On Monday, we drove across the bridge to Mount Tamalpais. Of course, Mom and Esther wanted to climb it. They asked if anybody else wanted to go and I was the only one who said yes....I'm glad I did, because the view from 2,604 feet up is gorgeous. There was a fog over San Francisco that day, but when we got up to the top the sun was shining and all the fog and cloud was below us. It seemed like the planes were flying at eye level, and it looked like everything was ant-sized, the way it does when you are just starting to land. The boys (Rosse, Dad, John and Samuel) cheated, and met us at the top of the mountain. They drove us back down to a really cute English Tudor-style house that had been turned into a pub and restaurant. It was so cozy in there and everything felt very authentic, even the weather (we drove back down into fog). We had to wait in the pub for a couple hours until the restaurant opened. There was a dart board there and we played a couple matches until we were able to be seated. It was a great dinner and it really filled us up after that hike!
Tuesday morning rolled around, and of course Mom had something planned. We ate a quick breakfast--you know the English are big on good breakfasts--and rushed out the door. It was a welcome break for my mom when Dad drove the car for the hour it took to get to San Juan Bautista Mission. I don't really know how to describe it, but when you enter a monastery that is older than the state of Texas, you get this sense that you are supposed to whisper, and just listen. Of course, there were no signs that told us to do so, but the quite awe of this place was too peaceful to shatter. One room in the mission had several music books, handwritten and illustrated. One would think the queen of England had commissioned them, with their beautiful calligraphy and goldleafing. We left the peaceful rooms of San Juan Bautista to experience a more lively building....
We hopped in the car, drove a little longer, and got out in Monterey. The town itself is pretty touristy. I guess that would be expected of the place with the best aquarium in the country. Situated right on the bay, and easily reached by a short walk from our parking garage, the aquarium is home to many local (and not so local) aquatic animals and fish. Among the many exhibits there, one of the best, and most fascinating, is the kelp forest. I'm not talking about a little room with fish bowls and pieces of the stuff in them, I'm referring to the three-story tank that houses the largest, and only, kelp forest exhibit in the world. It was magnificent to see. After viewing numerous other exhibits, we headed back to Atherton for dinner with the Heslops, who just happen to be darn good cooks, as well as superb friends.
