It was a sunny but very blustery morning. But, like Pooh, that didn't stop Mimi and me from heading out for a little adventure this morning. Mimi's goal: play. My goal: wear the toddler out so we can both take a nap.
We decided to take a stroll through the Botanical Gardens in Golden Gate Park. These gated grounds require an entrance fee, unless you just happen to be a San Francisco resident. NYC, take a tip from San Francisco on this one. Even small perks for your residents can go a long way!
As soon as we entered the grounds, Mimi leaped from her stroller and started running down the paths at random. In order to take a picture, I had to let go of the stroller, which was rather stupid given I'd failed to put on the brake. This resulted in the stroller following Mimi on its own, eventually passing her, and then being chased by a toddler in a pink pea coat who decided she wanted juice.
We headed over to the moon garden. Well, Mimi decided we'd head over to the moon gardern.
Hidden in the trees is a small viewing platform in the middle of a serene little pond. The only paths leading into this secluded spot are pocked with sparsely laid stepping stones. The zen-like feel they give the garden is great, but they're not exactly ideal for tipsy toddlers and fat men wielding strollers. Despite the rough terrain, we made it to the platform.
The view, even with minimal sunlight, was far better than my ancient iPhone camera can reveal.
Mimi was intrigued. She stood there watching the pond, chin on a plank, for a full 2 minutes. That's a good 3 hours or so in toddler time.
From the moon garden we headed over to the Garden of Fragrance. Tucked behind the largest hill in the Botanical Gardens, the Garden of Fragrance offered some shelter from the wind and a host of pungent plants for Mimi to explore. "Iiniyoi!" (smells good, in Japanese).
We only stayed about an hour and a half in the Botanical Gardens, but they were a perfect place for Mimi to explore and work out some pent-up energy. Mimi's still a bit young to get a lot out of the gardens, or most of San Francisco's attractions for that matter, but she still enjoys her outings nonetheless. I'm looking forward to revisiting the places we frequented with Mimi as a toddler when she's several years older. I wonder how her perception will change and if she will have retained any memories or connections as a result of her toddler visits. One thing I do know, though. It'll be nice to explore without a stroller.
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