Month: October 2013

Autumn in the Mountains

One of the joys of living in the mountains is the force with which we experience season change. In the winter, snow doesn’t just fall, it dumps. In the spring, rivers surge with snow runoff and wildflowers blossom everywhere. In the summer, everything is green, green, green. But the most beautiful season change has to be autumn.
In addition to the pumpkin farms, hay rides and Halloween carnivals, may I suggest you take some time to view the natural beauty this world has to offer. The tots and I get to meander through colorful tree lined streets on a daily basis and it really helps my happiness level.

Being outdoors with the kids is the reason for this blog in the first place, but now is the best time of year to do it. Well, maybe once little g learns to ski, winter will be the best. Is two years old too young?

Chinatown San Francisco

There’s a special place in San Francisco where the architecture shifts from modern business like buildings to elaborate chinese decor, with flanged roofs, paper lanterns and large blinking signs written in a foreign language. Welcome to Chinatown.
On my sister’s weekend earlier this month, Chinatown was one of the many destinations we explored in order to have a true taste of San Francisco. As the largest Chinatown outside of Asia it was easy to be caught up with the exotic feeling permeating the neighborhood. The smells and sounds of another world welcomed us into its streets.

 

We decided to eat at Hunan’s Home, based on the recommendation of yelp diners (thanks internet friends) and couldn’t have been more pleased. Everything from the potstickers to the spicy chicken dish was tasty, and we were more than happy to fill our plates and bellies with the tasty stuff.

 

Shops filled with souvenirs, t shirts and Asian inspired clothing were interspersed with Chinese restaurants and even a walk-in foot massage parlor.
In Chinatown I couldn’t help but imagine little g in the tiny outfits or Big E playing with the toys. I felt a pang of sadness that my tots were back at home. I know a sisters weekend by definition did not include kids, but I still missed them.

Good Food San Francisco

On my recent sister’s weekend to San Francisco we spent most of our time around good food. Now, this blog does not usually feature restaurants but I couldn’t NOT share some of the interesting places we  tried while there.

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San Francisco Botanical Gardens, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

After two days of walking around San Francisco, I found myself longing to see some green. I live in the mountains and took for granted the joy growing things brings to my daily life. The city is a buzzing, exciting, access to everything place, but it could use some more trees, parks and wild places.

So it was with this desire in mind that my sisters-in-law and I made our way to San Francisco Botanical Gardens in Golden Gate Park. Golden Gate Park is home to the California Academy of Sciences, De Young Museum, Japanese Tea Garden, a Conservatory of Flowers and my favorite, the Botanical Gardens of San Francisco.

 The streets and parking garage were packed with people on the Sunday afternoon we visited. Perhaps it was the local bagpipe band that was scheduled to play at the outdoor stage that drew the crowd, but I’m pretty sure Golden Gate Park is just the place to be on a Sunday afternoon.
The ladies and I wondered through an Andean Cloud Forest, California Native Garden and the Zellerbach Garden of Perennials, but my favorite place was the Garden of Fragrances.
  
I enjoyed listening to my two California native sisters and their numerous gardening attempts. Where I live the summers are short and glorious, and my gardening attempts has mostly just contributed to the deer and wild turkey population. So it was nice to hear success stories of growing things. 
The San Francisco Botanical Gardens was a beautiful haven in the center of the city. For anyone planning a trip, I would highly recommend a stop at Golden Gate Park.
Info:
Distance: Varies
Price: $7.00 for visitors, free for San Francisco natives
Tips: Give yourself lots of time. There’s no reason to be rushed here.