Growing Up Savvy Posts

… is how long a flight from Dulles International is to San Francisco’s International Airport. Strike that. That is how long the flight was supposed to be until we were delayed and forced to stay on the airplane. Six and a half hours later, we landed at SFO (the code for San Francisco’s airport), picked up our two suitcases, a stroller, a diaper bag, a camera bag and hightailed it to the rental car.

This post is really a recap of our flying experience and also some advice for parents of children between 1 and 2 years of age. Here’s how we went about it. 1. We submitted two pieces of luggage to free up our hands as much as possible. 2. packed toys, books, snacks (cheerios, lollie pops, dried sour cherries, raisins and prunes), lunch foods, water, videos and pictures to entertain Sophia. 3. Gate checked our stroller and rented a car with a carseat so as to not lug ours. 4. attempted to get Sophia to nap as long as possible and then tried to make her comfortable for the other 4 hrs. Embraced (or in my case, really tried to) the fact that she’ll be jet-lagged and possibly never adapt to the 3 hr time-change.

All in all, it was a pleasant experience and we thankfully, were not THOSE parents whose child had many a tantrum. We also opted not to give her Benadryl or anything like that because 1. we didn’t want to mess with her Circadian Rhythms and 2. because we wanted to persevere on our own and wanted her to as well. I advise everyone who owns a smartphone, an iPad or tablet to download the Doodle app immediately. You can thank me later :-).

The Sea, the art, some mai tais, and then some dim sum.

I am told San Francisco is gorgeous and has many diverse neighborhoods. I read that it is flanked by the sea on the one side and is afforded mild climate. That was what I was told and read, and here is what I saw. I thought it was loud, big, sprawling, overrun by even louder tourists, windy (20 mi/hr gusts anyone?) and cold (53*F … brrr). Oh and don’t even get me started on those hills. I am not a triathlete, but I am not incapable of walking up a steep hill, though maybe not 7 hills which is 7 blocks while pushing a stroller and hauling a bag of goodies for little Sophia. Walking down another 7 hills is even worse than walking up the hills.

We arrived on Thursday afternoon right after Sophia’s nap and decided to promptly head to Fisherman’s Wharf. I advise avoiding the walk, and the wharf itself at all costs. Since we had made the error in going there, we thought we’d enjoy the picturesque views of the bay and Alcatraz.

After having taken Sophia’s first cab ride (the best 18$ decision I ever made), we stuck close to our hotel and enjoyed tapas with a side of Sesame Street and Crayons for dinner. Having [for the first time in what seems like forever] doubted my planning skills, hubby insisted in planning our Friday’s activities himself. I gladly handed over the reigns.

After coffee and “cake” (muffin) at a laid-back, hippie-occupied coffee shop in the Haight/Ashbury neighborhood, we walked a few blocks to the Golden Gate park and strolled among the various gardens and ponds to the de Young Museum where, much to our surprise, Sophia loved, loved and did I mention loved?! the ancient Mayan pottery and all the works of Dale Chihuly at the Dorothy and George Saxe exhibit. We wished we had more time to browse the 2nd floor gallery that featured some of the works by American landscape artists, but alas, there is always next time. One of the best parts of the museum is the observation tower that affords glorious views over the city … foggy and all.

All that art will make one very hungry, tired and thirsty. San Francisco has an impressive Chinatown and dim-sum here did not disappoint … chicken feet and all. We headed back for a much needed nap followed by pre-dinner drinks at this amazing find courtesy of many a source including The Layover. It was dark and cavernous, the drinks delicious and we did it with a kid without a muss or fuss. Fear not, there was plenty for her to see (like the giant pool of water in the middle of the bar) and the occasional rain that pours down from the ceiling. Very cool.

The only thing that could stand up to a day like that is some crab and chicken soup from the R&G Lounge. And that, ladies and gentlemen is how we spent a day and a half in San Francisco. This rounds out our trip and all the details. There will be one minor post about the flights themselves and how we survived those.

This trip was different in its pace, but like we do for all the trips that came before, we prepared well and had a plan with things to do, places to eat and sights to see. I am happy to share the list/maps with anyone who inquires.

Compromise is not a way of life, it is THE way of creating a happy life. We compromised on the pace at which we travelled on this latest trip (the first one alone with Sophia), but we didn’t compromise where we went and what we did. After staying in San Jose for a few days, we happily moved on to California’s Wine Country. Napa, Sonoma, and Calistoga awaited. We didn’t really know what to expect in both the scenery, the lay of the land, the pace of living there or what the environment would be like at the wineries.

Our initial impressions are that the landscape and weather are gorgeous. If you didn’t know where you were, you’d think you were in Rioja, Spain or Algarve, Portugal. The destinations are close to one another and you can embrace your own pace and style of traveling there. There are those who stay at very exclusive (adults-only) enclaves and travel to the wineries by hired car and then there are those who backpack through the national forests that surround the vine groves. We fell somewhere in the middle opting to see three wineries during the two days we were there. Wineries also vary in their accommodation to children and even spontaneous adults. In other words, some wineries mandate prior reservations and insist on tours with tastings rather than just tastings.

We sought out small wineries that produced vintages not easily exported outside the state or even the winery choosing to focus on sustainable growing rather than marketing and growing the business. Those wineries also happened to be most accommodating to children, lack crowds, not require reservations and provide the best views. A win-win all around if you ask me. Alas, here’s where we went: The Hess Collection, Landmark and Arrowood.

Sophia was a little restless at the Hess Collection but did well enough when occupied with crayons, paper and a tour of the art gallery and gardens on premises.

She was much better the next day at Landmark where she happily sat on a very cool wooden bench and smelled all our glasses. Perhaps she will grow up to be a Le Nez. We toured the gardens of Landmark along with the koi pond. It would just be a shame to not take in as much of the outdoors as possible.

The hosts at Arrowood happily whipped out a game of checkers for her, but really, the view there was enough. It was simply breathtaking.

We sat out on their wraparound porch having the entire space to ourselves, listening to big band tunes and taking in the view. Our work, home and the general the hustle and bustle of life seemed far away. It was a perfect way to spend a mellow afternoon.