We were on the road eating breakfast in the car 15 minutes before I'd planned to leave so I was hopeful we would miss most of the morning yuck traffic. We were basically successful until we hit the city - hooray! We had noticed this cool wall reorganizer on the bridge the night before called a Road Zipper. It basically gobbled up the barrier wall in between the 6 lanes of traffic and spit it out in another position to shift the number of lanes to one side or the other - brilliant! I think we need this on our Pensacola Bay bridge some days for sure.
After a willies-inducing climb up a San Francisco 3 block-long
hill and back down we made it to our parking spot with plenty of time to make it to one of the first buses for our tour. Our short walk along Fisherman's Wharf was pretty quiet since it was so early.
We only had one day to experience the city so I thought this might be the quickest way to do that with the least amount of stress for me! The kids had enjoyed the other time we'd ridden the double-decker buses and this ride was no different!
We all plugged in our headphones and listened to our guide who pointed out all the interesting buildings and relayed the history of the city. He talked really fast - even for us - so we had to really pay attention.
Taking photos is always a little tricky in a city with lighting issues and obstructions so it is a little nicer to be on the upper deck of a bus. Still, I only like the tops of the buildings without all the distractions of the street.
I spotted a park I'd planned to drive to if needed at one of our stops so we hopped off at beautiful City Hall. I love this little bit of green space in the middle of the city. After a snack, my playground-snob kids jumped on all this different equipment for awhile. They think they've seen every playground configuration having been to so many parks and campgrounds all over the country but this one was definitely different!
Brayden was only halfway playing as he just too cool to be a kid anymore until we got to the swing! They all had a great time swinging as high as possible without falling out while the others jumped and pushed as hard as they could.
And of course Ryan loved this place. I think she will be a kid for as long as she can possibly squeeze it in. And of course I'm fine with that because I'm not sure I've ever completely grown up! We could never have a slide like this in Florida with the heat and it was so fast! We had to tear her away after an 27 times going down to get back on the bus. 
Our next stop was Haight Ashbury. Ever since our very first trip people have called me a hippie. I will admit we do eat differently, are outside markedly more than most, and put little value in screen time but I'm definitely not a hippie in the 60s sense of the word. Maybe a wanderer? A nomad? Dave and I have been making some changes that will only encourage this exponentially over the next 10 years!
We enjoyed all the shops thinking how nice it would be to shop at these vintage clothing stores when the girls needed an outfit for the themed parties and camps they go to. A definite favorite was the quaint little bookstore wedged in between smoke shops and thrift stores. Two of my kids were finishing up books daily so they jumped at the opportunity to go in. We only walked out with 2 books though since I'd be carrying them in my backpack all day.
We opted to move our picnic lunch from Golden Gate Park to the north vista at the Golden Gate bridge to enjoy that view instead. It was wickedly windy of course so we sat behind a wall and people-watched while we ate. It always amazes me how many different languages we hear being spoken when we travel. On the way into the city we saw we would be playing an $8 toll to use the bridge and we learned from our guide this bridge has an income of over a million dollars EVERY DAY!
We walked a good portion of the bridge before turning around. It was quite cold but also pretty stressful with all the bikes and people. Next time we'll have to just drive to the other view point that is much more quiet. We did enjoy the different view of Alcatraz, Angel Island, and the downtown skyline! A few years ago we found out Angel Island is the route the Bloomberg family likely took to come into the U.S. The girls had also learned a little bit about it this year in one of their classes.
Our next stop was the very famous Lombard Street. The bus dropped us at the bottom of a very steep hill we needed to hike up in order to see the curvy street. Brayden was now thankful he'd gone to soccer conditioning before we left because it was pretty much a breeze for him! The girls and I chugged along and made it to the top needing to get our breath back.
The kids were amazed at the line of cars waiting to drive down the street! They enjoyed watching them navigate the hairpin turns while we walked down the steps. We learned on the bus the reason for the curvy street was to change the incline from 27 degrees to 16 degrees because people wanted cars on this street. It actually used to be a two-way street of eight hairpin turns! It wasn't a popular tourist destination until one of the home owners on the street decided to plant hydrangeas along all the curves. I can't imagine living on this street with the amount of traffic and pedestrians!
I was ready to leave the bus time table and commotion and explore the rest on our own. Of course we had to walk to Ghiradelli Square and enjoy some chocolate. The kids were thrilled to be handed a couple pieces when we walked through the shops even if it wasn't their favorite flavor! It was also time for a snack so we decided on the Crissy Field cookie bits sundae. Ryan isn't actually enjoying her bite that much she was just mad I wanted her to wait for me to take a picture! We may have also bought a box to share with Grammie.
On our way through the shops Laney spotted a pusheen cat store. One of her obsessions is cats, especially these guys. She couldn't believe there was a whole store! I could already see her birthday list getting longer.
Our last walk was back down Fisherman's Wharf to Pier 39. There weren't many harbor seals hanging out but we got to see a few. I handed Ryan the camera to capture them. Her favorite is always the babies and swimming seals.
The kids called Dave as I navigated the traffic through the city back to our campground. Our plan worked to get in and out of the city early so the drive wasn't stressful or stopped much at all.
Laney cooked dinner while the other two whittled some sticks for marshmallows. They are always ready for a fire! Laney even had a mooching helper for a little while!
We all also enjoyed getting a chance to enjoy our campsite a little before and after dinner. This beautiful redwood tree is standing right next to my tent. I tried to capture their height but this picture doesn't even come close to doing it justice.
Brayden and Ryan played a few made up games with a football and soccer ball. Laney and I walked down to a little library she'd spotted the day we arrived. That girl has an eagle eye for books!
We ended the night with a campfire and our first real s'mores. Laney got out one of her journals because the kids came up with some good ideas for how things are going to work when we return home. We will be in a new house jumping back into school before we know it!
