July 24, 2010 by Micah
Last week, I took Friday (the 16th) off so we could go sightseeing. And did we ever!
We decided to buy City Passes and see a whole bunch in one weekend. For the first day, we went to Fisherman's Wharf. This is an area on the north-east side of the city. It is tourist crazy, with many things to see.
Our bus dropped us near Ghirardelli square, which wasn't that interesting. Christine heard that there were street vendors on Jackson street, so we headed east on that street. There were lots of people selling jewelry and artwork, and we had a pretty fun walk to Pier 39. I had a really big breakfast, but Christine was hungry, so we stopped at a taco truck got a chicken empanada.
Our City Pass included a boat cruise around the bay and this was the first thing we did. Charlotte slept and Christine thought it was a little too crowded, but I had a great time seeing the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz up close.
Alcatraz
Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco from the bay
After the ride, we were both hungry. We wanted a place that was sit down and had high-chairs for Charlotte. And so, to the Hard Rock Cafe we went!
I had never been to one, and I know it's not a 'real' restaurant, but all of us had an excellent time. Charlotte loved her macaroni and cheese and Christine and I shared a burger that was a little too spicy. The combination of Charlotte being good, food in our tummies, air-conditioning, and a short rest was wonderful: we left feeling refreshed and happy.
We walked around the pier and Charlotte loved every minute. There were dogs and birds to see and it was windy and mommy and daddy helped walk her and there were colorful things and stairs and people and carousals! Christine looked through a few of the shops, but I bet Charlotte had more fun then either of us.
The last thing we had planned was to visit the Aquarium on the Bay. So, we got started walking around when *poof* the lights went out! It was too dark to see anything, and they didn't know when the power would come back, so we decided to try another day.
We did see a tiny bit before we left
We walked back the way we came and took in the sites. There was a crowded seafood market, a museum of old mechanical arcade games, a sourdough bakery, and many shops.
And back at Ghirardelli square we bought a dark fudge sundae while waiting on the bus. It was basically magnificent. A tasty end to a fun day.
Coming up next: Was the aquarium worth the hassle? How is Chinese sponge bread? If the SF Museum of Modern Art is so modern, why do we have to go to it instead of it coming to us?
Stay tuned!
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