September in Sonoma

And when September hit my hands were empty. I took a breath and watched the ash settle. Then took a week off work and drove the family up the coast, just in time for September sunsets, peak season produce, the yearly potluck with friends and
the samba party of the year. Everything went off without a hitch, other than two missing baby hats and the ten additional hours missing from each vacation day.
But Elias and Tino are perfect vacation buddies, my friends are incredible, and I am the luckiest girl ever.
This is how it went:

Our first time touring outside of LA, we stopped for breakfast and found a true piece of Americana for the boys. At a truck stop diner, we choked down some biscuits and eggs as the folks at the next table savored the newly announced nomination of Sara Palin for Vice President. I strained my ears a bit to get a inside perspective on Palin fever, and instead, got hit with the 'N-word.' McCain and Palin seemed like purdy good people, and at least they would keep that Nigger out of office.

Tino and Elias posed for a picture and we cherished the first leg of our trip.


We continued on up PCH and made a couple more pit stops:




Daddy kept telling me to get his baby away from the edge of that cliff.




We swung through Santa Cruz just long enough to pick up with fellow Peace Corps vet, Scott, and go to th Power to the Peaceful Concert in Golden Gate Park where we met up with other movers and shakers with the African connections (including two other PCVs from Tanzania *gasp*! that were randomly sitting directly behind us, my incredible friend Margaret who opened an eye clinic in Camaroon, and, well, Barack Obama no less.)




We returned to Santa Cruz, also known as 'Paradise' to my husband, and had more good times with the great Scott Pietka and the orange parasol:


Elias loves Scott.

Next stop was Pigeon Point Lighthouse. I think these hostels are such treasures, to be able to stay in beautiful places for a bargain. After a giggle fit with Elias, one of the hostel workers, Sparrow, convinced us to go in the private hot tub while she stayed with Elias. You could tell it meant a lot to her, and we were certainly glad to enjoy the outdoor tub at the top of a craggy cliff and listen to waves crashing. We stayed up with Sparrow for awhile and listened to her tell her own story: she was working at the hostel as away to life at a place she loved and was attempting to write a book. Her own son had died of cancer when he was twelve. It was a remarkable story and one of those reasons why its nice to stay in hostels, in close proximity to others. One of the downfalls of hostels, however, is the thin walls which meant that the next morning everyone was commenting on what a happy baby we had. They had heard his giggle fits.



Serious Elias.



Giggly Elias.





Pensive Alison.



Happy Family.

Monday morning it was breakfast at Tartine's! Tino was scared driving downtown San Francisco. Maybe he was remembering the earthquake he recently felt, and the history of San Francisco, but I think it was that he had never been right in the middle of so many 'skyscrapers.' He took more pictures of the streets from inside the car (it would be funny to post the plethora of pics that we have of a blurry landscape outside of a window that reflects our messy dashboard but here is one to give some flavor.)


They did show the silly paper flowers from Olvera St. in LA that I hauled up to give to Amy for her birthday. Silly silly.

Anyway! Tartine's, one of the tastiest bakeries and breakfast nooks on earth, was the meeting spot for the betrothed bride and groom, Lyla and Elias. And it was also wonderful to see Lucia and Shawn, an incredible couple.



I got an incredible massage from Margaret, we cruised around some more of the city,




and Shawn gave Tino a guitar. It cost ten dollars to repair, and is the perfect evening medicine to alleviate a fussy baby, Tino sits outside in the evenings and plays.