grandad's visit, part 1.

My dad came to visit us, and we took so many pictures and had so much fun that I had to turn this post into a series! I've said it before, but my dad is really the best visitor you can imagine. He is super low-maintenance, and so easy to please! He really makes me feel like every single thing we do is the coolest thing ever. I love having him over, no matter where we live, because it's fun to see my home through his eyes. 

Besides the fact that Sam and I were battling colds for the majority of the visit, it was a superb stay-cation. We got to do a lot of things we have had on our Bay Area list, that have never gotten around to. One of them being, Muir Woods! I know, right? Why haven't we been there before? Well, I did visit them on a high school field trip years ago, and we have driven by them many, many times on our way to Stinson Beach. But, on this day, we picked up Sam in the city on our way out and hit the woods a few hours before they closed.

Gosh, I feel so lucky to live close to such a beautiful place. Redwood trees are absolutely more than you can imagine. The trail we took was a perfect, flat loop- just right for visitors. And, beautifully calm and peaceful. The trees gave you vertigo if you let your gaze follow to the top canopies, and the forest floor was carpeted in the most vibrant greens- clover and ferns that danced slightly if their was a breeze.

The day before our Muir Woods excursion, I took my dad on a few of my favorite Berkeley walks (that involve some of my favorite eateries):

1) Park on Hopkins near King School (let Eliza play on the playground), then take a walk down the tree-lined street to Monterey Market to pick up some fresh produce (we grabbed ripe cherries and strawberries). Then, walk back up Hopkins to grab a slice of pizza at Gioia Pizzeria,  too.  Don't forget a cookie from Hopkins Street Bakery, or some fancy chocolate from Country Cheese Market.

2) Three blocks from our house is "Fourth Street" which houses some of the finer stores in Berkeley. Eliza and I window shop here on a weekly basis, so much so that some of the employees know us and like to comment on how big she is getting. Which is cute and fun, except I think they also know that I never really buy anything! But, I have been known to make careful selections in the beautiful paper shops, and I stalk the furniture in the C&B outlet like it's my job. And, of course, I never leave without looking in at the Anthropologie sale selections, and our window shopping loop always ends at The Ark so Eliza can play with the display toys. But, the real gem of Fourth Street is The Pasta Shop- do not leave here without trying at least a bit of something. The pastries are amazing, the salads are incredible, and once I had a piece of polenta pizza that I refused to share with Eliza. My dad and I got a ham and cheese roll, a biscuit, and a cookie to split with E.