Linklove Friday

The kids and I have been traveling this week, which means this Linklove Friday may be a bit less book-centric than usual. Since we flew out of Vegas this time, what better way to start things off than with the magnificent Bellagio fountains? I've seen them many times, but it was super special to witness the kids' first viewing.

Of course, the evening wouldn't have been complete without treating ourselves to some divine gelato and pastries at the Jean Philippe Patisserie (which was featured just a few nights later on one of those great cake wars-type shows).

We've had all sorts of fun visiting the San Francisco Bay Area, even though it's been raining almost non-stop since we arrived. A highlight was taking the Golden Gate Ferry into the city, where we hung out in the marketplace (home to the Cowgirl Creamery and Book Passage SF among other great stores and restaurants). We also, visited Ghirardelli Square - for the chocolate and the amazing Salvador Dali and Joan Miro originals on display at the galleries.

I also discovered an amazing store in San Rafael called Liquid, which reminds me of a funky but upscale Haight-Ashbury shop north of the Bridge. Love it!

Oh! Amy McCulloch has a great blog post up today over at The Lucky 13s blog. It's all about novel superstitions, so go check it out.

Like all good things, though, Spring Break must end, and it'll be back to work in just a few days.

Have a sensational weekend!

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face to face with the boy king

We headed into the City again on Monday - three generations of us - to see the current de Young Museum exhibit that's the talk of the town: Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. It's being advertised everywhere, including down on Fisherman's Wharf, where this enormous statue of Anubis watches over all the tourists (it looks to me like he's trying to spear that seagull for lunch):

I was lucky to see this traveling exhibit 30 years ago (yipe!), when I was the same age my son is now. Then, I was inCREDibly lucky to actually see King Tut's tomb in person in the mid-80's, when my mother and I traveled to Egypt and some of the surrounding countries in what amounted to a completely life-altering trip. I got to ride a camel around the Valley of the Kings and actually descend into the tomb (which was surprisingly cold, given the searing desert temps outside). Ancient Egyptians knew the death business inside and out, that's for sure.

There is so much to see and do in San Francisco that it's sometimes a bit overwhelming. That's one the reasons I love Golden Gate Park so much. There, you can simply stop and smell the flowers:

One of the neat kids' activities on the de Young site is the "Flat Anubis." Those of you who have grade school-aged kids have probably had some sort of "Flat Stanley" experience; Well, the Flat Anubis is basically the same thing. My son wanted his FA pic taken in front of the Conservatory of Flowers.

The old, glorious de Young building was, sadly, torn down and replaced by what I consider to be an architectural abomination, but what do I know. It's nice inside, though, and they do have a cute lily pad pond out front.

No cameras were allowed inside, so I don't have any actual pictures of the items in the exhibit (which is nicely enhanced by some theatrical technology and brilliantly narrated by Omar Sharif, both as you enter and if you purchase the audio tour, which I definitely recommend). All in all, coming "face to face with the boy king" is well worth it, so if you're in the Bay Area (or if Tut is coming to your town), be sure to go. After all, your kids may be as old as you are now the next time it comes around.

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angry beast: the city in pictures

A group of us headed over to the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco last week. It has just recently opened back up after a long re-building stretch, and the reviews are mixed.

There's a four-story rainforest there, full of butterflies. It's also home to little poison tree frogs that are almost close enough to lick. Note to anyone planning on visiting, though: get your Planetarium passes early. By the time we got there, all the passes were gone. I was especially impressed by the new and improved Steinhart Aquarium: The fishies and jellies are always a favorite:

Afterward, we headed down to the fish market section of the Wharf for lunch:

Behold the paragon of San Francisco cuisine - fresh, hot, crustilicious sourdough bread (Can you hear the angels singing? Can you?):

And the bowl of fresh clam chowder served in an edible sourdough bowl. I mean, seriously. Don't even get me started:

From there, it was short jaunt over to Pier 39 to check out the sights (I love playing tourist in my own town):

Adam and Steve as mermen...only in San Francisco:No visit to the Pier is complete without a pow wow with the sea lions. The fragrance is, in all ways, striking and unique.

We headed to a different part of the waterfront, where a bunch of the old Playland elements are on display. Playland was a turn-of-the-century amusement park on the beach in SF, and, let me tell you...Folks were TWISTED a hundred years ago. (Mommy? Looking at Jolly Jack gives me a bad feeling in the pit of my tummy...):

Anyone who saw the old Tom Hanks movie, Big, will no doubt remember Laughing Sal ("Terrifying Children for nearly a Century!").

"See Susie dance the Can-Can!" (Do we have to?)

"Here's a quarter, Timmy. Now, run along and play with the Opium Den like a good little boy..."

"Safety word...SAFETY WORD!!!"

Suffice it to say that one of these afterward would not have been a bad idea:

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