City of Beautiful Towers

Today we got into the car and drove to a walled city called San Gimignano.  This town actually started with towers and is known as the "City of Beautiful Towers."  The towers were for protection of rich people during medieval times.  When attackers came they went into the towers by ladders and pulled them inside and then burnt any wooden stairs.  This left no easy entrance for the attackers.  Originally there were 72 towers and now there are only 14 remaining.  We could see the beautiful towers from over 30 kilometers away.

When we arrived we had to take a elevator to get up and over the wall.  From there we entered through one of the historic gates.  The streets were very narrow, but there are few cars inside the walls, and we had to squeeze against the buildings if one came through.

There were many street performers.  The first one we saw was a flutist that played songs that sounded like lullabies.  There were also a few guitarists, but my favorite were two people acting together.  One was a puppeteer and the other was a marionette who played a violin.  I put a euro in her cup and she blew me a kiss and took a photo with me.

There were so many shops, including two gelato shops.  We were actually able to get scoops after our touring.  We purchased ours from a Gelateria Dondoli who had entered the Gelato World Cup and won several years in the early 2000's.  Today the flavors we tried were mango, lemonade, pear, nutella, chocolate, raspberry, and melon.

Our friends had told us about a mask shop.  The masks were hand made from leather.  After Alec's reading of a Magic Tree House book Carnival in Candlelight about a carnival in Venice we knew what we wanted for a souvenir.  I chose a blue cat mask and Alec choose the King of Carnival.  They were made by local artist Arnaldo Doriana, whom we met.

We had lunch at Locanda San Domenico that had a outdoor patio that sat above one of the city's walls and looked out on the vallies around us.  We ate under olive trees that was quite peaceful.  Alec and I ate tomato pasta.  Mom had raviolis and Dad had an animal that lives on the property we are staying...wild boar stew (poor animal).  We also had a cheese platter with bread and honey.  YUM!

That was one amazing day in San Gimignano.

Italy At Last

On May 31 we arrived in Rome. I heard many different languages including Spanish and Italian. We had to get our passport stamped and the line took at least 30 minutes to get through.  This is always my most hated part of traveling. We got our rental car and were on our way to my Mom's friends, Foe and Justins', rented Chateau just a few kilometers in Castellina in Chianti, named Gabbianuzo.  Here they use the metric system, so kilometers, Celsius, ounces instead of miles, Fahrenheit, and cups.   It would take us about 3 hours so we stopped at a service station for a snack.  There are exits all along the "A" freeways, which are the same as our interstates, but are also toll roads that are only on and off with gas stations and market with snacks, coffee and sandwich bars.  They are marked "stazione di servizio" translated is service station. Guess what I got, a Nutella snack pack with Gatorade...no new foods yet.  Dad started to groan and explained to Mom that we lost our GPS signal. It's OK, because we found the dirt road. I saw a tall building in the distance. Mom said it was a castle. We saw many houses with ivy on them. Ivy is my favorite plant.  All of the towns are built on hills so in the olden days they were better protected from attacks. We came to a steep hill and it started to rain. We inched down the hill. I saw a house that was all stone. 

We parked and we walked to the door. We went in and saw Foe with her 3 year old daughter named Georgia. Foe hugged us and asked Alec and I if we wanted cookies. On the way to the kitchen we saw a dining room where in the states would have been closed here it is completely open to the outside. The house was totally exposed to the wind and bugs (right now a fly is buzzing around me). Justin showed us our room. It was wonderful and even had a library. We took a dip in the pool and played outside. Soon it was time for dinner and we had pizza...yeah, no new foods yet. Soon all the little kids went to bed. Alec and I were still awake and allowed to have some gelato (very creamy ice cream).

I'm looking forward to our next adventure.

We're Off!

Oppss, Dad made a mistake.  

We thought we were leaving at 11AM, but Dad checked and found we were leaving at 8AM.  So we packed quickly drove to San Francisco, booked a hotel while driving, and stayed at the Quality Inn for a five and a half hours.  We had a yummy breakfast and the lady working there helped us make waffles.  

To the airport, we dropped off our rental car and took the train to the international terminal.  Bags checked, through security, and we boarded our first flight on Air Canada.  It was a five hour plane flight on which I got to watch The Lego Movie and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  We landed in Montreal and enjoyed a quick dinner at Cabine U where the waiter, Maurice, was very nice and helped us order stuff my brother and I would like. Then off to the Maple Leaf Lounge, where Dad had to sweet talk Alec and I in as he is allowed only one guest.  The lady was very nice and only charged us for one, $25.  We found a kids' room with Legos, Play Station and outlets for us to play Mind Craft and read books on my Kindle.  And there's yummy snacks including fresh baked cookies and juices.  Next up a 8 hour flight to Rome.

Child Takes Over!

Hi! 

I am Allyson Jolly.  

 I am one of the children of "Child on the Go" and this summer 

I am taking over my Mom's website.  

Have no fear!  We are still going...in fact going BIG this summer.  

We will be spending most of our summer vacation overseas visiting 

Italy, Israel, and France with brief stops as well in Canada and Greece.  

I am almost exploding with excitement.  

I love to write and look forward to sharing our adventures with you. 

Please leave comments or questions about my travels, to help me improve my writing, or to simply say hi.

Ciao!

Allyson

(by the way Duolingo is a great way for kids to learn languages...

I've been practicing Italian for our first stop)

Child GOes back to Bend, OR

Last summer we fell in love with Bend, OR.  And with that dedication to that love…and our friends who live there, we vowed to return.  So after many false starts we found ourselves on our way on a long weekend in early October.  This time we opted for a half way stopping point of the Best Western Plus Treehouse in Mount Shasta, CA.  Again for a family of 4 we did well.  And old travel lodge built in the 70’s the rooms were quite spacious.  In the morning the children enjoyed a dip in the indoor, newly remodeled and heated pool prior to enjoying a full, hot complimentary breakfast bar.

Then we were on our way.  Night 1 found us taking in the last First Friday of the year that was termed an Art Hop instead of an Art Walk.  More lively with music and adult and children’s beverages free in many galleries it seemed the entire town of Bend was downtown.  We enjoyed dinner at Bend Brewing Company complete with expansive children's menu and beers crafted by a amazing female brewmaster.
  

The next day we enjoyed activities that most everyone with small children does in the crisp October weather….a pumpkin farm.  But this pumpkin farm had a backdrop like no other…Smith Rock.  The Pumpkin Company of Central Oregon had a large corn maze which from the air took on a Star-Wars theme.  Tokens got you into this, a train, petting zoo…and for our adult men…the ability to fire gourds from a pressurized cannon at 2 junk cars way out on a field.  Daddy certainly did not hide his testosterone-laden delight when he nailed the yellow car.  Of course we also took in some seasonal eats of kettle korn and caramel-covered apples.

Back in town and sweet treats continued as we arrived just in time to take the last Goody’s tour of the day.  Started in Bend in 1984 Goody’s is a chocolate company favored by the locals and these non-locals definitely saw or shall I say tasted why.  The tour was led by a high school aged gal who had obviously memorized the speech, but she enjoys her job and we and the kids enjoyed the 6 samples…one each provided at the 6 production windows on the tour.

By October the Bend temps are getting quite chilly, so the next morning we forewent a planned stop at Lava Lands and have vowed to GO again to check that one off the list next year.

Related Posts:  http://www.childonthego.com/2010/10/bend-we-will-be-back.html

Another 24rs GO'ing in San Francisco

We love San Francisco and we love our friends there, but we don’t care for the traffic getting there on a Friday afternoon, so we tend to pay our visits on Saturday and get back out on Sunday before the traffic gets bad again with people coming in or going out from weekend adventures.  So one of the last weekends of the summer we decided to escape the triple digit heat of the Sacramento-area and partake in one of Mark Twain's wrongly attributed quotes…"The coldest winter I ever saw was the summer I spent in San Francisco."

And when we arrived it was quite breezy, but comfortable enough for us with jackets to make a stop we have long wanted to make...The Wave Organ. The wave organ is a wave-activated acoustic sculpture made out of 25 PVC pipes that that go out to various elevations in the bay at the end of a jetty at the Boat Harbor in the Marina District.  An extension of the nearby Exploratorium it was completed in 1986.  Shocking…you can actually find free parking if you just continue past the intimidating yacht club only parking signs.  It doesn't look like anything much but put your ears to the pipes and its amazing the sounds that nature’s waves provide.  And while you are at it you have incredible views of the bay, the Golden Gate, and Alcatraz.

After we spent a good hour there we decided to take a drive through Presidio.  Over the last several years this old military installation has had an amazing revival now converted into homes, businesses, and even home to a Walt Disney Family Museum.  But after the long drive earlier in the day we decided the kids still needed to burn off some energy.  So we visited the Julius Kahn Playground located at West Pacific Avenue and Spruce Street.  Parkscan.org has lots of photos. And their description fits it quite well…"Locally known as "JK," Julius Kahn is adjacent to the Presidio, the nation's largest urban National Park.  The playground is in excellent condition and provides kids and parents two structures to choose from--one designed for babies and toddlers, and another for school-aged kids. Both playgrounds are situated in a sand pit!  JK also has basketball and tennis courts, and soccer and baseball fields that makes this park appealing to people of all ages.  This park is very green and is surrounded by a grove of beautiful trees that make this spot a great place to hike and explore.  The clubhouse has water fountains and restrooms available to the public.”  But the one thing not included in this description is the view…The Golden Gate rises beyond a beautiful field and grove of trees.  Our kids could have played for hours…and really they did on the wide range of play structures.

The next day we met friends for breakfast in the Hayes Valley area.  After lots of research for a place that could accommodate 6 adults and 4 kids we settled on Straw, a carnival themed eatery…including a Tilt-o-World booth.  They do take reservations for 6 or more and on a Sunday morning in the city this is highly advised.  We by-passed the large crowd of walk-ins and were seated.  From the theme-inspired décor to the brunch dishes like “Play with your Food” where you are invited to play Jinga with cinnamon toast sticks there was no going wrong with the kids and their mimosas and bloody mary’s met with the adults approval.

After the amazing breakfast, but prior to the drive home we decided to burn off some calories and energy, so we ventured up the street to one of many parks that have been revitalized in the city…The Hayes Valley Playground.  Newly reopened in June it has the soft play surface and really neat abstract play structures as well as a small community garden.  And supporting that garden is more “green” in a water catchment system and a living roof on the clubhouse.  Nestled right among the beautiful homes of the area at Buchanan and Linden Street it was a delightful place to spend the morning before hitting the open road home.  Again more info found on Parkscan.org  At about 1PM it was time to beat the traffic and hit the road.

But no worries we always GO to the city a couple of times and will return soon for another 24hour adventure.

Related Posts: 
http://www.childonthego.com/2010/11/child-goes-to-san-francisco-for-27hours.html
http://www.childonthego.com/2009/07/child-goes-48hrs-in-san-francisco.html

GO'ing to Yosemite with Child

We had been to Yosemite several times prior to having children…camping, day trips, hiking Half Dome, etc..  But we have been holding out on our first visit with our children.  We wanted them to look in awe at El Capitan and Half Dome and not just see it as another mountain…after all they have a view of the Sierras from about every window in our house.  We also wanted them to appreciate some of it’s history.

So this summer at the ages at four and a half and nearly seven we felt it was time to go.  And by accident (I was actually on line the night of the 14th looking for sites at a completely different area of Northern California when I saw Yosemite availability for Labor Day opened the next morning.)  I happen to get us 2 campsites for Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend for us and 2 other families.  This is an amazing feat as campsites are made available 5 months in advance on a first come, first serve basis...which means you have to be on your computer (not Yosemite's site, but Recreation.gov) at 7AM sharp on the 15th of the month that is five months before you want to visit.  And then be ready to act fast.  And if you don't camp...there are lots of other lodging options.

To ensure we had energy to do a lot on Saturday we actually started our drive down on Friday night.  And we stayed in Best Western in Sonora, CA. Great place, especially as we called ahead and got rooms adjacent to one another that had sliding doors out onto a lawn area as well as the pool and hot tub.  We also enjoyed a Happy Hour reception with wine for the adults and juice/sodas for the kids and a spread of cheeses and crackers.  After a good swim and play we ordered take-out from the hotel restaurant and dined on our patios.  The next morning a hot breakfast as well came along with the cost of our room.  So with that we were fueled and on the road…and pulled into the Upper Pines Campground guard station right at check-in time.

  

Day one found us setting up camp and getting around on our bikes.  With over 12 miles of bike trails ...this is the way to go rather than being at the schedule mercy of the very crowded buses.  Even if you drive in for a day trip I would still bring your bikes.  We made our way to the Village and looked around and then did the brief hike up to Lower Yosemite Falls.  The kids took in one ranger-led programs at Curry Village’s amphatheatre while the adults enjoyed a beverage and plotting out Sunday’s activities.  Yosemite's website is chop full of links, articles, etc to help plan your visit.

Sunday we awoke and after breakfast some adults went for a free photography class led by an Ansel Adams gallery employee….a blend of Adams history and how to photograph like him class.  The kids and a couple of adults took in another ranger-led class.   Then we all met up and biked over to the Vernal Falls trail-head.  With grand plans to get out 4 and 6 year old to the footbridge…they surprised us and hiked all the way to the top of the falls.  They were so proud of themselves and we were of them too.  After heading back down we rewarded the kids with some play time in a gentle section of the Merced River and afterwards the adults got their reward with drinks at The Awahnee.  Back at camp some cooked dinner while other helped the kids complete their worksheets for the Jr Ranger badges.

Monday morning of Labor Day weekend Yosemite very quiet.  We made our way up to the village to do some souvenir shopping as well as the kids met with a Park Ranger to complete their Jr Ranger Program.  After she quizzed them on their efforts they were sworn in.  The Friday and Saturday evenings prior a line snuck miles back into the valley as people tried to exit at the end of the day.  So we were amazed when at 11AM check-out we found ourselves proceeding right to the exit without an issue.  After speaking with several Labor Day weekend regulars they said it’s generally an easy weekend for the campers….both in the terms of getting a site as well as entering and exiting the park.  

Hmmm…after a wonderful weekend this is one we all agreed to give this one a GO again in the years to come.