The beautiful town of Los Gatos sits nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. With the ocean just “over the hill” and “the City” an hour up the peninsula, Los Gatos is a favorite weekend destination for both tourists and Bay Area locals. Whether you stay for a day or weekend, as Sunset magazine declared in 1915, “To see Los Gatos is to love the town.”
On most mornings the downtown coffee and breakfast shops are bustling with walkers, hikers, and bicyclists fueling up before venturing off on the Los Gatos Creek Trail. From the Main Street Bridge you can take the trail toward the mountains for an invigorating hike to Lexington Reservoir, or grab the kids and head in the opposite direction to Vasona County Park.
The adjacent Oak Meadow Park is home to the historic Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad. Since 1970, the 102-year-old steam-powered train has taken the young, and the young-at-heart, on rides through the park. After a train ride, the kids will be scrambling for a ride on the William E. Mason Carousel, one of the few historic carousels in California. Cap the adventure off with a picnic in the park while the kids finish their day climbing on the full-size 1954 United States Air Force T33 jet sitting in the middle of the playground.
If shopping is your idea of exercise, you can burn a lot of calories in the unique boutiques, art galleries, and antique stores of downtown Los Gatos that line North Santa Cruz and University Avenues. You’ll also find restaurants, pubs, bakeries, coffeehouses where you can re-fuel along the way, or visit many of the wonderful local wineries.
If your shopping companion isn’t into fashion, Los Gatos is a great place to people-watch from comfortable benches along the sidewalks. And if you bring along your four-legged friend, you’ll find that Los Gatos is exceptionally dog-friendly, with bowls of water and treats at the doors of many stores. Car buffs will enjoy the area showrooms featuring exotic cars…a number of which you will probably see parked throughout town.
Los Gatos is a town steeped in history from its beginnings in the mid-1850’s, with the building of Forbes Mill, its suburban growth in the 1950’s, and its rebirth after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The town itself is an architectural museum, with buildings such as the Forbes Mill from 1880 (now the History Museum), Victorian–era homes, Los Gatos High School, which dates from the 1920’s, and the Old Town Shopping Center, which was formerly the University Avenue School, founded in 1882. A walking tour by the Chamber of Commerce is a great way to check out the best of Los Gatos’ historical sites www.losgatoschamber.com/walktour.html
The Town Plaza, located at West Main and North Santa Cruz Avenues, is a favorite gathering place for families, friends, kids, and dogs. On Sunday mornings the Plaza is transformed into one of the area’s largest farmers’ markets. You’ll be treated to an array of fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, and specialty-food vendors.
Come to Los Gatos for a few hours, a day, or a weekend, and you’ll see that it’s really true. To see Los Gatos is to love the town!
Pamela Ryder
Copyright 2012
