Things to Do in San Ramon
Recommended Things to Do by Groupon Customers
On a 15-acre estate located at the sunny eastern base of Mount Diablo, Isabella Farms assists novice riders and skilled equinauts alike in honing horseback-riding skills. After choosing from a lineup of premiere horses, riders gather their steeds from the pasture, bonding with mounts while learning how to saddle, bridle, and interpret furtive tail swishes. After an instructor cruises through the basics of western riding and safety, groups of no more than seven students embark on a guided three-hour trail tour, ambling through a landscape of old-growth oak trees and rolling hills. Riders are encouraged to wear or bring along jeans, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, low-heeled boots, water, a snack, and a salt lick shaped as a bouquet of flowers for befriending the horse.
The next time you're on the roof of a five-story building, look down at the ground, and you'll get a rough idea of just how high people climb at Touchstone Climbing. The gym's seven locations feature lead walls that rise as high as 50 feet off the ground, though height isn't the only dimension that makes the space feel immense. Each spot has at least 11,000 square feet of climbing terrain, not to mention as much as 3,000 square feet of bouldering.
To prevent newcomers from feeling intimidated by the magnitude of the environment, the gym holds introductory classes. During these sessions, participants learn the basic techniques they'll need if they want to conquer the gym's crack systems and boulder problems. The classes are also an opportunity for students to scope out the terrain features at each location, such as Diablo Rock Gym's steep prow, which juts out crookedly like a thumbs up from a dizzy ballerina. While they're at it, the visitors might notice something else: the social nature of the gym. As the San Francisco Chronicle recounts, the fact that lead climbs require two people means that climbers are constantly asking around for new partners and chatting back and forth as they ascend.
Each location also boasts a weight room, cardio machines, and a studio space for everything from yoga to spinning to core classes.
The 7 experienced instructors at Yoga Sol harmonize their disparate backgrounds to bring students a well-rounded yoga practice. Owner Tara Clay brings expertise in clinical psychology, whereas CJ Lamborn contributes her experience as a Pilates instructor and understanding of the healing power of yoga. Marlena Salinas has a compelling story—trained as a hypnotherapist, she started practicing yoga after the birth of her son and uses language to help clients release pain as well as gain confidence. This is just a snapshot of the studio's staff, but it embodies the wealth of knowledge behind each session, be it Hot Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Power Yoga, or restorative Yin. The instructors teach students of all experience levels, tailoring sessions for injured participants, expectant mothers, and people who are primarily made out of pretzels. Practice areas adjoin a retail space with yoga mats and blocks.
An International Kiteboarding Organization affiliate center, KGB Kiteboarding hosts a staff of enthusiastic, experienced instructors that teaches small-group and private lessons in kiteboarding, snowkiting, and powerkiting. At training sites ranging from beaches around the bay to the Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain areas, instructors show students how to safely harness the wind for an adrenaline-pumping thrill. To facilitate smooth transitions into training, the staff maintains an online compendium of FAQ and safety tips.
KGB also encompasses a shop stocked with gear from brands such as Litewave, plus the company’s own line of eco-friendly products that protects equipment from sun, sand, and saltwater. In-house technicians are on hand in the repair center to mend worn gear.
Staffed by native East Bay trail explorers and expert riding instructors, Bella Oaks Stables fosters trained and fulfilling relationships between horses and their enthusiasts. Nestled among towering oak trees and gentle rolling hills, the fleet of majestic equines tote riders through lessons, community field trips, and trail rides, all under the guidance of a doting congregation of caretakers and volunteers. Seventeen summer camps for all ages and an apprenticeship program for more advanced riders instill saddle savvy in patrons of any experience level, and those pining for nature can meander through 80 miles of lush scenery and 1 mile of sci-fi-movie scenery for an afternoon trail ride.
