Jan 10–12, 2026 · A Christmas present

Christmas 2025

Merry Christmas, Ann

This website describes your present.

In a couple of weeks, we will take a trip together. Just the two of us.

or scroll to Chapter I

Tap to unwrap.

Memories

Ann and Eric together in 2000 — Us, 2000

Chapter I

January 10th begins at home.

Waffles with the kids and then you and I head to the airport.

Boarding pass

Alaska Airlines AS 657

Destination withheld (for now).

From

SEA

To

████

Departs

10:57 AM

Arrives

1:08 PM

The morning in three beats

A typical weekend family breakfast before we get away. Maybe a short run. Say goodbye to Griffey and the chickens.
Then head to the airport
Wheels up at 10:57 AM — and then the story starts moving.

Seattle airport — Departure
SEA · the trip starts moving

A family memory with a ladybug — Departure
Little moments at home

Drive to SEA
9:15–9:45 AM
Check in for flight
9:45–10:45 AM
Depart SEA (AS 657)
10:57 AM

Memories

Ann and Eric together on the quad — Us, back then

Eric and Ann together at Spanish Bay — Us

Chapter II

Wheels up.

We point the nose south, touch down at 1:08 PM, grab something to eat — then pick up the keys and head north into the afternoon.

Arrival

San Jose · 1:08 PM

Lunch, a deep breath, and the feeling that the day has officially turned into a getaway.

San Jose airport terminal — Arrival
SJC · 1:08 PM

San Jose airport sign — Arrival
Touchdown

Tesla Model Y rental — Arrival
Keys in hand

Arrive SJC
1:08 PM
Pick up the Tesla
1:30–2:00 PM
Head north (destination: undisclosed)
2:00 PM

Memories

Senior dinner on the quad — Senior dinner

Chapter III

First Stop: Stanford.

We go back to where it all started.

Then

We’ll explore campus. We’ll have a couple of hours to revisit our favorite spots, take a few photos, and refresh those memories.

Stanford campus aerial view — Stanford
The Farm

Stanford Memorial Church — Stanford
Memorial Church

Stanford days

Now

We take our time. We walk. We point at things. We smile at younger versions of ourselves. And then we get back in the car — because the coast is waiting.

Next: northbound to Olema.

See full itinerary

Memories

Stanford Invitational memory photo — Stanford Invite

Hoover Tower on the Stanford campus — One last look back

Stanford Golf media guide cover — Media guide

Chapter IV

Northbound.

We leave campus, slip onto Highway 280, and by late afternoon we cross the Golden Gate — trading lectures and quads for eucalyptus and fog.

Driving on Highway 280 — The drive
280 · heading north

Golden Gate Bridge — The drive
Golden Gate · almost there

A photo from Half Moon Bay — The drive
Half Moon Bay · nostalgia

The feeling

The sunlight gets long. The playlist gets better. We talk about the old days, then fall quiet, watching the road unwind.

The destination is close — tucked right at the edge of the park.

Drive from Stanford to Olema
4:00–6:30 PM
Arrive in Olema
6:30 PM

Memories

Chapter V

Olema House.

We check in, drop our bags, and settle into the room — the kind of calm that makes you feel instantly away.

Olema House room, wide view — Olema House
Drop the bags. The weekend begins.

Olema House tub with view into the room — Olema House
The kind of weekend where time slows down

Settle in

A shower, a deep breath, and the first moment where the weekend stops feeling like travel and starts feeling like a getaway.

Tonight: Due West Tavern, then s’mores by the fire.

Arrive + check in
6:30–7:00 PM
Walk next door
7:00 PM
Dinner
7:00–8:00 PM

Memories

All dressed up photo from earlier years — Date night energy

Chapter VI

Dinner at Due West Tavern.

A little warm light, a little food worth lingering over — and the feeling that we’ve officially arrived.

Due West Tavern exterior — Due West
Next door in Olema

Due West Tavern interior dining room — Due West
Warm, low-lit, cozy

Dinner spread at Due West Tavern — Due West
A table made for staying awhile

Tonight

The best kind of first night: no rushing, no agenda. Just the two of us, a good meal, and the soft certainty that the weekend is going to be great.

After dinner we’ll wander back to the inn — because there’s a fire pit waiting.

Dinner at Due West Tavern
7:00–8:00 PM
Back to Olema House
8:00 PM

Memories

Chapter VII

S’mores by the fire.

A little sweetness, a little warmth, and then the coziest possible end to the day.

Holding a s’more near a campfire — Fire pit
The first night, perfectly simple

Olema House sitting area — Fire pit
Warm light, quiet corners

Olema House bed detail — Fire pit
Cozy bedtime

Goodnight

Back in the room, the world goes quiet. We fall asleep knowing tomorrow is the big day — the kind of day we’ll remember.

Sleep comes easy out here. The coast has that effect.

S’mores at the fire pit
8:00–8:30 PM
Cozy bedtime
Night

Memories

A fun Stanford-era photo — A little mischief

Chapter VIII

Sunday morning: Point Reyes Station.

Coffee, something warm from the oven, and a quick market stop — then we pack a picnic and head out to the trail.

Bovine Bakery exterior in Point Reyes Station — Morning
Bovine Bakery

Fresh pastry from Bovine Bakery — Morning
Something warm and sweet

Palace Market in Point Reyes Station — Morning
Palace Market — picnic provisions

The plan

We keep it simple: breakfast in town, then we stock up for a picnic lunch — the kind of little tradition that makes a hike day feel like an adventure.

Then we drive out into Point Reyes and let the landscape do the talking.

Breakfast at Bovine Bakery
7:30–8:00 AM
and a quick stop in town
Palace Market
8:00–8:30 AM
pack a picnic lunch
Drive to Tomales Point Trailhead
8:30–9:00 AM

Memories

A track photo from Stanford days — Trail day energy

Chapter IX

Tomales Point Trail.

Out and back through wide-open coastal wilderness — wind, ocean, and the kind of quiet that resets your whole brain.

Trail sign post at Tomales Point — Tomales Point
Trailhead

Tomales Point Trail — Tomales Point
Out and back

Elk herd near Tomales Point — Tomales Point
Elk in the wild

The main event

This is the heart of the day: a long, beautiful out-and-back to the tip of the peninsula. It’s the kind of hike where you stop a lot — not because you’re tired, but because you keep turning around to look.

Ocean on one side. Bay on the other. And that feeling of being very small in a very good way.

Start hiking
9:00 AM
Elk sightings + big views
Morning
Tomales Point Trail (out and back)
9:00 AM–1:00 PM

Memories

Eric hitting out of a bunker — Out of the bunker

Chapter X

Picnic, then the lighthouse.

We eat lunch somewhere scenic, then drive down to the lighthouse and Chimney Rock for an afternoon of wild coastline.

Sea lions at Point Reyes — Afternoon
Wild coastline

Point Reyes Lighthouse — Afternoon
The lighthouse

Chimney Rock at Point Reyes — Afternoon
Chimney Rock

Lunch

We pull over somewhere that feels like a secret: picnic lunch, salty air, and the kind of view that makes you forget what day it is.

Then we head for the lighthouse — because some places are famous for a reason.

Picnic lunch
1:00–1:30 PM
scenic spot
Drive to lighthouse / Chimney Rock
1:30–2:15 PM
Explore the lighthouse area
2:15–4:30 PM

Memories

Chapter XI

Back to Olema to reset.

A shower, a change of clothes, a short rest — the little pause that makes the evening feel brand new.

The pause

This is the best part of a long hike day: the reset. We’re tired in the good way. We come back to the room, rinse off the trail, and feel the evening waiting.

Drive back to Olema House
4:30–5:00 PM
Rest and refresh in the room
5:00–6:00 PM

Memories

Chapter XII

Dinner at Cafe Reyes.

Wood-fired pizza, oysters, and the kind of small-town dinner that always tastes better after a day outside.

Pizza oven at Cafe Reyes — Dinner
Wood-fired

Cafe Reyes sign — Dinner
A Point Reyes classic

Evening

Dinner in town is the exhale after the day — the part where we re-live the hike, laugh about the wind, and start making quiet plans for tomorrow.

Dinner at Cafe Reyes
6:00–7:00 PM
Back to the room
7:00–7:30 PM

Memories

A memory photo with a ladybug — Little magic

Chapter XIII

One more night by the fire.

Same ritual, new night: s’mores, warm hands, and the soft feeling of being fully away.

Toasting marshmallows at a fire pit — Night
Sunday night s’mores

Goodnight

We end the day the same way: firelight, something sweet, and a slow walk back to the room. Tomorrow is the last day — but tonight is perfect.

S’mores at the fire pit
7:30–8:00 PM
Cozy bedtime
Night

Memories

Eric playing golf in college — Golf days

Eric at the Stanford Golf Club — Stanford GC

Chapter XIV

Monday morning: southbound.

We leave Olema, cross the Golden Gate, and take Highway 101 through San Francisco — one last look at the Bay before we head back toward Palo Alto.

Golden Gate Bridge with San Francisco in the background — Monday
Golden Gate · goodbye, coast

Driving on Highway 101 — Monday
101 through the city

Stanford Shopping Center — Monday
Time permitting: a quick stop

The drive

Morning light, coffee, and the road. We head south with that bittersweet feeling: the trip is ending, but we’re already replaying our favorite moments.

If we have time, we’ll swing by the Stanford Shopping Center — one last Bay Area pause before lunch.

Drive from Olema to Palo Alto
9:00–11:00 AM
Stanford Shopping Center stop
Time permitting

Memories

Chapter XV

Lunch at Fuki Sushi.

The full-circle moment: we go back to the place of our very first date.

Full circle

Fuki Sushi exterior — Fuki Sushi · Palo Alto

A photo of Ann and Eric together — Us, back then

A dressed-up photo from earlier years — All dressed up

A photo of Ann at Spanish Bay — Spanish Bay

A photo of Ann with an award — A proud moment

A fun family photo with a ladybug — Little memories

The moment

We sit down for lunch and realize how wild it is: the same town, the same idea, the same two people — just with twenty more years of stories.

The trip started as a surprise. It ends as a reminder of where everything began.

Lunch at Fuki Sushi
11:30 AM–12:30 PM

Memories

Chapter XVI

Home in time for dinner.

After lunch we head back to the airport, fly home, and walk through the door with time to spare.

And then…

We pack up, say goodbye, and do the little sequence of steps that turns a trip into a memory — then we’re back home with dinner on the table.

Monday schedule Full itinerary

Supercharge + return the car
12:30–2:00 PM
Check in for flight
2:00–3:30 PM
Fly home (AS 745)
3:36–5:54 PM
Ride home
6:30–7:00 PM
Dinner at home
7:00 PM