Spring Break '18: Monday, by Request

Charlotte had the breakfast in bed thing perfected by Monday. She is also now an offical fan of Teen Titans.

It's a good thing she was resting up because Monday was the day were going to explore Golden Gate Park. The park is a little over 1,000 acres, so we were going need our walking shoes.

Charlotte, the girl who was "too old for playgrounds", was very bummed when we found out that the park's playground was closed. 

Nearby, I discovered an unoccupied handball court. That distracted her.

We also found a handball to play with.

The Japanese Tea Garden looked promising, but we hadn't planned on spending $20 there.

We voted to move on in the end.

There's a lot to see in Golden Gate Park, but don't forget to look up.

Little details, like this bench plaque, are fun to spot, too. The inscription reminds me of the movie Notting Hill. 

We left the park and made our way to the beach. Like entering a cave or driving into the mountains, the closer you get the colder it becomes. The wind was plenty brisk.

Beach poses:

I'm not a demanding traveler. I usually only make one or two requests of things I really want to do. My first request was to visit the Amoeba Music store sometime.

I made a short list of bands I like that I don't have on vinyl. The first band on my list was Fu Manchu, a stoner rock band from Southern California. The first record in Amoeba's "Used Records / New Arrivals" section was Fu Manchu's We Must Obey. Sold! That was easy.

I had packed one record mailer box in our luggage, and I mailed We Must Obey to our house later in the week. Last night (3/20) the box was waiting for me at our front door.

I hadn't mailed a record before, so I was hoping it would arrive in one piece. It did.

We dropped the LP off at our hotel room, and then we walked to Chinatown. The one thing that Charlotte requested to buy was a "fortune cat" that waved.

Char found one that is gold with a solar powered arm. When we stepped out of the store with the cat, it immediately began to rain. What kind of a fortune cat is that? We stepped into a small cafe to keep dry.

This unexpected stop is one of Daphne's favorite memories. She and Charlotte laughed and giggled while they shared a pastry. Quiet events like these can echo loudly. I guess that is a fortue cat.

Not everything went as hoped, though. The second place I requested to see was a Goodwill store located a few blocks from our hotel. The three of us got stuck in a rainstorm while walking there, and when we got inside this is what I found.

No guitars hanging from racks, no drums on the shelves, no CDs and no LPs; this place was a huge goose egg. Not only was I disappointed, I was also embarrassed. The girls had to walk back into the downpour, and that was my fault. Grumble.

Charlotte choose a 50's styled diner for dinner that night. Neither Daphne or I were excited with the choice, but it was Char's turn to pick. It was her vacation, too.

By the time we returned to our hotel room, my watch had recorded 22, 845 steps. That's almost 10 miles of walking up and down hills. Charlotte sure slept well that night.