All four of us headed up to Tilden Regional Park today to attend the 5th birthday party of a lovely young lady named Rosemary. Rosemary's mom had told me about the park several times before, but we hadn't made it there. It's over an hour from Santa Clara, in Berkeley, so it's quite an expedition.
The party was held beside the park's historic merry-go-round. This carousel was built in 1911, and came to the Bay Area in the 1940s. I have ridden more carousels in the last year than in any year previously, thanks to the girls. They're fun, and I love seeing the two of them enjoying the ride, but y'know, nothing too exciting. This merry-go-round was different. This merry-go-round was amazing! The vintage animals were gorgeous and the horses had real horsehair tails. What really surprised me, though, was the non-animal seating options.
There was a bench arranged so that 4 or 5 tiny horses were suspended in front, at just the right height for a parent to hold a very small child astride one. There was a sled-shaped bench unit that rocked back and forth as the carousel turned. And my (and C's) favorite - a circular unit that spun around its center as the carousel turned. That thing got some serious rotation going! I really, really enjoyed riding it. So did C:
The gorgeous weather, birthday festivities, delicious food, family time, and the pleasure of being so unexpectedly delighted by something I'd assumed would not be too big a deal made it a wonderful day.
And a tiring one.
