Are you stuck looking for that perfect gift for the men in your life? How about an adventure gift instead of a gadget. The Bay area is filled with experiences for all tastes.  If the constant hustle and bustle of this gift giving season is making you go insane (present company included) then it’s time to reflect on the reason for the giving and the celebrating. A visit to The Living Nativity in Redwood City may just be the reminder you need. And when you are ready to take a break from Christmas tunes and Hallmark Channel Holiday movies (my fav), Forever Tango, provides an evening of heart palpitating enjoyment.

Are Your Engines Ready? San Francisco and Santa Clara Go Kart Racing.

Do any of the men on your list fantasize about putting the pedal to the medal on the track?  Does the name Mario Andretti get bandied about? If a trip to the raceway isn’t in the budget, indoor, electric go kart racing may just satisfy the race car enthusiast. With karts that are high performance, zero emission and just plain fun to drive, you will create an experience he will never forget. Why not package a gift certificate with a pair of driving gloves or a toy car. Vroom Vroom!  Get more details.

Survival Workshops Santa Cruz Mountains

Does Bear Grylls inspire your son, brother, partner, dad? “Adventure out” is California’s leading outdoor school offering exciting and inspiring adventures. Experienced instructors will teach primitive skills and survival instruction. Your guys (or outdoor loving gal pals) will learn how to:  make fire, construct shelter, track animals, build a kayak and so much more. Never will your “giftee” worry when their car breaks down on the side of the road.  Your own Bear will know how to survive after you gift him with a day of survival training. Gift certificate in a water canteen, or with a compass would look great in his stocking! Get more details.

High Flying Fun

Perhaps your fella has always yearned to pilot a plane and feel the surge of the engine as the nose lifts off into the sky. U-FLY at the San Carlos Airport provides that exact thrill. I know from experience as our family gifted my husband with this very flight adventure. There is nothing like taking the controls for an entire hour (according to my “pilot”), flying over the Golden Gate Bridge, across the East Bay, along the Coast Line, soaring above the traffic below. Up to two passengers can go along to revel in the beauty and make requisite pilot jokes. Attaching a gift certificate to a paper airplane will give him the toy that every guy wants, with the anticipation of earning his own wings as a pilot. Get more details.

December 21-23. Bethlehem A.D.

No matter your religious preferences, the holiday comes in with a buy me, eat this, rush, hurry, crash. I have to remind myself to slow down and enjoy, breathe and reflect on the “reason for the season”.  Bethlehem A.D. in Redwood City may just provide the inspiration you need. This living re-creation of the village of Bethlehem on the night of the first Christmas celebrates its 19th year and has become a holiday tradition for families up and down the peninsula. A true village awaits visitors with colorfully costumed townspeople who are cooking, creating pottery and wandering the market place. There are Roman centurions on horseback, sages and scholars discussing scripture and live animals wandering as they did centuries ago. Searchlights lead the way acting as the Star of Bethlehem.  Making the pilgrimage to Bethlehem A.D. is a sight of wonder in the 21^st century. Get more details.

December 20 – January 10.  Forever Tango

For those Tomatoes and friends looking for something a little spicy, sexy, and fast paced, an evening watching Forever Tango at the Herbst Theatre will have you booking a flight to Argentina. This Broadway revue gives us music, drama, culture and a way of life. The sensuous and sophisticated dance is performed by 14 Tango dancers accompanied by an eleven piece orchestra and a vocalist.  Flicks of the leg, a gentle tug of a hand, the slight arch of an eyebrow, tell a passionate story that will leave you breathless. Get the details.