A little mash-up

We were able to explore our city and the bay area a bit more last weekend, and I'm amazed at how we feel like we've still barely scratched the surface.  A couple highlights:

Dinner at Umami Burger with our friends Ann & Steve.  They have super creative and incredibly rich burgers.  (examples: scallop burger with crispy pork belly, or a burger made with fried bone marrow)  Definitely not a health food stop, but something we'd been wanting to try for a while now, and glad we did!   

A rainy neighborhood lunch at Crave with our friends Carrie & Erik, then later a double feature.  Mass & I saw The Hunger Games and 21 Jump Street.  (I'm serious.  It was so rainy here last weekend, it reminded us of home!  It seemed like the perfect way to spend a gloomy day) :) 

We finally visited Berkeley, and had lunch at the coolest spot- it's actually a Thai Temple, and they only serve food on Sundays.  Instead of paying for your food, you buy tokens.  There's a separate line for each dish, so you get in line and pay for your food with the tokens.  We tried some delicious fried chicken, pad thai, and a beef noodle soup.  They also make curries and other little tasty bites.  We had a ton of food for around $20.  (Thanks again to Nate & Serena, our resident tour guides!)

We also took a little driving tour around Lafayette and surrounding areas, and had a home-cooked dinner in Benicia at Serena's parents' house.  They were so sweet and welcoming, and even let Mahoney run around and explore.  

It was nice having so much time to play this weekend, and so much time with friends!  We've been feeling like all we do is work lately, so this was such a nice change.  It's hard to believe we've been in SF for almost 8 months already...time flies!

Exploring the hills of Berkeley

Mahoney's Valentine sweater from her auntie Serena

Backus weekend

In true Backus fashion, we "settled" back in at home for one full day before getting our next visitors.  But we wouldn't have it any other way!  
John & Val came down to SF, and we had a great weekend of eating our way around town (what's new, right?).  I think we were batting a thousand this time, because every meal seemed to be a hit!  


Some of the restaurants we visited:
Luella~ They have the most delicious salmon cooked in parchment paper.
Umami~ Great Japanese influenced seafood dishes and yummy cocktails.
Park Tavern~ Never fails. Good atmosphere, the best deviled eggs on earth.


On Saturday we drove out to wine country for the afternoon, and had the most wonderfully indulgent lunch at Bouchon.  The scallop dish was so good that I had to take a photo of it:

Still dreaming about these scallops...

We also tried a new winery, Cuvaison, and loved it.  Beautiful scenery, friendly & knowledgeable people, and good wine.  (Yet another great recommendation from our friend Serena. Thanks Beans!)

On our way back into the city, we stopped at a new viewpoint (new to us), and caught the last few seconds of the beautiful sunset.   

It's so much fun being tourists in our own city every time we have guests.  We also spent time driving around looking at beautiful homes, walking around Golden Gate park, and even touring a couple of open houses (just for fun).  It was so nice having unhurried, quality time together, and the weather was set to perfect.  Who's next? :)

Maui Wowee

When our good friend Greg invited us to stay at his parents' beach house in Maui, it took us all of a couple hours to book ourselves a flight.  We had never been to their home and didn't know what to expect, but it was incredible!  A total of 9 of us vacationed in their gorgeous 4-bedroom beach house in Kihei, and it couldn't have been more perfect.  We relaxed at the pool, grilled and ate outside every night, and woke up to the sound of waves & wild roosters every morning.  It was a dream vacation, and exactly what we needed!

We ate delicious fresh food every day, bought at the local market and cooked at the house.

LOVED the hammock.  It was the perfect spot for reading Catching Fire and feeling the ocean breeze. Heaven!

The boys (and sportier girls) did lots of stand-up paddle boarding.  I went out and sat on the front of one like a hood ornament (while Mass paddled), but as soon as my butt started hurting it was time to go in. :)

We went on a few outings, driving around the island, stopping at "must see" spots like Mama's.  (from left to right: Mass, Scott, Greg, Janusz, Granite)

Nerdy, but whatever. ;)

During one of our drives, we stopped at the coolest spot overlooking a great surfing location.  The sun on the water and watching the surfers was one of our most memorable moments of the trip.  It was awe inspiring!

By the end of our stay (and after a few blended drinks), we got a little loopy.  It was definitely a night of good hard belly laughs and hysterical giggling. 

Even the boys got into it.  But their photo shoot was much shorter.

It was such a fun trip, we couldn't be more grateful to Greg & his folks, and we're already looking forward to next year!  The only thing we'll do differently next time?  Stay longer.  :)