Monaloca

I can’t believe it took me this long to “discover” the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito. I’ve been hearing about it for years. But until the girls and I arrived (after an unintentional detour through waterfront Sausalito on a crystal-clear, cafe-packed late spring morn), I had no idea of its gorgeous setting, or the fact that a good part of the museum is outdoors. And, at the scenic foot of the Golden Gate Bridge and Mount Tam, the outdoor part makes perfect sense.

We met a bunch of play group friends (Lily, Connor, Joey, and their moms and sibs) on a beautiful Friday morning, and ended up staying until past 2pm. We would have stayed longer if Nalani didn’t need a nap and Melina didn’t need to be back for ballet class in Berkeley at 4. During our visit we got to experiment with waves, play on a pretend fishing boat, practice hula hooping, and look at hermit crabs through aquarium glass.

Nali, Mina, and Lily spent a good chunk of time in the art hall, where Nalani painted, squeegied clean, and re-painted a big wall of glass at least a dozen times. We enjoyed a cafe picnic with the wind and a view of the Bay. The kids all seemed to like the Clifford exhibit, especially a huge Clifford rendition right at the entryway to the guest exhibit hall.

But they really liked the outdoor stuff: the mini Golden Gate Bridge, the sandy “ship wreck,” the lookout tower with a grandiose view of the Golden Gate, and a fake tide pool area where waves splashed in every few minutes… just like the tide. I love that I became under-employed just as the weather hit a “wow, this is perfect!” stride. It’s been sunshine and mid-to-high seventies for weeks now, and I’m loving spending as much time in it as I can with my girls.

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