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Inspired Summertime Activities

Look around. We live in paradise. Summertime vacations typically reveal that living on the Central Coast has everything we need and even more to discover if we just look around — then like on a summer vacation, book that tour or trolley ride, attend a concert or festival, or splurge to enjoy a unique dining or wine tasting experience.

Staying close to home this year? Here are a few unique summertime experiences to be discovered.

Each summer, the public is invited to learn to sail at the Morro Bay Yacht Club, 541 Embarcadero. Taught by experienced instructors — all members of the United States Sailing Association — the classes are comprehensive sailing experiences that also teach water safety and ocean appreciation.

Have you ever thought you might want to be a member of a yacht club? Or have your child experience sailing all-year-long, networking with a unique water sports affiliation?

Have you walked the north end of Morro Bay’s Embarcadero or the San Luis Obispo Yacht Club on Avila Pier and thought how cool it would be to crew with members of the sailing/boating groups?

Youth programs, racing or sailing weekends on the bay or out in the Pacific Blue is possible and affordable, but a good start is testing the waters by taking a sailing class, mixing with the membership while checking out the clubhouses and activities. Member Glenda Boatman has been booking the reservations for years.

Classes run four consecutive weekdays from Mondays-Thursdays or two consecutive weekends, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through September. See the schedule for more specific information. Time is divided between “classroom” and “on the water” instruction.

Check out the website to register at: www.mbyc.net or call Glenda at (805) 772-3981 ext. 2 or email to: [email protected].

For 15 years, the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation has provided visual and performing arts classes to area youth from Monterey to Santa Maria. For the second year, children’s summer camps are available. Located at 3201 Spring St., the next week-long session focuses on Music and Dance and runs from July 31-August 4 Monday-Friday (9 a.m. to noon) for $125 per student and open to children ages 5-12. See: www.pryaf.org or call (805) 238-5825.

Emily Jagger, Arts Foundation director of development, said it was founded in 2001 to enrich the lives of area youth in the visual and performing arts, when public schools’ budgeting did not always include a comprehensive performing arts program. PRYAF, a non-profit organization, believes the arts are vital to a child’s cognitive growth and development and are the driving forces behind all other learning for our youth as they become contributing members of the community.

During the school year the Foundation offers 50, free classes per week and fills more than 3,000 student seats per year in its after-school program. It relies on donations and private funding including grants, scholarships and offerings of supplies, and equipment.

Creative Me Time, do-it-yourself projects offers the talents of artisan teacher Joan Martin Fee in a variety of workshops and classes at several county locations in July, with more classes to be posted, said Fee. The schedule includes making sea glass wire wrap jewelry, Hypertufa baskets, succulent arrangements and wreaths, starfish wall art and seashell mirrors, cork creations, alcohol inks, or choose-a-project play-days. Classes are offered at SLO Adult School, Morro Bay Art Association, The Station Art Bar in SLO, Paso Robles Recreation Dept., with more to come at Vina Robles Winery.

Fee grew up on a small farm near Lemoore, miles from the largest town in the area, Fresno, where she loved to visit the closest craft store.

She and her sisters needed to be industrious and creative with their time and found they could make a variety of decorative items by repurposing materials found on their property.

While working at Vandenburg AFB, she noticed a television craft show produced by Aleene’s Glue Products. She submitted a creative idea she called, “Dress Up Dolly,” a paper doll project that used their glue products.

Her project was successful enough to land her a full-time job for the past 8-years of the show, as an instructional writer and project demonstrator.

The show was conveniently produced at their warehouse in Buellton. Her parents happened to have two rental homes in Morro Bay, which facilitated her move to the Central Coast.

An experienced instructor, she researches the creative products that can be produced in 90 minutes or longer workshops. She provides the supplies and equipment to produce the decorative and/or functional take-away projects. Pictures of the projects are on the website.

Register online at: www.CreativeMeTime.com.

Freelance writer, columnist and author of “Colonel Baker’s Field: An American Pioneer Story,” Judy Salamacha’s Then & Now column is a regular feature of Simply Clear Marketing & Media. Contact her at: [email protected] or (805) 801-1422 with story ideas.

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