On Friday we joined a Pampered Chef excursion to Muir Woods National Monument. Along the way we toured parts of downtown San Francisco while our tour guide lectured us. One of her lectures was, “I’m not going to compete!” (meaning we needed to be quiet and listen to her well-rehearsed remarks, or get off the bus). It was cute in a mind your senior citizens sort of way (she was an elderly woman who just said it like it was).
Of course we stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge for a photo op. Our family was the last back on the bus after the 20 minute stop, so I made a point of ensuring our timeliness at the next stop (I couldn’t help it, it was the old tour manager in me).
We had about an hour at Muir Woods. The environment was remarkable. The crisscross bus ride at the back of the bus was about enough to make me motion sick, but once we were there it was like being transported to another world. The woods were thick and lush. The smell was fresh and earthy. The temperature was moderately cool in the shade and warm and sunny in the light. It was really amazing.
At the end of this stop our family was one of the first back at the bus, arriving even before the bus driver did. I think Vickey was disappointed she missed out on 10 minutes in the woods while we waited to board the bus.
As soon as the door was open Eliana grabbed me by the hand and said, “Come on, dad. You said you wanted to be the first one on the bus.” I was a bit embarrassed thinking our fellow passengers may have looked down on my competitive spirit. I replied, “No, Eliana. I just said I didn’t want to be the last one on the bus. There’s a difference.”
Ah, the perspective of a five year-old.
We drove to Sausalito where we were given instructions to grab a bite to eat and be at the pier in 60 minutes in order to catch the ferry back to San Francisco. It was a tall order but we did our best. In fact, we were quite pleased with our lunch choice. Instead of opting for the burger joint praised by our tour guide (because everyone was going there, duh), we found a cozy joint on the pier. The proprietor/cashier/chief cook and bottle washer took our order (Vickey didn’t like the fact that he handled our money and our sandwiches) while we sat on the pier and Dominic repeated “B” over and over (that’s his word for ‘bird’).
We even managed a stop at our favorite tourist t-shirt shop, Crazy Shirts, and at the local ice creamery.
En route on the ferry we passed close enough to Alcatraz to read the disintegrating old fashioned signs warning boaters of impending imprisonment if they tried to help a convict escape.
Upon re-boarding our bus and returning to the hotel Dominic and I took a well-deserved nap. Vickey and Eliana racked up the tourist points by going back to Yerba Buena Gardens for a game of bowling and playing on the playground slides for a couple hours. (Ellie had a few turns on the slide the night before but it just wasn’t adequate, don’t you know.)
Following their return we loaded up the car and headed out to Twin Peaks. What a stunning view, which on this particular evening was accompanied by an incredible wind and coldness.
After that—because we weren’t ready to throw in the towel on our first full day in the city—we headed in to North Beach. The restaurant we hoped to eat at was full with an hour wait. Eliana and Dominic were both on the verge of hunger collapse so we found a public parking spot and grabbed a table for four at the first available decent looking Italian restaurant. I think we were seated around 8:30 p.m.
I can’t remember where we ate, but it was good. I think Vickey and I were most impressed with the kids’ spaghetti with meat marinara sauce. Still, the whole meal was quite good. We sat right by the kitchen and most of the staff played with Dominic who, in his usual way, ate with gusto leaving nary a corner of his face and hair free from the food on his plate. Ellie sat cuddled with her blanket after a meltdown. She and I watched Andrea Bocelli: Under the Desert Sky—a concert performance from last year’s Stars on the Lake concert series filmed just a few miles from home at Lake Las Vegas—on the restaurant’s TV.
It was a truly Italian experience—dining, entertainment, environment, etc. In fact, Vickey took Eliana to the restroom (and so did I, but that’s another story) and while they were waiting in line, one of the servers goosed one of the patrons as he walked by. She was surprised, then laughed. It was a very forward, unapologetic, non-politically correct thing of him to do. Sometimes that’s just refreshing to witness.
After our late dinner we headed back to the hotel room with two very tired kids who were real troupers. We were all out like a light as soon as we hit the sheets.
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