Last Day in San Fran

Saturday morning we went to brunch with Aunt E, Uncle David, and Cousin Caroline.  We were so thankful that they offered their home for us to stay in.

David dropped us off at Golden Gate Park, where we walked around and went to the science and nature museum.  We then headed to Union Square for shopping and lunch.  That evening we went to see Beach Blanket Babylon.  It was funny and a great way to end our trip.

I had so much fun and the trip went by way too fast.  I'm hoping we can start a yearly tradition of girls trips or couples' trips!  We definitely miss our LA friends!  A big thanks to Matthew and the guys for doing this for us and to Granna for coming out to help with the kids.

Sonoma Wine Tour

Friday, by far, was my favorite day.  We used Max, the same tour guide that Matthew and I used when we came in 2007.  We had a private tour, and he picked us up at 9am to start the day.  We went to four different wineries in Sonoma.  

The first place, Iron Horse, was set up on the mountain.  The tasting room was outside and one of the coolest that we went to.  Next was VML, where I ended up joining the wine club.  These first two were my favorite two of the day.  They were small and quiet, both of which I like in a winery.  They had the best wines of the day as well.  Max then took us to lunch in the cute little town of Healdsburg and then we went to two other wineries.  The third one (I don't remember the name) was way too commercialized and I didn't like any of the wines I tasted.  The last stop had a great rooftop, so we ordered a bottle of wine and just sat and talked.  The weather was beautiful and I am already looking forward to making another trip to wine country in the future!

Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, and a Free Dinner

Thursday morning, after sleeping in and taking our time getting ready (heaven!), we went to eat breakfast at The Buena Vista at Fisherman's Wharf.  We planned this day as our touristy day.  We didn't ride a cable car, but we had to get our picture on it.  We also shopped for our Christmas ornaments and other souvenirs as we walked down the wharf.  We decided to take a bay cruise to see the Golden Gate Bridge.  Lindsey and I popped some Dramamine in hopes that we wouldn't get motion sickness.  After the tour, we went to Pier 39 for lunch.  I loved the crab chowder in the bread bowl!  

Love this picture!

Under the Golden Gate Bridge

Up next, was walking to Ghirardelli Square, and we couldn't go there without getting dessert.  To say we were stuffed would be an understatement!  Why go on vacation if you don't eat though?!  We decided to head back to the house to rest.  

chocolate chip cookie sundae

It was around 5:00 by this time, and none of us were hungry for the nice dinner we had planned.  Poor Lindsey got sick, and we couldn't make a decision on what to do next.  We tried to get tickets to a movie, but it was sold out.  Around 8:00 we decided to walk a couple of blocks to Japantown to get some chinese food.  None of the places looked familiar or even had menus in English, so we went with the safe chain, Benihana's.  After a long wait, then being told to sit in the bar area, and then not being waited on, we were just going to leave.  A sweet hostess offered to at least get us some white rice and water before we left.  It still makes me laugh that we got a free dinner of rice and water in San Fran!  Oh well, it actually hit the spot and we went back home to go to bed.

Gourmet Dinner

San Fran Day 1

The long anticipated girls' trip finally came.  I met Erinn, Lindsey, and Leigh on Wednesday morning.  We were lucky enough to be able to stay with Neil's aunt and uncle, so we went straight to their apartment to get ready for the day.  Our first stop was a culinary tour in the Mission district.  We were a little scared walking in that part of town, but we found a decent cafe and sat and had lunch and caught up before the tour started.  The tour was one of my favorite parts of the trip because we got to try some excellent food that we wouldn't have tried otherwise.  These places were a little shady looking with bars on the windows and graffiti on the walls, but it was some of the best food.  I am a huge fan of culinary tours and plan to do one in every city we travel!

Lindsey was told about a new car service, called Lyft.  It was the best thing for us.  You basically download the app, request a driver and the driver nearest will pick you up.  Payments are all made through the app and your credit card, so you never had to worry about cash or dirty cabs.  We had some great drivers, and just about all of them took us somewhere touristy first.  On our way to the Mission district, we stopped for pictures at Alamo Square (aka the houses from the show Full House)

These pink mustaches are how the Lyft cars are marked.  You can only get them through the app though, so you don't have to worry about flagging them down like you would cabs.

wine and appetizers and lots of catching up!

some of the food we sampled

With the owner of Kings Bakery.  They are known for their coconut bread...it was the best bread ever!

Summer so far

We have had a busy summer so far.  We have been spending most of our days outside and at the park.  Mimi came, Granna came, zoo camp, and my trip to San Fran have taken up most of June.  We have a couple of trips to the mountains planned for July.  The summer will be over before we know it!

Mason reads to Evie just about every day

They love the sand box, water table, and slide.  We spend everyday out here.

She loves babies right now.

Playing with Jane at Alyssa's birthday party

Mason and his friends at Alyssa's party.  He just loves Ava!

my favorite picture right now.  I just said that I wanted to take their picture and Mason kissed her all on his own.

Zoo Camp

I was so excited that Mason was old enough to do Zoo Camp this year.  He went with his friend, Avery, and they had a lot of fun.  It was a half-day camp where they did crafts, learned about animals, got to visit the animals, and even put on a show for the parents on the final day.  I hope he can go again next year!

I was so proud of him for being so brave on the first day.  He is really growing up!

Evie got to color with him for a little bit

with Avery and Avery on the last day