Things to Do in San Lorenzo

Weathered stone walls envelop an old country road. In the distance, rolling hills streaked with ranks of wine grapes—some originally planted more than 100 years ago—spread into the horizon. The independently operated Livermore Wine Carriage invites guests to explore these verdant surroundings while seated in a crimson carriage, a fitting mode of transportation for the rustic expanses.

A scottish clydesdale horse leads the carriage to area wineries, making stops at Concannon Vineyard, Wente Vineyards, or Steven Kent Winery, among other favorites. Staffers greet participants at each winery for wine tastings and tours of the brick, wood, and ivy-draped estate buildings. In warmer seasons, passengers cruise with the carriage top down, and in colder months, drivers erect a curtained cabin and decorate its frame in twinkling white lights.

The Magic Paintbrush’s fully stocked studio adds a thick brushstroke of creativity to everyday life, giving nascent Monets and Rembrandts of all ages the chance to craft artworks and celebrate occasions such as birthdays and bridal showers. Nontoxic paints in dozens of hues give corporeal form to the figures that dance through patrons’ imaginations as they size up their blank templates. The Magic Paintbrush also holds classes that teach students ages 7 and up useful techniques for crafting pottery, tiling mosaics, fusing glass, and sculpting papier-mâché statuettes from unpaid credit-card bills.

First Class Sedan’s prompt and professional drivers helm the wheels of plush stretch limos, Town Cars, and luxury SUVs while passengers sink into the well-manicured backseats. Servicing both business and leisure needs, chauffeurs transport customers to the airport or a business meeting, parade bachelorette parties across town, and lead groups on tours through the wine valleys of Napa or the landmarks of San Francisco.

The two grand exhibition rooms at the Institute of Mosaic Art show off the textured tile work of its staff and visiting artists, with more works displayed outside in its lush garden. Within, more than 80 classes and workshops for all skill levels cover a wide range of topics and techniques, including working with glass, smalti, and tiles, as well as projects such as jewelry and exterior decorations. Visiting artists conduct special workshops, giving students insight into their creative processes and suggestions on the best brand of car windshield to smash for supplies.

The institute also houses Mosaic Studio Supply, which fills its homey halls with materials and manuals for all projects. Mosaic makers can browse the stock of a la carte supplies, from colorful tiles to tools and adhesives, as well as kits full of color-coordinated pieces.

Conectando Latinos Social Club organizes events in the Bay Area to celebrate and bring awareness to Latino culture. Their events are open to professionals age 25 and up and cultivate a social atmosphere with organized ice breakers for singles, couples, and frozen explorers recently returned from the Arctic. Some of their affairs include courses on preparing Latin cuisine, which are usually supplemented by traditional cocktails and group dining. Dance classes celebrate heritage with movement, and weekend getaways via international cruises give members a firsthand glance at the lands where these traditions were born.

More than a century ago, an industrious farmer named Gerard enlisted the help of bees to pollinate his family estate. Inadvertently, the buzzing insects fertilized a new passion for Gerard, one that would become a family tradition.

Four generations later, Gerard’Z Honeybees' bustling hives create more than a dozen local and monofloral honeys from such plants as star thistle, orange blossoms, and avocado blossoms. Because the honeys are completely raw and natural, they maintain the micro-nutritious qualities often left out of industrial varieties, and they may help allergy sufferers to acclimate to their local pollen varieties.

Gerard’Z holds year-round beekeeping workshops and honey tasting seminars at local wineries, nurseries, and farmers’ markets throughout the Bay Area and Central Valley. During the classes and tastings, bee experts demystify the process of maintaining a hive, and people get the chance to taste the difference between clover honey, buckwheat honey, black sage honey, and Doritos honey. Gerard’Z also helps to maintain the delicate honeybee population by finding homes for wild swarms or colonies that have built hives in unwanted places and might otherwise fall prey to exterminators.