Exploring San Francisco

We spent Saturday in San Francisco as part of John and Alex's birthday celebration. It was Alex's first trip into the city, and we explored while making mental notes of all the things we want to come back to see and do.

We took Caltrain into the city and the Muni once we were in San Francisco. John's brother met us at the Ferry Building. A three adult to one child ratio is helpful when exploring a crowded city. Alex's new stroller and Go Diego Go videos on the iPhone were also helpful.

We had lunch at the huge Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and took the Muni to Golden Gate Park. Alex liked seeing the boats, so we will plan another trip to take a Golden Gate Bay Cruise. Our rides on the Muni included both light rail and crowded buses. Alex was being goofy and provided entertainment to half the bus as we crossed town.

We quickly found an awesome playground at Golden Gate Park. Alex played for a little while and went down the concrete slide.

We went to check out some museums. The California Academy of Sciences warrants its own day trip. We visited the observation tower at the de Young Fine Arts Museum for some cool views of the city, bay, and mountains.

Alex made some friends in the park and tried walking on a tight rope. He ran around the fountain and took some pictures.

We enjoyed dinner at Tian Sing Chinese Restaurant after walking around more of the city. The dim sum and entrees were good, but we ordered more items than we planned. We caught a late train home, and the dogs behaved while we were gone.

We live about an hour from San Francisco, and the South Bay feels very suburban compared to San Francisco. I noticed the contrast on this trip, especially since we took the Muni around town. With all of the changes, I am glad to still live in a suburban area, but I am also glad that we can take the train (or drive up) to such a neat city.