First, we visited the breathtakingly beautiful San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park. We leisurely strolled through all the exhibits. My favorites were the Prehistoric
Plants, Meso American Cloud Forest, and African and New Zealand exhibits. We must have seen every kind of Rhododendron that have cultivated/genetically modified.
Afterward we had amazing and authentic Greek food just
outside the park. I doused my giant gyro with lemon juice and hot sauce in honor of Leah and Jessi who would've done the same if they had been with us.
The next day we toured the famed Winchester Mystery House- a bizarre mansion built by a paranoid widow and heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune. She continuously added onto and improved her mansion until her death in an attempt to keep the spirits slain at the hands of her husband's
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| Hanging out at Santana Row |
Featuring 47 fireplaces, 10,000 Tiffany windows, two then state-of-the-art kitchens, a plant watering room that spanned 2 floors so the runoff from the top could be funneled below, a room with gold-leaf wallpaper, staircases and doors that dead-end into walls, windows on the floor, and upside down pillars, it was both gorgeous and frustrating. Hallway after hallway of narrow, winding stairs prevented us from bringing the stroller so Mario, Dad, Carrie, and I took turns carrying wiggly Windham through the house. Several rice cakes and lots of cheerios later, we made it through the entire hour-long tour! The crystal ball picture above is fromthe gift shop since photos aren't allowed inside the mansion.
A beach trip was also most definitely in order. Since low tide was late that day, we skipped the tide pool experience and went to Montara State Beach. Dad made his special Blood Type A bread to snack on. He and Windham are both Type A. The bread was a hit, and not just with Windham. It was unanimously delicious. Here Windham is sharing his piece with Grandfather Jerry. After a chilly day at the beach we had a late lunch at Sam's Chowder House. The key lime pie absolutely hit the spot. 
At Henry Cowell State Park we loitered around the train station and high-society resort town of a bygone era which has since been re-purposed into a modern-day tourist trap. But the highlight was the redwoods. The smell of the trees and fresh air, the cool shade, and peaceful silence made the experience perfectly serene. Windham was supremely content to enjoy the view from his stroller and play in the dirt as his parents permitted. 
He found a piece of redwood bark on the forest floor that he found simply irresistible. He alternated between chewing on it and crawling around with it in his hand. It's now sitting on the shelf in his bedroom. Our only excitement that day came in the form of Dad trying to climb one of the redwoods until a very agitated park ranger rushed out of the Visitor's Center informing him that the redwoods were not to be climbed.It was wonderful to spend time my Dad and Aunt Carrie; it will be hard to wait until the next visit. Click here for more photos of our adventures.
