Driving the green car

It's funny how you research the top spots to bring your kid to enrich his life (and how much you spend to go there) only to find out maybe he could care less. We brought Jake to see Thomas the Tank Engine, to the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, got memberships to the local children's discovery museum and zoo, and checked out every park and playground around that yelp suggested as "good for kids." But what does he talk about constantly? "I drove the green car with Daddy." It took Dave and I awhile to even catch on to what he was talking about, but when he wouldn't let it go, it finally clicked and I brought up some photos on my phone of our recent trip to nearby Gilroy Gardens, this kind of run-down, defunct, horticultural-themed amusement park. That was it - he got all excited and looked at the pictures over and over. We took Jake there a couple of weeks ago just to get out of the house and because we had free passes. No planning ahead the night before, no strategy on beating the crowds, no googling like crazy to see if there were discounted tickets. I threw a diaper, sippy cup, and a couple packs of goldfish in my purse and we just hopped in the car on a whim and went - I don't think we even brought a real camera. Hell, I don't even think I took a shower! Yet this is what he remembers, and obviously cherishes. Maybe it's time to rethink that drive to Muir Woods....