Scotts Valley, CA Indoor Activities

When The Retro Dome first opened its doors three years ago, it was with the knowledge that its life would be brief and yet explosive. From the start, the owners of the building planned to demolish it at some point in the future. Yet that didn’t stop the staff from making use of the former Century 25 Theater’s stadium-style seating, refurbished chairs, and massive dome. They decked out the interior with vintage, retro-modern décor, complete with a candy counter slinging Pop Rocks and JujuBees. The foreseeable, yet fuzzy ending has recently come into sharp focus, though. The Retro Dome will go dark on January 31, 2013, bringing to an end nearly four years of live music and sing-along cinema.

San Francisco mayor and US senator James Duval Phelan built the Villa Montalvo in 1912 as a bastion of art, hosting such writers as Jack London and Edwin Markham in conversation-filled luncheons and creativity-fueling vacations. After his death, Phelan bequeathed the house and grounds to the public, asking that they continue its role as an incubator of inspiration. Today, the center hosts artist residencies, gallery exhibitions, and educational opportunities for visitors. Surrounding the wealth of culture, the 175-acre grounds include miles of hiking trails through woodlands densely populated with muses, a meticulously manicured Italianate garden, and a picnic-ready Great Lawn.

Founded by a health and fitness instructor with 20 years of experience, each of Equilibrio's private session is led by one a certified Pilates instructors. They'll teach you how to use different Pilates equipment and possibly work with some free-weight-training exercises. Personal sessions are good for beginners and hard-cored veterans who want to bring their Pilates game to the next level. Under a motivating and watchful eye, you'll quickly master the machines that will remaster your body. Equilibrio Pilates requires three private lessons before moving on to group equipment-classes; today's deal allows you to get the prerequisites under your belt.

At Kelly Gray Soccer Academy, founder and former MLS player Kelly Gray propels kids toward careers in Major League Soccer. Supported by a staff of professional athletes of an equally high caliber, including the San Jose Earthquakes' current starting goalkeeper, Jon Busch, Kelly primes youngsters for competition at private lessons and small group or team training sessions. Soccer programs range from the Striker Academy, which helps aspiring strikers hone their shots, to seasonal camps, where kids pick up new skills or victory dance routines from a lineup of coaches.

Students walk out of Body in Motion just a little bit taller than when they came in. The studio’s classes—Pilates and Xtend Barre—serve to tone and lengthen muscles for a stronger, sleeker physique. Instructors teach two styles of Pilates: mat classes, which rely on gravity to turn bodies into their own weight machine. In apparatus classes, students perform moves with the famed Pilates tower adding an extra challenge, like solving a Rubik’s Cube while defending yourself against a bear attack. Both classes rely on precise, repetitive motions to tone the core and make the spine more pliable and resistant to injury. Similarly, Xtend Barre classes blend Pilates moves with cardio dance steps and sculpting exercises. All classes scale to accommodate and challenge students of all skill levels. For a completely customized workout, clients can also opt to enlist in personal training.

Weak bodies are whittled into lean, muscular fighting machines as instructors at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) teach the martial arts styles used for UFC competition, self-defense, and overall conditioning. Men, women, and kids train in the company of students such as professional fighter Cain Velasquez and instructor Daniel Cormier, a former Olympian. AKA splits its MMA, jujitsu, and muay thai kickboxing classes among four facilities, with group-training sessions and private professional sessions taking place in modern training studios with heavy bags, speed bags, and Olympic-grade mats. The Hillside location also features a professional-size ring for sparring or marriage-proposal practice, and the two-story AKA headquarters on Realm Avenue highlights an MMA cage, TRX suspension room, and cardio theater stocked with StairMasters and Jacobs Ladder machines.