If you could afford to live like a high-tech millionaire, you’d have lots of company in Los Gatos. It’s a nice place to visit regardless, and 270-acre St. Joseph’s Hill Open Space Preserve above the attractive town center is a destination well worth the huffer-puffer hike from Novitiate Park at the end of Jones Road.
Both the Los Gatos Creek and Jones/Flume trails lead to Lexington Reservoir, where you and Fido can soak your paws during a well deserved break. On the way down, make a detour and allow yourself to be waylaid at Testarossa , the Bay Area’s oldest continuously operating winery, founded by Jesuit fathers and brothers in 1888. The tasting room, open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, includes a deli where you can pick up some cheese and crackers to enjoy with your wine on the dog-friendly patio out back. A bit of trivia to digest along with your Brosseau Vineyard Pinot Noir and aged cheddar: Los Gatos, which means “the cats” in Spanish, takes its name from the mountain lions that even today are occasionally glimpsed prowling in the surrounding hills.
Last updated on July 1, 2024.
