The best part of working in education is being an adult with a Spring Break, Winter Break, Thanksgiving Break, etc. I obviously don’t work in education for the money, because I don’t even make a living wage, but the days off are on point.

This year for Spring Break we explored San Francisco and the bay area for the week. We love California and I am grateful we were able to visit two years in a row (we went to LA and Solvang in May 2021).

The weather was perfect during our trip, chilly at night and comfortable during the day with no rain.

We started our visit the only way we know how, with In-N-Out. It’s the perfect fast food burger, not so great fries, and the best fake shakes anyone could ask for. I’m sure living across the country from In-N-Out helps make it a little extra special.

We visited the Methuselah Tree, almost 2000 years old. This tree is a beast. Even though it was a bright sunny day out when we visited, it was perfectly shady near the trunk and you could feel the temperature change just walking down the path around the tree base. I love experiencing things and/or places that have been around for so long before me and will be here long after I’m gone.

We drove up and down the steep streets of San Francisco, rode the bus around town (not very convincingly) like locals. I accidentally sat in an older gentleman’s lap a couple times and then someone else offered me their seat because obviously I can’t handle the steep streets of San Francisco on the bus while standing. When you move to San Francisco is there a bus riding class you can take to learn how to not fall?

California is breathtaking. I have loved every minute I’ve ever spent here. Just look at that view. Who let you be so pretty California?

We took a day trip to Napa, when in Northern California.

First stop: Frank Family Vineyards. I really enjoyed this laid back tasting. Our host Mike was very knowledgeable, fun to chat with, and made us feel comfortable asking questions about wines we hadn’t tried before. The patio was surrounded by tall trees and had 5-6 tables with small groups tasting, most between 2-4 people. It was a lovely atmosphere. My favorite wine here was the sparking wine, so crisp and bubbly.

Second stop: Gott’s Roadside. We figured a hearty burger and onion rings would help keep us from getting too drinky after a day of wine tasting and Gott’s came highly recommended by a few people. I loved these onion rings!

Third stop: Napa Valley Coffee Roasting. Drinking makes me extremely sleepy, so after a wine tasting and a burger I was struggling to stay awake. This iced latte saved me from napping through tasting number two.

Fourth stop: Pope Valley Winery. Another laid back tasting experience with beautiful views and a WINE CAVE. When we arrived we were greeted by our host Eli in the parking lot with a glass of Rose. Does it even get any better than that? Step out of the car and tada! Wine! For our first couple of samples we were the only guests and only one other couple had a reservation while we were there, so it was practically a private tasting. Eli took us on a tour of the wine cave, we got to meet winery cats, and see some of the old blacksmithing gear on the property. My favorite wine here was the zinfandel port.

We took a day trip to Muir Woods National Monument to see even more giant trees, and what a peaceful way to spend the day. Walking around under the cover of luscious redwood branches feels like you’ve been transported to a magical world outside of reality. When a gust of wind blows through the trees you feel it all around you first, and then for a few seconds after, you hear the music the leaves make above you. Again, it was like standing inside a rain stick. The trees surround you like a blanket, hushing the sounds of other people, and bring forward the sounds of nature. We saw so many cool new to us birds, a banana slug, and lots of little butterflies. It’s an absolute wonderland.

Being the gigantic nerds that we are, Christopher and I drove to San Jose to visit the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, because mummies. It was way better than I ever would have expected. It’s only $10 to get in and I got $2 off for being an educator, so I figured it would be cool enough to go, but didn’t have high expectations. This place has the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in Western North America, including all kinds of mummies, which I love. The property also has a garden and a labyrinth. It was an incredible way to spend a little over two hours an $18. You can download the museum app and use it as a private audio tour, but we didn’t bring headphones, so we just read all the plagues. They have 360 tours on their website of the artifacts and inside of the museum, so if you aren’t planning to be in San Jose anytime soon, definitely check those out.

One of the most important stops on our trip was to a REAL LIFE ROTHY’S STORE. I bought my first pair of Rothy’s in January 2018 and basically haven’t worn anything other than occasionally Toms or Uggs on my feet since. So the opportunity to go see a store in person, the land of my favorite footwear, brought me an unreasonable amount of joy. I am 10000% sure the lovely folks working that day are still making fun of my excitement and I DO NOT CARE. I got two pairs of shoes, both had just come out that day and weren’t even available on the website yet, which I don’t really care about that much, but it felt really special and I soaked it in.

Walked in wearing marigold points, walked out with diamond metallic points and light gold metallic flats. Full bag, full heart, can’t lose. That’s how the saying goes right?

We had so much fun wandering, exploring, eating, and sleeping in. It was a good mix of adventure and vacation, and exactly what my exhausted heart needed. I miss seeing the world so badly, and starting this year off with almost weekly specialist appointments helped me enjoy this escape a little deeper than usual.