The three of us decided to get out of the city this weekend, so we drove across the Bay Bridge and landed a few miles away from Oakland, in Lafayette. We stayed at a fun hotel, walked around and paddleboated at the Lafayette Reservoir, and shopped and ate in nearby Walnut Creek on Sat.; then today we visited a wildlife rescue museum, hung around at a playground and did some more shopping and eating in Walnut Creek. It was great fun to get away and do some real family activities – and it didn’t hurt that it was unseasonably warm and sunny outside.

I should mention that Zoe wasn’t crazy about the paddleboating part (she got a little scared – and the pictures below were in between some big tears), but *I*, for one, had a blast. One of my favorite childhood memories involves paddleboating on the Minnesota lake where my aunt and uncle lived – and I felt like a kid again on the water. I bet Zoe will feel the same rush when she’s a little older – so I think we’ll have to plan a return visit.

-M

Arriving at the Reservoir

Checking out the water

“I’m ready to walk, Daddy!”

“I see a dog!”

“Don’t I look cute in this?”

Ready for the water – ?

Breakfast in bed

“Um, Dad… Is that a bear looking down on us?”

“These woodchips are cool!”

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 10th, 2008 at 9:19 pm and is filed under 17.Fourteen to 15 months. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.