seeking an "experience gift" for my parents in the Bay Area
December 19, 2021 4:01 PM Subscribe
I have no idea what to get for my fairly picky parents who don't want stuff. Bonus: emotions!
They're in their 70s, both healthy and very active. They live in the SF Bay Area.
They don't really need or want physical stuff, and it's too late to ship anything anyway. I've already given them a few smaller presents (books, handmade knits) when I last saw them in person, and I want to get them something more experiential, like a class, trip, concert, or event. One of the things making this hard is that I haven't lived in Northern California for a long time and I'm not clued into all the local events and organizations anymore.
My dad: semi-retired landscape architect, likes architecture (especially early modern stuff), plants, walks and hiking. I know he really enjoyed an OLLI class he took a year or two ago. There's an upcoming one on Alvar Aalto that would be ideal except there doesn't seem to be any way of purchasing it as a gift. (I've already emailed them about it but I'm not hopeful, they seem to have pretty strict members-only registration policies.)
My mom: spent her entire decades-long professional career teaching ESL and just retired last month. Loves language and music, especially choral music (she's part of a chorus group and it's been a struggle to keep it together and fun through all the lockdowns and reopenings). Plays the piano. A past gift that went over well was a piano improvisation course at the Jazz School (CJC). She loved her job and I'm worried she's going to be bored without it.
Without going into too much detail, earlier this year we mutually disappointed one another - it's better than it was, but we're still mending, and I think they have the impression that I'm still mad at them. I love them and I don't want to feel like I'm slighting them with lame or thoughtless presents, and my anxiety about that is making this harder than it usually is.
Budget is not really an issue but anything over a few hundred bucks total would come across as extravagant.
They're in their 70s, both healthy and very active. They live in the SF Bay Area.
They don't really need or want physical stuff, and it's too late to ship anything anyway. I've already given them a few smaller presents (books, handmade knits) when I last saw them in person, and I want to get them something more experiential, like a class, trip, concert, or event. One of the things making this hard is that I haven't lived in Northern California for a long time and I'm not clued into all the local events and organizations anymore.
My dad: semi-retired landscape architect, likes architecture (especially early modern stuff), plants, walks and hiking. I know he really enjoyed an OLLI class he took a year or two ago. There's an upcoming one on Alvar Aalto that would be ideal except there doesn't seem to be any way of purchasing it as a gift. (I've already emailed them about it but I'm not hopeful, they seem to have pretty strict members-only registration policies.)
My mom: spent her entire decades-long professional career teaching ESL and just retired last month. Loves language and music, especially choral music (she's part of a chorus group and it's been a struggle to keep it together and fun through all the lockdowns and reopenings). Plays the piano. A past gift that went over well was a piano improvisation course at the Jazz School (CJC). She loved her job and I'm worried she's going to be bored without it.
Without going into too much detail, earlier this year we mutually disappointed one another - it's better than it was, but we're still mending, and I think they have the impression that I'm still mad at them. I love them and I don't want to feel like I'm slighting them with lame or thoughtless presents, and my anxiety about that is making this harder than it usually is.
Budget is not really an issue but anything over a few hundred bucks total would come across as extravagant.
Response by poster: I love my membership to the Berkeley Botanical Garden, but perhaps they already have that?
This would be a perfect suggestion except that my dad is (or was, pre-covid) a docent there!
posted by theodolite at 4:11 PM on December 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
This would be a perfect suggestion except that my dad is (or was, pre-covid) a docent there!
posted by theodolite at 4:11 PM on December 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
Your dad could well know all about this and already have it, but he might enjoy a gift membership to Calflora.
posted by jamjam at 4:14 PM on December 19, 2021
posted by jamjam at 4:14 PM on December 19, 2021
Does the BBG hold outdoor concerts or anything that would merge the two interests? (As a landscape architect I always love hearing about other landscape architects!)
posted by Juniper Toast at 4:21 PM on December 19, 2021
posted by Juniper Toast at 4:21 PM on December 19, 2021
It's probably more aligned with your Dad's interests, and it requires driving 3 hours on winding roads, but you might consider a couple of nights at a Sea Ranch airbnb. (It looks like the lodge is not accepting guests now, sadly.)
posted by eotvos at 4:41 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by eotvos at 4:41 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]
One of the higher-level memberships at Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek? Some of them come with some nice reciprocal memberships and tickets to some of their annual events.
https://www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/support/membership/
posted by assenav at 4:46 PM on December 19, 2021
https://www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/support/membership/
posted by assenav at 4:46 PM on December 19, 2021
How about a night "glamping" at Safari West in northern Santa Rosa?
posted by Dr. Wu at 4:54 PM on December 19, 2021
posted by Dr. Wu at 4:54 PM on December 19, 2021
Do they have a California State Parks pass ($125) ? Or a US National Parks seniors lifetime pass ($80)?
posted by dum spiro spero at 4:56 PM on December 19, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by dum spiro spero at 4:56 PM on December 19, 2021 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Not all of these are exactly on theme, but they're cool things I know about from living in Oakland/SF, so in case they're helpful:
* Docomomo membership
* Letterform Archive tickets - currently has a Bauhaus exhibit.
* East Bay Yesterday boat tour or Shaping SF boat tour
* Treasure Island Museum - doesn't cost anything, but you could donate in their name and encourage them to visit.
* SF CityGuides tours - maybe Golden Gate Park hidden gems or another one that involves parks
posted by dreamyshade at 5:52 PM on December 19, 2021 [3 favorites]
* Docomomo membership
* Letterform Archive tickets - currently has a Bauhaus exhibit.
* East Bay Yesterday boat tour or Shaping SF boat tour
* Treasure Island Museum - doesn't cost anything, but you could donate in their name and encourage them to visit.
* SF CityGuides tours - maybe Golden Gate Park hidden gems or another one that involves parks
posted by dreamyshade at 5:52 PM on December 19, 2021 [3 favorites]
if they like art there's always a De Young membership
posted by fingersandtoes at 6:22 PM on December 19, 2021
posted by fingersandtoes at 6:22 PM on December 19, 2021
or Filoli although that's a bit down the peninsula
posted by fingersandtoes at 6:25 PM on December 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by fingersandtoes at 6:25 PM on December 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
Maybe a “taster” art, welding, or craft class at The Crucible?
Also REI offers classes and guided tours for kayaking, mountain biking, etc
posted by gt2 at 6:27 PM on December 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
Also REI offers classes and guided tours for kayaking, mountain biking, etc
posted by gt2 at 6:27 PM on December 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
Maybe a weekend in Sonoma? Cornerstone Gardens might be interesting for your dad, and there are a variety of choral and other musical groups with performances at the wineries that you could get tickets for with your mom's interests in mind. A little getaway weekend with a special event for each of them seems very thoughtful to me!
posted by luzdeluna at 6:32 PM on December 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by luzdeluna at 6:32 PM on December 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
Soundbox - the experimental project of the SF Symphony - is absolutely fantastic. The space itself has fascinating acoustic design and they sometimes have additional art installations if it’s thematically appropriate, and the actual programming itself - small ensembles with a very tight theme - is quite interesting. The only problem with it is that about halfway through the first season, the tickets became extremely hard to come by - the only “classical” program I’ve ever seen sell out tickets within 5 min of going on sale. But maybe the pandemic + doubling the prices has made them possible to get ahold of again…
If that type of music is interesting to your parents, there’s also some interesting productions by students at Mills College in Oakland.
posted by A Blue Moon at 6:51 PM on December 19, 2021
If that type of music is interesting to your parents, there’s also some interesting productions by students at Mills College in Oakland.
posted by A Blue Moon at 6:51 PM on December 19, 2021
I'm of a simpler mind. Napa Valley Wine Train. Get to taste a lot of decent wine, plus multi-hour journey on the vintage wine train with tour on multiple famous wineries, AND gourmet lunch onboard. If you plan a stay up there, you can have lunch or dinner at CIA (culinary institute of America) at Copia. Regretably, the main campus at Greystone is closed until January.
posted by kschang at 6:55 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by kschang at 6:55 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]
SF Jazz has been doing great online music events for members, if that's something they would like.
posted by gingerbeer at 7:22 PM on December 19, 2021
posted by gingerbeer at 7:22 PM on December 19, 2021
Best answer: CalShakes is also doing interesting stuff online. Hard to know what any performance seasons are going to look like in the next year, but there's also Berkeley Rep, Freight and Salvage, or CalPerformances.
posted by gingerbeer at 7:30 PM on December 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by gingerbeer at 7:30 PM on December 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
Have they ever stayed at Asilomar?
Have they spent much time out on the bay?
posted by at at 7:36 PM on December 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
Have they spent much time out on the bay?
posted by at at 7:36 PM on December 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
Are they interested in mushrooms? More mushrooms.
Birds?
Tour a Frank Lloyd Wright house?
The Oakland Museum (rebranded as OMCA) has easily some of the most interesting exhibits and shows in the Bay Area and sometime gets forgotten.
posted by gingerbeer at 7:47 PM on December 19, 2021
Birds?
Tour a Frank Lloyd Wright house?
The Oakland Museum (rebranded as OMCA) has easily some of the most interesting exhibits and shows in the Bay Area and sometime gets forgotten.
posted by gingerbeer at 7:47 PM on December 19, 2021
Forage SF has some great urban foraging classes. I've done two of their mushroom classes with my wife, who's also done one of their other (now discontinued) classes. They were both great.
Sea Forager also offers coastal fishing/foraging tours (unfortunately currently on hiatus). I'm subscribed to their CSF but haven't done the classes (due to small children) but Kirk is a character and would probably be very enjoyable.
posted by kdar at 7:53 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]
Sea Forager also offers coastal fishing/foraging tours (unfortunately currently on hiatus). I'm subscribed to their CSF but haven't done the classes (due to small children) but Kirk is a character and would probably be very enjoyable.
posted by kdar at 7:53 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]
We went whale watching out of Santa Cruz recently and it was amazing. Highly recommend
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 7:59 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 7:59 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]
if online courses or experiences work, Atlas Obscura has lots of interesting offerings
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 8:57 PM on December 19, 2021
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 8:57 PM on December 19, 2021
Do they (or would they) like sailing? The sailing club at the Berkeley Marina offers sailing classes every Saturday from March to November for a few hundred a year.
posted by ananci at 11:27 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by ananci at 11:27 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]
Maybe help finance a weekend trip to Field of Light (https://sensoriopaso.com/) and a stay at the Madonna Inn? It's just far enough away they likely haven't gone on their own yet.
posted by foxtongue at 12:19 AM on December 20, 2021
posted by foxtongue at 12:19 AM on December 20, 2021
CalShakes just announced their upcoming season -- this years it's just two shows, an adaptation of Romeo & Juliet and an adaptation of Lear. Your folks may already be aware of or members of CalShakes as I think that the majority of people who've been in the bay area for any length of time are, but if they're not, this is bound to be a great year to try season tickets, since the tickets are always remarkably affordable anyway but with a short season it's likely that they'll be even more affordable.
I'm a huge fan of the Exploratorium and also of the Asian Art Museum, both of which have members-only activities on a regular basis. If you are interested in the Exploratorium, there's this amazing, little-known nonfiction book (that is also quite funny) in which its history plays a small but crucial role.
posted by janey47 at 11:26 AM on December 20, 2021
I'm a huge fan of the Exploratorium and also of the Asian Art Museum, both of which have members-only activities on a regular basis. If you are interested in the Exploratorium, there's this amazing, little-known nonfiction book (that is also quite funny) in which its history plays a small but crucial role.
posted by janey47 at 11:26 AM on December 20, 2021
The Aftel Archive of Curious Scents is really magical and I read they have reopened. Get them a certificate for a tour, it’s really well done (hopefully still great outside). It’s very craftsmany Berkeley Arts and Crafts.
As for the Oakland Museum, there’s an Edith Heath exhibit coming up that I am excited about. Also the remodeled gardens look great. Maybe a membership?
posted by vunder at 10:30 PM on December 20, 2021
As for the Oakland Museum, there’s an Edith Heath exhibit coming up that I am excited about. Also the remodeled gardens look great. Maybe a membership?
posted by vunder at 10:30 PM on December 20, 2021
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for all these great suggestions!
posted by theodolite at 4:24 PM on December 21, 2021
posted by theodolite at 4:24 PM on December 21, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by pinochiette at 4:04 PM on December 19, 2021 [3 favorites]