|| One of my favorite parts of this trip was getting to see two very different sides of San Francisco. While we spent the majority of our time checking all the touristy items off our bucket list, we also had the opportunity to stay with Beau's friend, Chris, and his wife Snez, for a night at their apartment. Chris has lived in San Francisco for over ten years and the city is home to him. Chris works for a startup in the city, Snez is a fashion designer, and they live right in the heart of San Francisco's oldest and most culturally diverse districts, The Mission. The Mission District is an exuberant, evolving neighborhood with Latino roots and a hipster vibe. Its old-school taquerias and eclectic live-music venues mix with chef-driven restaurants and craft cocktail lounges. There are tattoo parlors next to gourmet ice cream shops, thrift stores next to pricey boutiques, and vibrant street art everywhere. There was soul, character, and a unique energy on every corner we turned and I couldn't get enough!
Chris and Snez lived in a little flat right off Valencia, a well-known street in the Mission. Tucked away in an alley with three big parks literally across the street, Cruz and Mila could hardly get out of the car before testing it all out. It was a beautiful day outside, Chris and Beau went down the street to grab us deli sandwiches from a little market called, Rheas, and I was more than happy to sit on a park bench and watch my littles intermix with all kinds of children for a pickup game of soccer or hide-and-go-seek. I'm thankful to be raising our kids right where we are, but also grateful for opportunities to show them and much bigger, more colorful world just outside our comfort zone.
After a picnic lunch on the outdoor patio, we set out for Corona Heights and what Chris referred to as an "urban hike." It didn't take us long to realize what he was talking about! We climbed up and up and up until we finally reached the top of Corona Heights Park, a beautiful (and windy) lookout point that provided some pretty amazing views of the city.
See those two tiny figures at the top of the hill? That's Chris and our son. The two of them raced to the top while Beau and I took turns pushing the stroller up what felt like a never-ending incline. It was work!
King!
The kids were completely unphased by our surroundings (thankfully I think they missed the nudists at the top of the hill!), and spent hours in the impressive playground area at the edge of the park. It was so interesting to me! There was this huge urban park, full of little kids enjoying the afternoon, and directly beside them was just a big party with all kinds of questionable behavior occurring. Two worlds diverged, with enough room for everyone it seemed. Cruz and Mila went down the massive slide again and again, climbed over bridges and up net ladders, and made friends in a sandbox that had a bigger footprint than the main floor of the house.
The Mission is most known for its vibrant street art. I could have taken pictures of buildings and alleyways all day long, but tried to refrain. Mila liked this one, though. :)
Besides jello creations and random treasure hunting around the house with Snez, one of my favorite memories from our stay was Sunday morning. Cruz woke me up early, well before the rest of the house, and we set out on the quiet city streets in search of donuts. The best sounding winner was for sure Dynamo Donuts, a little street-side stand known for creatively flavored donuts you just can't buy at Dunkin. It was over a mile away, so out we set just the two of us. We talked, stopped to check out interesting murals or do a little window shopping, and soon caught the World Cup energy as bars opened early for locals to watch the finals. And soon, we found Dynamo, and proudly brought our donuts back to the apartment, excited to share with the rest of our crew!
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