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02.19.09

The Great Indoors

Next time it's pouring rain, don't sing the blues. Get your outdoor fix indoors wth one of these all-weather adventures. Inside out!  

iFly SF Bay indoor skydiving

Fly Ball

You don't have to shell out mega-bucks and strap an instructor to your back to experience the thrill of skydiving. At iFly in the East Bay, four 250-horsepower fans create the feeling of swooping at 120 miles per hour through the air; it's like being a human ping-pong ball suspended in the middle of giant and fast-blowing hair dryer. You begin by taking a quickie lesson, then step inside the cylindrical wind-chamber and follow the lead of your instructor (who is with you at all times). Focus on these pointers: arch your back, keep your chin up so you're looking directly ahead at all times, bend your legs just a bit, and smile at the spectators. Get this airy routine down and you'll be spinning 360s in no time. Well, maybe not, but you'll have a really good time trying. You have two turns in the chamber, so get your bearings on your first try, then work the crowd on the second. Geronimooooooo!

iFly SF Bay, 31310 Alvarado-Niles Rd., Union City; 510-489-4359. Open Wednesday–Friday 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. A first-time-flyer package is $55.

Region
East Bay
Mavericks Surf Simulator

Mavericks Remix

The water, the wetsuit, the huge waves…surfing Mavericks is yours to experience! Sort of. San Mateo County History Museum has an innovative new simulator that lets you 'surf' a 40-foot giant—without getting wet. At the Mavericks exhibit, museum-goers can hop on a surfboard and swivel their hips to the left and right to successfully ride a Mavericks wave. It's like the Wii for surfing, where balance and the proper lean are key to a stellar ride. Built with the help of longtime Mavericks aficionado Grant Washburn, the exhibit doubles as a history lesson on big wave surfing's evolution from its early days in Hawaii. And if your first ride just isn't enough, a second surfboard peers down 40 feet from a window to simulate cresting on a Mavericks wave. Epic!

San Mateo County History Museum, 2200 Broadway St., Redwood City; 650-299-0104. Open every day except Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for kids.

Activity
Relax
Region
Peninsula & South Bay
Planet Granite San Francisco

Rock Palace

With 26,000 square feet and walls reaching 45 feet high, the Presidio's new Planet Granite is an indoor work of art. Think of it as a rock-climbing palace rather than a gym. Newbies, have no fear. PG prides itself on a welcoming, all-inclusive vibe—no elitist 'tude here. Sign up for a one-hour intro to belay class ($34) to 'learn the ropes' and before you know it, you'll be climbing 5.8s. Advanced climbers can cherry-pick from loads of routes that get rotated every eight weeks. This palace isn't short on views, either. Alcatraz and San Francisco's shimmering skyline can be seen from many of the climbing walls; the higher you go, the better the sights. Whether you're just messing around on the top-out boulder or attempting to scale the stalactite, at Planet Granite boredom is never an option. Rock on!

Planet Granite, 924 Old Mason St., San Francisco; 415-692-3434. Open Monday – Friday 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Day passes are $18 and a shoe and harness rental is $6.

Region
San Francisco
Yosemite Winter Deals

How Low Can You Go?

Need a quick trip to Yosemite, but don't want to spend much? Then check out Yosemite's Temp-RATE-ture Special. For $39 or less a night, you stay in the heart of Yosemite Valley at Curry Village in an unheated tent cabin. Your rate is determined by the previous night's low temperature (maxing out at $39). How low can you go? If the temperature drops below 0°F, they'll pay you! Plus you'll be in the center of the action—ice-skate at night just outside your back door and under Half Dome, wake up to the roar of waterfalls, spend the day hiking or snowshoeing. Cold is beautiful—and affordable! Expires March 22.

HEAT UPGRADE: For $20 more you can get a heated tent cabin. Ask for it when you make your reservation or check in at Curry Village.

TIP: Want to spend more for a heated room and an all-inclusive package? Then check out the Yosemite Winter All-inclusive Package. You get lots of goodies like a Badger Pass lift ticket, ski rental, ice-skating, three meals a day, and lodging.

To book a Yosemite's Temp-RATE-ture Special or Winter All-inclusive Package, click on the links or call 801-559-4966. Use Promo Code WKNDSHERPA.

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