Charlie Brown

Did you know this amazing sculpture, Charlie Brown, by Richard Serra is located in the Gap Building in San Francisco? This is on the top of my must see list next time I am in the city.

Bodega Bay Loop

We have been wanting to take a day trip to Bodega Bay for quite some time now. I found this article at SFgate and thought it sounded like the perfect outing. I think we will try it soon:

Sunday Drive: Bodega Bay Loop

Tom Stienstra

Sunday, June 13, 2010

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SUNDAY DRIVE

• Sunday Drive: Tahoe's grand circle 06.20.10
• Sunday Drive: Big Basin Loop06.06.10
• Sunday Drive: Glacier Point Road 05.30.10

More Sunday Drive »

What you'll see: Awesome coastal views, foothill grasslands and surprise forests and redwoods are the rewards for those who tour this loop in Sonoma County. One of the crowning moments is the short side trip to Bodega Head for ocean views and whale watching, and often one of the best spots anywhere for sunsets. Out of Sebastopol, the route tours through pretty coastal foothills. You top a ridge and the ocean comes into view as you drop into Bodega Bay. To complete the loop, you turn inland on a pretty two-laner to Occidental and then ride through second-growth redwoods back to the starting point.

On-the-spot note: Excellent trip for road biking.

Rec options: Bodega Bay, Bodega Head, Sonoma Coast State Park/Shell Beach (Pomo Trail on east side of highway).

Opening July 1: Willow Creek and Pomo walk-in campgrounds; day-use areas at Bodega Head East, Campbell Cove, Bodega Dunes, South Salmon, South Goat Rock/Blind Beach, Russian Gulch.

Cost: Free at Bodega Head; $8 per vehicle at Sonoma Coast State Park beaches.

How to get to starting point: From San Francisco, take Highway 101 north for 40 miles to Sonoma County, Cotati and the exit for Highway 116 West/Rohnert Park-Sebastopol. Take that exit and drive 8.5 miles to Sebastopol and Highway 116 West/Sebastopol. Turn left and go 1.6 miles to the Bodega Highway/Highway 12.

How to drive loop (36 miles): In Sebastopol, turn left (west) on Bodega Highway/Highway 12 and drive 9 miles (stay on Bodega Highway at two junctions) to Highway 1. Turn right on Highway 1 and drive 5 miles to Bodega Bay, then continue north on Highway 1 for 3 miles to Coleman Valley Road. Turn right on Coleman Valley Road and go 10.5 miles (stay on Coleman Valley Road at all junctions) to the Bohemian Highway and Occidental. Turn right on the Bohemian Highway and go 3 miles to Freestone, then continue on the Bohemian Highway (it turns left/east) for 5.5 miles back to Sebastopol.

Bodega Head side-trip: From Bodega Bay, take Highway 1 north for 0.6 of a mile to Eastshore Road on left. Turn left and go 0.3 of a mile to Bay Flat Road. Turn right and go 0.3 of a mile to Westshore Road, and then continue (along Bodega Bay) south for 3 miles up to Bodega Head and a fork. Take right fork to parking lot for ocean view and trailhead.

Contacts: Sonoma Coast State Park, (707) 875-3483, parks.ca.gov.

This article appeared on page B - 9 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2010/06/13/SPGC1DTJE8.DTL#ixzz0rySrXU27

Life's a bowl of cherries (sometimes)

For the past four years we have been invited to our friends cherry ranch over Memorial Day weekend for some cherry picking. It is something we look forward to every year and feel so lucky to be a part of. Although I have never tried any of these pay to pick places you might want to give it a try and tell us how it goes. Here is a link to U-pick farms in our area.

Thanks for another great day Chinchiolo Family!!!!

Presidio Habitats

I came across this article on SF Gate about a new art installation in the Presidio called "Presidio Habitats". Here is an excerpt about it from the article:

The grassland and urban forest between the start and finish is scattered with 10 installations in what amounts to the first-ever site-specific art exhibition in a national park. The show, which took two years to plan and nearly $1 million to construct, is free, a gift from the For-Site Foundation, a San Francisco nonprofit dedicated to the making and understanding of art about place.

Most of the artwork is along trails and among the tall grass and dense cypress, down in the hollows and up in the trees. Each piece represents the artist's response to the preferences of an "animal client" that either lives in the Presidio or did.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/29/DD5H1DDH16.DTL#ixzz0pKPXFLjC

This looks amazing!!! If you want to see it you should make sure to stop by sometime soon, as stated in the article it will be removed after only one year.

Maker Faire is a two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It's for creative, resourceful people of all ages and backgrounds who like to tinker and love to make things. So much to see, you will need 2 days to see it all!

Ok so I just happened to come across this and I am soooooo excited!!!!

I can't believe I didn't hear about it sooner. It is THIS weekend in San Mateo and although it was not apart of our original plans I am going to try to move a few things around so we can attend. Hope to see you there!

Jelly Belly Factory

We have driven past the sign for the Jelly Belly Factory a thousand times each time we head home from the Bay Area and each time I think to myself - we should really check that place out. Well today was finally the day we decided to pull off in Fairfield and check out the home of the most famous jelly bean.

The girls and I arrived at the factory around 1:00 and went right for the tour. We had about a 25 minute wait which wasn't bad. The lobby area was exciting enough to keep the girls entertained during that time, any longer and they might have been not quite so thrilled. Here is a picture of us with our super cool Jelly Belly hats on which you MUST wear in order to take the tour. Beyond this point no cameras were aloud, I guess they don't want any of their extra secret recipes or methods to get out of the building. The tour itself lasted about 40 minutes. It was interesting to learn about the history of the company and the process one must go through to make a jelly bean. All of the conveyor belts, machines, boxes and jelly beans being wooshed around the plant was what kept the girls excited and of course the taste testing along the way. Another highlight were the many jelly bean art pieces scattered throughout the building. Famous people and icons made out of a mosaic of jelly beans - very cool

After the tour we headed to the sample bar (my favorite part) where we could try any flavor we wanted - NO LIMITS!!! The girls thought this was the best and they had a great time picking out the different colors and tastes.

Lastly we hit the shop where we purchased WAY too much. Here is a little tip *** Don't spend all of your money at the main store where everything is full price. Instead stop by the discount store located near the side entry door for some extra good deals. We were able to get much more for our money here.

I would say this place is worth a visit. Especially if you are driving through the area already - I would suggest you take a little pit stop and stop off for a quick tour and some treats. Although they do offer tours most days I have heard it is better to go on a weekday and or non holiday when the factory is actually in operation. It seems like it was half the fun actually seeing the machines running.

Now I must go and try to get my overly sugared kids to bed - this could be a long night!!!

20th Street Art

We took the kids to 20th street art gallery today up in Sacramento. It was the 2nd Saturday Art Walk and this gallery was having a reception for their 20/20 show.

Each artist created 20 small panels for this exhibit. Coco's preschool teacher was one of the many talented artists who had pieces in the show. We were all excited to go and see her work. Here are a few examples of the art:

This is Ms. Setsuko's work

Loved these, they used a pointillism technique

My girls were into the butterflies

This is a great show for kids to attend. It was extremely engaging and it opened the door for a little art of our own. When we got home we each attempted our own 20/20 projects but on a smaller scale. Here are our results:

Cosumnes River Preserve

If you head South on the I-5 about midway between Sacramento and Stockton you will find a little gem of a place called Cosumnes River Preserve. It is a lovely location to stop and take in the local birds of the area. A visitor center is located close to the parking lot where you can find out more about the landscape and wildlife of the preserve. If you have a canoe or other small water craft you can head out and explore the waterways. Or if you have two active kids, like me, you can just let them explore the wooden paths that take them into the wetlands. When I take my girls I bring along our drawing journals, colored pencils and a book on local birds. We then turn our fieldtrip into a scavenger hunt. Who can spot a bird, find it in the book, and then draw it in the journal.

California Academy of Sciences

Last September the California Academy of Sciences re-opened it's doors after an extensive remodel. With much anticipation I have been awaiting an opportunity to take my girls to see the overhauled museum. After much research I decided that the summer months, a weekend, or any regular "out of school day" was not a great idea, at least not for awhile until the excitement of this place dies down. I have already heard of some nightmare crowd stories from a few friends and at this point with my girls still being so young I didn't think it was worth the risk of having a bad outing. But today the stars aligned and with a few very last minute changes to our schedule I was able to whisk the girls away to San Francisco on a week day to experience this wonderful place. And oh what a day it was!!!! It was one of those picture perfect Fall days in the city and the weather alone put the 3 of us in a fabulous mood. Pulling into the underground parking we found front row parking and only ending up spending $11 for all four hours - a miracle in and of itself. The crowds within the museum were minimal and because of this we were able to relax and take it all in. Here were a few of our favorite moments:

• The Rainforest: This was just grand!!!! It was the first exhibit we hit and by far one of our favorites. The butterflies alone got my girls, and myself at times, squealing with delight. They were everywhere in the most vibrant colors and extreme sizes that you have ever seen. They flew past you within inches and would sometimes even land on visitors as they passed by. Here is a direct quote from the website describing the rainforest experience:

Step inside a living 4-story rainforest, where dripping water sets the beat for a symphony of croaking frogs and chirping birds. Peer into one of Borneo’s bat caves, meet chameleons from Madagascar, and climb into the tree-tops of Costa Rica to find free-flying birds and butterflies. Finally, descend in a glass elevator into the Amazonian flooded forest, where an acrylic tunnel allows you to walk beneath the catfish and arapaima that swim overhead.

• The Penguins: Our second favorite stop of the day. This was great entertainment for quite sometime. The penguins put on a great show and seemed to enjoy all of us as much as we enjoyed them. This exhibit seems like it might be hard to see if the museum was crowded but since that wasn't the case today we were able to hang out (or lie down as my youngest did) and observe for quite awhile.

• The aquariums: tons and tons of fish and underwater life!!!! Tanks of fish, jellyfish, sharks, turtles, water snakes, star fish and everything else you could imagine. Some of the exhibits were hands on, one took you in an elevator from the top canopy of the rainforest to the bottom of the ocean, and another let you walk underneath the water. All highly engaging for even the youngest crowd.

• The living roof: We all got quite a kick out of being on the roof and seeing it look the way it did. Built with being green in mind this roof got my girls asking a lot of questions. By the end of our visit my oldest was determined that we should plant a garden on the roof of our house the minute that we returned home.

The food, the food!!! Let me tell you people our lunch in the museum cafe was a culinary delight!!! Only like San Francisco can do it they offer an amazing dining experience with oh so many options. I am so glad that we by passed my original idea of packing a lunch from home, for me lunch was a huge part of our experience. They offer both a sit down restaurant and a lunch room type cafe - we opted for the cafe because of the ease with two young children.

So there you have it. A day spent at the Science Museum in Golden Gate Park. It was a lovely day and I can't say enough about the museum. We will be going back again and probably again - it's one of those places you can visit over and over and still find new nooks and crannies to explore.