|| We were wide awake early, still not adjusted to our time change but refreshed and ready for the day ahead. Our first highlight of the day was the free breakfast at our hotel! We all confirmed by the end of our stay that it was the best hotel breakfast we've ever had! Cruz loved the homemade waffles with boysenberry syrup, Beau was a big fan of the chicken mango sausage, I loved the fresh melon, and Mila loved the "fancy" coffee cups she got to drink her orange juice from! When Beau gave her a lid and let her take it along, she pranced out of the hotel and declared that she felt like a seven year old!
|| We did our best to prepare for the day ahead by dressing in layers. The weather was so refreshing! The mornings were cold and foggy and gave a backdrop to the city that was mystical and a little haunting. It was beautiful and I loved getting to cross the big bridge every day as the clouds literally touched the tops of the massive iron posts.
|| We spent the morning visiting the iconic Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. Although this is the top visitor attraction on Trip Adviser, I had read some mixed reviews regarding how touristy it is. Call us tourists, but we loved it here and both said we could have spent an entire day exploring, eating, and taking in the beautiful views of the bay. We got there early and a lot of the fish market stands were just starting to unload their seafood for the day. A lot of the shops weren't open yet and the boardwalk was quiet and peaceful. I kept waiting to come across the fortune teller machine from the movie, Big, even though I'm pretty sure that took place somewhere else. It was mysterious and a bit ominous, especially with Alcatraz as our backdrop!
|| One of the sights I was looking forward to showing the kids was the famous Pier 39 where the seals sunbathe in huge groups right on the pier. Come to find out it is mating season for seals so many of them were shacking up somewhere else. That is, except for a few celibates who seemed perfectly content showing off for us. ;)
|| We hung out on Pier 39 for awhile, taking in the pretty views of the bay and the surrounding towns, as well as the big city views of San Francisco on our other side. Cruz became quite entranced by the story of Alcatraz, especially the fact that sharks do indeed inhabit the waters around it. He was a little quiet as he stared at the eerie prison and thought about the legend of the one escapee said to have survived. Mila just posed for pictures and showed off her new fall coat. She needed it this morning!
|| The kids talked us into an expensive ride on the two-story carousel and Beau got us some famous mini donuts at Trish's. And just as the sun came up and the crowds grew, it was time to head to AT&T Park for an afternoon of baseball.
|| This stadium, and the fact that the Cubs were in town, just so happened to be the reason our week trip grew to be a lengthier one. Since Lake Tahoe was our initial destination, we found cheap flights to San Fran and decided we would fly there and spend a couple days exploring the city. But then we discovered the Cubs were playing the Giants just a day earlier, so we flew in the day before to avoid possible delays and get to the game on time. Beau called it expensive, I called it meant to be. :)
I didn't know much about AT&T Park but later learned it is known as one of the prettiest and most unique ball park in the country. It's right on the bay, so close that the waters fill with kayakers who listen to the game and wait for foul balls on their lunch breaks. The stadium has a garden inside, and many of the delicious food served at the stadium is made with produce grown from within its walls. There is a neat area from the outside where fans, business people, or tourists can grab a beer and have a perfect view of the game, but only for an inning before their ushered out so a new group can catch a peek. And most importantly, the stadium caters to families and kids alike. There is a huge coke bottle that sits tall in the outfield and includes three multi-level curly slides free of charge. And there is a smaller version of the ball diamond (as well as a scoreboard and advertisement wall) where kids can wait in line to hit balls and run bases with the help of ballpark staff. And all this is happening while parents can grab a $12 beer and watch the game from a hug deck that circles the entire outfield. Although we had good seats right in homerun alley, I spent a good part of the game taking in the view from the top while the kids had a blast.
|| We got our first taste of the temperature change that would occur every day we were there, starting with upper fifties in the morning and climbing to a perfect mid-seventy degree day by the middle of the afternoon. And we saw a really great game! Kris Bryant was back for his first game after being injured and hit a homer, our favorite Javy Baez had a big one, too, and the game went into extra innings (13 to be exact) before the Giants came out on top. We left a little early to be traffic out of the stadium and listened to the rest of the game on the radio as the kids both napped.
|| But not before the infamous balloon animal meltdown that would precede those ever important car naps! Beau was ready to go and growing impatient with me, but I couldn't resist Mila and her love for this clown. She danced her heart out in the bubbles and was having so much fun people were stopping to watch her. One man even came to me and said, "I really hope her middle name is Joy!" The clown made two balloon animals and I tipped him my only five dollar bill, completely worth it for how excited the kids were and how great of a vacation moment we were having.
Fast forward ninety seconds later when Mila's butterfly balloon took off and blew straight into the bay. Her joy-filled wonder instantly turned to an equally as big wrath of terror. And when sweet Cruz offered her his balloon to make her feel better, she hit his hand away and sent his balloon flying the other direction, straight into oncoming traffic. Needless to say we had two tired, irate children on our hands. It was a very long walk back to our car and I simply told my very quiet husband not to say a word. ;)
|| Nothing like a good rush hour car nap to incite forgiveness to one another. Mila, you have no idea how good of a brother you've been gifted!
|| Perhaps our best decision of the day was when we decided to order pizza to our hotel and have a quiet, relaxing night in our pjs. We initially chose the Acqua Hotel for its good reviews and reasonable price, we had no idea how much we would enjoy being a little out of the city. Our room was cozy, the beds were a dream, and the little inlet that surrounded the back of the building created such a picturesque place to regroup and end our days. I loved the patio and their wine and cheese happy hour each day, the kids took advantage of the homemade cookies and milk at 7:00 each night, and we became quite accustomed to the unique views at sunset, especially as the clouds rolled over the mountains in the distance. It was beautiful!
|| Pizza in bed and card games to follow - a perfect way to end our first day in the city!
No comments:
Post a Comment