Bay Area with Kids: Filoli

a visit to filoli is truly the best way to kickoff the spring season as the gardens are in full bloom. i am slightly embarrassed to admit that this was my first visit after living nearby for so many years. jimmy had a date with our garage to brew up a batch of beer, so I wanted to pick an outing which i thought would be fun (and manageable solo) for just us girls. while you would not think of filoli as a top destination with kids in tow, it ended up being just what we needed as the girls could stretch their legs, run through the gardens, and let some energy out while enjoying the magical grounds filled with flowers/plants!

we showed up later in the afternoon while most people were headed out, so got a parking spot right in front. started off with a picnic (my kids are always hungry and happiest right after eating - - i'm pretty sure thats universal). i only saw a few picnic tables, so opted to sit on the the ground on a blanket i had brought. no matter where we go or what we do on any outing, the actual picnic usually ends up being their favorite part of their day (they just like pj&js that much haha).

we waited in a very long line to buy tickets ($20 for me, and the girls were free)! the garden grounds are expansive; we strolled leisurely and it took a few hours...i hear there is a mansion to tour, but we found the gardens to be enough for one trip and didn't make it in to the house. there were gorgeous blooming tulips were every which way we looked.

we are really into alice in wonderland right now, so was fun walking around screaming "who painted the roses red?!"

Nothing like a little break for sister cuddles in the middle of a garden.

our favorite part of the grounds was this gorgeous daffodil field that was open for exploring. kids loved it, we could have spent the entire time there alone.