I knew their visit would be fun but I really feel like it was a gift to have them all to myself. With such a large family and the great distance between all of us it's a real challenge to spend quality time with each and every loved one. As we've gotten older, busier and further away this has become even more apparent. Which, in truth, is why we love having visitors -- it's a chance to spend a few days together and catch-up one on one.
This is exactly how we felt about Grandpa and Acey's visit -- it's probably been over a decade since I've had the chance to spend so much time alone with them. I love all of my aunts, uncles and cousins dearly, but it's hard to get a word in edgewise with those Hofflander boys sometimes!! ;)
On Friday, Andrew was in lab and I was at work so Grandpa and Acey spent the day out on Alcatraz. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great....
but they're Minnesotan's and toughed it out.
I think whether you're 7 or 70, Alcatraz is sooo cool. The tour is fantastic and you have a surprising amount of freedom to wander around. And I don't care what you all say, a museum that doesn't have "don't touch" signs is WAY more fun then the stuffy, quiet kind :)
We converged after a day in lab, jail and a cubicle, respectively, for dinner in North Beach - otherwise known as "Little Italy" in SF. We ate at a cute little Italian place (big shocker there, I know ha) and planned the rest of our weekend.
Andrew had to leave for a conference in Detroit on Sunday, so Saturday we spent walking around Berkeley. They got a feel for campus, Andrew's lab, Telegraph Ave and northside (the neighborhoods we live in). This is the UC Berkeley President's house on campus.
On Sunday, I played tour guide and took Grandpa and Acey all around San Francisco. Our first stop after Union Square and a failed attempt to see a trolley car was Lombard Street.
After checking out Chrisy Field we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge to my favorite lookout over the city. For a minute it looked like we weren't going to make it up there because the long, steep road up to the lookout was closed for construction. However, one of the benefits of being a Grandpa -- people generally let you do whatever you want. The attendant monitoring traffic took one look at us and let us right through! Score!
As usual, the view impressed and was a highlight of the day.
For lunch and a little shopping (or napping in the car with an ice cream cone if you're Grandpa) we drove a little further north to Sausalito. We found a casual little waterfront cafe with views across the bay of the SF skyline. Our leisurely lunch and spectacular view from the table made this one of Acey's favorite parts of the trip.
We made one more stop in the city before heading back over to Berkeley. Acey was nice (and strong) enough to hold up one of the Painted Ladies for a picture ;) I have no shame when taking dorky pictures haha If you look closely in our house you'll spot a picture of Andrew pushing the Leaning Tower of Pisa onto me. Love it.
Some of the prettiest Victorians are in the area surrounding the Painted Ladies. The three of us voted and we liked this one the best.
Alas, we made it back to Berkeley for dinner and some more relaxation. We planned what they would do on Monday. They ended up going in to SF to see a trolley car (third time's a charm) and then down to Stanford before catching a plane up to Seattle to see Michelle and Evan graduate.
Our weekend was busy and memorable. I would love more opportunities to spend quality time with my favorite people (if you're reading this, then that probably includes you).Thanks to Grandpa and Acey for your generosity...edible "tips" for my touring services are much appreciated :)
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