The Emerald Hills Blog

A Musical Tradition

Redwood City has a developed a great tradition of hosting free musical concerts throughout the summer at various places in the City.   The most popular of these venues is the Music on the Square Series that’s held every Friday evening in the renovated Courthouse Square in Downtown Redwood City.  Here’s the 2009 Summer Schedule:

·      May 29 – Rodeo House
·      June 5 – Manicato
·      June 12 – John “Broadway” Tucker
·      June 19- Caravanserai
·      June 26 – Livewire
·      July 3 – City Rocks
·      July 10 – Careless Hearts
·      July 17 – Tempest
·      July 24 – Kenny Neal
·      July 31 – Evolution
·      August 7 – The California Honeydrops
·      August 14- Aja Vu
·      August 21 – Big City Review
·      August 28 – Still Time
·      September 4 – Groove Kings Band
·      September 11 – Jeffery Broussard
·      September 18 – Sun Kings
·      September 25 – Mazacote
·      October 2 – Zoostation

Want more music?

The music doesn’t just happen on Friday nights in Redwood City….no way.    There are different series throughout Redwood City during the week.  Here’s a sample:

Need more info?

For more information on these schedules, or for a quick bio on all of the bands that will be performing at these venues, click on this link:

Redwood City Summer Music Series

Enjoy!

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Edgewood Park in unincorporated San Mateo County is one of my favorite local places to go (second only to the beach!). There are miles of spectacular trails that are perfect for a vigorous hike, a humbling run, or simply a casual walk. It’s so close by and easy to get to, yet the beauty and serenity of this place allows you to unplug for a little while and appreciate nature at her best.

Colors on Display…

Every spring when the wildflowers bloom, Edgewood Park transforms herself into an array of colors that you’ll only find in nature. Each open field seems to have its own unique mix of wildflowers, so the colors are a bit different everywhere you go. And the vibrant green that emanates from the rolling hills makes me think this place could pass for Ireland (I hope to get there someday, too!)

Here’s a little slideshow from our recent visit to Edgewood Park over the Easter break….

Don’t Miss It…

The wildflowers won’t stay in bloom indefinitely, and like all of our Open Space Parks in San Mateo County, the terrain changes quickly from green to brown when the rains stop and days get warmer. So make it a priority to check out this gem of a park that we’re so lucky to be able to use!

Where is it?

Here’s a map to Edgewood Park.  The main entrance that most people use is the Day Camp that’s accessible from Edgewood Road.  But if you live in the upper reaches of Emerald Hills around the Easter Cross, there’s a much more convenient (and less crowded) entrance just off Hillcrest Way.  Enjoy!

View Larger Map

I am thrilled to see that there has been a renewed interest in the performing arts on the Peninsula.   More and more schools and private organizations are working diligently to put together plays and musicals, which presents a fantastic opportunity for both the participants and fans of theater.  I highlighted a couple of outstanding events that Sequoia High School performed recently:

• Sequoia High School Presents “Grease”
• Little Shop of Horrors

Well, I’m pleased to inform you about what promises to be another great performance.  John Gill School and North Star Academy are working together to present:

• “Hey Shakespeare – Get a Job!”

This is the first time ever that two schools have gotten together to do a play in the Redwood City School District.   It has several key Shakespeare scenes from Hamlet, Taming of the Shrew, Henry the V, Romeo and Juliet, MacBeth and some sonnets.  It is made fun for the kids by showing us the family of Shakespeare arguing with him about wasting his time writing.  Shakespeare must convince his parents that he is doing the right thing.  The Romeo and Juliet part is done in both Spanish and English so we can do some outreach into the Spanish community in Redwood City.

The play will be held on October 16, 17, and 18 at 7pm, and October 19 at 2pm at the McKinley Auditorium, 400 Duane St. in Redwood City.    Tickets are only $8, $10 premium seating.  Call 650-482-5980 for tickets.

Please show your support for the performing arts at your local school, and experience what promises to be a great show!

For those of you familiar with the many splendors that Edgewood Park has to offer, you know that this is the time of year when Mother Nature puts on her display of colors.  Every year on the cusp of Spring, the hundreds of different wildflower species that reside in the park start to bloom, which creates an amazing and random display of colors that you could only find in nature.

If you’re looking to take advantage of the nice Spring weather we’re having, this is well worth it.  You’ll enjoy the exercise, and relish the scenery.  Here are a couple of great links that have information on docent-lead tours, maps to the park, and some good history:

San Mateo County Parks — Edgewood Park

Edgewood Park — c/o Bay Area Hiker 

Don’t miss it — Mother Nature doesn’t work on our schedule!

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the San Francisco Peninsula boasts some of the best cycling routes on the West Coast. However, finding these routes and discovering new ones is a bit of trial and error, or getting a recommendations from fellow cyclists. The only official government sanctioned map of the bike routes is over a decade old and doesn’t factor in commute routes and details on the terrain.

Fortunately, that’s about to change. The Association of Governments just approved and funded a project to upgrade the maps. According to the article in the Redwood City Daily News (click here –> Bike Map in the Works) the map should be available by mid-summer. If it’s available in soft-copy and not too large, I’ll post in on the blog in a future article.

The weather’s turning nice…happy cycling!

Unfortunately for you mountain bike riders, most of the trails in San Mateo County are off-limits. But if you are a roadie, this area is heaven. Miles of great roads wind through some of the most beautiful (and wealthy) areas on the West Coast. And if you want hills, there’s no shortage of pain to go around. Here are some great areas to ride — just link them together and create your own loop.

Canada Road:

This backroad stretch runs from Highway 92 all the way to the town of Woodside. Characterized by rolling hills and a wide shoulder, it’s great for both recreation and training. It’s so popular now that the County closes the road every Sunday during the summer for Bicycle Sunday.

Bicycle Sunday
Canada Road serves as the origination point for many loops throughout. One of the most popular and most challenging is the Kings Mountain Road Loop. Kings is 4 miles of climbing that will humble you, but also rewards you with a heart-stopping panoramic view of the Bay Area. Here’s a site that has a great description of this loop:

Kings Mountain Loop
You can mix and match tons of great rides just off of this single loop. The workout and the scenery are second to none!

Looking for something to do that’s much more rewarding than Holiday shopping? Treat yourself to an outstanding production of “Little Shop of Horrors” by the Sequoia High School Drama Department. This musical is only running through next weekend (December 9th) at Carrington Hall on Sequoia’s campus, so don’t wait too long to get tickets.

This is the latest production by Sequoia’s resurgent drama club, and features a cast of nearly 100 talented students. I have heard nothing but rave reviews about this play — don’t miss it! Here’s the show schedule:

PERFORMANCE DATES:

Saturdays — December 1 ,7, and 8: 7:00 PM

Sundays — December 2 and 9 — 2:00 PM

TICKET PRICES
$5 18 & Under
$10 Adult
$15 Reserved

TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Call: 369-1411 x 6288
or
Go To Sequoia’s Treasurer’s Office
Linda Gordon
or e-mail phillips.gail@gene.com

  After years of watching the surrounding communities of San Carlos, Belmont, San Mateo and Palo Alto field competitive girl’s softball teams, Redwood City finally has a league of their own.   Thanks in large part to a grass roots effort, Redwood City will have its own recreational league starting this spring.

For more details, see the attached article from the Redwood City Daily News:   Redwood City Softball

According to the article,  the residents of Redwood City have fully embraced the new league since they already have 200 youths signed up to play.  Registration continues until December 31.

Play on, girls!!!

Many years ago, this huge section of land bordered by Canada Road, Edgewood Road and Hillcrest Drive was PG&E-owned wildland.  You would enter this area at your own risk of getting lost.   Today, this land is known as Edgewood Park, and it is simply one of the best places to run or hike on the Peninsula.

The San Mateo County Parks Department has done a marvelous job of turning this beautiful, rugged terrain into a paradise only accessible by foot or horseback.  They carved nearly 10 miles of hiking/running trails on 5 different loops.  There’s enough to challenge the beginner and experienced runner.

In the springtime, there are docent-led tours that take you past huge fields of wildflowers.  There are numerous entrances to the park, but the main entrance is the Day Camp on Edgewood Road.   You’ll find picnic facilities, bathrooms and trail maps at the Camp.  It’s also a great place to start your run…1 mile of uphill to start!  Yeah, baby!

Check out this gem in Emerald Hills.  Click here for more details:  Edgewood Park and Nature Preserve