This time Charlotte’s off to Calumet. The roads are looking pretty clear for now, but there’s more storms on the way. Charlotte also spent a lot of time cross country skiing. There aren’t any mushrooms to photograph, but that stump sure looks like a snow mushroom to me.
Charlotte is off to Bootjack again to visit with her parents. Her mom is not doing very well and I’m glad to see Charlotte spending time with them while she can. There’s certainly no shortage of snow or cold this time of year and Gordon has his work cut out for him keeping up with mother nature. I’m sure glad I never have to do this kind of thing in Santa Cruz. ...
Monica’s school class is off to Ano Nuevo today to check out the elephant seals. I’m glad I volunteered to drive on this trip. Turned out to be an amazingly beautiful day. Monica was just getting over a stomach flu, but managed to get up the energy to make the trip. This area of the coast has to be one of the most beautiful there is around Santa Cruz. Plenty of great views from the visitor center before we head out on the hike to the seals. ...
Before heading back home, we make one last tourist stop at Fort Point. Charlotte hasn’t wanted to see this place for some time, and I’m glad we did.It’s a beautiful walk along the bay to the fort. Inside is one amazing fortification. There are all kinds of great cannons, walkways, hidden corners, and tremendous views. Charlotte tries her hand at a few artsy photos as well. I think the archways came out very good. ...
We came back home along the coast as we usually do and stopped at a beach we’ve always skipped. Greyhound Rock has a great trail down the cliff to the water, where you’re rewarded with a fairly quiet and beautiful view. The big elephant seal thought it was a great location as well.
We decided to spend most of the day over at Golden Gate Park today. There’s plenty to do in the park including the arboretum and the Academy of Sciences. It’s a shame about the flash reflection, that big octopus was awesome. On the way back home, we take the most crooked road we could find, Lombard street. Kind of like a roller coaster ride for the kids.
After settling in at the hotel, we checked out the local sites including Pier 39. The Christmas tree was still up and Charlotte wanted me to take a picture of this wierd silver guy. After discreetly snapping a photo and walking off, the kids let me know he was following me. Turns out he wanted money for having taken his picture, which didn’t sit too well with me. Charlotte ended the confrontation by giving him a buck. The kids are still talking about how freaked out they were that he followed us. Boy that was fun. ...
We decided to head up to San Francisco for a couple of nights while the kids still had time off from school. Charlotte worked a great deal at a hotel near Pier 39, but first we made a stop at the Exploratorium. The building is from the old Pan-Pacific Exposition and is one of the major sites in San Francisco. The crowds were a bit much for a visit to the museum, but the park is a lot of fun. ...
It was great having family here over Christmas. I sure wish our family wasn’t quite so spread out across the country, but that is the Multer way. I can’t wait until the next time we all get together.
We’re off to Carmel today for either shopping or playing at the beach. The shopping thing appealed to Karen and Max, while the rest of us enjoyed the sand. We managed to get a photo of the whole group on the drive through Pacific Grove.