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| San Francisco 2 |
I know our faithful blog readers have been clambering for news of the McLean family adventures (and meals). Sorry for the break but it has definitely not been due to lack of activity on our part. Between work, wedding planning, various travels and activities with the boys our weekends and weeknights have been jam packed.
The boys are returning to school tomorrow after two weeks of Spring Break. The first week of their break they went with their mother to Paris - their first trip over the pond. They came back full of commentary about French food, fashion, art and rap music. They had a really good time and once we get some pictures we will post them here.
Andrew and I took the opportunity of the boys trip (and tickets redeemed with miles)to return to the Bay Area where we were engaged last year. Catherine was in Hong Kong visiting brother Greg so we stayed at her place. When our flight was delayed getting into SF (we arrived about 4:30 am NY time) we both were seriously considering whether or not the trip was a good idea. But after a few hours sleep and a lovely first day in town we decided the trip was a fantastic idea.
On our first day (Friday) we grabbed some breakfast at Catherine's local spot, Eats, and then took a long walk through Golden Gate Park and visited the DeYoung museum and the Japanese Tea Garden. The cherry blossoms were just coming into bloom and the weather was lovely so it was a perfect time to visit. After that we went to the Legion of Honor where they were having an Annie Liebowitz photography exhibit. The exhibit featured both her work of famous celebrities as well as documentary work on place like Jordan, Iraq and Rwanda. It was a great, and very crowded, exhibit. After our culture for the day we walked along Land's End along the bay. There were lots of sailboats and shipping boats out on the beautiful day. For dinner we went back to my favorite restaurant in SF Pane e Vino in North Beach. We had a great meal and found our favorite wine on the menu. After dinner Andrew wanted to relive some of his old life from when he lived in SF for a short while and we went to Tommie's Joint which is apparently a famous watering hole (or at least it was famous in Andrew's mind). Unfortunately, I think Andrew was disappointed to find the place much better in the past when he was younger (and probably drunker). In fact, I found out later in the trip that Andrew is remembered for dancing on tables at this joint and leading the crowd in song. That definitely did not happen on this trip!
Saturday we headed up to Healdsburg to meet cousins Kathy and Chris & John and kids Liam, Hunter and Jacob. We had a very nice lunch and filled a butcher paper covered table with mazes and games of tic tac toe. Andrew was in his element with the kids and pulled out all the old favorites; hongis, egg cracked on the head, lifting by the ears and skipping. Healdsburg is a beautiful little town with orange trees growing in the square. We did some window shopping and gelato eating before heading back to SF. On the way back to town we stopped in Sausalito and sat and watched the activity in the bay. This is one of my favorite spots for watching ocean going ships but I was disappointed this time to only see one ship heading out to sea.
Sunday morning we headed out early on our journey down the coast. I've never been to Big Sur and now after having done the trip I can't wait to go back again. We took the scenic route and spent several hours looking at beautiful vistas and checking out the sea lions, seals and other sea life. We visited Carmel by the Sea and did the 17 mile drive. Andrew almost put a downpayment down on the 2 acre plot (no house) on the ocean but I told him that I wouldn't take it for a cent over 17 million (it was listed at almost 20). We continued on down to Big Sur which I didn't know was a 7 mile valley wedged between two mountain ranges running parallel to the coast. We stayed in a little cabin in the woods in amongst the redwoods. It was a great spot and after enjoying a glass of wine in the setting sun we went across the street for dinner at the only place to eat for miles. The food was amazing and so fresh. Back at the cabin after dinner we sat up for hours talking and looking at the sky - there was so little light pollution that the millions of stars were unbelievable and almost impossible to stop watching.
Monday was the last day of our trip so we got up pretty early and headed up to Lobos Point where we did a couple of hikes by the ocean. It was typically foggy Bay Area day and quite cold by the water but the hikes were well worth doing. Next time we go back we'll come better prepared and with more time. We headed back to San Francisco to prepare for our redeye flight back to New York. I think our most enduring memory of the trip came when we stopped at a mall to get something to eat and were stunned to see a young attractive women sitting with her family at the table next to us flossing her teeth. As if this wasn't bad enough we were sickened to see her drop the used floss on the floor by her table and go on her way. We caught the redeye and fortunately both slept almost the entire way back so we were not too devastated at work the next day. We had a great trip - not long enough of course but we love San Francisco and even thought about retiring out there sometime in the (sadly) distant future.
Other than that trip not much else has been going on. We are, of course, gearing up the wedding. Most of the big pieces of planning are done and now the devil is in the details. I manage not to be too stressed. Yet!
The boys are doing well and Andrew met with Nicholas' teacher recently. Nicholas is doing very well and got a great review from her. The class was studying China last term which Nicholas seemed to really enjoy. Kieran got his report card over the break and got straight A and A+ in all his classes. His teachers comments were universally positive and Andrew is extremely proud of his work.
We hope you all are well and would love to hear from your whenever possible.
