Have a Ball Golf Tourney happening NOW in Sunnyvale!

Tourney staff checks in participants

The "Have a Ball” Golf Tourney is happening right now (July 17) at Sunnyvale Municipal Golf Course, 605 Macara Ave., Sunnyvale (408) 738-3666. Get there quick to join the party!

Developed by two-time testicular cancer survivor, Bob Hammer, this appropriately-named golf tournament has raised more than $500,000 for cancer research in the past four years. Hammer started the foundation after meeting Lance Armstrong’s oncologist, who encouraged Hammer not to have surgery that would have prevented him from having children. Long story short, Josh Hammer, Bob’s naturally conceived son, is now five years old.

SJ Bike Party Draws 1,000

San Jose Bike Party has officially become a phenomenon on wheels. This past weekend welcomed nearly 1,000 riders to the streets of San Jose. Mountain bikes, BMX, road bikes, fixed gears, tandems, couch mobiles, and boom boxes on handmade bike trailers made their way through the valley in a peaceful yet enthusiastic fashion. With an ever changing route, May's bike party led the crowd through Cupertino, across the Mary Avenue birdge, down Santana Row, and back to Campbell where people eventually dispersed with an increasing excitement for next month's ride.


Interested in joining the fun? We'll roll out a few details:

WHEN: Third Friday of every month, 8:30pm
(next ride is Friday, June 19th)

WHERE: Dick’s Center parking lot: 1400 S. Bascom Ave, San Jose, CA 95128
(this is right next to the Bascom VTA Light Rail stop)

MORE INFO: www.sjbikeparty.org

See you at the next bike party!

Bike to Work Day 2009

It's green, it's healthy, and it's fun. Today is Silicon Valley's "Bike to Work Day", encouraging thousands of people to relieve congestion and take a break from another commute behind the wheel. Enjoying a beautiful ride to work, cyclists meet up at various Energizer Stations for breakfast snacks, drinks, and a reusable canvas goody bag full of helpful cycling information and maps. Hopefully you had a chance to ride in this morning. If not, fortunately we've got a summer full of great weather and wonderful trails ahead of us!

On our ride, we stopped at the Meridian Energizer station located in front of Aki's Bakery. They shared some delicious pastries with us and told us all about their family owned business, 40 years in the making! And apparently they bake an amazing Guava cake... We'll be back for sure!

The Wave's Executive Editor, Johnny Brafford, on his way to work this morning with fellow Wavers, Mitchell Alan Parker and Jon Sontag.

MORE BIKE STUFF: Check out the 1st Annual Willow Glen Bike Swap this Sunday, hosted by Willow Glen Bicycles. Coast in for a BBQ, great deals on used bike parts, and a chance to test ride the new Titus mountain bike! If you'd like to sell, get there by 9am to secure a spot. The festivities kick off around 10am and go until 5pm that evening. We'll see you there!

Bike to Work Day in Silicon Valley: May 14

It's that time of year again, when the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition urges Bay Area residents to leave their cars behind and commute to work on a bicycle. May 14 marks this year's event, so if you don't have a bike of your own, you have plenty of time to borrow or buy one before Thursday. The best part is the 70 "Energizer Stations" that the coalition sets up all over the valley, where cyclists can receive prizes, biking information and, of course, refreshments. Check out their website for more info on the event and great links to maps so you can plan your route. The coalition points out that 40 percent of Bay Area commuters live within five miles of their workplace. So quit being lazy! Spare the environment and start pedaling!

Zeppelins Resurrected on KQED: featuring Mountain View's Airship Ventures

In April we reported on our adventures in an airship. The post garnered attention from Briana Iwuji from KQED, which is airing a story on dirigibles tomorrow night, May 5 at 7:30 pm, called "Zeppelins Resurrected". Here are some words from Iwuji:

The Hindenburg wasn't the only air ship to end in a catastrophic crash. In 1935, the USS Macon went down in 1000 feet of water off the coast of Monterey, California. Now, as scientists study the recently-discovered wreckage, dirigibles are returning to the Bay Area and are poised to rule the skies once again. But these aren't the same dirigibles - these are new and improved. The story is from QUEST, a science show at KQED, and will be airing on May 5 at 7:30pm.


QUEST on KQED Public Media.

Passport weekend: wine tasting in the Santa Cruz Mountains

The wine passport program put on by the Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association is a great way to discover local wineries and, above all, sample delicious local wine. Every third Saturday in January, April, July and November, passport holders are invited to explore dozens of wineries, indulge in free wine tastings and enjoy the majestic scenery that rivals any locale in the Napa Valley.

On this particular weekend in April, we visited Ridge Winery in Cupertino for some fabulous Zinfandel; the beautiful Cupertino home of the Naumann's for some exquisite Chardonnay and Merlot; the peacock farm of Picchetti Winery in Cupertino for some Red Pavone; and finally the horse ranch and stables of Cooper-Garrod in Saratoga for some unforgettable Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Passports are a reasonable $40 and last until every winery in the book is stamped. You can purchase one at any of the participating wineries, or here.

For now, a few pictures of what you can expect:

The picnic area overlooking Downtown San Jose (pictured up top) at Ridge Vineyards.

Some highly sought-after Ridge Zinfandel in the sunshine...

Some old vines at Ridge Vineyards. At this height, looking to the left, you can see all the way to Oakland.

The spectacular home of the Naumann's, who kindly open their domicile up for wine tasting. They specialize in Merlot, with the vineyard resting just below their house.

A view from the Naumann's porch.

At the Picchetti Winery, there are roaming peacock's everywhere! What a site!

This one was either protecting it's property or was trying to hit on me. I'm not sure.

The tasting room at Picchetti is warmly lit and inviting. I recommend the Pavone, which means peacock in Italian.

An old Ford rests sluggishly at the Cooper-Garrod winery. Why are there so many abandoned cars in Silicon Valley?

The winery is also a working ranch, with dozens of horses! Look for our feature on horseback riding lessons in the new issue out April 27.

Day Tripping in Silicon Valley: Mount Umunhum

Ever the ardent Silicon Valley adventurers, we took a scenic trip up to Mount Umunhum today and felt like we could almost touch the clouds. It's a long, winding drive up into the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve, but the views of Downtown San Jose (above) and Mountain View are well worth it. Since it takes so long to get up there, it's best to begin with lunch in Los Gatos like we did. Although there are tons of dining options in Los Gatos, we opted for some delicious Indian food from Tandoori Oven (133 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos 408-395-1784).

Forbes Mill Steakhouse

A great dive bar: Black Watch, 141 1/2 N. Santa Cruz Ave. Los Gatos (408) 354-2200



Tandoori Oven ...


... has great artwork inside...

...of elephants...

...and giraffes.

Mr. Pickle's (151 N Santa Cruz AveLos Gatos 408-395-8800) has some of the best sandwiches around. So it's no wonder they made our Hit List.

Salon MonaLisa (151 N Santa Cruz Ave. Ste. A, Los Gatos 408-395-1331)

On your way up to Mount Umunhum the reservoir off Kennedy Road outside Los Gatos is a great place to pull over and stretch your legs.

Father and son walking on the reservoir dam.

Can you guess what these are?

About a dozen pairs of shoes!

The main entrance to the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve.

Why are there always abandoned cars in the mountains around here? This one had that creepy horror film feel about it.

This is your reward for the long journey. You can practically touch the clouds!

Way Up High: The Wave hops an airship to cruise over the valley.

The Wave had a unique opportunity today to join Airship Ventures for a quick spin around the sky in a zeppelin 1,000 feet above the valley. The airship -- one of only four in the world and the only one in the United States -- has a top speed of about 40mph. The ride is smooth, like a large sailboat in the sky, lolling about on gentle waves of air. The cabin holds 12 passengers, plus two pilots, and we were allowed to walk around freely and even open two door windows and stick our cameras out for some amazing shots.

We were told that there is an airship in Germany and Japan, both of which operate for tourism, advertising and scientific and environmental surveilance purposes. The fourth airship, we're told, is used in Botswana to hunt for diamonds. That must be some big bling!

We heard unverifiable buzz about a special charter deal during the Maverick's surf contest. How cool would it be to cruise around in an airship above those massive waves? Stay tuned for that. Here are a few shots from the day.

Downtown Mountain View, City Hall

Shoreline Amphitheater