One of my 43 before 43 is to take Ruby to the ocean. Living on the West Coast means {at least for me} having a deep love of the sand, waves and sunshine. However living with a baby, I am learning, is about taking things as they come and maybe crossing your fingers a bit. With my huge desire to experience a weekend away from home and to stick my toes in the sand, we set off for our journey. Over the new year weekend we drove out to Jenner to spend time with our friends A+B. We were
very a little nervous about taking Ruby for such a long car ride since she has officially registered her opposition to the car seat. What a delightful surprise when she slept pretty much the entire way there and we were able to enjoy a few days away. Here are a couple of snaps from The Girl’s first visit to the beach.
We’re looking forward to taking Miss Ruby on more adventures. Tell me about trips you’ve taken with your little ones. What shouldn’t we miss?
Category Archives: Teacher Travels
Things To Do While We’re Away
Surprise!
We’re back.
Not really. Auto-post is like magic.
I did want to stop in and say hi and tell you all we miss you already and point out some good internet things to do while we’re away.
As you read this we’re probably completely wrecked in Taiwan after the 12 hour flight which left at 2am + a 15 hour time difference. We’ll be posting occasionally to Facebook and Twitter if we can.
In the meantime, here are a couple of posts until we get it together when we return from Taiwan and to the blog.
Happy reading!
Helpful hints for welcoming a new family home – thank you, Rosie Molinary! We’re looking forward to introducing our new addition to everyone, just as soon as we’re all bonded as a family.
Go look at all the pretty stuff I’ve pinned on Pinterest
Find out more about adoption from Adoptive Families Magazine.
Teacher Travels: deYoung Museum – Masterpieces From The Musee National Picasso, Paris
What do you get when three teachers travel together?
A whole lot of awesome, that’s what.
Our plan was multifaceted: Help me with my Summer of Intentionality list, escape the Sacramento heat, enjoy a leisurely lady date and a visit to the deYoung in San Francisco to see the Picasso: Masterpieces From The Musee National Picasso, Paris.
Alicia {4th grade teacher/textile artist/owner of Spirit House Designs}, Amy {high school English teacher/blogger extraordinaire Just a Titch} and I {yoga teacher/school teacher on parental leave – holy crap!} were super excited to see this exhibit and to not have to travel to Paris to do so.
Travel tips from Sacramento to the deYoung Museum {AKA a whole lot less expensive than a trip to Paris!}
1. To make sure you can get into the exhibit, please order your tickets online before you go. $25 for the general public and $15 for members. Or special pricing for others – see link for details.
2. The tickets are time and date stamped so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get there.
3. Know that even on a midday Tuesday, you’ll be swimming in people. {I was surprised and wondered why everyone wasn’t at work. Forgot about all the tourists!}
4. Need to know how to get to the deYoung? Check out my post on getting to the Academy of Sciences. They are in the same part of Golden Gate Park.
5. Once you finish with the exhibit, be sure to check out the deYoung Cafe for a glass of wine and lunch. We did.
The wine totally helped us get over the weird goat thing Picasso had going on.
Pretty sure the polenta was loaded with dairy. My taste buds were dancing!
Other things to while in San Francisco:
Giggle at the Segway silliness.
Dig your feet into the sand at Ocean Beach {get back on the N-Judah and head all the way down to the beach}.
How do you spend your time in San Francisco?
Teacher Travels: San Francisco Academy of Sciences
Summer of Intentionality is really starting to kick into high gear has seriously taken on new meaning since we found out we’ll be traveling abroad in six WEEKS. Local travel and visiting museums sans baby is one of my top priorities this summer and the first really hot day in Sacramento made for an excellent escape to the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.
Travel tips from Sacramento to the Academy of Sciences (many thanks to Leili for her inspiration and itinerary}:
1. Get to BART after 10am in order to park in the lot. Spots open up at 10 – don’t forget your parking spot number – and to pay $1.00 for your space after you enter the station {you can take it off your BART card if you have enough money on the card}. There is a machine before you get to the platform inside the station.
2. Get off BART at any of the downtown SF stations and take Muni -the N- Judah ($4.00 round trip) and get off at 9th Avenue and follow the signs to Golden Gate Park. It takes about 20 minutes to stroll over.
{Or stay on the train and go visit Ocean Beach. Who knew? Oh San Francisco, I love you even more than I did before.}
3. Bring your Muni card to the ticket counter for a $3.00 discount on your admission fee. {every little bit helps or it almost pays for itself}.
4. We brought a lunch and picnicked in the grove in front of the museum where my sweetheart tried to scare me with tales of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
5. Bring a jacket.
And a scarf.
And a hat.
Did I mention we were escaping the heat? 40 degrees “cooler” in SF. Otherwise known as cold.
Or awesome.
Whatevs.
6. Not a museum tip, a post tip: These photos are all straight from my camera since I have not yet mastered the art of photo editing {and I may never}. That being said, please leave really nice comments about their professional quality and the witty captions you can only see if you roll your cursor over the photo.
7. Roll you cursor over the photos and laugh. A lot. At the awesomeness.
+++++
First stop:
Rain forests of the Americas
While I took that photo above, this was happening right behind me. {It’s because he’s so sweet}.
How cool would it be if we all had backsides like this guy?
No, not that guy.
Next up:
Down to the aquarium.
Did I ever tell you about the dream I had about walking through the Shark Experience tube-thingy where it broke and suddenly I was swimming with sharks? I didn’t? Dude, it was scary.
Guess who took 10,721 pictures of the jelly fish? I shall only share one. You’re welcome.
Not only do I want a pet jelly fish so I can take its picture, I’d really like this guy.
Well, not this guy, but one of his living friends.
Birds of Prey? Yes, please!
Ever since I started teaching third grade and studying city wildlife, I’ve been noticing and appreciating birds and their adaptations.
Have I ever mentioned how much I love third grade science?
It’s true.
What about you? Do you love science? Third grade or otherwise?
Adoption Update: We Travel in Six Weeks!
{via}
Much to our amazement, we got THE CALL yesterday morning telling us we’ll be traveling to Taiwan in about six weeks. This wasn’t just surprising because we’ve been on the receiving end of so much bad news surrounding our adoption, it is surprising because we were expecting to travel at the end of the calendar year.
So. Many. Changes.
So. Many. Emotions.
I’m thinking this is our first lesson in parenthood – plans, shmans.
If you’d like to help us prepare for welcoming our girl home, please read the following links. Rosie has done an absolutely brilliant job at getting to the point of what we’ll be needing from you all in the coming months.
18 Ways to Love The New Family or Family Member In Your Life
Teacher Travels: The German Alps
What makes a place home?
Is it the place where your people originate?
Is it where your friends and family live?
Is it where you work?
Is it where you keep your stuff?
Is it where the sights and smells are familiar?
Is it the place people speak your language?
I recently traveled to what we’ve been jokingly calling the Homeland AKA – Germany.
Previous to that, I’d never been to Germany nor did I have a burning desire to visit – we don’t know anyone there, last I heard they don’t serve cocktails with umbrellas there and it might be a tensy bit expensive. It was my husband that really wanted to, so we did.
I felt strangely at home when I got there. Something about it felt very familiar and home-like. Maybe it’s because my family is originally from Germany and the aesthetic came to the United States with them. Or the food was food I grew up with or that the people all looked vaguely like people I am related to.
In any case, I felt strangely at home somewhere I’d never been before.
For those of you that want to see – a quick trip to the Alps with Hacknbrew:
Day One – Garmish and Partenkirchen
Day Two in the Alps: Mittenwald {no, I could not stop calling it “Mitten World”}

Me and some random German family that hopped in my photo at the bottom of the mountain. I think they must do this all the time.

The view from just over the Austrian border - did I mention the hike was STEEP? Germans like them some hiking. I wish I would have thought to bring a flask like the guy sitting at a vista point along the way.

A beer garden half way down the mountain? YES PLEASE! {PS the cake was mostly for him and the beer mostly for me}
Have you ever found yourself being at home somewhere you’d never been? Tell me about your travel surprises.
Teacher Travels: {English} Espana
Who: Hick-Stewarts and Hacknbrews
Where: Algorfa, Spain {LaFinca – a GOLF community!}
When: July 2010
What: swimming, beaching, eating, reading, singing {lots and lots of Bah, Bah Blacksheep}, cooking, dancing {chef and ring around the rosie}, laughing, and site-seeing.
Why: Because we love each other and holidays!
Click on the images for a closer view and if you’d like to see more photos {with commentary} check out Facebook.
Teacher Travels: Did Somebody Say Texas?
Last week, my friend Tari and I accidentally visited Texas.
We thought we were going to San Francisco to see a show, but we ended up learning more than we ever thought possible about Texas right there in Justin Herman Plaza.
Go figure.
The Texas Tourism Board hosted our favorite band, Old 97s and while we waited for the band to start playing we took a tour.
Dude, it was surreal. Just what a ridiculously jet-lagged super fan needed.
Here’s proof in case you don’t believe me.
{No seriously, click the link. It involves a Texas longhorn.}
If you’d like to see the show too – click here.
If you’d like to read a review of the show – click here.
If you want to pre-order a copy of the new Old97s record – The Grand Theatre Volume One – click here.
If you ever find yourself in Texas, or any place where the Old97s are playing, please do yourself a favor and go.