I have a few days to catch up on...

Monday 21 July 2008

Today was the day we were meant to go to Yosemite National Park. However, we still can't cross the roads without looking the wrong way so we regrettably decided to cancel our trip and hopefully we will make it there one day. Due to changing our plans we needed to also change our Motel so we ended up booking one on the other side of Fort Mason closer to the bridge or rather transport to other things we wanted to see.
Before we did the backpacking thing again we thought it was high time we got a one day pass for the cable cars. We piled into one as it clickety clacked up the steeps hills of San Francisco. Damien hung out the back of the cable car taking photos and video. The cable cars had wooden seats which are great for playing that corners game we did as children in cars - you know the one where you squash whoever is at the end LOL. We stopped at China Town as featured in Indiana Jones. Some of the little shops in there were quite cool filled with Nintendo products that we just don't see at home and a fab kite shop with absolutely every sort of kite imaginable. Ethan was pretty chuffed too as he found himself a Giants Baseball Cap. Down the main st of China Town hung red paper lanterns that were gorgeous to walk under and led us to the front gates and the large lions that guard out front.
Time was starting to get away from us and every cable car stop had a lot of people waiting for already full cars. So we walked down to Union Square, and this time we actually saw the "square" which is a garden in the middle of that district decorated with gigantic, arty hearts. Down there the cable cars where fairly easy to get on and we made our way back to get our bags to transfer motels.
After the drop off, on the bus we went up town to the famously cute "Seven Painted Ladies". These Victorian Houses provide a timely backdrop to our photo's as well as well know movies like So I Married an Axe Murderer - a hilarious Mike Myers original. Right across the road was a park for the kiddies to hang in whilst we admired once again a wonderful view of the city.
Today was also the day we started our discoveries of the Golden Gate Park. This park is unbelievably huge. In it are a lake, museums, a science research centre (I think?), an outdoor music theatre, japanese gardens, a bison park and the list goes on. Over 2 days we ended up seeing about half of this park. We ended up going into the well manicured gardens of Japan. The kids immediately spotted coins in the pond and wanted to make their own wishes. We strolled around the peaceful setting admiring the landscaping and dwarf trees that give it their own style.
On the way back to the motel our bus passed the Golden Gate Bridge and even though it was quite overcast the bridge was not engulfed in fog. We hopped off the bus immediately and started acting like all the other tourists taking a million photo's ;). There was a scenic walk to the bottom of the bridge which is named Fort Point and as the name suggests is a Fort that protected the bay from the threat of invasion and is also another famous backdrop in a Hitchcock film called Vertigo. The walk down was quite steep but the view and the fact that we were at the Golden Gate Bridge made it soooo worth it. It was then I realised that Sydney Harbour had some serious competition!! Down on the point the ocean air kissed our cheeks and the spray off the rocks tried to wet us. Fishermen were getting their lines snagged on the rocks below and joggers were puffing as they made their way to a point with hands cast which they like to touch as a sign of achievement of getting there. We made the long walk up again and started our way onto the bridge itself.
For dinner we discovered Mel's Diner across the road from where we were staying which the original (doesn't exist anymore) was featured in George Lucas's first film American Graffiti. There we dined on cheap steak and eggs with fabulous service at this 50's styled cafe.
After dinner night was upon us and we took advantage of that fact and took another cable car ride to see the city lit up and glittery. Just like through the day, this city is also buzzing at night time and this time Aurora hung out the back on the way up town and on the way back down we sat in the open air out the front of the car. The driver would ding his bell in a sing song way every few blocks that had the kids bopping along.
Sleep finally reached us around midnight this day as we felt like we fit in 2 days worth of sight seeing in one day. Actually we did - 9am to midnight!!

In the cable car.

Ethan with his loved giants cap in the kite shop at

China Town

Seven Painted Ladies, postcard perfect!

The Japanese Tea Gardens

We made it to the Golden Gate Bridge!!