My Bay Area Excursion

Last week, I flew to San Francisco for a week in northern California. The trip revolved primarily around family: the primary motivating factor for it was a family reunion on behalf of my grandmother, who will be turning 80 this September. My aunt, who lives in Berkeley with her husband and two young boys, hosted much of the family and events at her place. Others stayed in a hotel, while my immediate family and I stayed in another house we rented for the week. Besides, the cozy, family-oriented vibe of the week, the trip included a lot of other highlights: regular immersions in my aunt's jacuzzi, very tranquil strolls around Berkeley and Oakland, a night out at Bay Wolf restaurant in Oakland and an after-dinner treat to the spa, hikes around Tilden Park, and a day trip around San Francisco. Overall, the week away was memorable for its mellowness, the beauty of the area, and having lots of family and chow-down time.

The big birthday bash dinner with the extended family (including lots of children!) was held at the UC Berkeley Faculty Club. The venue, a quiet casual semi-private suite of rooms, was a short walk within the campus and featured access to sprawling lawns (the primary attraction for the kids). After much play, drink, food, picture-taking and posing, the whirlwind feature event of our family weekend came to an end. The rest of the weekend included much of the same: eating, merry-making, picture-taking and -posing, and lots of catch up with the family.

Having just gone off in succession this past month to smaller cities - Chicago, and the Bay Area - I've promised myself that I must, if not yet move to a smaller, quainter city, visit such cities more often.