It’s been a few years since the India Parent’s visited the United States, but now that both their children live on this side of the world they have to come. Unlike previous trips which featured a lot of visiting places and friends, this time was spent more on catching up.

The biggest driver for this change is definitely Mira. Phone and video chat can’t give you the same experience. Since we live a world apart, literally, much of their time here was soaking in the full experience of the exuberant child. And although the time they spent here looked like forever strictly based on the calendar, with school, work, and every thing else, it’s just not enough time.

So while not a series of exciting events, we did manage to get a few get aways in and touch both the costs.

East Coast Edition: Savannah, GA

We last went to Savannah so long ago that I don’t even have pictures up on Flickr. We realized on this trip that it was a huge mistake. First, the food there is really good. We had a string of great meals in the downtown area. Second, to go Mimosas needs to be more of a general thing.

With the schedule we only had one night, so we tried to get the most Savannah experience we could. We rented a loft right above the downtown Banana Republic, left early in the morning and got there just in time for brunch at The Ordinary Pub. The food was really good and we did have a few of the aforementioned Mimosas.

A little dampness in the afternoon gave way to nicer evening and we took a stroll around town.

James Oglethorpe Monument in Chippewa Square

Savannah is a very walkable city with squares everywhere. We started just behind our apartment and took a tour through about 9 around the town before Mira got to tired to continue. Thankfully we had an apartment right in the center, making her sudden potty need trivial to manage.

The parents in front of SCAD

After the evening stroll we had dinner at Tequila’s Town Mexican restaurant. We got there right after the rush and were able to snag a table quickly. Not long after a young local couple appeared with their gaggle of biological and adopted children. Mira quickly made friends with their girls and we started chatting with the parents who were performers at a local theater. One thing that theater performers and computer programmers can bond over is the challenge of getting up early enough for school drop-offs!

Mira found a playground on the riverwalk. Playing on a newly found playground is not optional.

The following morning was gorgeous, though coastal Georgia makes Atlanta feel arid by comparison. We didn’t quite make it down to the river the day before which was a situation we rectified in short order.

The only disappointment of the trip was that we didn’t get to see any container ship moving through. Mira would have loved that sight, as fascinated as she was by the boats in the distance.

Mira is appropriately embarrassed about being included in a selfie.

On the way back to Atlanta we stopped by the National Mighty Eigth Museum, a museum dedicated to the Eighth Air Force with a focus on WWII. Dad is a veteran of the Indian Air Force, where he served as a navigator on bombers. Visiting one of these exhibits with him is something that Sonali and I have always wanted to do and it was a treat to do it in this trip.

Mira inspired by the attitude of Rosie the Riveter.

Dad getting ready to take Mira up in the PT-17 Trainer

Dad and I in front of the B-17

West Coast: San Jose

A few weekends later we headed out west for a mini-family reunion. A sizable chunk of the family already resides in the bay area and joining everyone were our Uncle and Aunt from Houston and us. Just like Atlanta, much time was spent drinking tea and catching up, but the area is too beautiful to spend the entire time indoors.

One of our short excursions was to the Portola Redwoods State Park. They had a relatively short loop that looked like it would be perfect for Mira.

The towering redwoods from the ground level

The three of us on the loop back

The car we rented was a Mazda 3, which was actually pretty fun. It made navigating the windy roads through the mountains a good deal easier. Unfortunately, Mira’s at the age where she can get carsick easily (especially if she drinks too much milk) and she had an episode on the ride back to the house. Thankfully we had an apartment with access to a laundry machine!

Mira's camera work at the Skyline Blvd Vista Point, before she felt unwell

The next outing was to the Coyote Hills Park in the east bay just north of Fremont. We had been here two years ago with Sonali’s cousins and loved the view that it provided of the entire bay.

Mira at the top of the hill that forms the major feature of the park

Sonali was initially daunted by the size of the hills and was worried that it might be too steep for a 3 year old. This concern proved unfounded.

Sonali and Mira against the backdrop of the East Bay

Me with the peninsula in the background. SF is in the top right.

The famous (and fake) Mark Twain quotes asserts that the coldest winter he ever experienced was a summer in San Francisco. Going from August in Atlanta to the San Francisco Bay adds credibility to that assertion.

On our final night in the bay area, we made the trek to San Francisco for the ultimate tourist experience: a sunset cruise leaving from Fisherman’s Wharf. And it was freezing, like hot chocolate and a coat cold.

Just set off with the fog rolling in the background (I have no idea why Gauti is wearing shorts, it was cold)

Sisters! (By marriage, but still sisters)

The highlight of the trip is supposed to be the foray under the Golden Gate Bridge. On this night, the highlight was definitely the fog rolling in like a fluffy blanket over the Santa Cruz mountains. While it started grey, they were infused with pinks and purples by the sunset.

Sonali and I

Gauti and Sonali

Another selfie (when in Rome...)

They sky darkens and the fog thickened as we continued through the bay. Being battered by the wind, freezing, unable to see other vessels except by their lighting, with the constant echoes of fog horns can transport one back to the San Francisco of yore and the time of shipping and gold mining.

The rest of the family had long before huddled below decks to get out of the miserable weather, only coming up for a few pictures for what could be made out of the Golden Gate. Mira had of course by then found the desert tray and was sampling the offerings.

Mira, Aparna, and Sonali on the boat deck, one of the few areas sheltered by the wind.

The original 4 of the Renjen Family

On the way back, there was some live entertainment by virtue of a guitar player who also happened to be from the Atlanta area. Just a sure as Mira is to find a dessert tray, if there is music, Mira is dancing. This doubled the entertainment offerings available to the other guests on the cruise.

Fuzzy memories never happened, but we'll make an exception in this case

It was a really good time and being able to share these moments with everyone made the trip special. Our family is spread out throughout the world, so being in one place at the same time is a rarity to be cherished.

Back at port