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San
Francisco -
Open
Your Golden Gate
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| San Francisco… home of
the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghiradelli
Square, Alcatraz Island, and so much more…
After flying into Oakland
and renting a car, it was off to Fisherman’s Wharf…
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| Fisherman’s Wharf is a
great place to take the family.
There are lots of shops,
food, and activities. Pier 39 is home to many sea lions,
so you’ll have the opportunity for a good close up view.
This is also where we caught the boat to …the historic and infamous federal prison.
The boat ride only lasts
about ten minutes and there's both indoor and outdoor
seating, so it's an easy ride for the kids.
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Do be aware that after you
arrive on the island, there is a rather large hike up a
hill to get to the prison, so if you have small children,
plan accordingly.
Upon reaching Alcatraz
prison, we took the 35 minute walking tour, which included
a headset for narration.
We found the tour
interesting, but only recommend it for children 8 and
older, due in part to the large hike up the hill.
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| Next, it was back to
Fisherman’s Wharf and straight to the Aquarium of the
Bay… a big hit for both kids and grown ups!
Lots of exhibits and lots
of hands on… The kids got to touch sharks, starfish, and
lots of tide pool creatures.
The highlight was two
moving sidewalks that took you through tunnels that
surrounded you with fish. Even the 1 year old liked that!
By now, we had worked up
quite an appetite...
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We found a really fun
restaurant for dinner called, “”
(yes, like the movie) right on Pier 39. The ambiance was
great! Surrounded by Forest Gump paraphernalia… they
even had license plates on the table that said “Run
Forest Run” or “Stop Forest Stop” to signal the
waiters (who stopped at your table immediately, when you
flashed the “Stop Forest Stop” sign).
The food and the
selection on the kid meals was good. (The place does draw
a crowd, so it can be a bit of a wait to be seated and
rather loud inside.)
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| After a long day, it was
back to the Best Western Hotel on Sutton & Venice, a
very lucky find indeed. Reasonably priced, this hotel had
spacious rooms, great service, and a surprisingly good
continental breakfast. Additionally, video and game
rentals were available at the front desk. |
| The next day, it was off
to the …a great place for kids that like science.
The Exploratorium is
housed in the Palace of Fine Arts, which was originally
built for the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition
to celebrate the discovery of the Pacific Ocean, the
completion of the Panama Canal, and the city’s
resurrection after the earthquake and fire of 1906.
In 1969, after a major
restoration, it became the home to the Exploratorium.
The Exploratorium has two
floors of exhibits and takes several hours to get through.
There is a cafeteria style restaurant inside with freshly
made sandwiches, hot dogs, ice cream, etc… All ages will
enjoy the visit.
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We were then off on a
sightseeing tour through San Francisco… stopping off at
Lumbar Street (the curviest street in the world) and of
course, the Golden Gate bridge.
Note: Do look
carefully at street signs when driving in San Francisco,
there are lots of one-way streets and it can be confusing!
If you opt not to
drive, there are plenty of taxis, buses, trolleys, and a
subway to get you around town...
All in all, we enjoyed
our trip to San Francisco and look forward to visiting
again soon...
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by Aela Paiz |
