Stage 8 - San Francisco

To this point, our journey had been through sparsely populated country.  As we left the peace of Lake Tahoe for San Francisco that was due change.  We encountered relatively heavy traffic heading across the Bay Bridge but were aided by being able to use the carpool lane. 

We arrived at our hotel around 6pm but our room was not ready but they bought us dinner at the hotel restaurant - so that was a good deal.  Our hotel was at the edge of Chinatown and we had a room with a nice view on the 23rd floor.  

Jake has an interest in magic and there is a iconic magic shop in SF that he wanted to visit.  So we took the Muni down towards Golden Gate Park to visit the Misdirections.  Jake had a good time exploring and the shop owner showed him some good card tricks.  Brett bought a giant penny and entertained us all by conducting about 500 'heads or tails' games as we walked through Golden Gate Park. 

Since Jake got his store on the agenda - Kelsey insisted we seek out the Vera Bradley store.  I could not have been more thrilled. In the afternoon we did most of the traditional tourist things.. (Coit Tower, Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard St, etc).  At Fisherman's Wharf they had a nice 'antique' arcade - where I impressed my children with my bubble hockey skills.

The next day we hit the Embarcadero along the waterfront and then the boys and I hit the Giants-Rockies game while the girls did some shopping.  The AT&T ballpark is a very nice stadium on the water and it was a great afternoon for a ballgame.  The Giants won the game with a 3-run home run homer in the bottom of the 8th.  The lesson from the picture below is never ask somebody with big thumbs to take your picture.

Before we left the city by the bay I needed to get my Ghiradelli Sundae - so Jake and I rode the cable cars down to Ghiradelli Square to fill that void. 

The next morning - we hit Baker Beach on our way out of town.  Baker Beach is at the base of the Golden Gate bridge and the site of  my marriage proposal to my lovely wife - 17 years ago.  So we took the kids down to the spot - so I could recreate the moment for them.  They thought it was very embarrassing and weird - so it was a success.  It was slightly more foggy than the original day but glad I am thankful that I ordered enough wine that evening 17 years ago for her to say yes. 

As the fog at yet to totally burn off that morning - we were not able to get a great shot overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.  We had a great few days in the city.  The only thing on my list that we did not do was a visit to Alcatraz but oddly visiting a prison was not high on some members of our traveling party.