San Francisco (my favorite day)!!

We got up bright and early on Monday so that we could catch the 10:00 ferry from Larkspur to San Francisco.  I'm so glad we decided to ferry in.  Despite some cold temps on the ferry, it was so great to see our first glimpses on the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the city from the boat. It was beautiful. I love big cities and San Francisco is no exception.

When we first got on the ferry it was sunny and fairly warm but as you can see in the picture above, we are headed toward cold and overcast. (see below)

 That ferry was bookin' it, making it very cold and WINDY.

Brrrrrr...
It was so great coming in on the ferry and seeing the city from that vantage point.
It was beautiful.

 Looking at this picture it seems weird that I have sunglasses on...

These two pictures are interesting for two reasons. 

#1- one was taken by me and the other by Eric. We must have clicked at almost the exact same time. The kids look the same in both pictures.

#2- the way the kids are posing it looks like they are imitating the sculpture.

At least Will and Taylor look excited about their first cable car ride...

Megan and Mommy on the California line.

On the streets on San Fran.

The brick building in the background is the cable car museum.

Original cable car.

Adam explaining to the boys how the cable wheels work.

I was really quite amazed at it all.

Noah, trying to figure out his "China sticks".

We were quite the site in this restaurant.

I took and posted a lot of pictures of this restaurant because this was a really funny and fun experience.  This restaurant is in China Town but I felt like I was in China.  It all was so foreign.  The food was, like, real Chinese food.  People looked at us like we were the foreign ones (I guess we really were) with our big families and white children. We stuck out like a sore thumb.  It was great!

Kyle, however, would beg to differ. As we walked down the street in China Town with all its different looking food and ducks hanging in the window, Kyle became very wary. So by the time we got to the restaurant he had already decided he didn't want to eat there.  He did not enjoy the food really at all even though he normally isn't a picky eater.

He saw me working on this post and when he saw these pictures he said, "Ew, I never want to go back there again." Ha ha.

The pictures above are funny because you'll notice, Megan is a celebrity.
This lady from China kept taking pictures of her and then wanted her picture taken with Megan.

Funny.

Ghirardelli ice cream!

The kids really didn't eat anything at Chinese restaurant so we went and got some nutritious ice cream.

The pack mules...er...stallions...

Fountains at Ghirardelli Square. 

Fountains are just so irresistible!

The following few pictures are of the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park.

We didn't have plans to go here but it turned out to be one of the kids favorites.

This was, of course, dubbed the pirate ship by the boys.

Balclutha from 1886

 (Otherwise known as "the pirate ship")

This ship carried goods around Cape Horn (tip of South America) 17 times

Megan also loved climbing around inside and outside the boats.

Aboard the Eureka steam boat ferry (1890)

A couple of little pirates. Arrrrrrr...

 Toots and Aunt Ernie

Kyle, Will and Noah on the 1907 steam tug, Hercules 

Yummy sour dough lunch at Boudin Bakery.

The kids were fascinated by the bakery itself and 

the baskets that moved on a track from the bakery to the store.

 It was pretty cool.

Famous Pier 39 sea lions.

We stayed in Windsor while going to and from San Francisco. This was the condo we stayed in.  All of the places we stayed were very nice and I was grateful to have separate bedrooms and a kitchen the entire time (except in Battle Mountain but that doesn't count...).  I think we are spoiled now...