California Dreamin' part 2

Read about the first part of our trip...

New Year's Eve started off with an auld acquaintance--breakfast with my college roommate Andrea, who was also visiting family in San Jose. It was fun to catch up, although we made a quick escape when the waiters started celebrating everyone's birthdays with a bass drum and tequila shots.

Afterwards, Tim, Kim and I loaded the kids into the minivan and drove to Santa Cruz. I've been to the nearby mountains, but never to the town. We started at Natural Bridges state park, so named for the giant bridge-shaped rock formation on the beach (there were originally three bridges, but two of them have eroded).

 

We ambled down a tree-lined boardwalk to look at a monarch butterfly habitat, but it was too cold--there were no butterflies. Instead, we headed to the beach, which was teeming with people.

The beach held all sorts of fun activities--climbing rocks, tide pools, and pristine sand for writing on with a big stick. Hannah took over that job, first drawing 2013 in the sand, then enveloping it in a heart, and finally, drawing 2013 and "Dinsdales" next to it. I was about to photograph her artwork when a twenty-something girl interrupted us. She'd been cuddling with her boyfriend about five feet away when she spontaneously shouted, "Cartwheel time!" and rushed right next to us, nearly ruining Hannah's sand drawing. 

"I hate the general public," Hannah observed, and I kinda had to agree with her.

The boys had set up a soccer game. They put up goal posts, shredded up the sand to distinguish the playing field, and went to town. I was surprised how many people walked right through their game, and then glared at them when they almost got hit by the soccer ball. One family even set up a photo shoot right next to them, and I kept waiting for the ball to smack someone. Then, a little kid walked by, grabbed one of the stick goal posts, and dragged it down the beach. It was all very amusing to watch, especially when Mark scored a goal, tore off his shirt Beckham style, and danced, eventually morphing into Gangnam Style.

We left long enough to grab some snacks, but were drawn back to the beach for the sunset. It was the last one of the year, and I can't say I was sad to see 2012 go. It was a rough year for me personally (spent most of the year with limited mobility and a jacked up knee, plus I lost my beloved cat) and for Tim's family, who also lost their wonderful dog Sunshine. As the sun set (literally and figuratively, Hannah!), we all breathed one huge sigh of relief, and hoped 2013 might shine a little brighter for us all.

The whole gang was excited to ring in the New Year. We brought it Parisian-style, with dinner at a French restaurant. Brave Nicholas ordered escargot, knowing full well it was snails. Hannah refused to try them, but Mark ate half a snail. He declared it "OK, not great." (I've had them before--didn't have anything to prove tonight!)

We were back home before double digits. The kids hunkered down, ready to watch the ball drop. They actually lasted longer than the adults--Kim went to bed around 10:30 and I lasted until 11. Tim stayed up with the kids, and I could hear them celebrating wildly at midnight. Mark then woke me up to tell me he had his first low blood sugar of the year. Party on!

The best thing about not getting wild on New Year's Eve was how great we all felt the next morning. The kids were sleep-deprived, and for once, I was the first person awake. But I was really excited to spend New Year's Day--also known as National Take a Hike Day--at John Muir Woods.

The park was already crowded by the time we got there at 11. Tim was driving very slowly through the parking lot when a deer suddenly jumped in front of his car. He stopped and we all watched it prance away. That had to be a good sign!

We ended up parking about a mile away from the park entrance, so our hike started off right away. It was sure pretty, even along the side of the road.

But the real beauty was inside the gates. We walked under a thick canopy of giant redwoods, whose height and thickness left us speechless. These were some seriously old trees. 

The farther into the woods we hiked, the quieter and darker it got. Hannah loved the little pieces of sunshine she found along the way.

The boys loved everything about the woods--they climbed every tree they could. They scrambled off ahead of us, Sasquatch calls echoing loudly behind them. I'm sure they freaked out more than a couple of hikers. 

We hiked for a good while, eventually covering 6 miles in about 2 1/2 hours. It was so serene and peaceful out there. I really loved it, and thought it was a perfect way to start off the new year right.

After our hike, we headed into our next destination, San Francisco. Mark and I checked into our hotel then met up with Tim, Kim and the kids for a late lunch on the wharf. Everybody was exhausted, and we ate our lunch in an unusual silence.

"I'm ready to go home and take a nap," Kim said, and her kids nodded in agreement.

"But honey, we still have a lot to do," Tim said. He rattled off all the things they usually do when they come in to the city. "We have to go to the arcade, walk down Fisherman's wharf, get Irish coffees at the Buena Vista, and ice cream sundaes at Ghiradelli."

Kim looked like she was gonna cry. "Really?" she asked and he just laughed.

"I'm joking," he said. But honestly, we ended up doing ALL of those things, and they didn't leave until four hours later!

So, we got to explore the best of NorCal all in a day--the beautiful mountains, the impressive city. Mark and I returned to the hotel, ready for bed, but happy, and ready for the next day's adventure.

Mommy camp in San Francisco, Day 2

Sasha returned Sunday morning bearing good news--she was taking us to the Golden Gate Bridge! It was overcast in the city, and you could only see half the bridge, but Sasha turned that into a positive.

"This is the true San Francisco experience!" she told us. "This is how it really looks most of the time." I smiled at her optimism, and embraced it, screaming with joy as we drove over the foggy bridge.

We parked in the massively crowded viewing lot and got out--there was no way I was gonna drive this far and NOT walk on the bridge! It was cold and windy, so my mom improvised, wrapping her head in a scarf. Sasha and I cracked up, teasing that she looked like a Russian woman with her babushka.

We walked about a quarter of the bridge, giggling the whole time. I was super excited to hug one of the supporting cables. In a moment that seemed just out a movie, I posed, smiled for my close up, and then tripped on the sidewalk. For a brief moment, I thought I would fall, but I caught myself just in time. Of course, my mom was watching the whole thing--I saw her expressions go from laughing, to scared, to "You are an idiot!" all in a microsecond. 

But then it was time for our next adventure--lunch with the family! Tim, Kim, and their kids live about an hour away, and came to visit us. They even brought along Kim's mom, Susan, who was in town visiting them.

I was so excited about the bridge, and seeing the family, and just vacation in general, that I popped out of the car a little too excitedly--sending my smartphone into the gutter for a bath. I stood there, disbelieving, but Sasha was on it--she dove down and grabbed it, immediately removing the battery. She saved the day! (And my smartphone!)

We met them for lunch at their favorite restaurant, Tarantino's. I was a little worried when we walked into the restaurant, which was very quiet--we are not a quiet bunch, and I realized we were about to ruin everyone else's peaceful meal. Luckily, the server  seemed to sense that, and guided us to a separate empty room.

The room was great, though.

It had a perfect view of the wharf, where we watched the Bush Man scare unwitting tourists. The Bush Man is this random guy who sits on the sidewalk behind a bunch of branches he's picked. If you're not paying attention, he just looks like a bush--but then he jumps out and scares the crud out of you. We could've watched that all day, if he hadn't earned enough money and gone off to lunch!

Hannah and Nick also kept me entertained with photos of the previous day, when they unintentionally went hiking at a park filled with little kids.

"There were toddlers EVERYWHERE!" Hannah exclaimed. She wasn't sure why until they heard a train approaching--which turned out to be a life-sized Thomas the Tank Engine! I was laughing so hard at that, and the pictures they took at the nearby Sasquatch museum.

After lunch, we headed to Nick and Hannah's favorite SF hangout--an arcade. But this wasn't just any arcade--it was an old-time arcade, filled with creepy games of times long ago.

There was a creepy giant doll you could make laugh for a quarter, but she freaked us out. We moved on to a fortune telling machine, and laughed at everybody's fortunes but mine. I got some creepy fortune, so I put in another quarter to cleanse my spiritual palette. It still wasn't a happy fortune, but it was less dark and ominous as the first.

The kids crowded around a more modern game--hockey. It was Tim and Hannah against my mom and Nick, and it got so heated, it actually drew a crowd. They were loud!

Sasha and I cruised around the arcade, becoming more and more troubled by the "games." They looked like dioramas, with figures that came to life when you put in a coin. There were some funny ones with old Western towns or rodeos in them, but there were also creepy ones reenacting the Spanish Inquisition, the English taking out Native Americans, and this one, the creepiest one of all:

That's right, an opium den! We had to see what happened. The addicts didn't really smoke opium, but they looked a hot mess. We put in a quarter and the machine came to life--skeletons and the Grim Reaper appeared, and Death was lurking behind all the addicts. There was a guy in bed who started convulsing--I'm telling you, it was all CREEPY! I try not to repeat myself, but the whole arcade was creepy like that! (One "game" had a sign warning "If you are easily offended, do not play this machine." Another sign said, "Warning! By today's standards, this does not sound like music.")

There were actually a couple games that were funny--we all tried a strong-grip game. Tim was the strongest, getting up to Gentleman. Nick got Nullity, Hannah got Sucking, and I got between Madly in Love and Boy. (Guess I'm madly in love with a boy! Lucky fellow!)

we strolled along the wharf, stopping only when Nick and Hannah found a place they liked--a candy shop! Sasha and I pushed them inside, saying we'd buy them whatever they want.

But they proved to be the exact opposite of what you think when you hear the phrase "like a kid in a candy shop." They were quiet, reserved, walking through the displays, just staring at the candy.

"What's wrong with them?" Sasha asked. "Why aren't they picking out any candy?"

"I'm overwhelmed!" Nick confessed.

I was as confused as Sasha was--seriously, who has to beg a kid to buy candy?? Finally, Sasha took matters into her own hands. She grabbed and opened a bag, shoving it into Nick's hands. 

"Go!" she told him, opening the closest bin of candy. "Fill it up!"

Hannah also overcame her initial reluctance, and was off like a shot. They filled their bags with peanut butter cups and every kind of sour candy you can imagine, and they. were. in. HEAVEN.

We continued on with our stroll. Well, most of us did, except Hannah, who was not strolling at all. She walked quickly, hellbent on some unknown destination. I just followed along, unnerved at how much faster I have to walk now that she towers above me. (Dang kid is all legs!) Nick and I joked and acted silly, but Hannah walked purposefully.

We reached our destination--Ghiradelli Square! Hannah pushed right on through the crowd, straight up to the register, and ordered a mocha ice cream cone. Suddenly, she turned around, as though seeing us for the first time; as if remembering she was actually with her family. Talk about hyperfocus--that kid's got it!

Nick and I ordered ice cream, too. The line was long, but the kids didn't mind--they were seriously tucking into their candy bags.

"You have to put that away when your ice cream's ready," I told Nick. "You can't be eating candy AND ice cream at the same time!"

He just looked at me, truly shocked, and said, "What? Why???"

I didn't have to enforce the rule, though. Tim came by and scooped up their bags.

Alas, he was too late. By the time Nick got his ice cream, the candy sugar had kicked in, and he was smack dab in the middle of a full-fledged sugar rush. I don't even think he finished his cone--he was bouncing around so much, we sent him to run laps. He ran a giant circle around us about 10 times, while Hannah, Sasha and I cheered him on, cracking up.

After leaving Ghiradelli Square, we ambled down the street again. A gallery was showing off some Dr. Seuss artwork, and Sasha took the kids inside.

"Do you think it's a good idea for Nick to be jumping all around priceless art right now?" Tim asked, and we all agreed probably not.

When they came out again, I passed out the San Francisco postcards.

"Write a message to your cousin!" I said, so they did.

Hannah was trying really hard to concentrate on hers, but Nick was too distracting. He was still bouncing around. He wrote that he'd just eaten candy and an ice cream cone. I debated sending it to Mark--it didn't seem appropriate to send to a kid at diabetes camp, after all.

Before we knew it, we were in front of the Buena Vista again, in front of Sasha's car.

"Well, okay then, goodbye," Mom said to the rest of the family.

Now I felt like Nick--"Wait, what?? Are we done then?" She caught us all off guard--it was only 4 p.m.!

But she was done. So we hugged everyone and bid them farewell. Apparently, Mom was done for the day and needed a nap.

Sasha said she'd return after my mom's nap, but I wasn't tired, so I said "Let's keep playing!" We pulled up to the hotel to drop off my mom, but when we told her we were going to Twin Peaks to view the city, she waved and told us, "Let's go!"

"I thought you were tired," I said.

"I am," she said. "But it won't take long." She just didn't want to miss out!

And so, we kept going. Sasha navigated us through the city, pointing out Haight-Ashbury and the beautiful houses. She showed us the Opera House, and a community garden that had previously been a freeway off ramp. It was great.

She zipped through the narrow, windy streets. In one quiet residential neighborhood, my mom said, "Hey, there was a bride in that car!" It seemed kind of random.

When we arrived at Twin Peaks, we were blown away, both figuratively, and literally. The view was amazing--you could see the entire city, from the Oakland Bridge all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was sunny, clear as a bell, and the city below was magnificent. 

It was also windy. So windy, in fact, that we saw a group of kids laughing and pointing. Turns out they were pointing at a bird who was trying, unsuccessfully, to fly in the high winds. He was flapping wildly, but going nowhere. It was really funny!

And then, out of nowhere, the bride appeared! We saw her bridesmaids first, at the top of a close-by ridge. You could only see their matching dresses around their legs--the rest of them were covered in coats and boots. They'd climbed to the top of the ridge.

The bride and groom were being photographed about halfway up. Her hair was flying all over the place, and when she attempted a "king of the world" move, her veil went flying!
 But she had a good groom--he immediately chased it down, recovering it. (A little dog also chased after it--poor guy flipped himself over, he was running down the hill so fast!)

 

They also had good groomsmen--two of them carried a bench up the hill for the photo session. The happy couple sat down, and someone held her veil above them--it flew right out, flat as a sheet above them! We really enjoyed the whole show, watching for about half an hour.

Sasha darted through the city, driving us back. When we were a block or two away, we hit an unexpected traffic jam--a cop was guiding the cars, and the street was just teeming with people. I looked around quickly to see what was up. The street sign said it  all--Lombard Street, the famous crooked street!

"Turn right, Sash!" I yelled, and without hesitation, she did! She almost clipped the police officer, and she totally cut in front of another car, but she did it. She was driving down Lombard's eight gnarly hairpin curves, and I was laughing like a crazy little kid.

You can't really get a good photo of the street as you're going down it, so Sasha pulled over.

"You want a picture?" she asked. I hesitated--signs all around said no stopping.

"I do," I admitted, so Sasha pulled over directly in front of a no stopping sign. I bounded out of the car, took my photos, and quickly returned.

We stopped for a quick dinner, then Sasha delivered us back to our hotel. Within minutes of arriving, text messages from Hannah and Nick were blowing up my phone.

"They want to know if you have their candy," I said, puzzled, to my mom. When I turned to get her answer, she was holding up the bags and looking guilty.

"I do," she said, "But I have no idea how I got them."

We figured out that Tim had given them to her to stop himself from eating it. This bit if sleuth work did not impress the kids, however--they were super bummed and immediately started working in a plan to get them back. My mom and I went the other direction, plotting how to further torture them about this.

All giggling aside, we were exhausted. It was only our second day there, but we'd ticked off all the sights on our list, and we still had another day in town! It's tiring to be an overachiever...

Mommy Camp goes on the road (Day 1)

Mark spent the past week and a half at sleep-away camp. I refer to this time of year as "Mommy Camp," because honestly, I'm out there whooping it up and trying to be as irresponsible and carefree as possible (OK, maybe not that wild, but I did go to happy hour every night and see four movies while he was gone!). As Homer Simpson said, "That was fun--and I mean, before-we-had-kids fun!"

This year, my mom and I planned a long weekend in San Francisco during Mommy Camp. She had an exhaustive list of sights to see and restaurants to visit, and we hit all but one of them in the first two days. Not only did we wear ourselves out, we also wore out everyone who came to visit us--our family friend Sasha, my brother Tim, his wife Kim, and their kids Hannah and Nicholas (what up, Hannah and Nick-ay! :-).

We left early on Saturday morning, arriving in San Fran for breakfast. Sasha picked us up, shuttling us from the airport to our hotel, and then around the entire city. We walked around Fisherman's Wharf, marveling at the giant crabs at a fish market trying to escape their open tanks. 

We walked along Hyde Street Pier, pointing huge telescopes at Alcatraz, which was clear and easy to see, and the Golden Gate Bridge, which was not. (I also used my telescope to stare at my mom's face up close. It's amazing what you can see for just a quarter!)

We stood along the edge of the pier, watching swimmers go by. There were a whole lotta swimmers out there, which was crazy, because that water was super cold! (Even the air was cold--60 degrees!--and we were shivering on the dock, fully clothed and wearing jackets!) A curious seal was swimming along one swimmer, occasionally popping his head out of the water.

Sasha had to leave around noon, so we said goodbye, and consoled ourselves with Irish coffees at the historic Buena Vista.

It was cool to watch the bartender make them--he lined up a whole mess of glasses, then drenched them in steaming hot water. He then went down the line, dropping two sugar cubes in each glass, filling them first in coffee, then with whiskey. At the end, he topped each with pure cream, which melted into the coffee. 

 

I usually hate whiskey, but man, those were good!

Warmed up by the whiskey, we started our next adventure--the cable cars, which were just outside the door. We waited in line with all the other tourists, a great many of whom were European. It was fun to hear French, German, and other languages spoken all around us.

The cable cars seem like a cool idea, except that they pack you in so tightly, you can't even see out the windows. So we rode up and down the steep hills of San Francisco staring at some French guy's backpack. Oh well, we still had a good time!

The cable car dropped us at the end of the line, in Union Square. That's when I realized what a busy, bustling town SF really is--I mean, it was Saturday, and the streets were jam-packed. I can't even imagine how busy they are during the work week!

Mom and I meandered up a few blocks, toward China Town. Along the way, we passed a Scottish store, with a big cut-out in front. I coaxed my mom into it, where she stood and gave me her sweetest smile.

"No, Mom!"  I told her. "You're Braveheart. Look mean!" So she did.

(And if you ever wondered why I am the way I am, look at the following pics of my mom. They address that pretty well!)

I wanted to get a pic of my mom in front of the China Town gate, but she had other ideas. She kept acting silly, taking pictures of me, taking pictures of her. This was as good as I got.

We walked the pseudo-Chinese streets, curbing the urge to buy $2.99 t-shirts (good quality!) or other cheesy souvenirs. (OK, I admit it--I couldn't pass up the 7-for-a-dollar post cards--Mark got a whole bunch of postcards from SF!) 

I was astounded by the herb shops, which had a huge supply of weird, dried stuff and giant jars of powders, all labelled in Chinese. I loved the red lanterns lining the streets, and the occasional dragon crossing with the band.

 

But the craziest shop we saw was the fish seller. There were gigantic tanks of live fish in the window, and smaller tanks all around. The store was as crowded with people as it was with live fish tanks, and as I stepped inside, I was assaulted by a strong odor. It emanated from a big box on the ground, which I saw was filled with live frogs. Tons of them, crawling all over each other. I quickly stepped out.

Sasha, an avid animal lover, looked at me in horror when I relayed that story.

"For pets," I said quickly, amending the story to protect her sensitive nature. "I'm sure they were selling the frogs as pets." Sasha remained unconvinced.

We'd walked halfway back to our hotel, then somehow found the returning cable car. We got on the wrong line, which we didn't know at the time, but proved serendipitous, as it dropped us off a block from our hotel.

Our day had started at 5 a.m., but we still had a little left in us. After a quick nap and a wine reception in the hotel lobby, we rallied and walked to dinner at Scoma's. The seafood was fresh, and amazing, and definitely worth the wait!

We were exhausted by the time we left dinner, but I refused to go home until dark.

"Come on, Mom!" I told her. "We have to wait for sunset! We're on VACATION!"

She didn't want to, but that's the great thing about my mom--she can rally with the best of them. And like me (and Mark!), she doesn't want to miss a thing. So she did it--finished dinner, strolled slowly, and humored me, arriving at the hotel just after dark.

We were exhausted, but dang, we saw half the city that day!

Labor of love

I love the annual Labor Day weekend, when we celebrate work by...well, not working.

Mark and I celebrated with a long weekend in Northern California visiting my brother Tim, his wife Kim, and their kids. They planned an awesome weekend full of kids, soccer, and fun.

We arrived Saturday. Tim and Kim took us to a pool party at their friend's house where the food was great, but the pool was better, because it gave all the kids something to do. Mark swam himself low twice, but I just kept filling him up on glucose tabs and juice boxes.

I also got to meet a friend of theirs whose son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes this summer. It's always nice to meet someone who speaks the lingo, and understands the challenges, although it's a bittersweet thing to have in common.

On Sunday, we drove to The City -- San Francisco! Mark's never been, and I thought it would be a cool day trip. It was indeed.

We spent our time at Fisherman's Wharf, seeing all the touristy stuff. First we started with a little lunch:

OK, just kidding, we really had chowder, sourdough rolls and calamari, which were goooooood. We wandered from pier to pier, staring at navy ships, submarines, and crazy street performers.

Eventually, we made it to Pier 39, where I remembered seeing a few seals last time I was there. Well, those seals have multiplied, and pretty much taken over Pier 39!



I couldn't believe how many there were. They were cranky, too, jostling for position and climbing over one another. I don't think any of them got a good nap, but we had fun watching them.

Next stop was a place called Chocolate Heaven, which completely lived up to its name. Mark really thought he'd died and gone to heaven; at least, that's what it looked like he was trying to do!



Last stop of the day was the best -- hot fudge sundaes at Ghiradelli Square! Although they were good, they were also big, and neither Kim or I finished ours.

The kids refused to give theirs up until they finished every last bit. A few minutes later, I turned to see Mark and Nick with their shirts raised, comparing swollen bellies and lamenting that they were too full. Apparently, it's a thin line between happy hot fudge and "I think I'm gonna hurl."

Luckily, we made it home unscathed, though no one wanted dinner until well after dark.

We had dinner back in San Jose. It was good, but the after dinner show was our real treat. Tim and Kim drove us a few streets away, where some owls live in a palm tree. We saw two of them, screeching and screaming from the top of the tree -- no soft hooting from these birds! They were HUGE, and as we unloaded the car, one of them spread its wings and flew away nervously. I couldn't believe the wingspan on the owl -- must've been five feet! Very cool.

Our last day had a biblical theme. First we took the kids, including one of Nicholas' friends, to breakfast at the Heavenly Cafe. Then it was on to the Garden of Eden, deep in the redwood forest. (No, we did not consume any apples!)

We hiked down a path through the redwoods. It was gorgeous, the dappled light pouring through the tall trees. We walked along a railroad track, which Kim said reminded her of the movie Stand by Me. She hurried us along where the path was narrow, warning that trains travel on the track frequently.

The path eventually opened on to a swimming hole. There was a tiny beach filled with families and a group of college kids. The water was beautiful, and the trees surrounding it magnificent. There were two little waterfalls, and a huge rock, which the kids scrambled up and then jumped off.

Nick takes a flying leap

Mark shows off his Karate Kid moves

It was such a blast watching the kids. They swam in the freezing water, and took turns tubing down the little rapids.

Mark cleared the first rapid easily, but then got stuck in the swimming hole. He tried vainly to paddle his way out, but eventually just gave up. When Hannah couldn't stand it any longer, she swam in and rescued him.

Mark headed toward the second and bigger rapid, but didn't heed the "butts up" rule. Instead, he smacked his tailbone on a rock -- ouch! Firsthand lesson of what creates rapids -- rocks in water. I could tell it really hurt.


It was an awesome afternoon. The boys found a spot where they could chuck rocks into the water, so they were very happy. And Hannah found a spot away from them and all their noise, so she was pretty happy, too.

We stayed late into the afternoon, until we finally had to pack up and head to the airport. Mark and I arrived tired and filthy, but completely happy. It was an all-around great weekend. The activities were fun, but sharing it with our family was even better.