Dad's Passing

For those who were following our trip on the blog, I wanted to update it to say that we ended the trip at the Grand Canyon due to the death of my father, Phil. It was a long road back to NC to be with the family.

He was a great father, grandfather and man. There are so many people who loved him and pulled me aside to tell stories or repeat a joke he had told them.

I miss him.

You can find a link to his obituary via the Legacy web site (I don't post last names here, but it is the first part of my last name).

I'll get back to summing up our trip, which was really wonderful, at some point. Just not ready to do it yet.

More SF

Tuesday and back on the bus to the Exploratorium. This time I forgot our membership card aaaaaagh! Called our museum and they wee nice enough to fax a letter confirming our membership, which allowed us to get in for free--a savings of at least $30. Yay! In return, I agreed to write an article about all the museums we get into with our membership (ATSC and AZA) during the trip.

The museum has discreet areas in a very open space, so I was able to let the kids roam freely in each section and they enjoyed the independence. They also loved the museum. We spent 5 hours there.


Drawing, ofcourse!

Wednesday, we went to GG park to visit the CA Academy of Science. Sadly, they do not reciprocate with our sci museum, so the price was steep--but it included a 3-D movie on bugs and a digital planetarium show--and if you haven't been to a digi planetarium, get to one ASAP--it was AMAZING. The museum itself has lots of hands on activities and an entire aquarium too. Another 5 hour visit and we could have stayed even longer.


Zack checks out Homo Sapiens and Neaderthals

Thursday we scouted around town a bit on the cable car. Went to the Cable Car Museum and down to Chinatown and the SF fortune cookie company--a great place where you can see them make the cookies. We were the only people in the shop, so we got lots of warm free samples. Back down to Fisherman's Wharf to Boudin's for soup in bread bowls and a look at their museum on the history of SF sourdough. Onto a bus up telegraph hill and Coit Tower, walked back down to Levi Plaza to check out their archive exhibit and play in the fountain for a while before heading back to the hotel.


The view from Telegraph Hill


Cable Car Museum

Pete was able to do dinner with us and we went to Chez Panisse in Berkeley. It was without a doubt, the best meal we ever had. I can't gush enough about it.

Friday, Pete was done with his conference but still had to work from a local office. He left and then came back around lunchtime to help us change hotels. Even though we were only going a couple of blocks, we have so much stuff it took a cab ride to get there.

We had lunch together and Pete went to work while we hit the Contemporary Jewish Museum which I enjoyed and the kids took some interest in. They enjoyed the exhibit on Jewish music and I enjoyed the exhibit on the Jewish Russian theatre.

OK, heading to bed now. Will finish up San Fran in the next post. zzzzz

San Francisco

San Francisco was great!

Pete went on a separate flight because of work, so he dropped us off at the airport and went home to prepare for his flight. We all arrived in SFO about a half hour apart and cabbed it over to the Westin Market St. Hungry, we walked over to Lori's diner (one of many around town).


Here's Kate enjoying pancakes for dinner


and Zack with French Toast

We tried to stay up pretty late to make the time change, but konked out around 9pm PT


Here's the view from our room. We could see the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge from opposite ends of the window.

This cool building was near our hotel. Zack liked that it looked like a leaning building. It is the Contemporary Jewish Museum, which we visited later in the week.

Sunday we met up with Pete's friend Chris and her partner Jen for a hike around the Presidio. It was chilly but very lovely and a great chance to chat and move around after travel the day before.


Here we are near the GG bridge.

Monday, Pete was off to his conference and the kids and I headed back to the Presidio to see the Palace of Fine Arts and visit the Exploratorium. BUt, I forgot it was Monday and so the museum was closed. DUH! It was a nice day to walk around though, so we walked around the duck pond, then, as payback for the disappointment of the the museum, I took us to Ghiradelli Square where the kids got some icecream. We then walked down the wharf to Pier 39 to see the sea lions and check out the shops. Katie ended up part of a magic show, riding on the magician's back while he walked over broken glass! Kate and Zack them rode the carousel and then we visited the Aquariumof the Bay.


the Palace of Fine Arts


Ghiradelli ice cream


with the sea lions


Kate and the magician

getting close with an octopus at the aquarium

Much more to tell but it's getting late. Will catch up next time we have wifi.