On our way home we stopped by Arata Pumpkin Farm to check out the life-size hay maze. The farm felt like the set of a horror flick with run down unused stuffs scattered about and only one whack job guy working there — and not a pumpkin to be seen. I kept thinking "all work and no play" while seeing the hedge maze from the Shining in my mind. Huh. Anyway, for $5 each (he wanted to charge full price for baby Vivi in a carrier, but I pushed back! He still charged for our 3 year old!) we entered the maze. It's not an easy maze, I'll give them that. We spent about 45 minutes and only got half way. Turns out I was the best leader, but we couldn't finish because we all got too hungry, too hot, too tired and all that goes along with the monotony of going back and forth trying each outcome. But let me just say, this is the perfect activity for a group of say 12 year old boys!

Technorati Tags: Bay Area, travel

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The next morning we decided to go to a pick-it-yourself farm. Max really wanted ollalieberries, but it turns out those are only in season in June and July. Late August is strawberry picking season and fortunately we all love strawberries too. Swanton Berry Farm doesn't look too remarkable from the highway, but once you get into the store and walk to the field you'll love it. They give you a few boxes and tell you to enjoy the picking and, of course, sample as many as you'd like. We strolled out to the field and had such a good time tasting and picking. Max was loving it and got really into finding the berries with the most unusual shapes. Afterward we all had pink stained faces and fingers. We took home $15 dollars worth (they sell by weight) which was the equivalent to 16 baskets. We'd normally pay about $3 a basket for organic strawberries, so that's $48 worth of strawberries! Once we got home, Mr. C immediately turned them all into a delicious jam, which we had on his fresh made popovers the very next morning. Mmmmmm so good!

Technorati Tags: Bay Area, travel

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Many people told us to try the artichoke soup and fruit pies at Duarte's Tavern, both were delicious in an old time, classic recipe kinda way. Max was a daring eater and tried smelt —he loved it too. We all were totally mad for the olallieberry pie, but Vivi was most especially crazy!

Technorati Tags: Bay Area, restaurants, travel

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While the kids slept in the car we drove the coast highway. We tried to drive through to check out Ano Nuevo state park, but when you drive in it's about 100 yards to a dead end parking lot — you can't see anything special until you get out and start walking. Since we couldn't ditch the kids, this idea was a bust. We then drove up to Pescadero thinking we'd check out Phipps & Harley Farms once the kids woke up. Pescadero turns out to be a really quiet, sleepy little town — don't blink.




Max woke up on the grumpy side of his car seat. It took him awhile to warm up to the idea of exploring the Phipps Country Store. Phipps is a weird place. It's out of touch, run down and pretty depressing on one hand, while on the other, it's exotic, bizarre and creepy. The white haired, hunched over, thin and tiny old woman working at the cash register was the only employee. She was hardly doing much, not that I blame her, but it left the property feeling even more abandoned than it looked.

There were some gorgeous birds, like this lovely white parrot who repeatedly performed flip tricks for us, but then there were some horrific birds pecking and eating a dead bird. Yikes! This was one of the most obvious moments when we started to realize just how bad it is at Phipps. Once you tour the rest of the farm you'll see many chickens, peacocks, geese and other birds— plus goats, sheep and pigs who are all living in a really neglectful environment. You can see the abuse in the animals ugly behavior and their shredded, scarred bodies. Many looked so bad I had to avert my eyes. I felt too pained to document it so you won't see images of the horror here, but heed my warning and skip Phipps when next you are in Pescadero.



When you aren't horrified by the unhappily cages animals, you will find some neat old antique tractors scattered about the property.


Apparently Phipps is also well known for it's dried beans. They did have a large selection, but the store had the same run down and dirty feeling of the rest of property which really didn't inspire me to purchase anything. Instead I gave a donation to the animals — in the hopes they'll get fed.

We left Phipps hoping to make it to Harley Farms, but they'd closed shop just a few minutes before we got there. Bummer, 'til tomorrow...

Technorati Tags: Bay Area, travel

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After breakfast we strolled along the trail behind the Douglas cabins and crossed highway one and made our way down to the beach. The day was gorgeous and we were all alone on a lovely beach. There wasn't much tide-pooling to be found but we did find lots of sticks, seaweed and rocks so there was plenty to do right there. We also each took turns splashing our feet in the icy cold waves. Another family came along a little while later with two kids just about the same age as ours and we all had an impromptu playgroup. It was great fun!

Technorati Tags: Bay Area, holiday, travel

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We arrived just after 4 pm. It was an easy drive, just slightly over an hour but you'd never know you were so close to San Francisco — the feel of Costanoa is as though it's miles away from civilization. It took me a few hours to slow down and warm up to the pace of the place and to settle into my experience. I had imagined it to be more pampering and fancy since we had chosen a lodge room rather than tent or cabin — plus there's a spa. Costanoa is a pretty basic California coastal place, it's rustic and straight-forward. Keep that in mind when visiting and bring what ever extras you need.


We chose the no roughing it route and stayed in the lodge. After having thoroughly checked the place out, I think all the accommodations have their strengths and weakness. The tents are spartan but I kinda liked that about them. It'd be nice to treat the stay like a retreat and spend the time just reading or walking the many trails. Tents on the edges closest to the lodge were my favorite (Cypress) as they have the most trees and had chairs on the backside rather than chairs in the front facing the parking areas. The shared bathrooms are well crafted and clean plus each has a relaxing center hang out area with a fire going each night. The (Douglas Fir) cabins are much more spacious, protected, secluded, and have nice decks — some even have porch swings. Each cabin has two sides so it'd be ideal to rent the whole cabin with a friend or another family so you like your neighbors. The cabins don't have bathrooms so you have to walk to the shared facility. Check the map on the site carefully before booking.

If choosing a lodge room ask to be facing the backside lawn as it has the nicest view. The room we had was very spartan but fine. The lighting was pretty bad, especially in the bathroom, but that's my biggest complaint. My husband's biggest complain would be no cell phone service and spotty free wireless. There was a mini bar, coffee maker, clock radio with cd player and the lobby has fresh filter water cooler. The bathroom was big enough for us to set up the pack-n-play for Vivi and it had a rolling barn style door so we could get her to sleep early, close the door, and still hang out in the room. The king size bed was pretty comfortable and given that we normally sleep three in a queen size it felt luxurious to have to much rolling over space. Our room was really close to the hot tub which Max visted often and we all enjoyed our morning sunrise view. We saw deer, quail, and bunnies while looking out the glass doors. We also enjoyed hanging out each night in front of the roaring fire and toasting smores. Max made "dates" with different girls he picked up during dinner. One girl he simply called "pretty girl" (that one family was eerily unfriendly) two others he met were Katrina and Zoe. After smores one night, which Max graciously hosted, he asked Katrina to join him in the "hot pool" (aka tub). I'm so not kidding. Max is a smooth operator.

After almost every meal, Max insisted on exploring the life size chess game on the lawn behind the restaurant. There is also a quaint kids playground in the back where I pushed Vivi in a bucket swing. Max wasn't too into the playground, but he loved the chess set. In fact he loved it so much that if anyone tried to capture one of his pieces he broke down in tears. But by the end of our stay he finally started to enjoy capturing and succumbing — Katrina helped him get into and over it.

When we ate at Cascade, Max wanted to sit by the fireplace when ever possible. The staff was very accommodating to his request. In fact, I read a lot of reviews on Yelp and Trip Advisor and heard from a few friends that the restaurant was pretty bad and that the service was slow to terrible — so my expectations were very low. We only had one poorly serviced meal while most of the staff who helped us were either normal or even super nice. The food was just fine — it's on par with Chow or Home. The fresh banana bread is particularly good, the lattes were enjoyable and I really liked the pasta primavera (had it 2x). Also they give you coupons for $8 off per person per breakfast which makes it a no-brainer to eat on site. The restaurant is filled with families so it's super kid friendly. We met many many nice people while eating there. Reviewers also complained about the general store, but again I disagree with what I read. The store has a little bit of everything from foods and sundries to sand toys, kites, music and clothes and they stock nice high end quality items not cheezy stuffs.

Technorati Tags: Bay Area, holiday, travel

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We are off for a few days to nearby Costanoa — which they call an eco-adventure resort but I've been told it's pretty much fancy camping (or camping for wimps). I read about it originally here. Either way we are looking forward to retreating from "normal" life and enjoying some nature adventures of our own. We've got the new Bob Revolution for pushing Max long distances (it's amazing!) plus a kite — consider the fun already started!

I've gathered some recommendations of things to do while there:
Eat:
Duarte's Tavern
Davenport Roadhouse
Arcangeli Grocery Company/Norm's Market
Mercado & Taqueria De Amigos (wow amazing yelp reviews!)
Gazo's Grill

Visit:
Seashore & tidepools
Ano Nuevo State Reserve
Pigeon Lighthouse
Harley Farms Goat Dairy: tour and milk goats, sample goat cheese. Need reservations — weekends only.
Arata Pumpkin Farm
Phipps Country Store & Farm
Coastways Ranch (for olallieberries) and Swanton Berry Farm (organic strawberries)
Bonnydoon Vineyard: Wine tasting and picnic — other wineries for more of the same
Roaring Camp Railroads: Ride steam trains through the redwoods or take a beach train through Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Seymour Marine Discovery Center
Rancho Del Oso State Park and Nature & History Center

Study:
Marine Biology primer for preschoolers

Technorati Tags: california, travel

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One line of thinking was that Vivienne would love the waterfall and moving figurines, perhaps even the sound of the waterfall and motor would lull her to sleep...ha ha ha! The wall in Old Mill was picture book madness and Vivi couldn't tear her eyes away from it, not even for one second. We had to turn it off and keep it off and even then it was hard to keep her from wanting to bang, beat, eat, and crawl all over it. Aside from Vivi's issues, the rooms wallpaper kept little bunny and I in a glittering despair! Please make it stop!! Well, you must know that the Madonna Inn doesn't let up, not for one teeny tiny second — be prepared.

Old Mill aside, Julie cruise director - aka Auntie - and I had a marvelous time! We gossiped away the time on the long drives and even managed to read the manual and figure out how to fill the car up with oil when the warning light came on (!). We leisurely strolled the lovely tree lined streets of SLO and enjoyed all the trip advisor recommended dining places such as Tsurugi, Novo and Linnaea's. All in all a lovely time. xxoo

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I was actually charmed by this room (not including the iron lamps over the bedside tables). The light up paintings, the painted wall murals, the violet floral hand painted sink basins and the stain glass window were all low art but in the most fabulously heightened tacky way. Plus the purple carpet was a brilliant touch! The grinning Ms. Vivienne was right at home. I'd stay in Paris Violets again for sure.

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Little bunny and decided to jaunt off for a few days and enjoy some sisterly 'girls only' time. We headed down the coast to San Luis Obispo. We stayed at the Madonna Inn — a strange place indeed. The hotel features some insane "interior design" if you can call it that. I thought the whole place was wildly visually assaulting, but in an amusing disneyland kinda way. It's aged, run-down and in desperate need of updating while at the same time being very clean and well kept, a strange paradox.

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No trip around the pond is complete without admiring the many birdhouses. Virginia certainly is the best place for a bird to call home.

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Oh those twinkling eyes combined with her deeply dimpled grinning cheeks and the perfect diamond that her teeth make when she smiles (you can't see it in this shot but it's in there) — it's my auntie Gail! I love this photo (she'll probably grimace!) because it has that late night, "we told all" knowing look. This is a truly special look that she gives only a few times per visit and only once we''ve caught up, kvetched, and then had that soulful nod of acknowledgment which says, "yes, this is it". She's amazing, truly one-of-a-kind, and she'll say it like it is then tell you to get over it, all while pointing out the proper etiquette of the situation — I aspire. And I need to call more often — I cherish you!

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The Easter Bunny managed to find us in Purcellville, Virginia—imagine that!



The glorious looks of shear delight and surprise on Max's face were priceless. I adore seeing the light beam from his eyes. What's not to love about Easter eh? A basket filled with chocolates and jellybeans, plus we added some books and little toys, and a day filled with hunting for eggs filled with MORE jellybeans! Aunnie was forced to reenacted the egg hunt numerous times.

I love this photo. Aunnie looks (and feels) just like I did — tired but so happy. But she gets all the credit for the easter hunt success! Well done and many thank yous!

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Max thoroughly enjoyed the science of measuring, pouring, and fuzzy colored pill dropping as well as the art of egg dipping. The activity kept his attention for quite awhile which was impressive. The results were stunning. Sadly the weird spring weather forced us to choose an indoor plastic egg hunt, so these little masterpieces weren't hunted. However they did end up as delicious egg salad sandwiches, mmmm thank you Gail.

Technorati Tags: holiday, preschooler

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Breakfast at Cafe Falai did not disappoint. Delicious yogurt with berries and candied almonds, the ever consistent Illy cafe coffee and the above donut-like pastry called bambolini filled with berries and custard. Mmmmmm. The environment is a chic white on white with more white experience.

Next we wandered around for more shopping. I found my new favorite black bag to replace the one I've been carrying for the last 5 years at Mayle. What a fabulous little boutique with very stylish and well made garments. I took the look book and found quite a few things I'd love to have for fall, but uh hem who am I kidding? I've got a baby to birth and then baby boot camp to survive?! Across the street is a funky toy store called DAILY 2.3.5 with wonderful tin toys and other great finds like a Brio Golden Gate bridge. Next I fell in love with all the gorgeous colors of both the housewares and the jewels from Dinosaur Designs. There were so many objects I admired and wanted. the color combos alone inspired me greatly.

We walked by Oilily and they were having a "everything in this box is $3 sale" so I dug through and got the baby girl in my belly her first super girly pink flowery outfit and darling sea horse socks. So sweet and cute! So much for gender neutral. We had to return home with a gift for Max so after hitting Kid Robot and Evolution we finally settled on the more preschool appropriate choice of Scholastic and got Max an "I Spy" puzzle and book (he loves the ones he has).

We got hungry (again!) and stopped at Centovini for some cured meats, cheeses and shared a scrumptious bolognese pasta. This place is very classy inside without being pretentious (especially in comparison to the grandiose interior of Del Posto - which is far far bigger but they should hire Centovini's interior designer and I'd think it was perfect). We both loved the rubber tables - a brilliant surface. I'd recommend this place as a perfect date spot. Centovini's attached wine store also does not dismay. We picked up two bottles on our way to our friends loft for dinner that night (and what a wonderful dinner it was —thank you so much Michael & Stellah!)

And during dinner Stellah surprised me with a very thoughtful gift. She knows I love yarn and knitting and she came across this un-dyed beautiful handspun wool and picked up two different hanks for me. So sweet, thank you darling! I need to research natural dying methods...quick searches show Fiber Arts links, and the Herb Society looks really informative, sheep to shawl as well, your history blog looks fascinating, one blog link led me to Procion, while Two Sheep goes into madder root dye, ok I could link on and on but this should get me started.

Technorati Tags: eating, fine dining, New York, travel

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We had a nice breakfast (but spaced out bad waitress) at the trendy parisian wannabe cafe called Balthazar. The cinnamon pastry was best (we had the pain au chocolate and the brioche too) washed 'em down with lattes in big bowls. My granola with dried cherries was super yummy and the soft boiled eggs with soldier toast points made my hubby happy. We then wandered around around all day checking out store after store mostly in SOHO but sadly no purchases were made. (Saw plenty to buy, don't get me wrong, I jjust couldn't get over the first purchase hurdle) One favorite and unique store to (re)discover was Opening Ceremony.

We ran into the frozen yogurt phenomenon called Pinkberry. A good friend raved about it so I really wanted to try. It does not disappoint. It tastes sour and tart like real yogurt but has just enough hinting of sweetness to be perfect —add toppings and you're in heaven (0 fat, 5 sugars, 6 carbs — no wonder the line is so long and filled with super models). Seriously, be prepared, the line is literally out the door but the people who work there are nice and handle the nightmare chaos in the tiny store.

At about 3pm we got hungry. We jumped in a cab taking the chance that we may not get a seat as we searched for the tiny restaurant Momofuko. The pork buns, grilled octopus salad, the Momofuko ramen plus the chicken over rice were all amazing. The beer was awesome too and label was so cute I had to take a picture. I'd go back in a heart beat and if I lived near there I'd eat it weekly. Super freakin' delicious.

We met a friend for a frosty beverage at Schiller's. Great drink menu including Pimms cups and a delicious homemade lemonade. It's a great hang out spot. We also wandering into cocoa bar and picked up a truffle or two and admired the simplicity and beauty of this cafe/bar concept. Why doesn't San Francisco have a cafe, chocolate and wine bar in one?

Then we headed back to our claustrophobic hotel suite for a little pre-dinner rest. It's funny I should complain about it 'cause it has stunning floor to ceiling windows and great views, but when the curtains are closed they are 3 inches from the end of the bed — and the bed is the only piece of furniture in the room. Plus there's only about the same width as an airplane aisle on the sides and the room's hallway. The bathroom door has to be closed to use the loo and sink. All the walls are a painfully blank and unimaginative white which really depresses me. Good thing the bathroom was floor to ceiling Bizazza tile and the shower was huge with two heads and big windows and I didn't run out of hot water. We'd actually stopped by the Bizazza show room earlier that day (image above) — I love those tiles! (We did our kitchen back splash with them)

Dinner was at 8:30 at Del Posto, The space is huge and there's lots to like about it and as much to dislike. While its grand, it also feels stuffy and I kept thinking it's like an old hotel lobby meets prom date spot. But for all my initial critical thinking dinner turned out to be amazing. We had the seven course chefs tasting and not a single dish disappointed, some like the shaved truffle pasta and kobe beef were simply heavenly. I particularly enjoyed the time to hang out with good friends and carry on a conversation that lasted hours. I can't believe I made it out to 1 am.

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We arrived in the "bargain district" in the late afternoon via the controlled $45 taxi fare (so how come on the way back to the airport you have to pay the metered fare?) which was easy breezy enough. The Rivington hotel was nice enough, but what an odd 2nd floor reception area they have. It reminded me of the movie Being John Malkovich 'cause the ceiling is so low and the desk so big and terribly awkward in the space that the three very friendly men working there seem ridiculously cramped. The hotel itself has the vibe of the Standard in LA mixed with the Gansevoort NY but isn't as low down cool as the Standard or chic and refined like the Gansevoort. The restaurant and bar Thor gets insanely packed on friday and saturday nights and I could hear it for hours up on the 10th floor, urgh. Anyway, not trying to write a hotel review here — just ranting.

After switching rooms (corner suite vs soaking tub and balcony) and decompressing we headed out for a walk and dinner. We wandered around and ended up eating at Freemans. It's a cool, hipster guy inspired spot. It serves comfy homey kind of foods in an awesome space I can only describe as carnivore lovers meet anthropologie's charm. The decor details are warm and rustic and I love that it's located at the end of an alley with strings of lights overhead reminiscent of a Cinema Paradiso outdoor scene. My favorite dish was the artichoke dip appetizer. Sadly the phone camera couldn't handle the low light but the result suits the experience.

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We stayed at Ana y Jose and it truly was a charming beach hotel. We had Suite Nube (right off the pool lower floor) and my parents had the utterly fabulous Suite Estrella (top floor, deck with view of beach, peaked thatched roof and hammock). We all were quite happy and really enjoyed our stay. I highly recommend it and can't wait to return one day.

Below are tips I was given before visiting and some opinion additions I put in, I hope you find them helpful. Please leave me a comment if you do.

GETTING THERE

We took Delta and had to lay over in Salt Lake City. Turns out Alaska Airlines just started a direct to Cancun flight, I recommend you take that. It was suggested to us that the easiest thing would be to rent a car at the Cancun airport. Driving in the Yucatan is very easy and hassle free. Tulum is about 1 ½ hours south of Cancun by car on the main coastal highway. Directions are very easy from the rental car pick up area. Most car rental services are available for an online or phone reservation before you go. Once you reach the town of Tulum, you will take the first left after the road to the Tulum ruins and follow it until you reach the beach road where you will have to turn either right or left. Ana y jose and many other hotels are to the right. However, some are to the left. There should be signage directing you which way to turn for your hotel. Some hotels may offer shuttle service from the airport and there is also bus service from Cancun. We opted to pay for our hotel to pick us up which I think is the most hassle free thing anyone could do. I love not having to think about how to get there after a long flight. We had the usual "you are now in Mexico" experience, as our driver brought a car too small to accommodate 4 adults, a child (in a car seat) and all our luggage. Mind you, my parents had big-ol-bags! They tried to talk us into leaving our bags at the airport and they'd bring them later that night after they pick up the guests who were coming in on a flight three hours later. Uh no way jose. Around and around we went, but it worked out in the end. We ended up renting a car and the two men caravanned behind us.

SIGHT SEEING & SNORKELING

I heard that the Mayan ruins at Tulum were worth a visit since there's an amazing view and only a short drive from Ana y Jose. But I was feeling far to happy just hanging out on the perfect beach. Another great day trip would have been Chichén Itzá. Founded in A.D. 495, this is one of world’s great archeological wonders and one of the most completely restored sites in the Yucatán. But again we couldn't muster the energy to wake up at the recommended hour of 6am, drive two hours and stay all day, it's tough with a napping toddler too. Could have been fun as an overnight trip with a stay at the renovated Hacienda, but we didn't want to pack up and move. So I am happy to report that we did make it to the ruins at Coba. Hopefully the phrase seen one ruin seen 'em all applies here?

One of the wonders of the Mayan Riviera is the many cenotes, carved from limestone and filled with water from underground rivers. You’ll notice signs for different cenotes as you come down the highway from Cancun. There are quite a few just minutes from Tulum. Bring your snorkel gear and have a refreshing freshwater swim. We rented snorkel gear from the stand across from the restaurant Zamas and snorkeled the Grand Cenote. It was fun but there's not that much to see under there beside the cave walls - the fish there are insignificant and ther are too many tourists in the small pools. It would have been much more satisfying to dive through the caves. Best part for me was seeing the bats flying through the air.

Just off the beaches at Tulum is one of the world’s most beautiful reefs. Snorkeling trips to the reef are offered at a small kiosk on the beach road, before you get to the Ana y Jose resort. Just drop by and make a reservation for a trip out to the reef. There is also a dive shop in Akumal (about 20 minutes back up the highway toward Cancun). Great snorkeling without a boat ride is available at Yakul lagoon, which just outside Akumal.

At the end of the beach road is the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve we were recommend to take the tour given by Cesiak. Check out their site and make a reservation for a tour.

EATING

Ana y jose has an ok good restaurant, we liked it best for lunch and enjoyed the quesadillas and ceviches. THe margaritas aren't so good here so stick to the pinas or beers. The restaurant Zamas is just down the beach road This has the best spot for sunset cocktail and guacamole! If you make it up to Akumal, the seafood restaurant to the left of the parking lot is supposedly delicious and offers a selection of fish from the local fishermen.

For a delicious gourmet feast try Hechizo which is located on the beach road just outside the Biosphere. Drive through the Rancho San Erik gate and enter the restaurant. Reservations are a good idea. Hechizo (means enchantment) was by far my favorite experience, the decor and service are lovely. The landscaping is very romantic and secluded. I didn't order the best meal, apparently the scallops we to die for, but my watermelon goat cheese starter salad was divine and every dessert was perfect (e had them all!) and the drinks were perfect.

PACKING

Tulum is very casual so bring as little as possible! While we were there the days got up to about 90 and the nights down to 78, I never needed the sweater or coat I brought. The ocean swimming is wonderful, so bring a suit and best to bring a wrap and a towel so you can save the two towels the hotel gives you for bathing. The mosquitoes are not bad, but some repellant is helpful if you are a tasty morel (like little bunny!). Also it’s handy to have a flashlight or two along, as many grounds and the beach are not well lit. Some resorts only have electricity until midnight and a flashlight can come in handy. Be sure to bring sunscreen, but don’t wear it when you go snorkeling, as it damages the reef. Bring a light shirt to wear over your suit for snorkeling.

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Good morning Suite Nube!

A little shark took over the table while we dined at Mezzanine (beautiful vibe, delicious thai food, and a hip hang out spot).

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Night dancing with the waves in Tulum.

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Taking a mini break to Mexico. Back in a week.

In Maya, Tulum means "Wall", it's aptly named as Tulum is a walled city; one of the very few the ancients ever built. Research suggests it was formerly called Zama or "to dawn" in its day. It seems "Tulum" is the name given the site following a visit by the explorers Stephens and Catherwood in 1841 (lithograph of Tulum's temple from 1844).

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It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters, in the end. — Ursula K Le Guin

While wandering the streets of Vancouver I found a clothing store {will post shop name when I find the card} with a wonderful window display of knit art. A street bench, bicycle and street sign were all wrapped in knit fabric. Every little detail had been covered including the bicycle lock. There were also a few felted birds in the display. Love love love it. The shop girl said Daria didn't actually knit any of it but used fabric from the shop's products to sew it all together. The art school purest part of me wishes it had all been hand knit, but I suppose that really shouldn't matter. And using the shop's leftover material should be seen as an environmentally brilliant move on the part of the artist. So I've talked myself right out of a critique. Turns out Daria is from Vancouver too. I'm so glad I walked by.

Now let me get back to San Francisco...

Technorati Tags: Canada, knitting, travel, Vancouver, yarn

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Turns out our favorite breakfast spot, Diner, has an owner who has a flaky reputation. This explains why the restaurant has mysteriously been closed for the last two days even though the hours say it's only closed on Monday. Humphf. So we turned around yet again and ate at the Opus Hotel's spot Elixir. It is quite good and I highly recommend the scrumptious liege waffles.

We also went back to Stanley Park so we could play tourist, see the totem poles, check out the scenic views and let Max kick up the leaves and have some fall fun in the playground. It was quite chilly but we all had a great time.

Too bad we didn't find this awesome grocery store earlier, as it's far better than Choices. Urban Fare has an amazing selection and a yummy eat in or take out restaurant. We had a quick bite of Italian roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and edamame salad. It was delicious.

Well, there are just some fabulous things one misses out on when they have children, wah wah. We tried to get into the "no reservation policy" restaurant Vijs and failed. We got there before they were open and then went for about a 2 block stroll. Next thing you know we get back and there was already an hour waiting list. That's a seriously popular restaurant! The owner came outside and told us to eat next door at Rangoli which is also his place. It's a modern cafe style eat in or take out. All the tiny tables are attached to the kitchen with these small glass tiled screens so you can catch glimpses of the gorgeous Indian women who are doing the cooking. Max was fascinated by them and they loved him back. He has a way with the ladies. The food is great, the people nice (as are most Canadians) and the take out looks great. I loved the packaging design and both places have stylish interiors.

Technorati Tags: Canada, fine dining, toddler, travel, Vancouver

Posted by big bunny at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Happy Halloween everyone! Our little pumpkin is running around Vancouver looking so adorable. He's just learned "trick or treat" and has managed to start scoring candy. He's convinced that this is Candy Day and also it's the Pumpkin's birthday. I tried to sing the happy birthday song to the pumpkin, but he said no, no mommy not without a candle to blow out.

We experienced a big power outage this morning due to the heinous construction right below us. We heard the huge boom and then blackness fell. Max was so sad as it cut off Curious George on TV - this also made my getting ready time cut short. Turns out it effected a two block radius so we couldn't get our Agro coffee fix or eat at the super yummy Diner. We headed up to the Elbow Room. This funky little spot serves up big portions of ok fare but what's fun about it (if you're in the mood) is the major grumpy attitude they serve and are infamous for. The waiter ask what you'd like to drink, you say water, they tell you to get off your ass and get it yourself. Want a second cup of joe - same dealio.

Next we strolled and shopped along Robson Street. Nothing too special to see as it has all the same major stores most cities have. We did find a cute sweater and hat for Max at Zara and I got a little pair of fingerless gloves with a mitten pullover feature. I'm hoping they'll keep my fingers warm on the ghost train ride later tonight.

Max had his first trick-or-treat experience cruising up and down the shops in Yaletown. Most of the stores were handing out candy between 3:30 and 6:00 pm. There were lots of kids between newborn and about seven or eight years old and Max was stunned. He also had his first real scare. A creepy man hiding behind a ghoulish mask was lurking about. At one point we were behind him and Max called him scary guy. I said yes he is scary guy and the man quickly turned got right in our faces and wiggled his fingers at us. Max burst into tears. Horrible to behold. He barely uttered a word the entire time and only said trick-or-treat twice and muttered a few thank you when we were far out of ear shot. He's never been like that before. However he quickly understood the concept of sweet candy and lollipops. A sugar monster has officially been born.

We got in the car just after 5pm to make the 6pm ghost train. It's only about 10 minutes away, but we didn't factor in Vancouver's rush hour. Uh oh. By 5:30 we'd only made it to the beginning of West Georgia and the traffic was intense. Hubby and I both had that parental holy crap moment. It had been such a struggle to get these tickets and Max was all pumped up on sugar and repeating pumpkin train over and over — we were hell bent to make it to the train ride. So imagine our elation to discover that West Georgia has an HOV car pool lane! Of course we had to share it with the buses and some really bad drivers, but we made it to Stanley Park in about 15 minutes. we ran to will call, got the tickets and jumped on the train, woo hoo! But here's the rub. We thought the super campy b-movie silliness was hilarious, but Max wasn't sure what to make of the whole thing and he was probably more scared than we realized.

We dined on delicious fresh seafood at a very cool spot called Rodney's Oyster House. The staff was super friendly and comp'd us free appetizers and gave Max star treatment. A good time!

sweet dreams.

Technorati Tags: Canada, fine dining, toddler, travel, Vancouver

Posted by big bunny at 4:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We knocked off Agro Cafe again this morning. I say knocked off since I'm still feeling horribly guilty about our little devil toddler who knocked an african statue off the display shelf and broke it in two. It also hit his head on the way to the floor and of course scared him into hysterics. I feel extra terrible because I think the owner had probably hand carried it back from Africa where he'd obviously traveled to work with the fair trade coffee growers. In the cafe he has a slide show on the wall with all his trip photos proudly educating all about fair trade and African coffee farmers. What a bummer eh?! Urgh.

I was really looking forward to our journey across the bridge to the craft section of town. Granville Island has a big public market with lots of food stalls both prepared stuffs and groceries. It doesn't disappoint. There's lots to see, taste and buy. There's also a fabulous Kids Market with lots of specialty toys, books, music, stickers, stamps, clothes and more all just for kids. The building also has some coin operated rides and a little play area. The surrounding streets have lots of local stores and crafters from glass blowing, painters, printmaking and letterpress shops and even a handmade shoe shop. We also strolled by a cool looking design, art and media school. But I was so sad that there wasn't a great yarn shop. I talked to one local who said there used to be a woman spinning in the public market but she hadn't been around in ages. What a missed opportunity! I did see one silk yarn shop but they were making all their fabric on looms and there was also a shop selling really funky felted goods, but it's just not what I was looking for. I was also freezing as the temperature had dropped to 5C and really wanted to buy some wooly mittens, hat and a scarf. With seven months a year being between chilly and freezing I can't believe there isn't a fabulous knit shop in this artsy hood. Someone needs to open a yarn shop with lots of hand made knitted goodies, spinning and more, please.

Later, the ever remarkable Mr. Bun ran up to the local fancy market Choices and bought a pumpkin for Max. I drew four faces on paper for Max to choose from. Mr. Bun then carved it in less than 30 minutes and only using a wine opener knife, well done daddy. Max was of course was only fascinated with the lighting and then blowing out of the candle.

Dinner tonight was AMAZING. Seriously we had a lifetime wonderful meal at Tojo's {thank you Dan!}. I love this restaurant. It's so laid back and unassuming and then serves up the most artistically delicious combinations of Japanese food. WOW. We had the omakase "I'm in your hands" menu which was stunningly beautiful and delicious. Our sake was poured and served in chilled bamboo stalks. Our waitress Sachi was so sweet that Max fell instantly in love with her and never wanted her to leave the table. When asked "what kind of food would I eat if I could only have one choice?" The answer, Tojo's. So get yourself there.

Technorati Tags: Canada, craft, fine dining, knitting, toddler, travel, Vancouver, yarn

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We've already found the perfect breakfast spot and have been twice so far. It looks like they have a wonderful lunch and diner menu too and it's super kid friendly while not all dumbed down like a lot of "family friendly" spots. It's just around the corner from the Opus at 1269 Hamilton St. called simply Diner. The food is homestyle gourmet. The bodums of coffee and the very special cinnamon rolls are delicious.

Then we headed to Stanley Park. It is truly a gorgeous park with water on most sides and views of the city and mountains. There are many paths to walk, run, ride and stroll and many attractions like the totems, the miniature railway, children's petting farm and the aquarium. We'd been told by many locals that the aquarium was great so we headed there. There are two big rooms filled with tanks of all sorts of underwater beauties. We also spied a big jellyfish exhibit that was opening soon, looked super cool. The amazon exhibit is a rare treat. As you cruise through the steamy jungle lots of animals are just roaming free like the crimson ibis above as well as turtles, sloths and other creatures. In tanks they had pythons, rainbow boas and more. Lastly we saw the beautiful white blubbery Beluga Whales. Max was thrilled and captivated.

We had a spectacular dinner at a beautiful Belgian restaurant called Chambar in the Gastown district. I highly recommend it. I had divine and extraordinarily large mussels in a vin blanc soup with frites and Mr. Bun had an authentic tangine of lamb and couscous with all the spice trimmings. The view out the back dining room windows is sparkling and the space, art and decor are industrial warm and tres chic.

Before we took off back to the "hotel in bancouver" as Max says, Max wanted to open the sun roof and have a look out. He gave us a glimpse into the future! He laughed and screamed with joy, hip hip hurray! I can only imagine the ruckus my little gremlin boy will be causing as he drives around drunk with his head out the sunroof someday!!

Technorati Tags: Canada, toddler, travel, Vancouver

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Today we hit the Telus Science World Museum. Must admit I was super disappointed because the bubble exhibit I'd been talking up to Max and he'd looking forward to was closed due to the ever popular human body exhibit. While the human body show seems cool to anyone who can read or better yet has body consciousness, it's not so good for our little bubble loving two year old. Good thing he's fairly easily distracted and they have some permanent exhibits which have some water making bubble effects— tricky but passable. We found the kiddie space on the 2nd floor just beyond the Eureka theater a great toddler spot.

We toured Gastown by street light, which probably wasn't such a good idea. The neighborhood is quite sketchy. Seriously, it feels far more tense than our tenderloin. We even found a plaque calling it an historical "skid-row". Yes, that feels like the right label. We tried to stay on Water Street under the bright lights and near some open stores and restaurants. Highlights were the very very chic mens clothing store Komakino [hidden down a steep brick staircase, ring the bell. Look for the ransom type on the sandwich board, but only in the next six months as apparently this store moves around], a chic modernist furniture store called Inform, and the world's only steam clock which chimes on the the quarter hour and sings at the top of the hour.

Technorati Tags: Canada, toddler, travel, Vancouver

Posted by big bunny at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. — Marcel Proust

Oh Canada! We made it to Vancouver. We are enjoying the ever lovely boutique hotel Opus. We upgraded to the 4th floor SE corner suite overlooking the future Yaletown Station on Davie St. [Must admit I'm thinking a construction discount would be a nice touch.] The Hotel staff are very sweet and helpful I especially like all the cute doormen who are great with Max. They tolerate him pushing the handicap door opening buttons over and over and over. The Yaletown neighborhood is very charming with all the brick buildings, modernist lofts, old town streets with lots of cafes and nice shops which makes strolling quite enjoyable.

We took a long walk along the waterfront and came across many playgrounds. It's impressive to be in a neighborhood that's so kid friendly [dog too]. So far our only kid unfriendly complaint is the dinnertime dining. We're sure we've been turned away with "nothing available" or "come back in an hour and a half" because we walk up with a chatty toddler in a big ass stroller. Oh well. At least we enjoyed a beautiful sunset view of the Granville Market. And within the first 12 hours we found the perfect latte at Agro Cafe — it's just about as good as Blue Bottle and that's high praise.

Technorati Tags: Canada, travel, Vancouver

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OUTSIDE SIAM REAP, CAMBODIA

I went deep off the world grid and hours into the northern fields of Cambodia and met one of only three women provincial council leaders in the whole country. Her story of surviving the Khmer Rouge regime and being one of the only survivors left in her village who knew how to read was gut wrenching [she was interned at age 10]. She became the “go to” person for helping aid in any necessary reading — especially important documents like land deals and government legalities. It slowly became clear that she naturally held an important role and she desired to make it official. She easily won her seat on the provincial council but it took much longer to gain the trust of the people as the previous leader had tricked them out of the funds they had given to create a ground water well and he was never seen again. She decided to put up her own land and only ox as collateral so the people would trust her and invest again. If anything went wrong she would be homeless and have no assets. I think only a woman would have done this, don’t you?! It worked, she gained their trust and was able to get the village their first ground well. She’s gone on to do many wonderful things for her people, has been re-elected many times, and has joined forces with other female leaders to give training sessions on how to lead and best practices. She is a widow and mother of five and was proud while not at all arrogant to say she can do anything a man can, and even more. More lovely images from Cambodia here and here.

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA

While in Phnom Penh, Cambodia I met two women who founded their own media center/radio station [above center] which airs programs entirely dedicated to women's issues. Yes, this is the one and only station doing such a thing and it bumps up against government and other male agendas frequently. They’ve overcome