Going Camping

Growing up we camped. Some of my mom's best stories are around the camp trips we took... accidentally happening on the nude beach at Big Sur, horseback riding at Yellow Stone (apparently I cried the whole time), and going on a hike and ending up at the dump in upstate New York... Ahh good times.

So I decided that we should take our boys camping. With young kids the only choice is car camping.

Jonathan and I have only been car camping once since we got married. We went with graduate school friends to Bar Harbor, Maine. Our friend, an accomplished car camper, and a bit type A, planned every meal and packed enough food to last a month. We had different ideas, biking into town for lobster, buying fresh vegetables and meats at the local grocery store, playing it by ear -- at the end of the day we clashed a little, and it wasn't the best experience.

Still, we are fairly skilled campers. We are fully capable of backpacking into the wilderness, setting up a tent, cooking a serviceable dinner on a tiny stove, purifying our own water ... So how hard will it be to camp with small kids? We'll find out this weekend.

We are taking baby steps into the camping with kids experience.  For the last two weeks we have had the little tent set-up in the backyard (which the boys have been playing in). On Sunday for one night we have a campsite reserved at Big Basin Redwoods State Park, 23 minutes from our house.  On September 18 we are off to Los Pedres National Forest near Santa Barbara for two nights of camping. Depending on how everything goes, will either be happy campers, or not... I have a feeling that the boys will love it, and we will have another inexpensive way to travel with our kids.

In preparation for our first family camping adventure we needed a new tent. As much as I love our light weight two person tent, it just isn't big enough. I online shopped for a new 6 person tent, reading plenty of reviews and we settled on the Kelty Yellowstone. It was a good choice, it took me (I'm 5 feet 4 inches) twenty minutes to set-up in the back yard, and two minutes to take down.  We do have a full size Coleman camping stove from our 1994 car camping trip ... which is still in good shape. I also bought some additional lanterns, cooking supplies and mugs.

Everything is piled up in the backyard. From the picture you can see it is a mess. This afternoon I'll start packing it away for Sunday... Wish us a luck!

Getting Wild at the Lindsay

A couple of months ago I saw a local program on the Lindsay Wildlife Museum, one of those poorly produced shows where the interviewer and all of the guests appeared gray. I still thought it would be a fun place to take the boys, and meet up with my parents who live in the East Bay. I was right.

The Lindsay Wildlife Museum is located in Walnut Creek next to Larkey Park. Looking at the website all of the pictures are of small children, up close and personal with wildlife local to California. Part of the complex is a wildlife rehabilitation center, which treats approximately 6,000 animals a year. Fifty species of unreleasable animals are part of the exhibits at the museum, including a bald eagle, hawks, owls, squirrels, lizards, snakes and a bob cat.

If you have a child who loves animals, big and small ... the Lindsay is a great place to visit. It is a small museum, so perfect for small kids. Everyone who works at the museum from volunteers to staff are really nice, and open to answering questions. During our visit volunteers pushed carts around with small animals inside ... we saw a woodpecker and a tarantula. We also participated in petting circle, my boys got to pet a rat.

Some of the special events, like feeding the bobcat and the eagle can get packed. We avoided them, especially when adults picked positions up front 10 minutes before the event started blocking the view of the 4 foot and under set. However, avoiding the presentation didn't mean that we didn't get to see those animals, we just came by later.

The boys favorite part was the Children's Discovery Room. It was a large play room with animal oriented toys and games. There was a barn with stuffed animals (of the taxidermy variety) hidden in the floor, under the bench, on the roof.

The boys also liked Larkey Park. It gave them a much needed outdoor break, and then they wanted to go back and "see the animals." The park has three playgrounds, one with a train.

We arrived before 10:30 am. On Saturdays the lots are full by 11 am. It is a small museum and there is a lot of turnover, so don't despair if you arrive at 2 pm. Cost-wise the museum is very reasonable anyway ($5 for kids, and $7 for adults) and parking is free. I also didn't realize it in planning the trip or picking the date, but this past Saturday was a free day at the museum.

Sausalito by Ferry or Bust

Several weeks ago when we were visiting San Francisco the boys told us that they wanted to ride the Golden Gate Ferry. It was too late in the day for us to do this, so we told them the next time we were in San Francisco we would take the ferry.

We opted to take the ferry to Sausalito. We didn't really think this one threw though. The ferry ride to and from Sausalito is packed with tourists, many with rented bikes following a recommended itinerary. We could have chosen to go to Tiburon or Larkspur, but no... we chose Sausalito.

The ferry leaves every hour and 25 minutes on the weekend. We opted to catch the 1:25 pm ferry. We also chose to take the double stroller. We figured that we would do a lot of walking (which is true) and that both boys may want to sit (which they did).

The Golden Gate Ferry is not stroller friendly, especially the Sausalito trip. You board in San Francisco on the second level, and disembark in Sausalito on the first level. I'm not saying it is not kid friendly though ... kids five and under ride for free, which if the boat ride is the focus (which it was for us) then it is more cost effective than opting for a tour boat.

Once on board novices head outside and squat there space quickly. We opted for a window seat inside, and boy were we glad we did. Once the boat gets going the wind and spray can intimidate the most fearless child or adult.

The boys loved the ride. Caleb and I went outside and took in the views. Xander stayed inside with Jonathan. When the wind got too much, Caleb and I went back inside for a visit.

Once in Sausalito we made our way to Sausalito Gourment Deli, and enjoyed tasty greek food outside in the back patio. The Deli was one block off the beaten path, so we could avoid the crowds.

Once we got back to ferry terminal we realized our mistake. There were two lines to board the ferry. One bicycle line that was already about 350 people deep, and a pedestrian line. We were about 20th in the pedestrian line (45 minutes before scheduled departure). By the time boarding began the pedestrian line had swollen to 300 people.

Then came the announcement... the boat holds 600 people, and bicycles would be boarding first. Twenty minutes later the bicyclists were cut off, stranding 100 or so people until the next ferry. Then we were allowed to board.

Why, oh why did we chose to take the ferry to Sausalito on an absolutely perfect day during the height of tourist season.

So lesson learned. Next time we go for a boat ride with the boys we'll go on a nice cold foggy day during the winter, or we'll opt for a lesser traveled port.

San Francisco Farmers Market

When we lived in San Francisco exploring the Farmers Market at the Ferry Building with Xander was our favorite way to spend a Saturday morning. Now that we live in San Jose we still occasionally make the trek into the city to the Farmers Market. However, with two preschoolers we have modified our approach to the Market.

First off, we plan our trip for Saturdays when the Giants are out of town. We make it a point to stop by the Coca Cola Fan Lot at AT&T Park. It is free and open to the general public when the Giants are away. The Fan Lot includes several slides for both big and small kids. There is also a batting cage, and a trolley car. The boys love the slide. It is a great way to burn some energy after the hour long car ride.

Secondly, we don't really explore the Farmer's Market anymore. The Farmer's Market is crowded, and it can be difficult to maneuver a double stroller. So it is a strategic strike, get in and get out. Our favorite destinations include buying cooking kits from Out the Door (the to go window for the Slanted Door) , olive oil from Stonehouse Olive Oil (if we need it), and coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee. We always have a plan, and ensure that we are leaving by the time our boys patience has grown thin.

Outside of the Farmers Market is the Embarcadero, a beautiful stretch of Palm tree lined sidewalks along the bay that runs from 2nd and King Streets to Pier 39. There are plenty of places to sit, people watch and meander a Saturday away -- especially on a beautiful day like this past Saturday. The boys like to climb and jump off of the sculpture-like concrete seating too.

We usually combine our Farmers Market trip with a trip to the San Francisco Zoo. This past weekend we took a Ferry to Sausalito. I'll write about that adventure on Thursday.

Exploring the Children's Discovery Museum

Three years ago on Wednesday we brought home our oldest son Xander from Russia. August 12 is a very sentimental day for me. Happily I got to spend it with Xander and his preschool class at the Children's Discovery Museum in San Jose. Plenty of parents participated, so I was only responsible for Xander, and one-on-one my sweet little boy and I explored the Museum.

The Children's Discovery Museum in San Jose is small, and geared for younger kids. It has about six major exhibits, and one special exhibit room. Filling that slot is the Curious George exhibit which is on loan from the Minnesota Children's Museum through September 23.

We took both our boys there on a rainy day last Fall. It is amazing how differently a four year old views the museum then a three year old. Three year old Xander could have spent the whole day in the Wonder Cabinet room, geared more for babies and toddlers.

Four year old Xander loved everything. At the end of the day we always ask the question, "What did you like best?" Xander said, "I liked riding the firetruck and ambulance, using the cash register, touching worms, and playing with bubbles. I also liked the elevator and the leaves, and playing with the balls..." So I guess I could sum up his answer to mean... everything!

When you walk in the door you are greeted by the Streets exhibit, which includes traffic lights and a retired firetruck and ambulance. I thought my day had ended there, between pretending to drive the firetruck and ambulance, and rerouting the circuits on the traffic lights Xander was in heaven.

We had previewed the exhibits online, so I reminded him that he wanted to play with bubbles, and we headed to the basement where the Bubbalogna exhibit is. Visually it is a pretty boring exhibit, however, Xander loved creating giant bubbles, and pushing buttons to create bubble sandwiches. He was soon ready to move on, so we headed upstairs.

First stop was the Rainbow Pizza and Market exhibit. Xander and his preschool friends liked climbing on the antique green car, making pizzas (plastic representations) in the play ovens, and working the cash register. Xander charged me $4 for my pizza, quite a deal in today's economy.

Afterward we headed to the Wonder Cabinet which had mostly lost its appeal. There was an air powered wall mounted pinball machine. You put a ball in a hole, and air forced it up and then the gravity brought the ball down through an obstacle course. I think we spent 20 minutes putting balls in the hole, and watching them go.

Then it was downstairs to the Curious George exhibit. At first Xander was a bit overwhelmed. It is the reason that most people were there, so it was more crowded. But it is amazing how few kids were opening doors, and looking in cabinets. Probably based on my poor parenting skills, Xander is not shy about looking in other people's cabinets. If you didn't open doors, you'd miss the mailboxes (each box had something different to look at), the elevator with Curious George and some firemen, the office cabinet ... The designers definitely wanted to play to a child's curiousity (hmmm I wonder why).

We then went to the Circles and Out on a Limb. Xander's favorite part was putting leaves into another air powered cylinder. The leaves then blow through the top, and there is a rake to clean then up.

Afterward I took him to the Waterways exhibit, but by then he was getting tired. We spent a short time there, I only got two pictures, both of him taking off his apron.

It took some convincing since it was a hot day and it was the last exhibit that we went to, but I got Xander to go out to the Kid's Garden. If we'd skipped that area, he would have missed the worms. Xander loved holding the worms, and digging in the dirt for more worms. Next year after I get rid of a bunch of pavers behind the garage, Xander wants a garden ... so I probably should have guessed that this would be a highlight.

I'd like to get both boys there before the Curious George Exhibit closes. However, it will require two parents (one for each kid) to successfully pull it off. So, maybe early some Saturday.

The Children's Discovery Museum is open Monday through Saturday (open Mondays only through the Summer) from 10 am to 5 pm, and 12 pm to 5 pm on Sundays. Admission is $10 a person ... so the $89 annual family membership is definitely worth it if you plan to visit at least three times a year.

Something Fishy in Monterey Bay

Yesterday for my girlfriend's birthday she and I did a road trip with the boys to Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Monterey Bay Aquarium is located on the site of an old sardine factory on Cannery Row. The aquarium is beautiful with spectacular bay views. The exhibits are wonderful too including stingrays, jellyfish, kelp forests, otters, sharks and penguins. Right now there is a special sea horse exhibit.

My youngest, Caleb, loves to look at everything, and at his own pace. Xander my oldest could take it or leave it… so I felt like a shepherd all day. I did dress the boys in matching yellow shirts, so they were easy to spot in a crowd if they got separated … which was easy to do.

Caleb’s favorite was a hands-on exhibit where he could touch starfish and sea urchins. Xander liked the buttons. Seriously, for the older kids there are little exhibits with buttons to play video, light up barnacles on a rock, move a fishes fins, etc. Xander likes to push buttons.

We thought it would be less crowded, because it is was a Monday. But August is vacation season, and the aquarium was packed. We arrived early, and cued for tickets. The line was quick and we were in the aquarium by 11 am.

A note on tickets, they are extremely expensive, $29.95 for an adult and $17.95 for each child. If you live in the Bay Area and plan to visit the aquarium more than once a year, buy the annual membership. It costs $145 for a family of four … so it pays for itself after two visits.

The aquarium is huge, so the map that they gave us came in handy. Not that my small kids cared about inner ocean or outer ocean, but it ensured that we saw everything.

My only criticism is that some of the exhibits are a little dark for small children. It would be nice if the aquarium invested in floor lighting, like on airplane. On the other hand, it is such a gorgeous location, the floor lighting might detract for us older kids.

This time we avoided the kid play areas. My reasoning was pretty simple, as soon as we got there the boys wouldn’t want to leave, and selfishly we wanted to see some fishes first.

The plan was to go to the play area after lunch, but the crowds made the snack bar and restaurant untenable, and we were starving by 1:45 pm. The boys had snacks so they were fine… but we had to leave the aquarium to find food, and decided to head home.

Next year I think we’ll invest in an annual membership, and go back to the aquarium a couple of times. It is such an amazing place it would be nice to explore it in parts (not all at once). There are also some other places I’d like to explore in Monterey if we had more time like Denise the Menace Park.

Water Play

On a hot summer day, there is no better activity for small children than water play. I was completely oblivious to parks with water play features until our oldest Xander turned three. Before that we lived in San Francisco, and like air conditioning there was little need for us to seek them out.

The San Francisco Bay Area is rich with beautiful community parks and gardens that have fun water play features. A quick google search, and I found parks in the East Bay including San Leandro Marina Park, Emerald Glen Park and San Ramon Central Park, and on the Peninsula including Ryder Park and Stafford Park.

In Silicon Valley we have a variety of parks that we have been to, and some that we haven’t (such as Serra Park, Las Palmas, Lincoln Glen Park and Campbell Park).

Last weekend we went to Mitchell Park in Palo Alto. We ate at Printers Café on California Street -- a wonderful café with egg bagel sandwiches. Xander likes the sandwiches deconstructed (he eats the eggs separately from the bagel).

On first observation Mitchell Park isn’t much. It has plenty of green open space, but is tucked behind some municipal buildings. We quickly decided that San Jose has better parks … but once the boys got in and started playing, we recognized some of the park’s assets.

The park is definitely more low key then Almaden Lake Park and not as beautiful as Vasona Park or the Los Gatos Square for that matter. From tunnels to bridges the sandy area was fun. The water play area was fantastic, partially in the shade, plenty of seating for the adult onlookers, and fenced in. The boys loved splashing in the water that shot up from the padded ground.

The only major problem, which is true for many area parks this time a year, was water rationing made it so the kids had to keep hitting the button to get water, and the frogs which are supposed to spit water weren’t working.

We wouldn’t go out of our way to go to Mitchell Park, but whenever we are in the area with the boys we plan to stop by.

Now Almaden Lake Park in San Jose is worth writing home about. It is a huge park with two separate playgrounds on opposite sides of the lake. On the Almaden Expressway side there is a beach, pedal boats, and the larger of the two parks. The water play area includes a dragon shower, and fountains that shoot up from the padded ground. Nearby there is a lone shower (favorite for the boys). On the smaller kid playground there is a ship, and on the big kid playground there are cool geometric rope climbing structures.

Because of the vicinity to the beach, and the wonderful big kid park this area tends to attract big kids. This can be intimidating to the little ones, but if you walk to the other side of the lake there is a less trafficked smaller kid park with a water play feature.

All of the water features at Almaden Lake Park are in full sunlight, and that area of San Jose tends to be warmer … so make sure that the kids are lathered in sunscreen, and repeat often.

Close to home there is Lincoln Glen Park, I plan to take the boys there tomorrow when the weather heats up again. I heard that the spitting frogs actually work.

A Day Out with Thomas

Our boys have been into trains for a little over a year -- any and all trains, including Thomas & Friends. They love the shows on PBS Sprout, especially the ones with the voice of the late George Carlin.

Last year we missed the Day Out with Thomas at Roaring Camp Railroads. We found out about after the fact when Caleb accosted a boy at the park wearing a Thomas t-shirt. His mother then told me that they had gotten it at a Day Out with Thomas, and recommended that we take our boys.

The train had left the station. A Day Out with Thomas is only two weekends during the summer, and it sells out fast. So, when the tickets went on sale this year, we bought tickets right away with our neighbors, and took off a Friday mid-day to go see Thomas.

First off Roaring Camp Railroads, which runs year round, is definitely worth multiple visits. The railroad route has been in operation since the 1880s. It has two lines, one three hour ride roundtrip to Santa Cruz, and one hour and 15 minute ride roundtrip to Bear Mountain. In fact I’ll write about it more when we do our first family camp trip at the end of this month.

However, A Day Out with Thomas is okay. I struggle with the blatant commercialism of this event and my kids. Watching the show on PBS, and having some of the characters as toys, is different then an inflated price tag on a so, so experience that is branded Thomas. The boys didn’t really need Thomas, it was nice, but they would have loved the old steam engine, and the longer rides to Bear Mountain or Santa Cruz.

The train ride itself was a beautiful 20-mile ride through the Santa Cruz Mountains, and over a trestle bridge. On the ride out the train is pulled by a wonderful old steam engine, and Thomas pushes. On the way back, Thomas pulls, and the old steam engine pushes.

The large Thomas that pulls the train is cool, but call me old fashioned, I love the real antique trains be they miniature or full size. I also thought spending 30 minutes in line to take a picture of your kids (mine didn’t cooperate) in front of Thomas is painful. It felt like we were trying to force fun for a photo opp.

My boys did love the Day Out with Thomas. But if you ask them what they liked best about the trip, they say … 1) Playing in the barn, and 2) riding the train. This is true for our neighbor’s son Jonas as well. The surprise hit of the day was a small wooden barn playhouse.

At the end of the day, kids love the simple stuff.

A Day Out with Thomas tours nationwide, but don’t overlook the host railroad for a fun family outing anytime of the year.