Summer means ice cream, baseball, sand castles and mini golf — and the clock is ticking down mighty fast. So in the spirit of wringing every last bit of fun out of the season, we’re heading out to do all the classic things… but with a twist. Because if one ice cream scoop is good, eight scoops smothered in eight toppings with a side of windmill mini golf and splashy river swimming is even better.
Swimming: Rivers and beaches (and by-the-day resorts)
Hot and sticky? You don’t need a swimming pool when California is full of lovely rivers, lakes and beaches. If you’re seeking inspiration on where to enjoy au naturel swimming – and yes, that sometimes means clothing’s optional – take the advice of Caroline Clements and Dillon Seitchik-Reardon, authors of this year’s “Places We Swim: California” (Hardie Grant Explore, $35).
Seitchik-Reardon and Clements are Australian writers who traveled across the state in an old RV to dip tootsies in the most scenic gorges, waterfalls and hot springs. “We loved winding through the redwood forests in Northern California to find glassy, freshwater swimming holes along rivers,” says Clements. “Then driving hours and hours into the desert to find ancient hot springs. California is truly such a diverse state, and we’ve really tried to capture that in the book.” (Follow them on Instagram at @placesweswim.)
Their favorite swimming spot in the Bay Area is beloved for its pristine water and secluded scenery: Gualala River Redwood Park (46001 Gualala Road, Gualala; free with a nightly camping fee). “From far off, (the river) looks like a shimmering green mirror,” they write. “Up close, the water is so clear, it’s impossible to gauge its depth. Salmon glide past far below the surface, and you can easily count individual stones in the riverbed.”
Another swim that impressed was near Healdsburg in Del Rio Woods Regional Park (2656 S. Fitch Mountain Road; $7-$10 parking fee), where you can tube down the river with a floating cooler. “It’s a migrating picnic, where each sandy beach or gravel bar is better than the last,” they write. “We sit under pale green willow trees or sunbathe on warm pebbled beaches. Mostly, though, we relax in waist-deep water, a book in one hand and a beer in the other.”
Sunny Cove near Santa Cruz was their top pick for beach swimming around the Bay (on Sunny Cove Drive in Twin Lakes; free). “On a clear day, the cove reminds us of those narrow calas in Majorca,” they write. “Flat reef extends around the base of the bluff, and people leap into the water below, timing their jump to hit the top of incoming waves. Kids squeal with delight as the water chases them up the beach.”
The authors recommend packing in water, food, sun protection, trash bags, a pocket knife, a good book — and a sense of respect. “Don’t be a jerk and don’t leave a mess behind,” says Clements. “Ultimately, be respectful and considerate of these shared spaces and the locals who love them.”
But wait, there’s more: In search of a more luxurious swim? Consider Resort Pass — www.resortpass.com — an OpenTable or Resy but for hotels who offer day passes for their pools and other amenities without the overnight stay. Among the possibilities: a day pass for Santa Rosa’s Flamingo Resort & Spa ($54) and pool access at Napa’s swanky Stanly Ranch ($109-190). Luxuriate a while, pretend you’re a celeb on the A-list, then slip out with enough time to grab Burger King for dinner.
Ice Cream: The Kitchen Sink
When Adam Richman, erstwhile host of the Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food,” came to town in 2009, he knew exactly where to go for an over-the-top dessert: The San Francisco Creamery in Walnut Creek, home to an immensity of sugar and frozen cream called the Kitchen Sink.
This towering sundae ($76), estimated by Richman to contain two gallons’ worth of sweets, includes eight scoops of ice cream, three bananas, whipped cream, nuts and cherries and eight toppings, including hot fudge, candy and Oreos. Anyone who eats the whole thing in less than 30 minutes gets a prize that seems demented, in a Homer Simpson doughnuts-in-hell type of way: free ice cream for a year. To date, co-owner Terry Wong says, about 1,600 challengers, many of them competition-circuit eaters, have vied for the prize – roughly 30 have succeeded.
Wong says it takes him only a few minutes to figure out who will finish, given their spoon pacing and chewing techniques. (Tip: Don’t let the ice cream melt in your mouth; swallow each spoonful whole.) The staff still talks about the guy who ate not one, but two Kitchen Sinks in one sitting.
“He let us feel his stomach. He had rock hard abs, and they were freezing cold,” Wong says. “That was the most gnarly thing I’ve seen.”
It helps that the creamery serves quality ice cream, churned on site, with fudge and brownies made with local Guittard chocolate. Richman liked the sundae so much, he finished it in 45 minutes. The all-time winner, though, was a skinny-looking blonde woman from Plumas Lake who did it in 6 minutes, 41 seconds. Wong still sounds impressed: “She just inhaled it.”
The details: Fortunately for the rest of us, the creamery offers regular-sized sundaes, as well as lunch and dinner items. Open Tuesday-Sunday at 1370 Locust St., Walnut Creek; sanfranciscocreameryco.com
But wait, there’s more: The South Bay is full of classic ice-cream parlors, with trip-worthy destinations such as Sweet Retreat (sweet-retreats.com) in Morgan Hill and San Jose, Willow Glen Creamery (jeffswillowglencreamery.com) and the gelateria Dolce Spazio (dolcespazio.com) in Los Gatos. And closer to the Peninsula it’s hard to go wrong with Asian flavors and fish-shaped cones at SomiSomi (somisomi.com) or the artisan ice cream at The Penny Ice Creamery, known for its torched-marshmallow fluff (thepennyicecreamery.com). Elsewhere in the East Bay, folks might want to try the towering soft serve at Meadowlark Dairy in Pleasanton (themeadowlarkdairy.com) or the fruit-infused treats at cult pop-up De La Creamery (delacreamery.com) in Oakland.
Baseball: Vintage Base Ball League
“Wild Card” is up to bat and “Taco” is the pitcher, when the umpire — known as “the sir” — announces that the count is “five and one,” as if that’s a normal thing to say in baseball.
In 1886, it was.
And if teams from the Bay Area Vintage Base Ball League are playing, it might as well be 1886 as the action unfolds on ball fields in Sunnyvale, Dublin and Albany.
Nothing makes sense — and yet it all makes sense to the men in curly mustaches and wool uniforms who are swatting 40-ounce bats (MLB bats are usually 33 ounces), hitting soft baseballs made without cork (good luck hitting a home run) and wearing tiny leather gloves made without webbing.
“It’s like a gardening glove,” says “Dapper Dan,” one of the players on the San Francisco Pelicans team.
Everything is exactly as it was 138 years ago, and that’s the whole point. Catch a game between any of the 10 Bay Area teams, which hail from San Francisco to San Jose, Dublin and Oakland, and you’ll watch the “sirs” swigging beer between innings, managers smoking cigars, and players calling each other by nicknames in the most fascinating baseball game you’ll ever see.
“A lot of people consider this a re-enactment,” says James “Hollywood” Stapleton, the manager of the Pelicans. “But nothing is scripted. It’s completely competitive.”
On a recent Sunday at Big Rec Field in Golden Gate Park, pedestrians who accidentally stumble onto a handful of Babe Ruth lookalikes are drawn to the action. Folks on bike rides can’t help but take a water break and sit in the bleachers. A game that began with four people in the stands had about 50 by the third inning.
“Sometimes we get a few hundred,” Stapleton says.
There are a few regulars who sip beers in the bleachers and scream things like “good hurl!” and “Way to go, Chowder!”
The only thing routine about fly balls is they’re routinely dropped. Pitchers, known as “hurlers,” use quick-pitches and hidden-ball tricks. It takes seven balls for a walk, three for a strikeout and foul balls don’t count as strikes. The games are only seven innings but still average close to three hours long.
In San Francisco, the Pelicans are doing well, largely thanks to their 56-year-old first baseman, a reliable fellow who catches everything thrown his way. He’s known only as “Switchblade,” Stapleton says, “because he looks like he should carry a switchblade but is actually the nicest guy ever.”
“Switchblade” has been with the team since its inception but is retiring after this season — and the Pelicans are looking for a replacement.
Spots don’t open up often, so this is a rare opportunity. Tryouts will take place in the fall. Anyone can attend. The only requirement is a desire to learn about 1886-style baseball and the ability to run around in heavy, wool uniforms every other Sunday in the middle of summer.
The details: Stumble upon a game at Big Rec Field on most Sundays through the end of September, and in Dublin, Albany and Sunnyvale on Aug. 25. Find more information at www.bavbb.com.
But wait, there’s more: The Oakland A’s are finishing their final season at the Coliseum, with their last game scheduled for Sept. 26; tickets to the finale are sold out but available on second-hand markets like StubHub. The Oakland Ballers, in their first season in the Pioneer League, have home games through the end of August. In San Francisco, the Giants continue their regular season schedule at Oracle Park through the end of September.
Outdoor movies: Alfresco flicks with surround sound
Stars dot the sky above the old Redwood City courthouse, where a courtyard full of visitors sit in lawn chairs, cuddling leashed pups, snacking on treats from local restaurants and reveling in the goofy cinematic joy of watching a beloved movie franchise hero engage in a series of implausible but tightly choreographed chase scenes through cities around the globe.
On this particular Thursday evening, it’s a free screening of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” at Courthouse Square, with the 10th most expensive movie ever made projected onto a 23-foot-by-13-foot screen complete with surround sound.
Redwood City’s is California’s only outdoor movie setup to offer surround sound, according to events coordinator Brandon Council, and the audio holds up, making the movie feel more immersive. You can almost imagine yourself on the streets of Tangier as Indy chases down bad guys in a tuk tuk.
The summer series flicks are hand-selected by the city’s Parks and Rec employees, who look for recent popular features and classics hitting milestone anniversaries. Then, staff members vote on the films they want to see.
“It’s a fun, free way to get a full movie-going experience, and to bring family and friends to hang out downtown,” Council says.
Details: On Aug. 22, Redwood City’s movie series will screen a short indie film from the locally-based BraveMaker Film Fest at 8 p.m. followed by “Wonka” (2023) at 8:30 p.m.. On Aug. 29, a double feature will screen Disney’s 2023 live-action “Little Mermaid” at 6 p.m. followed by “Galaxy Quest” (1999) at 8:30 p.m.; redwoodcity.org/residents/redwood-city-events/movies.
But wait, there’s more: Looking for more outdoor movie nights? Family-friendly flicks abound around the East Bay, with options on most Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 25. Find a full roundup at 510families.com/east-bay-summer-movie-round-up/. Rather catch a current blockbuster under the stars? Head to the West Wind drive-in theaters in San Jose or Concord.
Picnic: Nosh next to a shipwreck
You can’t have late summer in the Bay Area without Fogust – the Pacific Coast’s way of saying “Nice try, sunbathers!” This year, lean into those misty clouds and head for Point Reyes. There, you’ll find fog aplenty plus the S.S. Point Reyes — a dilapidated shipwreck and social media darling whose days in Inverness are numbered. You can’t go on board — it’s not safe — but what could be a more perfect backdrop for a picnic?
Pick up a sandwich down the street at The Inverness Store — the nearby Saltwater Oyster Depot has fancier fare, if you’re leaning more toward seasonal plates and seafood. And remember to bring layers!
First things first: The Point Reyes “shipwreck” isn’t a classic wreck, but rather the husk of the S.S. Point Reyes, an abandoned fishing boat that’s been disintegrating on the shores of Inverness since the late 1990s. The now Instagram-famous boat sustained additional damage earlier this year due to tides and storms and will be removed in the future. There is no date set yet, says Point Reyes National Seashore spokesperson Richard Moorer, but if you want to go, go soon.
Details: The shipwreck is behind the Inverness Store, which opens daily at 10 a.m. at 12784 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Inverness.
But wait, there’s more: Spend the day at Point Reyes, where you can spot tule elk at Tomales Point or watch for whales near the Point Reyes lighthouse. The Bay Area’s whale-watching scene this summer has been particularly active.
Mini-golf: An East Bay-centric Subpar 2.0
It’s not often a miniature golf course tests your knowledge of local attractions, but the recently reopened Subpar Mini Golf in Alameda does exactly that. You’ll play two games in one inside this former Walgreens on Park Street, where owner Michael Taft designed a $2.8-million mini golf course that provides a challenging golf experience alongside local trivia.
“I think people like to look at the golf holes and see their community and neighborhood glorified,” Taft says.
Hitting a golf ball over a replica of the Park Street Bridge might be the most entertaining part of the course. The drawbridge is, well, drawn and requires just the right touch to make the ball leap from one side to the other.
You’ll golf through a replica of the Ultimate Pass Windmill, putt around the Chabot Space and Science Center, wind your way through a maze that looks like the Oakland tree logo, scoot into the Sunol Water Temple and watch your ball ride “The Whoopie,” a wooden roller coaster from Alameda’s Neptune Beach amusement park, which closed in 1937.
Then enjoy the ultimate challenge on the 19th and final hole: hit your ball up a narrow ramp on your first try and win a free round.
The course is a blast to play, made even more fun by a wonderful selection of local beers ($6-$8) from Alameda Island Brewing and Altamont Beer Works. There are fries ($4), sandwiches ($10), full pizzas ($22) and more snacks to keep everyone well-fed and happy. A full arcade and three pool tables add additional entertainment options.
The original Subpar in Alameda found such success after opening in 2012, the people behind Ghirardelli Square asked Taft to build one in San Francisco in 2018. The SF location is still roaring today, though the Alameda OG closed when rent prices grew too expensive.
But in 2020, when Alameda’s Walgreens closed down, the space’s huge windows and high ceilings caught Taft’s interest. It took him almost two years to design a new course, themed entirely around East Bay landmarks, and the course was reopened at the end of 2022.
“People are pretty pleased with it, especially the customers who have been with us since the beginning,” Taft says.
Details: Walk-ins are welcome at Subpar ($11-$14), which is open daily at 1600 Park St. in Alameda, but booking a tee time is encouraged, as the place can get busy. A “glow golf” course ($16), complete with neon lights, will open Aug. 25 with game play Fridays and Saturdays after 7 p.m.; www.subparminigolf.com.
But wait, there’s more: Head to Urban Putt in San Jose, where you can hit balls amid the downtown skyline, including the landmark Bank of Italy building. Subpar San Francisco offers golfers a course with a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge and other Bay Area landmarks. Or go to Tipsy Putt in Emeryville, where you can play two courses: a normal mini golf course, and a table top style where you roll the ball with your hand. For an outdoor mini golf experience, try Golden Tee Golfland in Castro Valley.
Source: www.mercurynews.com