Crazy Trip '10...Farewell, San Francisco (part 11)

We took a bus ride to the BART station, where we caught a train back to the airport.

We got to the airport in plenty of time to get through the looooong security line and hit a few shops to buy souvenirs (we didn't have time during our whirlwind tour of the city!). Then, as we waited for our time to board, the kids entertained themselves...

...in various ways.


Finally, it was time to board the airplane and say goodbye to San Francisco.

Truly, we had the best 36 hour trip one could ever have. We feel so lucky to have been presented this opportunity -- and that we had the flexibility to be able to jump on it! I really hope this is the first of many "crazy trips"!

In conclusion, I'd like to share "the numbers" according to Courtney:

Hours from initial call to departure: 22
Hours spent in airplanes: 7
Types of transportation within 36-hour time frame: 8
(airplane, cable car, cab, shuttle, bus, train, boat, car)
Number of parents on trip: 2
Number of children on trip: 5
Number of times Lexy and I expressed gratitude for our husbands: countless

Crazy Trip '10...Golden Gate Bridge (part 10)

We got off the bus at the Golden Gate Bridge, and we felt like we had stepped into a postcard. Every angle and every vista was just breathtaking.



We decided that we needed to take a closer look, so we walked out to the middle of the bridge and admired the view from there.




After a while, we had to tear ourselves away from the bridge, eat a quick lunch at the cafe, and catch a bus to begin the trip back to the airport.

Crazy Trip '10...Good morning! (part 9)

We woke up bright and early Wednesday morning, in part because of the time difference, but mostly due to Griffin's random cough-a-thon that began at about 5:30am. In a 1000 sq ft apartment, sound travels. Heather, Courtney, and I worked together for a while to quiet his cough, and once we succeeded and lay down to catch a little more sleep, we heard sounds of stirring from the five kids in the next room. So, declaring the night over (before 6am), we got dressed and ready for our second day of adventure.

Our first stop was to The Creamery, home of the most fantastic nutella and fruit crepes imaginable, and right around the corner from Heather's apartment. Next, we wandered over to the San Francisco Giants' stadium to check it out.

It was neat to see the manual scoreboard from behind. Rhys is pretty sure that whoever gets to sit behind it and change the score has the best job ever.

Behind the stadium is a marina. Bill tells me that people take kayaks and small boats into the cove behind the stadium to try to snag homerun balls.

From the stadium, we said goodbye to Heather and started our (rather long) trek to the bus stop. Luckily, long walks in San Francisco just mean more opportunities to admire pretty scenery.

Finally we reached the bus stop and got on a bus heading for the Golden Gate Bridge.

Crazy Trip '10...North Beach, dinner, and bed - oh my! (part 9)

From Pier 39, we walked toward North Beach, the Italian cultural area of San Francisco. The walk, of course, was gorgeous, and it was neat to see Italian flags painted on the lampposts at every corner.

We met Courtney's brother, Tim, and Tim's girlfriend, Della, at a little Italian garden restaurant called Bocce Cafe. The food was excellent and the company was even better, but several members of our party couldn't manage to stay awake for even the food to arrive.

By the end of the meal, Griffin, Benja, and Rhys were all asleep at the table. We paid our check, hailed a cab, and headed back to Heather's for the night.

Crazy Trip '10...Pier 39 (part 8)

The stretch between the Municipal Pier and Pier 39 had much less of a San Francisco feel than any where else we explored. It was all very touristy, with the typical tourist traps you find at any beach area -- cheap souvenir shops, Hard Rock Cafe, Joe's Crab Shack, etc. But the difference between this beach area and others I've been to can be attributed to the eclectic people. We're from Austin...we're no strangers to weird. It felt a little like all the folks from Eeyore's Birthday Party were imported to do performance art at this cheapy, generic tourist area.

Our first encounter was with the Bushman. Poor Heather volunteered to take Rhys and Benjamin to the restroom, and was scared out of her wits when the Bushman jumped out at her. The kids thought it was the funniest thing ever, but it took Heather some time to recover.

Next, we got to witness a really impressive breakdancing show.


Then, of course, there were these guys all dressed up with no place to go.

By the time we made it down to Pier 39 to see these lazy fellas, it seemed a little anti-climactic.


No, really, they were quite cute, and we were just sorry we couldn't go give them a cuddle!

Crazy Trip '10...Boat tour of the Bay (part 7)

As we continued our stroll along Fisherman's Wharf, we saw a sign offering boat tours of the Bay. After we were offered a tour at a bargain price, we climbed aboard the boat, anxious to go. The marina was lovely, and we even saw some sea lions frolicking while we waited!

The tour took us along the coastline toward the Golden Gate Bridge.


The water got pretty choppy at one point, and Rhys got soaked!



It was pretty amazing to see the bridge from below.


Next, we cruised towards Alcatraz. Griffin gave us his scariest prisoner-on-his-way-to-Alcatraz face.

Yep, I'd lock him up.


When it was time to head back to the marina, the boat's captain told us that we were going to be going fast through some choppy water, and if we didn't want to get really wet, we should move to the back of the boat. Then he repeated his warning. Twice. Did we listen?

In a word? No. We got completely drenched, and this picture doesn't do it justice. Note to self: Listen to the captain. No matter how goofy he seems, he probably knows more than I do about boating.

After disembarking, my most pressing need was for a hairbrush. Between the salt water and the wind, my hair felt like one big hay knot.


But I wasn't the only one with hair "issues".


After some serious detangling, we felt finally presentable enough to continue our walk down the streets of San Francisco.

Crazy Trip '10...Fisherman's Wharf (part 6)

From Ghirardelli Square, we continued our trek downhill until we reached the Bay. This was the first time for any of us to see the Pacific Ocean, and it didn't disappoint! The water was blue, blue and the bridges and hills in the distance were just breathtaking.



We decided to take a closer look by walking to the end of the Municipal Pier.




After we walked the pier, the water was calling us. The kids were especially desperate to at least get their feet wet -- and, as always with kids, they ended up getting a lot more wet than just their feet! It was surreal to watch them play in the tide with Alcatraz behind them and the Golden Gate bridge to their left.


They also wrote lots of messages in the sand, including Maya's now famous inscription, labeling our vacation "Crazy Trip 2010".

Crazy Trip '10...Lombard Street to Ghirardelli Square (part 5)

We got off the cable car at the bottom of Lombard Street, known as the World's Crookedest Street. It was quite a steep climb up, but the views were definitely worth it!



Next we headed down the big hill toward Ghirardelli Square -- home of the yummiest San Francisco chocolate! We all shared decadent sundaes and soaked up the beautiful weather.