Sunday, April 29, 2012

Steam Trains and California Bears

I'm not the best when it comes to getting out of the house.  My mind tends to dwell on what I can read, play on the computer, or watch on Netflix rather than where the weekend might take me.  Thankfully I'm married to a wonderful woman who, though she often likes to stay in as well, is adept at getting my butt off the couch and into the car for a weekend outing.  I like to think it's because she loves me, but, deep down, we both know it's because she prefers to be chauffeured over the weekend.  And that's fine with me.  Even with the driving, I know I'm getting the better end of the deal.  This proved particularly true yesterday after Sumie successfully shot down my objections to Bay Bridge traffic and set us out for a trip to Berkeley.

We followed our usual plan for weekend travel.  We pick a general destination, the time we want to leave the house, and the basic route we want to take.  After that, we let chance take us where we need to be.  For some this might be a bit unnerving, but rarely has it failed us for a great day out or weekend getaway.  For our trip to Berkeley, we mapped out a route to University Ave and decided to leave at 10:00am.

It took us at most 30 minutes from our house to Berkeley's University Ave exit.  No traffic.  Perfect.  As we approached the campus, Mimi fell asleep.  That meant more driving.  And that meant skirting the campus and heading into the Berkeley hills.  We didn't have a map or a plan, so we just went up, up, and up.  The roads are tight and winding, but the views more than make up for the slow rate of progress.
Not only do you get a view of Berkeley and the bay, you get the city of San Francisco and both bridges, the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate, to boot.  No wonder so many people have decided to set their home fires on these hills, despite the incline and expense.

On our way to the top we left the residential areas and drifted into Tilden Park.  What a phenomenal place.  The one drawback to our happy-go-lucky travel planning was that we failed to bring a picnic lunch.  As we scooted around the park, avoiding the countless sado-masochistic bicyclists who spend their weekends shooting up and down the hills for fun, we came across a sign: "Steam Trains."  There was no choice.  We had to go.

Towards the top of the park is what can only be described as both a little kid and elderly geek heaven: acres and acres of scale model, fully operational steam trains.  And these aren't approximations, with gasoline or diesel engines.  These are the real deal, full-on steam locomotives.  Just tiny.  For the bargain price of 3 dollars per ticket, with kids under 2 years old riding free, we boarded our train.  
Mimi, as readers will remember, loves trains.  As we headed out, though, she was a bit apprehensive about this relatively loud and open-air experience.  Mimi's used to the quiet, electric trains of Japan, so a bout with real steam was a bit of a shock. 
But nothing prepared Mimi for the tunnel.   Between the dark, the movement, and all the excited riders screaming to hear their voices echo, the tunnel wasn't exactly Mimi's favorite part of the ride.  But Mimi, now nearly two, braved it without so much as a whimper or tear. 
Upon returning we stopped to admire the steam engine for a while.  The engineer was an older, most likely retired gentleman who had a fascination with all things steam.  You could tell that he worked on the engine and loved keeping it in top shape.  That's a hobby I could get into.  Quite seriously.
By the time we finished our journey we were all starving, so we made our way out of the hills.  This, thanks to spotty reception and the occasional "difference of opinion" between driver and navigator, took a bit longer than it should've, but we eventually made it back down for lunch on Telegraph.  Being in a college town, even though it definitely made me feel older, was a welcome change.  It reminded us of our time on the Upper West, up near Columbia and later not far from Julliard.   

After lunch we walked onto campus.  Here's Mimi at Sather Gate.  I wonder if she'll look back on this picture as a Berkeley student.  Her aunt, a UC Bekeley alum and ferocious California Bears fan, would approve.  Sumie and me, we'd be happy, but I think we'd rather her go to Columbia.  That way we'd have all the more reason to visit NYC. 
From the gate we strolled over to the Campanile, Berkeley's famous clock and bell tower.  We considered going up, but Mimi had other plans.  Fierce kicking and cries for milk signaled that it was time to head for home.   
It was a great day out.  In fact, we felt so at home in Berkeley, both in the hills and around the campus, that we actually started investigating homes and schools in the hills and outlying areas.  Of all the places we've visited in the Bay so far, this felt the most innately like home to us.  We still have a lot to explore, but when it comes to where we might be in 2 to 3 years, I think it's safe to say that Berkeley area is definitely on our list.  

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