Sunday, March 1, 2009

San Fran and My Fam

So two weekends ago ( February 19th-22nd) I headed to San Francisco to attend my cousins memorial service. There was a delay in when the service was, despite her passing in December. While the occasion was somber and not the best reason to be traveling, I was glad I went, and also got to spend some much needed time with my mom and sister, as well as see my aunt and her family which is a rare occasion.

I flew in on Thursday, and met up with my sister who naturally is the only person who can get off a plane having travelled all day, be exhausted, and still look cute and pulled together. Anyways, we stayed out at the airport that night and literally just crashed into bed. In the morning my mom and aunt picked us up in a ZipCar (I am totally sold on the service at this point) and we made the drive to Modesto where my cousin grew up. The last time I was in Modesto was when I was like seven and I remember wearing spandex leggings...hotness. We had some errands to run for the service the next day as well as drive up to the small town, Knights Ferry, where the service was being held. Knights Ferry is a charming one-road town with a beautiful covered bridge. It was a beautiful and peaceful place to hold the service. My aunt found a community center that really was the perfect location. That night my sister and I discovered the joy (or maybe not), of KMart and its cheap offerings. Nicole and I also made a trip to the "Seve" (Seven Eleven) for some late night snack binge eating. It was my first vanilla creme slurpee and was it tasty!


The next day was the service, and while I don't feel the need to detail that, I will say it could not have been more appropriate or probably representative of my cousin and her family. There were animals, friends, family, and a great buffet with some wine to top it all off. I was very grateful to be able to be there, as my side of the family was small in numbers.


While in Knights Ferry my sister and I took a stroll where we discovered a tiny little shop that sold the most adorable knit baby clothes (if only I thought Nicole was having a girl!) and we also wandered to check out the covered bridge.








At the end of the day we drove to Sacramento and met up with one of my aunt's sons and his wife, and their new adorable son, Mac. I was lucky enough to get to hold Mac and have him cuddle against my bear fleece jacket...it was adorable. Nicole and I will have some unforgettable memories about the hotel...the toilet, and our neighbors. It was an interesting night to say the least.


The next day we drove to San Francisco. My aunt just moved into a darling little studio just a few minutes cab drive from the major downtown area. We spent the day at the de young ( I will reserve a post for this later since the building is so amazing) and saw some amazing exhibits like Andy Warhol and and a Yves St. Laurent exhibit.

Nicole and I snuck away in the evening for a quick shopping trip, where we both came home pretty much empty handed (good for my wallet!). And then met up with my other cousin and his wife for a family dinner at an amazing Italian restaurant just a few blocks from my aunts apartment. I had an amazing seafood pasta dish and leave it to my family to pick some amazing wines!


That night also boasted some amazing sleeping conditions. A twin air mattress for my sister and me to share......
right.

I slept on a pile of pillows.
Slept was a loose term.


The next day my aunt took us to her old neighborhood in SF and we had breakfast at a crepe shop. Nicole and I ordered banana crepes filled with sugar and topped with whipped cream! The I had my first BART experience to the airport.

I was sad to say goodbye to my sister, as I am constantly missing seeing her more often. But I am so grateful for my time with her and my family!



More posts to come on the de young! Unfortunately the weather was a bit ugly for good photos but I have a few!

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