Ah, summer.
The time of year where options are constant and for many, time is sparing. So what to do during 14 hour days and weather warm enough that you can’t possibly get cold? The Express has some ideas:
LOCAL
San Ramon Central Park
This is perhaps the most unique park in the Bay Area outside of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. It is perfect for all lovers of summer, with a waterpark, skate park, baseball diamonds and jungle gym. Ok, so a lot of parks have those, so why is it unique? The basketball courts. And while the basketball courts appear ordinary by day, it’s night time when they really stand out. Especially after midnight.
That’s when there are pickup games still going, some nights lasting until dawn. So after a long night of barbequing and shooting the breeze, anyone left with energy can head down to hoop. At nearly any hour of the day.
Cabernet Indoor Sports, Livermore
Cabernet offers a few different activities, from soccer, to football and batting cages. Soccer and football is geared towards younger children, but for any baseball lover, the batting cages make for some good and enjoyable exercise. They aren’t costly either, only 18 dollars for 100 pitches. And if you’re a total baseball addict, they also offer monthly unlimited memberships for 50 dollars.
Alden Oliver Sports Park, Hayward
While some parks offer one or two venues for recreational sports, this one offers several well-kept and desirable arenas to host any fun event. There are four baseball diamonds, a few basketball courts, some tennis courts and lots of grassy field to play some touch football. There is also a snack shack that is open until 9 p.m. on weeknights.
City of Livermore
The Livermore Parks and Recreation division offers a multitude of activities, as do other cities in the tri-valley area. From flag football, to softball and basketball, whichever city you reside in should have leagues set up to aid in summer fun.
CLOSE ENOUGH
Yosemite
There is really never a bad time to visit Yosemite. It’s less than two hours from Livermore, and there are several campgrounds to choose from. Rainbow pool, which features one of the only waterfalls that you can jump off of in the state, is a somewhat-hidden gem of the area.
San Jose Giants and Sacramento Rivercats
Every Bay Area resident knows about the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants. But few know about their local minor league affiliates. No, there is no Buster Posey or Yoenis Cespedes, but there are some rising stars. And who wouldn’t want the bragging rights to knowing who the next big star is? One of the best aspects of these teams is ticket price. You can get up-close and personal for less than $20.