Journeys›Photograph

A Bay Area Winter: Redwoods, Beaches, and Celebrations

·San Francisco, California·#winter#hiking#bay area#family#holidays
A smiling person holds a child in a green dress pointing forward, in front of a decorated Christmas tree.

Looking back at the photos from the winter of early 2009. The season started with the lingering glow of the holidays. We still had the Christmas tree up, a constant backdrop for dressing up, whether in a green velvet dress or a full-on pink ballerina tutu.

That's one of the great things about a Bay Area winter—you can be inside one day and out in the sun the next. We took a walk through a grove of redwoods, with that distinct light filtering down through the impossibly tall trees. We also managed a few bright, clear days that were perfect for the beach, even if it was too cold to swim. A toy truck and some sand are all you really need.

There were other small adventures mixed in. A trip to the aquarium to get lost watching the fish swim by, and simple afternoons spent sitting on the bright green grass at a local park, soaking up whatever sun we could get.

The month wrapped up with a birthday celebration at home. A simple cake with pink frosting marked the occasion, a sweet end to a season of small, varied, local moments.

A smiling person and a young child are outdoors in front of green foliage and plants with berries.A child in a pink outfit and flower headband holds a wand, standing before a brightly lit Christmas tree.A path with a child and two adults winds through a forest of towering redwood trees with sunlight peeking through.A child in a green dress stands beside a decorated Christmas tree with a finger to their mouth.A young child in a pink sweatshirt is buried up to their chest in sand, with toys nearby on a sunny beach.An adult points upward with a child, both looking at fish swimming in a large blue aquarium tank.A smiling young child in a pink hoodie sits on green grass with trees and a distant cityscape under a blue sky.A smiling child in an apple-print shirt sits behind a white birthday cake with pink frosting and a "4" candle.

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