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GILROY

FOMO, or the fear of missing out, prompted my husband and I to abandon San Jose and move to Gilroy. With approximately 50 wineries between Morgan Hill and Hollister, the dizzying array of music, wine and food events throughout the summer—many of them free or at very low-cost—offers something for nearly everyone.

As a proud resident of the Silicon Valley, I’m often tempted to laud the technical and digital health-improvement initiatives of the innovation hub that we live in. Recently, however, I’ve been struck by the simplest of messages promoted by the Office of the Surgeon General of the United States: The easiest thing we can do to make both ourselves and our communities healthier is to … take a walk.

Kids Triathlon

At a certain age, the switch gets flipped, so that saying, “Back in my day” or “Get off my lawn” is just a part of everyday speech. You may also start offering a butterscotch to the younger generation as they roll their eyes.

This multi-Toni Award production recreates all the characters from the Disney movie, from Lumiere the living candlestick, to the clock, teapot, chest of drawers and the delightful rug. Wrapped up in Rob Roth’s direction and Matt West’s creative choreography, this fast-moving production will keep adults and kids in awe and wonder.

What better time for a grand moment of laughter? Lend Me a Tenor brings us into a wonderful farce that ends all farces. With two “Ortellos” and an abundance of hot ladies ready to make their dreams come true with the greatest tenor in the world who has an over-the-top jealous Italian wife. Laughter starts with the first moments when the really uptight general manager of the Cleveland Opera can’t find his temperamental, lady-chasing tenor for the evening’s performance.

When Morgan Hill resident Daniel Reyes would tell his friends and family that he was a writer, some would respond with skepticism and ask for a sample of one of his published works.

“I was here last Saturday, and this place was packed.” Chris Reeves, our river pilot from Tributary Whitewater Tours, was amazed how quiet the Oxbow put-in location was by the edge of the Middle Fork of the American River. Chris is used to guiding busy weekend trips, but it was a beautiful Monday morning, and we practically had the river to ourselves.I rummaged through a pile of wetsuits, lifejackets and helmets to properly suit up for the adventure ahead. My friends and I were attending an Outdoor Writers Association of California conference and had chosen this sixteen mile river adventure from among several conference activities. It had been years since I had been on a white water trip, and I was excited for the adventure ahead.A handful of Class IV rapids awaited us—water without a sense of humor. We gathered around Chris for a review of safety and paddling protocol. I paid special attention when Chris pointed out a rope line around the perimeter of the raft. “If you fall overboard, grab that rope.” That seemed important.On board and underway, we bounced through a succession of fun Class II and Class III rapids, each of us responding promptly to Chris’s hollered commands. Two miles down the river, we encountered our first Class IV rapid: the Tunnel Chute. The Tunnel Chute is actually a manmade feature built by miners in the late 1800’s to divert water around a spot that, once it became accessible, yielded huge quantities of gold. The roiling 80-foot chute ended with a squeal-inducing drop. Just like that, mayhem turned into utter stillness as we slid quietly though a dark ninety-foot tunnel; smiles and chatter all around.After our nifty handling of Tunnel Chute, I was looking forward to Kanaka Falls, our next Class IV rapid. My recollection is a bit foggy. All I know for sure is that one minute I was paddling and the next I was in the water. As I went overboard, I remembered Chris’s words that morning and thought to myself, “Grab that #$@&%* rope!” I did. My boat mates snapped into action and in a flash I was back on board.As we did after each rapid, we excitedly recounted the drama at Kanaka Falls. Steve’s wife, Kathy, would have joined me overboard had Steve not snatched her out of mid air. I teased Jack that while I was in the water, I thought I saw him going through my wallet.Drifting along in peaceful water; time to soak in the deep and magnificent canyon this river had cut. The steep walls, cloaked in a variety of conifers and oaks, easily reached 2,000 feet above us. Near one bend in the river, soft afternoon sunlight from around the corner gilded the edges of the mantle of trees above us. Fabulous.Soon, we reached Chunder, another Class IV rapid, and once again, it was, “Man overboard,” and once again, it was me. When I popped to the surface (don’t let go of that rope!), my boat mates warned me that we were about to hit a huge granite wall named Mike Tyson with me as the front bumper. I turned around in time to cushion the impact.My tale suggests more danger than fun when you run the Middle Fork of the American River. Not so. Acquaintances became friends, and smiles were the order of the day.  River rafting, or whatever activity you prefer, our hosts proved that Placer County is a great outdoor play land.

When Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall joined The Roundabout Theatre to recreate the Tony Award-winning Cabaret, they brought in a nastier, gaudier and cruder production than had ever been brought to any stage. If you have seen this play before, you will immediately feel how much further they went to bring the audience to back a time of incomprehensible foreboding.