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Dad by the I-5 in Buttonwillow

When I was young and unattached, it didn’t take much to get me to visit the Bay Area. Punk rock shows at Gilman, film festivals at the AMC, zine and comic conventions, friends and burrito joints all over the place–Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco were frequent destinations. Of course, that’s no longer the case. So when it was announced that my cousin would be throwing a first birthday party for his daughter I arranged a family vacation to the Bay Area, but this time on the coast. Above, my dad outside a pupuseria in Buttonwillow on the drive up. It took forever to get served but the food wasn’t bad and Mexican Coke is always awesome.

Mack's first birthday bash

We stayed in a Santa Cruz guest house big enough to fit my parents, siblings, and all of our families. It was perfect for the girls to run around and play between excursions–equidistant to Monterey and Los Altos. The latter is where the celebration took place. Mack’s parents grew up in Hawaii, so there was a ton of local food (including poke), a shave ice stand (quite good), and hula dancing (above). It also happened to be their tenth wedding anniversary. Congrats, Scott and Angie!

 

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