Ruby's Ten-Year-Old Trip

Ruby's Ten-Year-Old Trip to San Francisco was a smashing success. The Daddy-Daughter duo invited along a third member, me, and we had a great time. We hit the ground running Thursday morning and never stopped. Hotel Kabuki, in the Japanese district, was the perfect home base for our adventures. Its serene lobby and efficient service were perfect. Upon our arrival, they upgraded us to a corner suite on the top floor because Ruby was so adorable. We had shoji screens covering our windows and a Japanese-style soaking tub to relax in.

Ruby's favorite attraction was the Japanese Tea Garden, mostly because she got a perfect close-up of a squirrel eating an M&M. She also loved the new Science museum, where they have a planetarium and an aquarium as well as a rain forest habitat. Ruby got some good pictures of giant butterflies there. We visited the De Young Museum, the SFMOMA, the Legion of Honor and the new Jewish Museum...so new, I don't even know the official name. They had an Andy Warhol exhibit that we deemed the best exhibit we saw. And we saw ALL the art!

Ruby got to try sushi, tikki masala, a mango lassi, tempura, Vietnamese pastries, crepes and a delicious breakfast at Mama's on Washington Square, where we had to be in line early in the morning when they opened their doors. Ruby was an adventurer food-wise. We canvassed Chinatown twice, shopping for souvenirs to bring home to the other kids. We shopped at Macy's for a new outfit for Ruby, then had lunch overlooking the city at the Cheesecake Factory.

Another favorite was the Bay cruise we took, the highlight of which was Pier 39, where Ruby got a kick out of the Sea Lions. She got some great pictures! I'm seeing a theme here...Ruby loves her new camera. She's into gadgets, just like Scott. The two of them researched cameras for weeks before using Ruby's hard-earned trip money to buy her camera. I'll have to post all her favorite pictures later, because there are 247 of them.

Scott and I loved having this time with Ruby, to see her personality and get to know her better. For me, it was fun to be friends with Ruby, to laugh with her and relax with her, rather than being the person in her life who makes her get up early to practice and go to ballet when she's tired. Being on vacation is a chance to experience someone you see every day in a completely different light. When we started this tradition, I don't think we imagined the importance it would take on, or the meaning it would have. It's a rite of passage now, another way to shore up our ties to each kid as they reach those tumultuous years ahead of them. Ruby received so many compliments, and conducted herself so gracefully. I have no fear that when she goes out into the world, to school or church or somewhere with friends, she is a girl Scott and I can be proud of. Proud of her we are, and happy to have witnessed her expand her world view in such a diverse and beautiful city.