Wednesday afternoon the boys enjoyed their first plane ride and loved it! They smiled and giggled during the take off and landings. They enjoyed getting served apple juice and looking out the window.
When we arrived in San Francisco Uncle Daniel picked us up from the airport and we went straight to our VRBO apartment. The apartment was lovely and so convenient for all of us. We took it easy that night and geared up for the next day.
Thursday morning we headed straight for the Golden Gate Bridge. The weather wasn't great but it was still amazing to walk along and see dolphins and seals in the water below.
Next we headed to an indoor trampoline park called House of Air. It's located in a historic airplane hanger just down from the bridge in the Crissy fields area. The park was really cool and Owen loved it! Gavin enjoyed the first 10 minutes and then the bad mood monster bit him and he refused to play. :(
Gavin cheered up as we made it to our next stop at Lands End. We got to see a great view of the ocean and the gift shopped proved it's worth as it provided Owen with his new favorite possession a book about sharks!
After lunch we toured through Golden Gate State Park, which is huge. Daniel took us to a wonderful playground area where the boys had a blast!
Thursday night Uncle Daniel and Vanessa treated Joel and I to a night out. We went to a great restaurant called Delarosa and then a hilarious show called Beach Blanket Babylon. It has a long history in San Francisco and updates to keep up with current pop culture and political material.
Friday was a jam packed day! We started bright and early by taking the bus to Fisherman's Wharf. We began by visiting the Aquarium by the Bay. The boys loved the exhibits and the activities they offered in honor of shark week. Owen has picked up a pretty strong interest in sharks. So he will now tell you because he likes sharks, dinosaurs and ice age animals that he is into "lots of creatures".
After the aquarium we said hello to all the sea lions out on the docks, had some lunch and then headed out on a boat tour of the bay. It was a little windy but the gorgeous sunshine gave us great views of the bridge, city, Alcatraz and several more dolphin sitings.
After the boat tour we walked down to Ghiradelli Square for some chocolate! This was a big hit for all of us. We got to sample some sea salt carmel chocolate squares and then enjoyed some delicious ice cream.
We had to wait quite a while but eventually took our turn riding on the infamous San Fran cable car from Ghiradelli Square all the into the city to Union Square. The boys were pretty interested in how it went up and down the hills and like when the conductor rang the bell. Joel got the best spot, hanging off the side and playing the role of the conductor's right hand man.
Once we arrived at Union Square we walked over to Daniel's office which is located in the financial district and is the 2nd tallest building in the city, the former Bank of America building. In his office we were able to see more amazing views of the city and bay.
Saturday was another early day that was filled with lots of different activities. We started in Muir Woods with a hike through some red woods. It was gorgeous! The boys had fun pretending to be chipmunks since we weren't able to find any real ones.
After our hike we took a scenic drive up through the hills to see how the low level clouds really take over the city and lower areas.
Next we headed to Stinson Beach. The boys had never been to the ocean before and were thrilled to find a few shells and other evidence of sea "creatures". ;) The water was definitely too chilly for us to do any swimming but they kept themselves busy in the sand. Daddy buried them a few times. Daniel helped them build a castle which Gavin wanted to name Joe Mauer but was ultimately named Crab Castle. They found an entire crab buried in the sand and used it as a guard for their castle. The castle also had a treasure cup at the top of the tower full of crab legs. They also had a moat with a moat monster, some sea weed, and a garage in the back! The boys also had fun running in the shallow but still strong waves. Both got knocked over once or twice!
Sunday was our last day and didn't turn out to be a very nice day but we managed to do quite a bit. We drove down Lombard, the crooked street, and then headed to Telegraph Hill.
We did some relaxing and hanging at Daniel and Vanessa's where the boys had fun playing with/ harassing their dog Cheeky. The clouds cleared and we decided to head to a nearby park to exercise both Cheeky and the boys. Uncle Daniel and the boys took turns sharing their best soccer moves.
Our final destination before heading to the airport was the Palace of Fine Arts. The palace was actually located just a few blocks from our apartment and we frequently pointed it out to kids when we saw it in the skyline, "See the dome? Our apartment is right there." Both the palace and the grounds are stunning and it was so cool to walk through it.
Sunday afternoon we headed to the airport. Both boys were great about getting through there with all of their belongings. The flight home seemed less thrilling. They acted as if they had flown a million times.
We got back to MN in the middle of the night feeling completely exhausted. It was so worth it as this was a trip we will always remember. Thanks again Uncle Daniel & Vanessa!
Next week Gavin begins preschool and the following week Owen enters Kindergarten. More adventures to come! Stay tuned!
