Alcatraz

The Rock. No not the movie that my husband insists we sit through every time it pops up on cable. I am talking about the ominous  island out in the San Francisco Bay that held some of the most notorious criminals of its day; Alcatraz.

Alcatraz closed it doors as a federal prison in 1963 and opened its doors as a member of the National Park Service in 1972. Now visitors can get up close and personal with the very cell blocks that Al Capone and the Birdman once spent their days. I strongly encourage visitors to buy their tickets ahead of time because the tours do sell out quickly. The only way to reach Alcatraz is by ferry and the trip out there is an adventure in itself. The day we went, we left the blue skies of the pier and headed towards the fog shrouded prison. I was glad that the weather got dreary as we got closer. It only added to the atmosphere.

During the day you can take self guided audio tours. The audio tour is quite comprehensive and very interesting. It was narrated by people who had lived on Alcatraz at one time, whether it be the prisoners who were locked in its cells or the people who helped run the facilities. We had fun posing Ben and Mari (who were infants at the time) behind the cells bars. I think kids old enough to listen to headphones for an extended period of time would really enjoy this tour. Its hard not to get excited about a place so filled with lore and mystery.

In addition to the cell block tour, you should take time to explore the Alcatraz Gardens, check out the multitude of sea birds (Alcatraz is a bird sanctuary) and take in the amazing views. Expect to spend at least 2.5 hours on the island. Keep in mind that there is no food service at Alcatraz so be sure to pack snacks for little ones. Weather is extremely unpredictable in San Francisco so dress in layers. You could arrive at Alcatraz when it is sunny and warm and leave in cold and windy weather. If you would like more information on Alcatraz click here.

Things To Do
San Francisco

Muir Woods

It was our very first hike as a walking family. Ben was the newest to join the clan of the upright and he needed a good place to practice. February was handing us cold day after cold day so we decided to head to the coast in search of a little more warmth. Muir Woods National Monument was our destination. I had never been to Muir Woods and was amazed at how close a redwood forest was to San Francisco. I had heard stories of busloads of tourists crowding the monument but on this brisk day in February, we had most of the forest to ourselves. It was lush, green, and beautiful.  I had seen redwoods many times before but being able to walk amongst them with my little ones for the first time was a moment I will always treasure. 

 

If you are visiting the San Francisco area and want to spend a few hours amongst giants (which you should) then check out the Muir Woods website for directions and hours here. 

 

Check out Twinfatuation to see others participating in Way Back When-sday.

Family Travel Tips
San Francisco

Oakland Zoo

From the time my kids could sit upright, they have been going to zoos.  I guess that's what happens when your mother is a complete animal freak. I swear sometimes I think I see Ben roll his eyes when we pull up to yet another zoo parking lot. He must wonder how many giraffes I have to see before I am finally satisfied (the answer, incidentally, is that I will never be satisfied so deal with it my boy). Mari is my little animal lover and shares in my excitement with each and every giraffe that crosses our path. Luckily, some zoos are built for those kids who need a break from staring into exhibits, hopelessly looking for that elusive bobcat. Oakland is one of those zoos.

This is not to say Oakland doesn't have some great exhibits. It most certainly does. I love how up close and personal we can get with the ring-tailed lemurs. I can't help but stare down the smiling alligator that lays so still it almost convinces me it can't be real. The kids love brushing the sheep and goats in the children's zoo. And of course, who can resist the long tongues and ever longer necks of the giraffes?

And even with all his excitement and animal interaction, sometimes a kid needs a break. He needs to run free, climb a few dinosaur eggs, and slide down a rabbit hole or two. This is what the Oakland Zoo does so well. It gives children fun and educational places to play without losing its identity. Kids can follow the animal tracks stamped on the concrete, climb on giant dinosaur eggs or slink through a tortoises shell. Children can run in the meadow while their parent's relax and they can look forward to a ride on the carrousel on their way out of the park.

Then they can go back to getting excited over elephants and going ga ga over the gazelles. Perhaps they might even have so much fun that they will actually get along with each other. Hey, a mom can dream right?

Things To Do
Oakland

California Academy of Sciences

Before we made our big move we just had to make it to San Francisco one last time. It is such an amazing city and I already miss being in such close proximity to all things SF. Recently the California Academy of Sciences reopened its doors after a 3 year closure for remodeling.  It is one of the largest museums of natural history in the world and one of the oldest museums in the country.  The remodel allowed the engineers to integrate tons of environmentally friendly features into the design of the new building. These include a system which results in the production of 50 percent less wastewater, 60 thousand solar cells for electricity generation, a 2.5 acre living roof, over 20,000 cubic yards of recycled concrete, natural lighting in 90 percent of occupied spaces, one million pounds of recycled steel, and wall insulation made from scraps of recycled denim. Hopefully the example that the engineers of this museum have set will encourage others to incorporate more environmentally conscious design into their future endeavors.

We made it out to SF on a rainy Monday while my mother in law was in town and met up with our friends Amanda, Kierran, Nick, Matt, and Owen. The museum has been a mad house since it opened and I think the weather helped keep the museum only moderately crowded while we were there. 

First we encountered the manta rays swimming in the water below us on our way to the African Hall. I love how they turned a normal walkway into a place for discovery.

The African Hall is the only portion of the original museum that was kept intact. It features taxidermy animals from Africa and a colony of South African penguins.  It is nice to have a touch of old in a museum so cutting edge.

From there we headed over to the Galapagos exhibit. It demonstrates how evolution can take place in such an isolated area. There was also this really cool floor that had a computer generated jungle floor on it. Little bugs would pop out from the leaves and the kids had a blast trying to stomp on them.  I think the real object was to kick the right kind of food over to the right kind of bug but we liked our version just the much.

Another highlight of the museum is the Rainforests of the World dome. It has a spiraling path that takes you from the forest floor all the way up to the top of the tree canopy. There are beautiful tropical butterflies and birds flying free throughout the dome which resulted in plenty of "oohs" and "aahs" from the group.

The entire bottom floor is an aquarium complete with tide pool touch tanks, bizarre alligator gars, and enormous aquariums depicting different ocean zones.

There are plenty of things that we just didn't have time for such as the planetarium, and the weather prevented us from making it up to the living roof, but overall it was a very full day and there was something for everyone to enjoy and explore.   I would highly recommend make time for a visit the next time you are in San Francisco.

An October Classic

There is something classic about visiting a pumpkin patch in the fall. The smell of hay bales permeating the air. Pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, and colors either carefully placed in a festive setting or still clinging to their vines.  Children, hay rides, petting zoos, and corn mazes. All sights that put a smile on my face. We have been to two different pumpkin patches this year and while we have yet to actually select a pumpkin, (hey that's what the grocery store is for. Once again proving what a cheapo I am. ) we have experienced all the fun and excitement a pumpkin patch can bring.

The first patch we went to was the  Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm in Clayton, CA.  We met up with our friends Jess, Mazzy, Grandma Karen, Michelle, Brent and Nick. This farm is great because not only is it located at the base of Mt Diablo

which provides some really nice scenery but it also has a really cool Plumpkin Playland. The play area has a hay bale tunnel maze, giant pool filled with lima beans, a ball return (Ben's personal favorite), farmer phone booth,  giant tic tac toe booth, bean bag toss, and of course the ever popular hay bale pyramid.  The kids had an absolute blast in this area. Mari and Ben were a little scared to go very far in the hay bale maze because it was so dark but the older kids loved running through it again and again. It was a really neat concept.  There are also duck races and a train which we didn't do (mainly due to a massive tantrum by Ben which later revealed itself to be a result of roseola. Poor guy had a rash all over his body by the time we got home) but they sure looked like fun. There were also some farm animals that you couldn't pet but you could feed by paying for the feed and then sending it through a shoot. How weird is that? We passed on paying to feed them through the shoot. Not exactly the up close and personal animal experience we become accustomed to. And of course there were lots of pumpkins. Now normally trying to take a picture of five toddlers in a pumpkin patch would be difficult but when one of them is in the throws of a massive breakdown it is impossible. Oh well, you can't win them all. Here  are some pictures of some of the fun we did have.

The other pumpkin patch we visited was Cool Patch Pumpkins  in Dixon, CA. This place has the world's largest corn maze according to Guinness Book of World Records.  So of course we had to conquer the maze.

We went on a Saturday evening after Paul finished work. The sun was setting which made for a fun jaunt through the maze. They provide you with a map but I lost my place after chasing Mari when she took a wrong turn so from there we winged it and followed people with maps and some concept of where they were. There is a  bridge at the entrance of the maze  and all you can see from the top is a sea of corn.

By the time we finished it was completely dark and we failed to think to bring a flashlight (our previous corn maze experience had floodlights) so it made things interesting.  Mari had a blast running through the most of the maze until it got too dark and she needed to be carried. Ben was a little unsure of how uneven the terrain was so his patience for walking was thin. We ended up carrying him the majority of the way. Strollers are not allowed in the corn maze (not that we brought one anyhow) so if you aren't up to carrying your littlest ones part of the way, don't go.  If you don't mind lugging a toddler for a while then I say definitely go! It was so fun. The kids loved it, the adults loved it, all I saw around me were smiles.

Some of us were more excited than others to have made it out of the corn maze alive...

From the corn maze we went and checked out some of the other attractions Cool Patch had to offer. There was plenty to see including scarecrows for the scarecrow contest, little houses for the kids to play in, and a teepee that contained a group of giggling teenage girls on a couch. Mari walked into the teepee and started giving the girls hugs. She had never seen any of these girls in her life but I guess she felt the need to spread some love. Ben decided to plop down on the couch next to them and give his most charming smile. The girls were all smitten and after more giggling and screeching than my ears could handle we had the kids bid farewell to their teenage fan club.

From there we went to the pyramid of hay. Mari happily climbed all the way to the top with no assistance and Ben happily took all the assistance he could weasel out of us. Once at the top Ben decided that he was not a fan of standing up so high all by himself and looked to Daddy to save the day.

Our last stop was the corn bath. It was basically a large vat of corn kernels to play in. It was fun to sink into the corn and play with the kernels. Ben was happy to sit in one spot and throw corn (heaven forbid he actually do anything that might challenge himself) while Mari and I crawled around and avoided rambunctious boys playing tackle.

It was getting late and our beds were calling.  Our Saturday night at the patch went fantastically. Can't wait to do it again next year!

Old Faithful Geyser and the Petrified Forest

Looking at the title of this post you would probably be thinking we had been to some exciting National Parks lately. After all, we all know Old Faithful is in Yellowstone and there is a whole Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. But did you know that there is another Old Faithful in Calistoga,  CA and a Petrified Forest just down the road? I didn't either until I stumbled upon Roadside America and its wonderful website full of kitschy roadside attractions.  It is a website definitely worth checking out if you love a little quirk in your road trip. Truly something for everyone.

My Mom, Aunt Karen (or Auntie Wacko as we affectionately call her) , and Uncle Bill were in town for the kid's birthday so I decided to drag them on one of my adventures. I figured a drive through wine country would be nice this time of year and I have been wanting to go to the dueling tourist traps ever since I first read about them months ago.  So we loaded up the SUV, popped in the Aristocats, and were on our way.

We arrived at the Old Faithful Geyser first. I knew not to expect much based  on the reviews I had read and decided approaching the place with a sense of humor was the way to go.  The kids were outside with their Grandma so I knew they were  happy, and really, that's all that matters right?

After paying the entrance fee we exited the gift shop, opened those magic doors and entered the wonderful world of the geyser. The first thing we came across was the Tennessee Fainting Goat pen. Evidently these goats are supposed to faint when frightened.  I have seen videos of them online but have never had the privilege of making an ass out of myself while trying to scare one of them stiff. There were three goats, two of them kids, and they were very used to people shouting "boo". They barely blinked, let alone fainted. I was very disappointed. But what can you do?

From there we walked down the path to the splendor that is Old Faithful.  They had  a nice little waiting area with chairs and umbrellas. The kids occupied their time by throwing gravel into the pond formed by the geyser even though there were signs around asking people not to throw things in the pond. I tried people. I tried. But the boy is a rock throwing machine and I have to take pictures every once in a while!

 

After about ten minutes of waiting, the geyser went off. As someone who had never seen a geyser before, I was impressed. I know it was nothing compared to Yellowstone but hey, not bad for Calistoga.

I'd like to say that the kids were fascinated by the geyser, but they weren't.

Oh well. I was impressed and they had some good fun tossing rocks and getting into trouble.

From there we went to where the goats and llamas reside. This was the highlight of the day for Mari. She has inherited my animal loving gene and could have spent hours talking to the goats and feeding them individual pellets one at a time. We never paid for a bit of the feed since Uncle Bill taught the kids how to shake the machine and get feed to fall out. Once again, we proved just what a classy group we are.  I tried once more attempted to scare the goats in hopes that maybe one or two of the fainting variety were mixed in with the herd but no such luck.

Lastly we hit up the bamboo forest maze. It was really cool to be surrounded by bamboo. I felt like I was in the jungle.  Mari was happy that it led back to the goats where she could spend more time bonding with her barnyard friends. Ben loved that the bamboo made an excellent stick perfect for pounding other sprigs of bamboo. Grandma was the only one to complete the full bamboo maze by using the Marco Polo technique of following the sounds of our voices from one end of the maze towards us at the other end.  I now feel confident that if I were ever lost in a maze with my mom, she could get me out.

We decided we had enough fun at this location and as we headed out the geyser but on one last show for us. Overall I would say if you are already in wine country and are looking for a break between wineries, check the place out. If you have already been to Yellowstone, you won't be impressed. But if you have never seen a geyser, love a little cheese, and want to take you shot at making a goat faint, then why not?

After lunch at a local deli we made our way over to the Petrified Forest. I  was actually pleasantly surprised by the experience. The trail was very nice and stroller friendly (though we didn't bring a stroller. It isn't very long. You don't need one if your kids are in the mood to do a little walking) and the displays were informative and interesting.

The petrified logs looked like old trees but felt like rocks. It was very cool. Evidently the ones they have in the displays are power washed so you can see them better. This is how they look in their natural state:

How anyone figured out these weren't just rocks is beyond me...

And here is how the displays of the larger, more intact trees looked:

The kids had a blast getting up on the observation decks and jumping because of all the good sounds the wood deck made. I decided to join in the fun as well:

I really enjoyed the trail and I think the kids did too. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who likes a nice walk and a little education.

We took the back way home and winded through the mountains, enjoying parts of California most people never see. Once again I was reminded why I love this state. So much diversity and so much to do!

If you would like to see other great travel photos and adventures check out this link!

A website I wish I found years ago

Today I stumbled upon a great website for anyone who lives in the Bay Area, lives near the Bay Area, visits the Bay Area, or just loves reading about all things nature and travel. It is called Weekend Sherpa. This website sends out weekly newsletters with great ideas for things to do in and around the Bay Area. Here is a link to this week's newsletter . They also have an excellent archives section filled with great ideas. I think they should have a website like this for metropolitan areas all around the country. As I browsed the website I just kept saying "ooh! I want to do that!" over and over again. My to do list is now overflowing. So many adventures. So little time.

Napa Valley: Part Deux

Note: Yes, once again I am behind. I have a good excuse though. We were in Tahoe (to be blogged about soon) enjoying the beauty of our surroundings and perfect weather. So there. There is my excuse. Oh- and Sunday was football and you know I can't be expected to do anything other than watch the games and stare at my fantasy score on the computer while yelling at my players to score me some points. So I will do my best to play catch up. Though I am feeling pretty lazy so we will see how things go. And now, without further ado, I give you part two of our Napa Valley spectacular....

After our wonderful time at the winery we made our way into Calistoga to go pick up sandwiches at the local deli. Deli sandwiches have been our go to lunch for hiking. We usually find a local shop near our hike and grab food because I hate a soggy sandwich. Plus lets be honest, there is something about a deli sandwich that just tastes better than the boring turkey sandwich you made at home hours earlier. Anyhow, we grabbed our sandwiches and headed back down the road towards Bothe-Napa Valley State Park.

The wonderful thing about this park is that it is literally across the street from wineries but feels like a world away. It is the Napa Valley as the pioneers knew it. Before grapevines dominated the landscape, I imagine the area looked alot like the park does today which was full of vegetation and wildlife.  People will be surprised to know there are redwoods in this park, something not commonly associated with the region. The park features several hikes and we were planning on taking the Richey Creek hike which follows a creek through the redwoods. Unfortunately I read the map wrong and we headed in the opposite direction entirely.  We ended up on the Pioneer Trail instead. Not to say this hike wasn't pretty, it just wasn't what I had planned. And if you know me, you know I pride myself on my sense of direction. Discovering we went the wrong way made me absolutely nutty. I guess my mistake gave us a reason to come back, right?

Walking along the trail was like walking into fall. Leaves were everywhere on the ground and the kids were so excited to pick them up and examine them.

It made me really look forward to this autumn because I think the kids will absolutely love playing in the leaves.

The trail meandered through the forest and reached a clearing where we made an interesting discovery. It was a pioneer graveyard. It just seemed so odd to stumble upon graves out in the middle of the wilds but I suppose that is how they did it back then. The graves were from the 1800s and marked those who first settled this amazing landscape.

We decided to make the graveyard our turn around point because Ben was starting to get sleepy. No wonder- it was way past his nap time and the boy loves his sleep. Mari can go like the energizer bunny but Ben reaches a breaking point and there is no turning back. Paul ended up carrying him most of the way back.

A gate did spark Ben's entrance and helped him learn the finer points of taking the path of least resistance:

As we headed down the road to our car the kids decided to practice their balancing routine on a curb with Daddy's help.

All that effort trying to balance took Ben's last bit of energy and he collapsed in the middle of the road with his sippy cup in tow.

We carried the poor boy to the car and bid farewell to the Napa Valley. I hope to take my mom, aunt, and uncle back out that way when they are in town at the end of the month and hopefully we can create some more wonderful wine country memories. I hear there are some fainting goats that I need to check out...