week. Groupon holders can fly solo at 10 games or bring up to four of their closest friends, family members, or life-size cardboard cutouts to one game. They also receive a bonus team photo featuring 2011 megastar Gary Brown, whose stats from last year include a .336 batting average, 115 runs scored, 14 home runs, 53 stolen bases, and a partridge batted out of a pear tree. Catcher Tommy Joseph sealed a .270 batting average, swatting 22 home runs out of the park and delivering 95 RBIs. Audiences root for the home game from seats in the historic Municipal Stadium, where the San Jose Giants have played for nearly 70 years.

An enormous arena made of stretchy trampolines is the centerpiece of Rockin' Jump, a 10,000-square-foot facility dedicated to the bouncing arts. In another elastic arena, jumpers spring into the air to slam-dunk balls into basketball hoops, or zig and zag during games of dodge ball. You can also vault off a trampoline launch pad into a huge pit of soft foam blocks.

Safety is key at Rockin' Jump. In addition to outfitting the place with ample padding and netting, the owners have employed trained Jump Patrol monitors to prevent overcrowding and unsafe jumping. With an onsite café and private party rooms, the springy playground is an ideal venue for kids' birthday celebrations and other special events.

Bay Area Hang Gliding offers hang glider training, sales, service and Tandem Discovery Flights. We conduct our lessons at one of our training hills in either Milpitas or Hollister California. Tandem Discovery Flights are done at one of the many bay area hang gliding sites.

Firmly anchored by the tranquil waters of Shoreline Lake, Lakeside Café offers refreshing café fare to refuel fatigued beachgoers after a rousing sail or lake-monster search. Breakfast offerings such as three-egg omelettes (starting at $7.75) and eggs benedict ($8.50) are served with roasted new potatoes and toast, while pancakes ($7.75) and bagels ($2.25) keep things classic and classy. For lunch, ravenous aquanauts can fork into crisp bistro salads or hot and cold sandwiches, which are served with potato salad or fries. Leafy plates such as the Mediterranean spinach salad with feta, kalamata olives, red onions, cucumbers, and mint vinaigrette ($7.95) comfortably coexist alsongside sandwiches, like the fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil on herb focaccia ($7.95), and classic fish and chips ($8.95).

Fewer than five years after its San Francisco debut, the Snowbomb Ski and Snowboard Festival has exploded into a multivenue event, affording NorCal-powder addicts ample opportunity to get in on a weekend of discounted winter gear and giving VIPs chances to sample locally produced beer and wine. Representatives from resorts command mountains of swag and offer tips about their slopes’ terrain and local yeti dialects. Dozens of exhibitors also show off their goods—not just winter-sports outfitters but also car companies, local restaurants, and national chains.

The extensive facilities of MVP Arena, which include indoor and outdoor fields, a basketball court, and batting cages, host visitors for an array of sports leagues and classes. Adults hone their skills in training classes and then unveil new maneuvers on one another during league games for basketball, flag football, and soccer. Bat wielders practice swing timing and charging the mound without fear of retaliation in the batting cages, where regulation pitching distance and a mural of the San Francisco Bay recreate the excitement of practicing in a big-league stadium. In addition, three of the cages feature virtual pitchers that help batters time ball delivery at different speeds or a random assortment of slow, medium, and fast.

At Los Gatos Health & Fitness, indoor cycling classes burn calories with members pound out laps in an outdoor pool and racquetballs fly through the air. The dynamic fitness center challenges members with circuit training sessions while also offering a more contemplative challenge through qi jong, meditation, and yoga classes. Personal trainers help spearhead fitness plans built around the individual, while an in-house, certified nutritionist helps members meet their weight loss goals through a counseling and appointment-based system.