There's No Place Like Home

Since Jon and I set out on our adventure in Mid-October we realized it was the longest either of us had been out of the state of Texas. We flew home for a quick weekend at the beginning of December and then came home for a week and a half over the holidays, so we have been out of Texas for the equivalent of 3 months, give or take a few days. There are a lot of things we miss about the Lone Star State, but it is hard to explain just how different places (i.e. not Texas) can be until you experience it. Below is a list of things that Jon and I notice about the Bay Area and just how differently things are done here...

Top 10 reasons we know we're not in Texas anymore:

1. The term buttercream icing is taken very literal. It truly tastes just like creamed butter. You might as well ice your cupcake with a whole stick of butter and nothing else. 

2. People ask who is your "person" instead of wife/husband. After Jon had been at work about a week, one of the ladies pointed to his ring and asked him who his person was.  As you can imagine, Jon responded by saying that he doesn't have a "person", he has a wife. 

3. No Bluebell.... There are actually a lot of good ice cream joints in Berkeley and SF, but when you go to the grocery store all you get is Dreyers. 

4. They also ask if you want your milk shake made with soy or cows milk.

5. What's a union?

6. Cowboys games aren't on any channel. 

7. They think they know Mexican food, but bland salsa and stale chips just don't cut it. Not to mention some places don't even serve queso. 

8. People don't say excuse me they just stare or touch you if you are in their way.  Several times we have had the "excuse me stare" as we call it. 

9. Chinese food is made by actual Chinese people, not other random ethnicities.

10. That 5 leafed plant is everywhere.  You can't walk a block without getting a whiff.

Turkey Week in San Francisco

Jon and I had dinner with Chloe, Staci and Kyle the first night they arrived. 

Jon and Chloe created me out of wiki sticks and how nice of them to include my age

We did a little shopping at Loehmanns. Check out those heels!! 

I had visitors in town so what did we do? Of course we bike the bridge! It was only my 3rd time.  

Kyle biking Chloe across the Golden Gate in her wagon. 

A well deserved treat after all that hard work!! 

View of the GG from the ferry ride back to San Francisco. It doesn't matter how many times you have seen this view, it is always spectacular. 

Kelsie and I on the ferry. 

The Belew Family

Trying to catch one last picture on the chilly ferry ride. 

The Port of San Francisco 

 Happy Thanksgiving from the Boggans!!! 

We were blessed to have family that came to town and family that lives in town. My aunt and uncle were gracious enough to have all of us over for dinner. We had the best time hanging out and eating all of the delicious food.  

The Boys 

Jon and the Brittan Boys play a very competitive game of pool. 

Turkey......

and crab for Thanksgiving? Yes, please!!

The spread for Thanksgiving dinner. 

Uncle Jon and his Chlo-bear

Saying bye to the Belews before I took them to the airport the day after Thanksgiving.

Even though we were far away from lots of those we love, we were really thankful to have so much family here in the Bay Area to spend this holiday with. 

The Rock!

The month of December was a whirlwind!! Between Jon and I being iced in in Texas to our plans totally changing and my mom and I driving home a few days there was very, very little time for blogging.  This was a post I wrote over an month ago:

November 25, 2013

We have been in San Francisco since the middle of October and we finally made a trip to Alcatraz, it only took us 6 weeks. It is surprisingly difficult to get tickets to The Rock because the tours sell out so quickly. We heard the night tours are cool and creepy, but when we went to order tickets it was already sold out for the next month so regular, old day tour it was.

I have vague memories of visiting Alcatraz from when I was 4 years old, but I think I only remember it due to pictures and this was Jon's first trip. We were lucky enough to have family join us for the week of Thanksgiving including my sisters and their families (more to come about their visit in future posts).  For this outing it was my sister, Kristin, my oldest niece, Kelsie and my nephews Jackson, Spencer, and  Clayton along with Jon and myself.

View from the boat as we arrived at The Rock

When you stop and think about it, it is really strange that we have turned this prison into such a huge tourist attraction. Don't get me wrong, the mystic and awe draw me in just like every other tourist, but the propensity for a prison to be a tourist attraction is odd especially since we pay money to go to see it. That being said, I was totally stoked to finally be on the island.

Originally, Alcatraz was home to a military base and prison during the Civil War, but the tour focuses on its time as a prison.  It was a US Penitentiary from 1933-1963 when it housed many of the nations top criminals. A fun Texas fact for you: the last warden at Alcatraz was a Texan too. 

There were several things about Alcatraz that I learned that day, but the most shocking was families of the officers who worked in the prison lived on the island just next door to the prison building. How crazy is that? Could you imagine raising your children just feet away from prison inmates? A few pictures were posted of the children playing in the courtyard outside of their houses that formed their own little community. There is even a lady who volunteers in the gift shop that was raised on the island.

I enjoyed our day at The Rock and would recommend it to anyone who is in the Bay Area.   Of course it's touristy, but sometimes thats what makes it fun!! 

Parents! Parents!

Jon and I were lucky enough to have visitors back to back when my mom and dad came in for an extended weekend trip. Mom arrived first and I was able to enjoy a day and a half with just her and I  while Jon was at work. Over the course of the weekend we spent time in San Francisco, at my uncle's house, and even headed North to the wine country.

My mom and I enjoyed an afternoon and the whole next day of girl time. The first afternoon we spent wandering around our neighborhood in Berkeley.  We found an awesome, little place called The Imperial Tea Garden where we had afternoon tea and a dim sum sampler platter. It was the perfect mother-daughter spot, but sadly, I forgot to take pictures of the afternoon.  The next day we ventured into The City. We rode the BART and then caught the trolley to Fisherman's Wharf where we found Alioto's. This restaurant was the one that created cioppino, a seafood stew, and was a great ending to our girls time.

Once my dad's flight arrived my mom and I rode the BART to the airport. This was my first time to ride the BART to SFO and I do have to say it is so easy and convenient. I really wish DFW had something like this instead of always driving.  To close the evening Jon joined us in SF to eat at our favorite restaurant in Chinatown, R&G Lounge, known for their salt & pepper dungeness crab (pictured below). 

The next morning Jon and I took my parents to our favorite breakfast place in Berkeley. It is called Bette's Oceanside Diner and they have the best pumpkin pancakes I've ever had in my life. After breakfast, we ventured into the city and over to the wharf for my dad to see it. We ended the day with a crab feast at my uncle's house. 

Posing on the wharf with Alcatraz in the background

Riding the Muni Streetcar down the Embarcadero 

For their final, full day with us we headed North to Sonoma where our first stop was J Winery and Vineyards. We were able to tour the winery and sample their wines and sparkling wines. We all really enjoyed the Brut Rose.

Our second and final stop was Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards. This winery makes one of my grandmother's favorite Chardonnays so we had to stop and having a tasting for her. My uncle and his wife met up with us for this tasting. 

Thanks to my parents for coming to visit us in California! 

We love you both!