First Day of School

And with summer over, today was the first day of school. They came home happy with their teachers and with homework to complete before tomorrow. 

Last Day of Summer

 

 

 

On Monday, our last day of summer, we grabbed fishing poles and worms from the worm bin, and packed lunches in the cooler. Our goal was catch as many fish as possible off a boat in Lake Chabot, and as fishing luck would have it, Julie's fish here was the biggest we caught all day (and that was off the pier). Still, I could think of worst ways to spend the last day of summer break.

Sunday "Let's Get Out of the House" Day

 

 

 

 

With school looming on Tuesday, we decided to get out of the house and drive over the east span of the Bay Bridge for one last time as the new bridge is opening next weekend! Our destination was originally Dave Egger's Pirate Shop in the Mission, but since it closes on Sundays, we did lunch and playground time at Yerba Buena. On our way out, we found the line for Humphy Slocombe on 25th St. to grab ice cream (lemoncello vanilla & smoked salt mexican chocolate. The stout beer ice cream was too weird.)

Five Days in Sea Ranch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our last hurrah, and the fastest five days we've spent all summer. We returned to the "Endless View" house in Sea Ranch that we rented once before -- not fancy, but great cliffside views, hot tub, ping-pong table in the garage, and the best deck we've encountered yet. We feel like regulars, knowing exactly which pools & tennis courts to hit, and planning our trips to Two Fish Bakery and Bones Roadhouse ("the best restaurant on the planet" says Nate. I agree.) This time we took our bikes along the coastal trail and mid-week drove the windy drive up to Mendocino where we found what must be the most expensive gas in the US. The fog came in on occasion, but it didn't stop us from buying kites. On our way home Friday, the kids flew kites on the beach for the first time ever. Wunderbar!

Ferry to San Francisco

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the things I've always wanted to do we did on Saturday. We took the ferry from Oakland's Jack London Square to San Francisco, and it was eventful to say the least. The departure was almost an hour late, unfortunately due to a woman who slipped while boarding and required an ambulance. But the weather was picture perfect, and there was Lagunitas Pale Ale (and Coke for the kids) being served downstairs…not a bad way to pass the time as we waited for the ambulance to arrive. Finally we took off, and the boat arrived at the Ferry Building where the farmer's market was winding down. We continued on, running quickly into the boats sailing in the America's Cup; so many helicopters overhead and boats in the water!  Eventually we made it into Pier 41, our stop where we debarked, had lunch, saw the sea lions, watched a magician and rode the carousel before joining the crush of humanity back home. It made me miss the tranquility of Seattle ferries, but nothing could beat the drama of passing under the Bay Bridge and being so close to Alcatraz. It was the best of SF: crazy, crowded, visually-wonderful and memorable.  Next up, and last on our list for summer vacation trips: Sea Ranch for five days.

Last Week of Camps

 

Nate and Julie finished their last week of camps. Julie did dance in Walnut Creek -- Gina will need to provide photos/videos of that one -- and I took Nate and his friend Sy down the trail each day to the community center for Lego-flix movie making. On Friday, the boys rode all by themselves: a first for Nate! And after camps, while Nate was at a doctor's appointment in Berkeley, I took Julie to a nearby park and she found just the perfect reading spot. 

End of an Era

We said goodbye to Squirrel's, our little coffee shop that became our favorite "get on the bikes Saturday morning" breakfast stop. It closed Thursday after 30 years…the family who runs the restaurant also owns the surrounding buildings on Lafayette Plaza, and they're refurburishing it to bring more "higher end" (read: higher rent) tenants. Seems to be the trend in Lafayette. The kids are very sad, but we're crossing our fingers for an even better restaurant.

Exploratorium & America's Cup Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday was a big day. We drove to the waterfront in San Francisco and met some friends at the Exploratorium in the morning, hitting just a few of the exhibits before grabbing lunch. On a whim we walked a few piers down the street to tour the America's Cup Park, a huge pavillion of music stages, outdoor viewing areas, high-tech sailing displays and kids activities, and bars, all with a great view to the surrounding water where the Italian and American racing boats were practicing. Gina and the kids stood in line to get the autograph from the skipper of the Swedish team (hmmm…) and the kids were occupied with cards while we drank champagne & beer outdoors. As we were finishing up, we caught the America's cup trophy being escorted to Larry Ellison's huge yacht, the Musashi (288 ft!) We then walked a mile along with water to grab dinner at Palomino where we had a view of the Bay Lights, and then walked the mile back to our car with two exhausted children (okay, us adults too).