Words by Johanna Harlow
After a lot of schedule wrangling, you and your friends have finally managed to nail down a date to hang out. You’re looking forward to the day—until you glance at your weather app and see the tiny row of storm clouds. But how to spend those rain-lashing, wind-whooshing, thunder-grumbling days? Beat the brooding weather with one of these indoor outings.
Topgolf
(Burlingame)
Get into the swing of things at Topgolf Burlingame with three floors of bookable bays overlooking a massive outfield of targets and waterfront views of the San Francisco Bay. Designed for comfort, each area is equipped with heaters and comfy couches. Settle in, turn to the screen and select one of several virtual games to rack up points, a system that works thanks to high-tech balls that score themselves. We recommend Angry Birds or Sonic the Hedgehog to add an extra note of playfulness to the proceedings.
If you find yourself chunking or whiffing, don’t fret. Topgolf has a special “Sure Thing” club with a huge face and considerable loft, making it near-impossible to miss the ball. As the company puts it, “Topgolf is a game for everyone, even if you’re getting more hole-in-nones than hole-in-ones.” Half-price rates offered Monday through Thursday.
Photography Courtesy of: Michael Baxter – Topgolf
The Foster Museum
(Palo Alto)
When the skies grow gray, seek solace through splashes of color at The Foster, a 14,000-square-foot museum dedicated to the extraordinary work of artist Tony Foster. You might find that the next best thing to going outside is to bask in Tony’s plein air watercolors portraying the world’s most beautiful wildernesses. His work depicts his travels—which have taken him from Mont Blanc to the Mulu Caves, the Atacama Desert to the American Southwest—and includes his journal notes. He also incorporates “souvenirs” such as map fragments, vials of iceberg water or dried leaves.
Feeling inspired? The Foster offers classes in nature journaling and intro to drawing. There’s also a session where you can pull up a chair in front of your favorite piece, immerse yourself in the details of Tony’s depictions and let it inform your own work (a tea service is provided whenever you need to stretch your legs).
Photography Courtesy of: Annie Barnett
MORE OUTINGS + Winter Lodge (Palo Alto) – Indoor and outdoor rinks, plus roaring fireplaces + Bel Mateo Bowl (San Mateo) – Knock down those pins + Red Door Escape Room (San Mateo) – Spooky forest, mad scientist’s lab or prison break? + Movement Belmont (Belmont) – Rock climbing and yoga + Hyperion Climbing (Redwood City) – 10,700 feet of bouldering walls + Art Attack (Burlingame) – Oil painting classes + Needles Studio (Los Altos) – Classes ranging from sewing basics to quilted sneakers + Stanford Theatre (Palo Alto) – Old Hollywood classics and live organ music at intermission + GAMA Ride (San Mateo) – Billiards, bowling, bumper cars, arcade games and 3D immersive motion simulators
Palomo Archery
(Palo Alto)
Bullseye! Aim true at Palomo Archery, an indoor range with 20-yard practice lanes, movable bales and LED lighting. Don’t know your field tip from your fletching? Palomo’s certified instructors offer lessons to beginners looking to embrace their inner Artemis as well as to more advanced students honing their skills. Serious competitors will also find a welcoming community here. Palomo hosts SVAD, a Junior Olympic Archery Development program, and provides competition-style sessions on Thursdays and Sundays so local archers can test their mettle while preparing for contests like the California State Indoor Championships. Equipment is available at no extra cost.
Photography Courtesy of: Ronnie Guinto – Clay Lounge San Carlos
Clay Lounge
(San Carlos)
Chase away the chill with a trip to a bright, airy pottery studio and warm thoughts of firing your ceramic creations in a 2,000-degree kiln. Clay Lounge is an excellent place to learn the practical and pleasing art of pottery. For the curious who aren’t ready for commitment, the studio offers one-time “try it” classes. But be forewarned, after your first session, you might just find yourself signing up for a six-week course, and then a membership. Rolling up your sleeves and throwing pots is bound to work up an appetite. After class, consider heading two doors down to Drake’s for grilled chicken sandwiches with Gruyere and garlic aioli.
Seeking other spots to sink your fingers into some clay? Check out Spiffy Pottery Studio in Menlo Park, South Bay Ceramics in Mountain View and Clayroom in San Mateo.
Photography Courtesy of: Johanna Harlow
MORE MUSEUMS + SFO Museum (South San Francisco) – Culture, art, history and science exhibits at the airport + CuriOdyssey (San Mateo) – Science museum and zoo at Coyote Point + Hiller Aviation Museum (San Carlos) – Airplanes, helicopters, spacecraft and simulators + Cantor Arts Center (Stanford University) – Art museum with 24 galleries and free entry + Palo Alto Art Center (Palo Alto) – Art, ceramics, jewelry and printmaking classes + Computer History Museum (Mountain View) – Stories and artifacts from Silicon Valley’s computing revolution + San Mateo County History Museum (Redwood City) – The story of the Peninsula, from the Ohlone to modern innovators + Los Altos History Museum (Los Altos) – Local history from agriculture to tech