December 2, 2014 by britt

thanksgiving by the bay

thanksgiving has been one of those holidays i have celebrated

in so many different ways throughout the years.

some things have changed and some things have stayed the same.

growing up we did the whole shebang. tables beautifully set,

eating way too much food, going around the table saying something

we were grateful for and so on. then came the thanksgiving soccer

tournament days… (between me and my two sisters who played,

chances were high that we were traveling) so thanksgiving dinner,

if not planned ahead, was usually spent at denny’s, or the

best restaurant we could find.

also different… but memorable, were my thanksgivings in hawaii.

traditional dishes like sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie were

switched to chicken long rice and coconut shrimp. but trust me, i didn’t mind

back then. such a generous and welcoming family hosted us and

it couldn’t have felt more like home. however, family will always be the best

part of the holidays so the ones spent away were the times i really missed

being with them, despite living in paradise.

^^all ready for thanksgiving dinner with grandma & grandpa

this year we celebrated another different, but memorable thanksgiving

in palo alto, ca. i have to say this was easily my favorite one yet.

i loved being somewhere so beautiful + different + zero obligations

except relaxing and enjoying this time of year.

dan and I had been looking forward to this trip with so much excitement.

ella’s first getaway + our first thanksgiving as a family of three.

first night out at pizza my heart. we stopped and picked up livvy on the way. ^^

i didn’t eat here, but i did have a bite of the pizza and it was really good.

thin crust, fresh toppings. the menu was simple. salad + pizza slice + drink.

price all under $10 || give or take a little for the kind of pizza you choose

 ^^We ate at MacArthur Park, which was buffet style

and definitely a top notch dining experience

 all the traditional dishes were delicious, but the ^^

eggs benedict was my favorite! eating wholesome foods has

increased my discipline and decreased my desire and tolerance for

foods that are not nutritionally sound. after we left, i realized this was

my first thanksgiving i didn’t

eat a roll + didn’t miss it!

my brother-in-law is getting his phd from stanford

so we saw where his office was + strolled around campus.

 the buildings on the main quad (behind us) were amazing + the whisper

courtyard was cool too! lots of tourists and visitors… even on thanksgiving!

lombard street. ^^

8 ziggedy-zaggedy turns later we made it to the bottom.

the top was beautiful as you look at a terrific view of the city. we were just

a few of the dozens |maybe hundreds| visiting this tourist hotspot. the

street’s residents are lucky enough to have a never ending streamline of

cars passing their $1 million to $3 million dollar homes.

on the positive side, they sure are lucky it doesn’t snow in SF. the

famous hydrangeas lining the street will make you fall in love!

sausalito ^^

charming|| picturesque||postcard perfect

this waterfront town had a slew of casual shops and a mixture

of eating options.

we split up for lunch. dan and i ordered the taco box

to-go from copita tequileria y comida restaurant . get 3, 6, or 10 tacos of your

choice +chips and salsa. they were truly the best tacos i’ve ever had.

the ingredients are fresh + from local gardens + made from scratch+

the lunch & dinner menu is 100 % gluten free

^^sausalito was beautiful with so much personality.

mediterranean climate, incredible views, quaint ambiance, what’s not to love?

i loved this town more than i can say +may put this house on my

vision board.

sausalito bucket list|| things to do for our next visit||:

1. tour the marina house boats ($40/person when

tickets are bought in advance online)

2. rent bicycles from fisherman’s wharf + ride across

the bridge + return via ferry

3. eat the sustainable organic food at fish house

restaurant  (350 harbor dr)

4. the marinship neighborhood. waterfront area+

sailboat rentals + swimming beach + le garage french restaurant

5. SF bay model visitor center on the north end of sausalito

the center houses a 1.5 acre working pneumatic model of the SF bay.

free admission

*when we visiting SF i always wanted to know where we were

in relation to my sister’s house or other places, so this model

would be awesome! and WAY better than looking at a map!

6.sausalito art fair & music festival at marinship park. held

every labor day weekend. $20 admission & $10-$20

for parking.