We're thinking of spending a long weekend in San Francisco! When I first moved to California, I thought seriously about living in San Francisco because something about it felt comfortable... easy access to familiar foods, cultural diversity, intriguing history, amazing art, and endlessly inspiring architecture.
Of course, it made me nervous too... let's face it, San Francisco can be down right filthy. Being offered drugs while strolling down a sidewalk or through a park was absolutely terrifying, and seeing homeless people and pan-handlers all over the place was really foreign and depressing. But I've learned that with any major City, whether it's L.A., San Francisco, New York, Amsterdam, or Paris- there are conflicting juxtapositions and plenty of the good and the not-so-good.
Now that 2/3 of the children are older, I'm excited to take them to Japan-town and Alcatraz, and I'm suuuuuper excited to eat at lots of yummy restaurants and bakeries! I'm looking forward to public transportation, trolleys, teaching the kids about Harvey Milk, the history of Asian immigrants in the City, and even the black plague!
I know that Jeffrey will have his own list of galleries, shops, and landmarks, and we can't possibly do everything, but... here's my wishlist of SF favorites:
The Exploratorium
The Ferry Building YUM!
Fisherman's Wharf - you have to, right?
Tartine, obvs...
and Miette!
And a wishlist of to-do's for Jeff & I, sans children... someday. ;)
P.S.
This will be Elliott's first trip out of town. Any advice on travelling with an infant?
I love taking long weekend trips like that. It isn't often that Richard, Bry & I get to, but when we do we definitely take in every moment of it.
ReplyDeleteA few things to keep in mind when traveling long distances with the babe is to allow plenty of time for tons of stops. You might not have to stop a lot {he might be amazing when traveling like Bry was}, but always keep in mind you might have to stop for crying, pooping, eating, teething, too hot, too cold - there could be so many reasons why a baby might just hate traveling.
Also, while you shouldn't go too overboard, over pack for baby AND for you. You never know when he might spit up, throw up, poop, pee, or something else all over your favorite shirt, pants, etc. In the diaper bag or purse include a change of clothes, something light, like a basic tee and a pair of leggings - that way it doesn't take up too much room. And in his traveling bag pack at least two extra outfits a day. You might not use them, but then again you might need all you can get. And whats great about an extended weekend is that you don't have to lug around EVERYTHING all day long so it might be a lot you're bringing, but you wont have to see it or carry it around.
One more thing - be patient. I know you express patience every day with him anyway { and the other two lovely kids}, but you know... trips can be exhausting and test everyones nerves at times and adding a sweet little baby into the mix can sometimes press your patience a little too much. Take turns with him - Jeff can handle a situation with baby one time, then you the next. That way it can alleviate the stress that much more.
Oh and remember to have fun!
Lots of love,
Ash
P.S. Can you bring this pregnant lady back some Ghirardelli Chocolate?? Hehe.
WOW! That's one major comment! Thanks so much, Ashley. I really appreciate the tips and insights. It's been sooooo long since I travelled with little teensy ones- and even then, a big long trip was a 45 minute inter-island flight. I've been super nervous about (and avoiding) taking Elliott on a long car ride. But a lot of that is probably due to the fact that car rides make ME nervous. Which is why I don't drive... Which is a whole other blog post entirely...
DeleteAnyway, thank you thank you thank you!!! I will definitely hook you up with some Ghiradelli if we find ourselves in Ghiradelli Square. :)