Here's Noah -
It was sunny and breezy. Sasha, her friend Alexandra, Noah & I split for the city around 11:30 am.
It's been a long time since I've driven to Haight street. We usually make a big day of taking BART to the Mission and walking up to Haight from there. It's a good walk and we can pass thru the Castro (shops!) that way. I think it's cool and a good thing to wander by the city neighborhoods and see the various people doing day to day routine. I digress-
Anyhow, Getting to the Haight is pretty easy, 280 to 19th and then hang a right on Lincoln- drive up around and somehow end up on Waller?
I was not happy to find the old parking lot is no longer open during the day! I had to park at a meter. Had to keep running to feed the meter. In the end, the meter won and I got a ticket (grrr!)
Our first plan of action was lunch. Alexandra is not only a picky eater and a vegetarian but she was also observing Passover dietary restrictions, still she managed to find something to please her at Magnolia's. My kids like seeing all the Grateful Dead references in the murals at Magnolia's. Also on the way to the restrooms, are posters- we have lots of the same ones in our house.
Lunch over, Sash & Alexandra headed out to shop in all the dress & shoe shops. Noah and I had our own agenda. First stop was Ben & Jerry's on the corner of Haight & Ashbury. He was dying to try Americone (ala Stephen Colbert's flaver) but they were sold out so Noah settled on one of the excessively chocolate flavors. I'm not on a diet but since my parents gifted us with an enormous state of the art treadmill (weve had it almost a week now!) I'm trying to be worthy and am avoiding fattening treats (so far, so good!). Loads of German speaking tourists were also vistin the shop. Outside the B&J's I watched asmall group of tie dyed clad youths with cameras on their way up Ashbury- maybe off in search of 710?
Next stop for us was Postively Haight Street- Noah let me take a picture with my phone of him there. Noah had saved up to add a new Grateful Beany bear to his collection (he has so many of them- they have their own room in the cubby under our stairway which is adjacent to Noah's bedroom). No chose the bear that wears a dog suit. I already forgot it's name but it's birthday is a Rex benefit. So there.
Next stop was my turn- Mendel's! I'm working on a special something for someone's birthday and Mendel's carries all kinds of artsy craftsy stuff that one won't find at a Michael's. Sure enough, Mendel's came through. I got a bag full of helpful items for the big project.
I badly wanted to poke around that Tibetan treasure store but there wasnt time and Noah and I had both been wanting to hit Booksmith before the girls were done.
Booksmith is great- I always see too many reads I want in there! I settled on a silly "Karma Violations" pad and a handful of funny cards. Noah fsettled on a faux leather covered, multi edition "HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy" book.
Within a moment of leaving Booksmith, the girlies called to meet up.
Too many shops so little time!
We scurry back down the Peninsula.
Kids had fun- even Alexandra who had been a bit worried because she had heard the Haight was a bad part of the City. She discovered it's a pretty cool alternative to the mall for clothes & shoe shopping.
Posts
