We left San Francisco and headed south to one of our county’s newest National Parks, Pinnacles. Pinnacles is small in terms of acreage but offers some great hiking trails and rock climbing. It’s also home to endangered condors and bats, among other wildlife, and the trails offer views over the canyons that send warm air currents upward for gliding condors to hover above; their nests are along the tree branches lining the steep walls. There are a couple caves, too, but they were closed during our July visit…

I like that if my children are tasked with a “What I Did Last Summer” essay in school, they can report “Daddy took us to prison!” Upon landing in San Francisco on July 2, we checked into the J.W. Marriott at Union Square, walked into Chinatown, and ate spicy awesome hot braised fish with chilis for dinner at Z&Y, because that’s apparently where our 44th President ate while in town. Then we put the children to bed and walked over to Pacific Cocktail Haven for a nightcap. On…