To-do in California

We have a ton of things to get done BEFORE our Thanksgiving trip to California. We need to fix up the chicken yard, and set it all up to make it easy for our chicken sitter to manage while we're gone. We need to pack all our stuff into backpacks so we don't have to pay to check a bag on the plane. Will needs to finish memorizing "The Gettysburg Address," since she wants to recite it for Matt's family's talent show the night of Thanksgiving (...don't ask). We need to request the tons of digital library books that will keep Will's and my heads from exploding during the trip, and figure out the complicated system of who gets to read them/listen to audiobooks/watch movies/play games on the ipad/ipods/laptop without an epic battle for dominance. I need to go shopping for black jeans and a hoodie without a logo on it--the essentials, you know.

My to-do list FOR California is even longer, but fortunately the stuff to get done is much more appealing. Museums to visit. Tidepools to explore. Sourdough to eat.

The essentials, you know.

1. Golden Gate Bridge: Matt's driven me across this bridge several times in his dad's convertible with the top down, and only once did he almost get us killed on the turnaround just past it, the one with the one-way tunnel that you're NOT supposed to drive down when the light is red, Matt! One day, probably not on this trip, I want to walk across it, but for this trip, I'd just like the girls to see it again. The best spot to see the bridge without crossing it is from Crissy Field.
2. San Francisco Zoo: All the years we've spent visiting San Francisco, and I can't believe that we've never been to the zoo! If the weather's nice it'll be a nice outdoor activity, and a wonderful addition to our Year of Zoos. The zoo is also near another of our favorite beaches, Ocean Beach--got to get those beach visits in when you can!
3. Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum: It's not related to our California study, but it is VERY relevant to our Ancient Egypt study! We've been very fortunate to be able to travel to several museums that have excellent Ancient Egypt artifacts over the past couple of years, but this collection will be by far the most superior.
4. Pebble Beach: Formally known as Bean Hollow State Beach, this beach is the girls' favorite place on earth. It's a bit of a drive from Matt's parents house, so we weren't able to go last year, but the girls began their campaign to get us there this year weeks ago.
5. Pacific Pinball Museum: An entire museum of vintage pinball machines, all on free play?!? And we're actually STUDYING pinball machines right now!
6. House of Air: An indoor trampoline park isn't *exactly* a California-centric must-do, but doesn't it sound super freakin' fun?!? AND it's within walking distance from Crissy Field!
7. Charles M. Schultz Museum: Both girls love comics and comic strips, and they LOVE Peanuts. I think they would probably happily go here and read every single comic strip in every single exhibit in this entire museum.
8. The Tech Museum: We went to the Tech last year, and three of us loved it! It made for a good Thanksgiving eve trip, in between airport runs and while the rest of the family was baking pies.
9. The Randall Museum: It's not really a must-do, but our ASTC Passport membership through our local hands-on science museum does get us free admission there, and I like to make use of THAT particular benefit whenever I can!
10. Lawrence Hall of Science: Another ASTC Passport participant! And it's in Berkeley, where I enjoy tooling around, anyway.
11. Happy Hollow Park and Zoo: And ANOTHER ASTC Passport participant! We've visited this park once when the girls were toddlers, and I was really impressed that they have a capybara.
12. California Missions: I thought about taking the girls to a mission as part of our California study, but unless we happen right past one on our adventures, I'll probably wait until they're older. The gift shops attached to the missions are good places to buy Christmas presents for my Catholic relatives.
13. Winchester Mystery House: I think Will, especially, would LOVE this tour, but it's another place that can wait until they're older.

And yes, that is WAY more than one family can do in one week, much less one week with Thanksgiving smack in the middle. 

The first five, though? We'll give it our best shot...