9 cool things you can do in the Bay Area while staying close to home

Are we tempting fate by browsing the pages of “100 Things to Do in San Jose (or Oakland) Before You Die” during a pandemic?

The name is “awkward” right now,” Susannah Greenwood concedes. Her “100 Things to Do in San Jose” book is part of a Reedy Press series of 88 “Before You Die” city guides that also includes an Oakland-centric version by Jessie Fetterling.

“It’s a … dramatic name,” Fetterling admits.

We’re all a little, shall we say, aware of our own mortality right now. But there’s no doubting the credentials of these writers when it comes to fun things to do in our own backyards.

A Kansas City transplant, Fetterling moved to the Bay Area in 2009 and promptly fell in love with the city of Oakland. And Greenwood, who grew up in Palo Alto, actually worked for the San Jose visitors bureau before landing at the Mountain View Center for the Arts. When we chatted last week, they had all kinds of inspiration to impart for ways to play right now, not just in those cities, but beyond — and virtually from home.

(We’re betting readers have more ideas, too, for unsung treasures and fun things to do in their hometowns, from Brentwood to Livermore and Gilroy. Share those in comments or via email to features@bayareanewsgroup.com.)

1. San Jose’s rose gardens

The roses at both San Jose’s spectacular Municipal Rose Garden and Greenwood’s favorite, the Heritage Rose Garden at Guadalupe River Park, are blooming floribundantly right now. And strolling those garden paths, immersing yourself in the colorful hues and inhaling that rosy scent will erase all your cares. Plus, there’s the social distancing aspect. Greenwood says, “People are being really respectful. They don’t have to draw the circles on the lawn.”

Both gardens are cityrun, volunteer-maintained and admission-free, so consider giving back. Both are maintained by volunteers. “You can volunteer to weed, socially-distance weed. You can adopt a rose, help sustain the garden,” she says.

DETAILS >> San Jose’s Heritage Rose Garden is at Spring and Taylor streets; www.heritageroses.us. The Municipal Rose Garden is at 1649 Naglee Ave.; http:// friendssjrosegarden.org. In the East Bay? Check out the Berkeley Rose Garden at 1200 Euclid Ave.

2. Alameda’s Robert W. Crown State Beach

Shallow water, soft sand and San Francisco Bay views have made this 2.5mile stretch of beach a popular destination since the 1880s. Sand dunes border the bike trail and gentle waves beckon. And if you’re fretting at the thought of crowd-crammed beaches, take heart. “I was there (last) weekend and people were doing a good job of social distancing,” Fetterling says.

DETAILS >> Walk-in access only to this beach at Eighth Street and Otis Drive in Alameda. McKay parking lot is closed during the shutdown. www.ebparks.org/ parks/crown_beach/

3. San Jose and Concord’s West Wind Drive-In

Reclaiming a shred of normalcy when everyone has their own comfort levels and their own situations can be difficult. “The drive-in’s the solution to this,” Greenwood says. “Everyone’s in their car. You’re there collectively. Everyone can be in the moment. It’s the experience it was.”

These recently reopened theaters are running double features that pair up current and retro movies, “Jurassic World,” “Batman” and more. BYO popcorn.

DETAILS >> Tickets are $1.75 for kids, $8.25 for adults. 3630 Hillcap Ave. in San Jose and 1611 Solano Way in Concord; https://www. westwinddi.com

4. San Jose’s 3 Below improv

In pre-pandemic times, this San Jose theater and lounge hosted movies, live performances and improv. Now their family-friendly ComedySportz has moved its competitive improv to Zoom, and Greenwood is hooked. She’s seen three of the shows so far, and says she wouldn’t be surprised if the virtual sessions continue on long past the pandemic. There are tech aspects — Zoom’s chat feature, for example, and the ability to compete with teams in other cities — that add to what’s already plenty of fun.

“When they ask for suggestions, you type them into chat,” she says. “In the live show, everyone shouts, and you only hear one or two. In chat, you get to see all the suggestions and they’re really fun. And they play against other cities, Houston, New York, so you can have your friends there watch at the same time.”

DETAILS >> ComedySports runs online on Friday and Saturday evenings with tickets on a sliding scale, $10 to $50. https://3belowtheaters. com/calendar-of-events/

5. Oakland’s Drake’s Dealership

Alfresco dining has never been so attractive after the long, still-not-over shutdown. Some cities have closed streets to give sidewalk cafes more room, and restaurants that already had expansive patios are taking full advantage. In Oakland, Fetterling says, “Portal and Drake’s Dealership are two of the best patios in town, and Lake Chalet is doing outdoor dining during the day.” The beer garden at Drake’s Dealership offers Adirondack chairs for lounging as you sip one of Drake’s Brewing’s 32 beers on tap and nibble wood-fired pizza.

DETAILS >> Outdoor dining at Alameda County restaurants was suspended again last week, but Drake’s Dealership, Portal and Lake Chalet remain open for take-out orders. Find menus and reopening details at https:// drinkdrakes.com/places/ dealership, www.portaloakland.com and www.thelakechalet.com.

6. San Jose’s ultimate beer garden

Beer gardens and summer are a perfect combo. Teske’s, which has been doing takeout, has just opened its biergarten to guests. No accordion-accompanied band yet — the county has not yet allowed live music

— but the place is an institution, says Greenwood. Expect German beer on tap, Wienerschnitzel and other authentic deliciousness.

DETAILS >> 255 N. First St., San Jose; https://teskes-germania.com/

7. Bay Area Ethiopian fare

San Jose boasts “an inordinate number of Ethiopian restaurants — eight in a 1-mile radius,” says Greenwood, reeling off a list that includes Kategna, Zeni, Walia, Selam and more. “Typically, one of the draws is it’s communal. You’re eating with your hands. But you can order out — have the communal experience at home.” And not just in San Jose. There’s Oakland’s Cafe Colucci, for starters, and Berkeley’s Lemat, both

doing takeout.

DETAILS >> Here’s just a sampling of tasty spots to explore, including www.kategna.com, waliaethiopian. com, www.cafecolucci.com and www.lemateats.com.

8. Berkeley’s Inspiration Point

The East Bay Regional Parks offer some prime hiking terrain, especially at Oakland’s Redwood Regional Park and Joaquin Miller Park. But Tilden’s Inspiration Point offers something particularly appealing for the stroller set. “I have a 9-month-old, and that trail is paved,” Fetterling says. “Redwood Regional Park also has a paved trail for a decent way.”

DETAILS >> Tilden Park has multiple entrances, including gateways on Wildcat Canyon Road and Grizzly Peak Boulevard on the Berkeley side, and from Wildcat Canyon Road and Fish Ranch Road on the Orinda side. www.ebparks. org/parks/tilden

9. VinoPaint at home

Just because wine bars are closed doesn’t mean that sip-and-paint fans can’t get their art fix at home. Campbell VinoPaint artist Sonya Paz has gone virtual. She ships out art kits — a pre-primed canvas, acrylic paints, a template and paint brush, for example — ahead of time, then does the tutorial via Zoom. There are creative hand lettering and monogram classes, too.

DETAILS >> $28-$44. Find details and reserve a spot at https://vinopaint.com