The Past Couple of Weeks

The past couple of weeks have been busy and full of great times.  Aaron's parents, Dean and Rosanne, just left town after spending two weeks in the area.  They planned a fantastic trip, and with the exception of a couple of really rainy days in San Francisco, I think they had a wonderful adventure!  The first week was spent in SF visiting the many attractions and taking a couple of day trips to nearby parks.  On the days we had to work we all met in the evenings for dinner.  They mastered the public transportation system taking the Muni out to our neighborhood most nights.  You would never have known they were tourists!  Aaron and I had so much fun showing them some of our favorite places throughout SF.  We strolled through Golden Gate Park, walked part of The Land's End Trail, and drove over the amazing Golden Gate Bridge and up the winding hills of Marin County.  Their final full day in the city ended up being rain free thankfully, and we wandered Fisherman's Wharf and ate some delicious crab cake sandwiches for lunch at Scoma's.

After their week in the city, they rented a car and we all met out in Windsor, CA, which is a smaller town northwest of Napa.  I got to spend one night with them before heading back to work.  The coastal area just east of Windsor is amazingly beautiful scattered with small quaint towns, rolling green hills (thanks to the recent rainfall) full of grazing cows and sheep, and tall cliffs overlooking the lovely Pacific Ocean.  The wind blew like crazy, but that was okay. The sea was mesmerizing to watch with a fiercely strong current and enormous waves crashing against the rocks and towards the shore.  We saw signs that said 'don't turn your back on the ocean.'  There really is nothing as intimidating as the power of water.  I absolutely loved this area of California, and I am so glad that Rosanne made reservations in Windsor or we may never have discovered it.  Aaron and I must get back in the near future to revisit the quiet rolling hills before the tourist season begins. 

After Windsor they headed to Half Moon Bay for a couple of nights and then on to Monterey for the remainder of their trip.  Aaron and I love these places, so I am thrilled they got to experience both with quite nice weather.  We met them down in Monterey for their final night in Cali, and as usual it was a lovely time. We spent the day wandering the coastline making our way towards Carmel.  In the appropriate lighting the water was perfectly turquoise.  Breathtaking! We spent the late afternoon walking along the beach in Carmel.  This beach had been a favorite spot for Aaron's grandmother to visit when she vacationed to Monterey, so it was especially nice to take in the gorgeous views knowing she had spent happy times in this exact location.  Very sweet.  After the sunset we headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up for dinner.  Dean and Rosanne treated us to an anniversary dinner (four beautiful years!) at a seafood restaurant on the waterfront in Monterey.  It was just a really nice day!

The following morning we ate breakfast together and visited before they headed back to San Fran to fly home.  It is always bittersweet to say goodbye.  I am always amazed how well we all get along and how much we enjoy one another.  It seems like kind of a unique thing these days, and I feel very fortunate to have such wonderful people in my life.

 Coastline near Windsor

 Windsor area

 

My In-Laws!

Windsor area

Aaron