Something is Changing
Probably like your kids, my son wakes up at the crack of 6:30 a.m., even on weekends. Often then, I’m trying to find fun things to do in the mornings when this working Mama gets to enjoy time with my love. Last weekend found us driving over the Bay Bridge right around 8 a.m., looking for some excitement. Sea Lions at Pier 39 are always a hit, as they bark out their exuberance there are always tons of tourists, jet lagged and up as early as we are, hungry to see the sites.
The party-like atmosphere, though, is always marred for me by the festival food vendors, hawking their junk. Why is it that on vacation, fudge and churros are ubiquitous? Trust me, I understand the allure of treating yourself when you are away from the routine, but I guess I want options (dare I say ‘choices?’) even when I am away from home.
What a tremendous surprise, though, to see a permanent fresh produce market, right in the midst of the Dryer’s and taffy shops? Of course, less than a mile away is the foodie haven of the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market with organic sea salts and local, fair trade exotics. That place is a mecca for global foodies, anxious to spot a famous Chef sporting her whites. But, the point for me was that in this kid heaven, Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf, with its carnival rides and arcades, there was real food! On display! With lots of customers! Check out those nectarines, it looks like Paris!
I think something is changing. For all of the news we see about the growth of fast food chains and kids who can’t identify that French fries come from potatoes, I see a difference. Kids I know can you tell you that an eggplant is a member of the nightshade family. The fact that along with the Mrs. Field’s cookies, family vacation spots offer fair trade stone fruit⦠something is moving in the right direction.
