Tippy Toes and Tantrums

Where to Find Poutine at AT&T Park

Let's pause for a brief public service announcement. The Giants announced they would be selling poutine this year, but at the start of the season, it was impossible to find. We came across it by accident, not on one of our many trips around the park searching for it, so here is the location for other search parties:

Main level, near the left field line, at the Derby Grill, next to the Ghirardelli stand. If you are standing behind the bleachers, you've gone too far. 

We had looked at the Derby Grill closer to home plate, but didn't see poutine. Maybe it wasn't on the menu at the time, maybe we missed it, maybe it still isn't on the menu. The point is, it's not easy to find.

Unfortunately we were on our way to get ice cream when the discovery was made, so we still haven't tried the poutine. Next time.

Unplanned Day Trip to San Francisco with Kids

Another holiday impacted by the remodel. Yesterday was the first MLK day that we were all four off, yet much like the holiday break, work on the house continued, and while we were happy it did, we still needed to get out. Without a plan, but needing to leave asap, we headed to San Francisco.

Mission Dolores Park Helen Diller Playground

A reminder that six is still little

I've wanted to take the kids to this playground since it opened last year. They've run the grassy slopes of Mission Dolores Park after eating Bi-Rite ice cream, but that's because the only other thing to do was watch adults play tennis. Clover saw a spread on the new playground in Sunset magazine (this remodel has forced her to read my magazines due to the lack of stuff we're allowed in the house), and she's been asking to go for a few weeks. 

We got there early when the park was pretty empty. The bright sun was lovely on a winter morning. The kids loves the big slides. First they hit the twisty one, but the wide, straight slide got them moving fast. They probably went down it about 20 times. At one point, as I watched Clover slide, I heard the bongo drummers starting up - this is a San Francisco park, after all, but when I asked about Rocket, Clover responded, "He's playing the drums." Sure enough, there are drums built into the playground. Welcome to San Francisco. 

18th Street

Too early for ice cream or pizza, we got in line at Tartine Bakery for croissants and hot drinks. After, we walked to Bi-Rite Market for snacks later. (This is the spot to buy sandwiches, salads, and dessert for a picnic in the park.) Outside of the grocery, we came upon the solution to my hillside gardening woes: a seedbomb dispenser. With only two quarters, my grand landscaping plan was thwarted. The seedbomb is designed to toss into vacant, weed-filled lots, but that kinda applies to our hillside. We'll see what one bomb can do. 

Twin Peaks

Driving across town, I saw a sign pointing toward Twin Peaks and adjusting our course. I hadn't been since college, and it was always dark then, which meant the course was new to me, too. The kids loved looking out all over the city, pointing out AT&T Park, Marin, City Hall, USF, and Golden Gate Park. 

Lunch and Ice Cream

The kids wanted to return to the Ice Cream Bar for lunch. While it's all about ice cream, the grilled cheese on brioche with a side of sweet potato chips is not to be missed. The ice cream is good, too, with a good vegan selection. 

 

 

Ocean Beach

Skipping the beach on a gorgeous day is unCalifornian. Ocean Beach is a long stretch with tons of parking, but on busy days like yesterday, we ended up near the zoo before we found a spot. The weather was so lovely, people were swimming. 

Unplanned and beautiful.

We've Run Away to Escape Our Lives

We've run away to the Happiest Place on Earth® for a few days, with a one night stop in Santa Monica. There is nothing like getting up really early, when it's dark and cool, and driving far away to someplace warm and happy. We're not even at Disneyland yet, but so far this is exactly what we needed. 

Taking a Diet Coke Break in Atlanta

I'm in Atlanta this week for Coca-Cola, drinking my fill of free Diet Coke. The trip has been fabulous, especially for one reason Coca-Cola couldn't have imagined when inviting me: my own hotel room. Getting a break has been awesome - even a short one, and boy has it felt too short - from the remodel while I cozy up in a comfy bed, my own TV, and even more luxurious, my own bathroom. Even if the shower is glass and in the center of the room. The W is risque like that. And it seems like attitude behind the shower openness is reflected in the hotel bar... Oh my. 

Back to reality tomorrow. 

Disclosure: Coca-Cola paid for my trip to Atlanta. All opinions are my own. 

Portland with Kids: 48 Hours of Fun

Portland, we couldn't have loved you more. We've been talking about taking this road trip for over a year, but finally, we couldn't find a reason not to do it now. It was one of those trips the kids are still talking about. Okay, so it was our last trip and less than a month ago, but still, they loved it. Maybe it was the giant doughnuts or make your own pancakes, but I'd like to think it was something more than that. 

What we did:

Sauvie Island

Sauvie Island was perfection. The weather was gorgeous. It was Labor Day weekend, which felt like the unofficial start of fall in Portland. 

Fruit picking at Sauvie Island Farms

Sauvie Island Farms is beautiful and huge, much bigger than the u-pick places we've been to in California. They had a great variety and pretty flowers, but because we were traveling, we stuck to the peaches. We were told they were for canning, but they tasted great. Rocket ate all but one of the ones we picked (and he wanted more). It's a beautiful spot.

The Pumpkin Patch

We'd just been talking about corn mazes when we saw a sign advertising one. We ended up at The Pumpkin Patch on its first big fall themed weekend. There was a corn maze, free (that weekend only) farm tours on a flat bed towed by a tractor, fresh corn ready to eat, apple cider, farm animals, and more. I've wanted a woven basket for taking to the farmer's market, but they're pretty pricey in the Bay Area. This bag cost $20 (and no tax)! Love! Even better, I shopped while Kevin and the kids did the maze (which spelled out Portlandia). 

The Tram

This is actually what we didn't do. We excitedly head over to the tram, paid for parking, then saw that the tram was closed for servicing. We were hardly the only ones turned around by this news (ahem, websites are there for a reason, tram operators...). It was our only disappointment in Portland. 

Street haircuts at Bishops Barbershop

It wasn't really on the street, but it felt like it because the place was so opened up to the street. I saw the sign for haircuts and beer, and was confused, but interested because school was coming up fast and we hadn't been able to get haircut appointments. Bishops, which I called Hipster Haircuts, was our savior. And they offer free beer with a haircut. (The beer wasn't for kids, obviously.) Saturday night entertainment and a haircut, all in one. Awesome. 

Shopping

This usually isn't our thing, but Oregon has no sales tax (holla!) and who can deny themselves a City of Books, and quality art supplies? Not us, anyway.

Powell's City of Books

Powell's is a must visit, by law, I think. Before we left on our trip, someone asked Rocket where were going, and he responded, "To a city of books!" The kids went wild scoping out all of the comics, graphic novels, and other books they love. I like having the option of either new or used, especially when it's a second copy of the Calvin and Hobbes book we already own (one per kid). 

Dick Blick

There's one in Berkeley, but that may as well be hours away. Clover loved walking the aisles at Dick Blick, dreaming of the possibilities. We went in to get back ups of her cartooning and drawing gear, including one of the most logical inventions ever for Rocket, and we may have walked out with a tad bit more. 

Outlets

The outlets are outside of Portland, and something we hit on our way in and out of the city, but so worth the stop. Before stopping, I would have skipped the outlets, but they have The North Face, and I thought it would be worth a quick stop. Hundred of dollars later, we left. Again, no sales tax. It was so very much worth the stop. 

Where we ate:

Food trucks are awesome in Portland. They're great in San Francisco, too, but here they move, while in Portland, they take up empty lots and set down semi-permanent roots, making them easy to find. In many places, it's like a quality food court. 

The Grilled Cheese Grill - We ate the best grilled cheese sandwiches ever in a double decker bus. How is that for memorable? The kids both had The Kindergartener with bacon, I had The Gabby, and Kevin had something else. He was going to order an Original Cheesus, but made a specialized order. Maybe with bacon and jalapenos? I cannot remember. 

Slappy Cakes - Alicia of Posy Gets Cosy had mentioned the make-your-own pancake place before, and I knew it was a place my kids would love. They devour pancakes, and adding the griddle on the table aspect was exciting for them. We picked two batters for the four of us - regular and peanut butter - and it was the ideal amount. For toppings, we selected chocolate chips (Rocket), butterscotch chips (Clover), and bacon (everyone). Away we went, making little silver dollar pancakes where the kids experimented with different flavor combinations. It was tasty fun. Get there early or expect to wait. We arrived soon after opening and the wait was minimal, but it filled up super fast. 

Lardo - We hit Lardo at a bad time for us. We were hungry, it was busy, Rocket, and our mostly vegetarian, announced he hated the menu and wouldn't eat there. Somehow our order got confused and while we ordered three cold fried chicken sandwiches, only two showed up, which ended up being sufficient. We split it four ways, with Rocket not eating the meat, and with a side of fries, it worked fine. The chicken sandwich was fabulous and the fries had a great herb flavor. Next time we'll try again with out a mostly vegetarian.

¿Por Que No? - This was my favorite place we ate, hands down. There was a long line, and we felt lucky to find a seat, but it was so, so worth it. Why don't we have a place like this in the Bay Area? I had the chorizo taco and a calamari taco and pomegranate margarita. It was perfect. The only thing I would have done differently is order for Clover from the adult menu. The kids menu burrito was small, and because the line was long, she was stuck with un poquito burrito. 

Voodoo Doughnuts - The kids thought they were dreaming when I said we were getting doughnuts, but when they saw the doughnuts, they didn't know what to think. They're huge and crazy, with topics not at a corner donut shop. Tips: Skip the downtown location and head SE. That shop still has a line, but it's much smaller because not every tourist or drunk college kid knows about this location. On our way home, we stopped at the location in Eugene, which did not have a single person in line. We walked right up. Among the doughnuts we ordered and mostly shared over two visits: Grape Ape (surprisingly good), Voodoo Doll (the kids loved it), bacon maple bar (Clover said it was good), The Loop (Fruit Loops), Dirt Doughnut (Oreos), Marshall Matters (M&Ms - it was like eating a cake), Butterfingering (saying it outloud is the hard part), and the best: Old Dirty Bastard (chocolate, Oreos and peanut butter. get a fork for that one). 

Ruby Jewel - They sell their ice cream sandwiches at our local Whole Foods, and when we stumbled over the scoop shop in Portland, we had to stop for dessert. It was a great end to our night. 

Burgerville - we stopped at a Burgerville on our way home through Oregon. People compare it to In-N-Out, but it's no In-N-Out. It was fine, healthier than other options, and definitely kid-friendly. One thing I noticed was that there were many kids at Burgerville, but only one with a soda. And she belonged to me. Good work, Oregon. 

Where we stayed:

Portland has some funky, cool places to stay, but those features don't necessarily make them family friendly. Because this trip was planned late, yet over the Labor Day weekend, our options were limited. However, where we ended up was a winner, and I'd definitely do it again. 

Hilton Portland & Executive Tower - The hotel has a central location, is connected to a parking lot with in and out privileges, a nice sized room, and a pool. We were set. The staff weren't the most welcoming, but thankfully, we didn't need them other to check in. The confusion with the hotel is that it's in two locations kitty-corner from one another. We pulled up to the wrong location first, but luckily, the valet (who was nice) had a list with the names of all reservations, and was able to direct us to the right building before we unloaded. The bonus was that our building (executive tower?) was the one next to the self-parking option, which turned out to be a win.  

Portland, we'll be back soon. 

The Weird Family's Summer Road Trip to Oregon and Washington

My kids go back to school late. We're talking this week, the second week of September, which is long enough to have to answer the question of why they are not in school about one hundred thousand times. To escape the unofficial truancy officers, and with most kids in school, we headed out for a less crowded vacation. We packed up the car and headed north on our longest road trip yet.

SF-->Gold Beach-->Portland-->Seattle-->Grants Pass-->home.

After a week on a road, we found ourselves spending the last night in a room that smelled like it had been bombed with Febreze and carpet cleaner moments before we checked in, just north of the California border, eating Voodoo doughnuts. "I think this is our lowest point as a family," I said. After a pause, Rocket said, "We are a weird family."

What?

"We do weird things," he explained, while picking the mini M&Ms off his doughnut.

That came back to me when uploading our photos and finding this picture of us eating grilled cheese sandwiches in the top of a double decker bus. 

He says weird, I say awesome. Tomato, tamato.

(Tomorrow I'll post about what we did. Every last weird detail.)

Hanging on to Summer Vacation

We're back from one last vacation before school starts next week. Actually, the kids are still on vacation, having been dropped off at my parents' house last night. I've got one day to unpack, do the laundry, clean up, work, pick out more things for the house (like a new roof...which was unexpected) and get ready for school and soccer before the kids return tomorrow afternoon.

Summer was great, but I cannot wait until we have a consistent schedule again. More on what we did on our longest road trip yet and what's going on with the house very soon. 

It's Possible to Do Yosemite in One Day with Kids

Self titled experts would have you think that you shouldn't go to Yosemite unless you had three days minimum (!) to spend there. We were going to be close to the park on a trip to Sonora, and it seemed crazy not to go in, but the message boards on travel sites were full of discouragement if anyone suggested spending only a single day in Yosemite. Come back when you have more time, they all said. You can't really experience Yosemite in a day, they'd continue.

This is total bunk.

I'm so glad we ignored the naysayers and went anyway. The one day in the park was perfect for the kids. We saw the sights, hiked a short bit, took photos, explored, and had fun, then left. We left before anyone got tired or cranky, and honestly, the kids wouldn't have gotten more out of additional days there.

Yosemite in a day is possible, people! No we didn't hike Half Dome, but those message board experts didn't either.

To track how we tackled Yosemite, head over to Silicon Valley Mamas.

Striking Gold on a Quick Trip to Columbia

It's one of those trips we've wanted to take for awhile because it looked fun, and the kids had been begging to pan for gold after one school friend bragged about a trip where he found gold. It was a trip into the unknown because I'd only been Yosemite as a kid, and I certainly don't recall ever going to Sonora or surrounding areas. Not only was the trip fun, but it was fast, easy, very affordable, and really could have been done as a day trip. 

What we did:

We left around 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, getting on the road after a quick pit stop to get mama some coffee. We made it to Sonora just after 11 a.m., which was not only before check in time, it was before check out time. Instead of heading to the inn, we went straight to Columbia State Park, which was only about three miles from Sonora. 

We shopped, dipped candles, drank cherry soda and sarsaparilla over lunch, panned for gold, had ice cream, took a stagecoach ride, bought candy, and were pretty much done despite not hurrying anything. That doesn't even include the busker who made up songs about both of the kids. It still wasn't check in time. 

In slow motion:

Serving as morning muse. Clover "smokes them all." I wasn't so sure of that line, but it was cute, and fun, nonetheless, also highlighting that she's strong and she loves the 49ers and the Giants. He was more accurate than a psychic. 

Candle dipping was the kids' favorite, and truly all that is right with Columbia. For $2 and up (depending on the candle you pick, we picked the $2 version), you can dip a plain white candle into colored wax. It was easy, and so much fun. 

Lunch was at the Jack Douglass Saloon. The kids and I ordered their homemade wild cherry soda, while Kevin picked their sarsaparilla, all good, plus lunch. 

After lunch, we headed to the main event, panning for gold. There are three types of pans: $5 for an empty pan, $10 for one pre-loaded with fool's gold, and $12 for one with gems and fool's gold. Not only do the two more expensive options have guaranteed success, they come with a lesson too. While not great, the lesson was worth it, and the guaranteed success certainly mattered. 

Clover can be tenacious, and could have panned all day. The rest of us were hot and ready to move on.

Next up was ice cream at Fallon Ice Cream Parlor. The ice cream was good, but not incredible. However, it's hard not to like ice cream, even if overrated on Yelp.

We rode the stage coach, which was bumpy fun. I had prepared the kids for a stage coach robbery, mostly because I have a memory of being on a train as a kid (the Skunk Train? Another train?) where there was a themed hold up. As a kid, it was hard to tell if it was real or not, and subsequently it was a little stressful. The stage coach hold up was very tame, and was more of a questioning. The robber asked the little girls on the train if they had candy, and their dad explained the robber wanted to take their candy, but he'd protect them. One girl, probably not quite three, yelled, "MY CANNNNY?!" She talked about it the rest of the ride, about how this guy wanted to take her canny, and she wanted her canny, and what would happen to her CANNNNY? That girl made the ride. 

After all the canny talk, we headed to Nelson's Columbia Candy Kitchen, which was old fashioned, but still included gummies, which I'm pretty sure are post-Gold Rush.

We walked around a bit, but that concluded what we wanted to do in Columbia. We did stop by briefly again before heading back to the Bay Area to play a few games of old time bowling. The kids loved it.

We made it back to the inn just before check in, and spent the rest of the day swimming. Instead of staying, we could have headed home and made it back in time for dinner. Then we would have missed out on the inn's pool and that was not only a highlight for the kids, but in the Sonora heat, it saved me, too. 

Next up: Day Two. We scrapped our plans for a full day in Columbia and headed to Yosemite instead. 

Moms and Kids Camping: Maybe My Best Year

By my best year, I mean it was the year I whined the least. I went into it, not into it. I was tired, crampy, and I didn't want to sleep on the ground - those damn inch-high REI mattresses aren't exactly cushioning - but I did it for the kids. (I hope my sacrifice is reflected in any future memoir written by my children.) As our group gathered, I found this year that I was not alone in the camp dread. Everyone else had just come off of other excursions, and were tired too, making them more vulnerable to my pleas to ditch the kids and move this outing to the Ritz. The Ritz has firepits and s'mores, like camping, plus room services, fluffy white robes, and massages, which are way better than camping. 

But we toughed it out. The kids had a fabulous time, doing things that when I think about while not there, give me great anxiety. We camped on a ledge, and the kids climbed up and down the hill to the creek, where they threw rocks, built bridges, did things they think of as dangerous, mostly all outside of our supervision. Technically, we could see them, and they could hear us yell to them, but the leash was pretty long. While at home, I think it's insane that we give them this much space, and it makes me want to reach for the ativan, but when there, it feels okay. The kids watch out for each other, and it's good for them to explore independently, if a gang can be considered independent (even if I had to remind myself a few times that everything would be fine). 

The view of the kids from our campsite. All 12 of them are down there somewhere. 

When not at the creek, they were racing scooters down hill, zipping by our sites every few minutes, which kind of made me wish they were back at the creek and not on the tiny road with an occassional car driving by. 

Soon it was the last night, then time to pack up for home. The kids fished for crawdads, swam in a swimming hole, ate s'mores and ice cream, whittled, got coated in dirt, hiked, explored, and had fun. No wild boars attacked us, and no one got stung by a bee. Best of all, I survived the three days without a shower. Huzzah!