In September, my Dad and Aunt Carrie came to stay and play with us for a week. We had an ambitous list of activities but also took time to relax. With a ratio of 4 adults to 1 adorable baby, Windham got lots of love and attention.
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
 |
| Hanging out at Santana Row |
rifles at bay.
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 from
the 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.
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.
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.
"Dandelion wine. The words were summer on the tongue. The wine was summer caught and stoppered." -Ray Bradbury
We had a wonderful summer. Windham and I rode the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad at a nearby park twice. The second time we brought Mario and also rode the carousel which coincidentally looks like the 
one from The Sting. The carousel was beautiful: hand-painted with wooden horses. The train was authentic, as well. A steam or diesel engine pulls the miniature train around the park over hills and under trees. 
On Saturday we took a half day trip to the beach. We spent the morning at Montara State Beach. Here's an edited excerpt from a yelp review that does it justice:
"You know how you see a movie scene where people are on a secluded beach,
and you snort with disgust knowing such a thing doesn't exist? Cuz
every time you go to a... beach it's filled with trash, screaming
kids, obese dudes in Speedos,... and, if you're lucky,
some dead animals? Yeah. Well bibbity bobbity boo...!!!!!! Montara State Beach has got to be the closest thing I've
ever seen to a private beach... 
Our last stop was Sam's Chowder House for lunch. Then bumper-to-bumper traffic to get out of town. The traffic was backed up for miles and at a total stand-still coming into town, so we were glad we came in the morning. It was the perfect day trip.
