PCH

After we finished up at Muir Woods we decided to drive North on the Pacific Coast Highway. At first we just wanted to find a quick place to have lunch. But it was so scenic we just kept going. We ended up about an hour north in Stinson Beach. It was a perfectly quaint California town...you know the kind I'm talking about. There were Volkswagon Vans, and long gray haired "dudes". There were shabby chic cottages with yard ornaments and gardens. It was awesome. We went to a little restaurant and sat on the patio.

After our lunch we walked down to the beach. The sun was shining and it was a really beautiful day. We put our feet in the water, and boy was it cold! I couldn't believe that people were swimming and surfing. It was an exciting realization for Mitch and I that after 7+ years together we had finally been in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, together! By the time we got back to the hotel we were exhausted. So we cuddled up to take a nap. It was amazing!

Muir Woods

This land is my land, this land is your land. From California to the New York Islands. From the Redwood Forests, to the Gulf Stream Waters...This land was made for you and me. ~Woody Guthrie

I couldn't help but sing this song while we were on our way to Muir Woods. Mitch was shocked that I wanted to go to Muir Woods, but who wouldn't want to see the beautiful Redwoods? And since we were there I was definitely checking them out.

The pictures don't do this National Park justice. They are breathtaking and the light shining through the canopy is so beautiful. It was interesting to read some facts about them. When you touched them they had an almost spongey feel. They also formed tree families. When an older tree was damaged new ones would sprout up in a circle around it, as if they were protecting it.

And while I enjoyed reading about the trees and educating myself, I really just enjoyed the serenity of the woods. I hope someday I can share places like these with the girls.

Golden Gate Bridge

 

There is only one word to describe the Golden Gate Bridge...Breathtaking! Well, the bridge itself may not be that breathtaking, but again...the views are. You know it's big, you've seen pictures in the books. But then you get there and it's just so magnificent. I can't even fathom how they built it. The enormity of it is overwhelming. We walked out onto the bridge about halfway. After a little while I couldn't look down. But seriously, who dreams up an idea this big and says "yeah, I'm gonna build that."

One of the things that struck me walking across the bridge was about halfway out there was a telephone with a sign that said "crisis counseling"...sad to think that is needed. While we stood out on the bridge I was amazed by how many foreigners were there visiting. It seemed that more than two-thirds of the people around us were European of some sort. I wonder if foreigners are as aware of American visitors in their own countries. And you could definitely tell we were in California. The number of bikers and joggers in the area and on the bridge was crazy! Next on to Muir Woods.

Coit Tower And China Town

Mitch wanted to visit Coit Tower...and at first I was hesitant. I wasn't sure it was anything special, but I'm so glad we did. The pictures didn't really do it justice. The views were gorgeous! It's a statue that was built by someone after their death, they left money to create something to "beautify" the city. From the top of the tower you can look out and see all of the city from different angles. The inside of the tower has walls covered with beautiful murals depicting firefighters. The person who left the money was a volunteer firefighter and wanted to commemorate his comrades and all the work that they do/did. They were interesting, but mostly I just loved the views!

The hike down from Coit Tower was something. Tons and tons of stairs, that made me happy we had taken the bus up. After we left Coit, we continued on to another new experience. Mitch wanted to go to Chinatown. San Francisco is known to have the largest "Chinatown" in the United States. They were actually having a festival as well. Mitch was hoping that we could get some good Chinese food from street vendors. Once we got there, it was so crowded we could hardly move. The vendors filled the streets. There were sound stages set up on both ends, one with an American Band, and the other with a Chinese Songstress. It was interesting. We were disappointed to find that there were not street vendors. If you wanted any good Chinese food you had to go into a shop, and the lines were so long, we didn't stick around for any of that. It was an experience for sure.

Fisherman's Wharf and More

After our trolley ride, we walked over towards the infamous Fisherman's Wharf. And some of the views were breathtaking. It was such a gorgeous day. We took our time walking up and down a few of the piers and from one end of the wharf to the other. There were lots of cute little restaurants. We decided on one that had a little patio so we could sit outside. Mitch had the linguine with mussels and I had clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. We split our dishes and agreed that there is nothing better than fresh seafood. It was amazing!

While taking in the sights we saw a pack of seals or sea lions...Biology was never my strong point. They were just hanging out on a dock, sunning themselves. It made me miss the girls. They would have loved it.

Ghiradelli was having a chocolate festival, but we opted to skip it (probably a good idea). And we thought about going over to Alcatraz, but opted for a trip to see the Redwoods instead. More to come on that later.

Clang, Clang, Clang Went the Trolley

Mitch and I FINALLY got a vacation, alone, just him and I with no kids for more than 12 hours! And it was amazing!!! He was in California for over a week for work, so it seemed like the perfect chance for me to join him. I flew in on Friday afternoon. He picked me up and we drove through the bay (I think) to our hotel in Japantown. That first night we just took it easy, walked around the area and had dinner at a little authentic Japanese restaurant. It was nice. Then we went back to the hotel bar, made friends with the bartender Bill who turned on the Cardinals game for us. Yes, even on vacation we MUST watch our beloved Cardinals.

The next morning we got up and got moving. We went and got passes for the bus/trolley. I was hesitant at first but it was so much easier than trying to drive and park around the city. We took the bus to the shopping mecca and were excited to jump on the trolley. Of course they were having technical difficulties so we had to wait an hour to board but it was fun going up and down the hills of San Fran on the trolley. We got off near Lombard St. (There is a picture below). It is the curviest road in the states. And there are several myths about why it was so curvy. One, because all the houses were so expensive/elite that the owners didn't want people driving by to gawk. Secondly, the hill was so steep they wanted to force people to go slow. I don't know the truth but if you look at the pictures...wow, I don't want to drive down that street for sure!



 

Home Alone Hattie

This little lady is totally loving her one on one time with Mommy! In case you can't read her sign it says "1st day alone with Mom!" And Mommy is enjoying it too. I almost forgot how nice it was to only take one kid to the grocery store. She sits in the cart hamming it up for all the little old ladies we pass by. We've been going to the YMCA every morning and she is totally turning on the charm for the ladies in charge. We are doing plenty of extra snuggling on the couch and are continuing to work on her verbal skills. She is a girl of few words. But everyone tells me that is normal. Why does she need to talk when she has two big sisters who will do it for her?!?!

She is definitely a daddy's girl too. All of my girls have been to some extent. Leah for sure, and Bug on occasion, but this one totally lights up when her daddy comes home. She waddles over to him and begs to climb up in to his lap, whenever he is sitting in the recliner and is just the sweetest little thing. I've never met a more content toddler. She is really getting into playing. She likes to chase our dog, Sandy. And I think that Hattie and Bug combined are a force to be reckoned with. Since Kiersten only has preschool three days a week, these two get to spend a lot of time together while Leah is at school and I think they have their own private language. I can already tell they are going to give me a LOT of gray hairs. In two weeks Hattie has her 15 month check-up (I want to cry thinking about how quickly she became a toddler) so I'm anxious to see how much she's grown!