Free Things in Los Gatos, California

A guide to free things to do in the city of Los Gatos

Reviews by Todd Inoue

"ALL I NEED IS that I breathe and some love, too," sang the Hollies but in the imported European village of Los Gatos, everything else will cost a pretty penny. After a little digging, there are plenty of free things to do in the land of purebred dogs and their well-coiffed owners. And hey, with all the money you save on your activities, you'll have enough left for a snack and a cuppa joe, or a great meal in this place that has dozens to choose from. The town is the quintessential place to hang out, people watch and imbibe.

1. Park Your Car

The bustling downtown Los Gatos area is a meter-free zone. Los Gatos is one of the last provinces in the world that banned the ravenous quarter-sucking, metal-plated toadstools from its limits. LG has free street parking, including a couple of unlimited time parking lots, four timed lots and underground garages to handle the load of visitors and locals. Parking is monitored between 9am and 6pm, so don't think coffers are missing out on any significant revenue streams. Still, you can save quarters for a Reno trip and meter maids are free to pursue other interests, like consorting with Al Qaeda. "I remember previous councils where plans were presented for a major pay-for-parking plan, but it got turned down," says Carol Musser, who has been Los Gatos parking coordinator for the past two years. "The community and council got vocal and turned down every pay plan to this date. They still don't want meters on the street. It's aesthetically unpleasing. We have time limits. We have unlimited lots. We just don't have any fees."

2. Test Drive a Hummer

Outgrow the SUV? Need to deal with complex "size" issues? You don't have to be LeBron James or Napoleon Bonaparte to get behind one of these heavy metal monstrosities. In a short period, the Humvee has risen from Gulf War veteran to status ride of NBA stars to where it is today: pre-eminent soccer-mom attack vehicle. Los Gatos is the exclusive home to the Bay Area's first Humvee dealership. Monday-Thursday, interested Humvee buyers can do a 24-hour test drive and scare the bejesus out of Honda Civics on Highway 17. But before you throw down $55K on the Humvee 2 (H2) or the upcoming SBT model, be aware that gas mileage for the minitank unofficially runs around 13-16 mpg in the city, a little more on the highway. The gas crunch and down economy haven't affected Los Gatos Hummer's sales; it sold 59 vehicles in April and 49 in June. Says one salesperson, "More women are buying Hummers; they feel more safe and can carry lots of things in them." Amen to that.

3. Get Arty

For all its upper-crust trappings, Los Gatos takes its art scene very seriously. There are 10 art galleries, two museums, three public art sites and six merchants displaying local artists. And unlike the Louvre or Musée D'Orsey, both the Forbes Mill History Museum and the Los Gatos Museum of Art and History don't have an admission fee. All they want is the highest currency: a genuine interest in local history and a desire to support local artists. Pick up a Walking Tour Guide or go to the attractions guide and discover the riches.

4. I Wanna Get Free (Samples)

The Sunday-morning ritual for Los Gatos foodies takes over Town Plaza and turns it to a fresh fruit, vegetable and specialty-food lover's paradise. There's a good amount of free sampling going on; it's tempting to sample ripe strawberries, baked breads, a honey-roasted almond, kettle corn and ravioli and call it a meal. But it's so hard to ignore the mobile crepe maker without shelling out the dough. Give in to temptation. A side attraction is the unofficial dog show that takes over the canine friendly park adjacent to the food booths. It's a dog-fancier's delight with purebred pooches that would make Triumph the Insult Comic Dog's pink thing stand at attention.

5. Hit the Dirt

Los Gatos is the entry point of two of the best walking and jogging trails. Los Gatos Creek Trail is the domain of moms and joggers. Kennedy Trail is for more experienced hikers and mountain bikers. If you choose Los Gatos Creek Trail, take some sunscreen, bottled water and sturdy hiking shoes. Come to think of it, bring a friend or some pepper spray, as flashing genitalia and other deviant behavior (including the shocking discovery of Russell Jordan's bones last March) seem to make the crime docket at least once a month.

6. Get Your Tile On

Los Gatos Scrabble Club #244 meets every Sunday at noon at a pizza restaurant on Los Gatos Boulevard for open competition. Participants from beginners to established word freaks are welcome. There are five rounds and no entry fee and no prizes, except bragging rights. Bring score sheets, Protiles, playing boards, chess clock and your mental list of two-letter words that begin with "x."

7. Play Near Water

Not technically free if want to park ($4), but enterprising visitors have found nearby streets to stash cars or use alternative transportation to enjoy the open space that Vasona and the adjacent Oak Meadow Park generously afford. There are plenty of barbecue pits, jungle gyms, jogging and biking paths--oh, and a big huge lake. It hasn't been the same since Vasona banned duck feeding and ice sliding (the cause of many drunken head injuries back in the '70s), but there are still plenty of things to do, like fishing, paddle boating and volleyball. Sometimes the best thing to do in a park is absolutely nothing, like taking a calming siesta in the warm sun. When that light rail extension to Vasona finally opens, look for attendance to spike and worker productivity to plummet.

8. A Person, Plaza or Thing

During the summer months, the lawn outside of the Civic Center is transformed into a concert venue filled with appreciative music fans and strollers digesting a twilight meal. The music ranges from salsa to reggae to opera to rock, and it doesn't have people in yellow jackets frisking you for bottled water.

9. Feel the Pain

The Cat's Hill Criterium is one of the nastiest road races on the Northern California bike-racing circuit. It's a one-mile loop course at Tait and Nicholson that attracts many masochistic racers looking for a race that offers no margin of error. The course is notorious for its steep (23 percent) climb and six nasty 90-degree turns which has lead to many broken collarbones, slipped gears, broken chains and broken egos. The course is known for pavement separations, potholes, narrow parts, dips and the usual Caltrans indignities that Santa Clara Valley drivers have become accustomed to. Fans of road biking set up camp early, and the hard core stake out space at one the six turn's apexes. Also fun is watching the up-and-coming names grinding it out on the treacherous Nicholson Avenue hill or sprinting toward the finish line. Tour de France winner Greg Lemond won the Cat's Hill in 1978, and Olympian Eric Heiden placed fifth in 1983.

10. People Watch

If people watching has crossed over from nervous tic to full-blown hobby, N. Santa Cruz Avenue offers a fascinating petri dish of nouveau riche. You haven't done Los Gatos until you have spotted the following: Perfectly groomed golden retriever on a leash. Man in Lycra bike shorts and clacking shoes drinking coffee. Woman with yoga mat drinking coffee. Infant twins in a buggy pushed by 40-ish woman in sunglasses. At least 20 Tommy Bahama/khaki short and topsider combinations on middle-aged men. Old-timers with takeout bags. A Hummer that has never seen action or a Rolls Royce that has. A VW Bug with surf racks. A Harley-Davidson parked outside of Black Watch. San Jose Earthquakes eating pizza at Pizza My Heart. Cute, well-behaved kids you want to pinch for being so good. Bachelorette party in C.B. Hanegan's. Carmen Electra wannabe with implants.