Once we got into town and got all our stuff into the house, we decided to make the most of the day and explore the city. We had beautiful weather and made sure to enjoy it as much as we could. We first headed down into Noe Valley, my dad's old stomping grounds, and visited his childhood library. Each building in San Francisco has so much character and each one is as unique as the next.
Next, we headed over to a large hill at the back end of San Francisco (near twin peaks) and hiked a little trail to a gorgeous overlook of the entire city. My dad knows all the great spots!
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| A nearly 270 degree uninterrupted view of all of San Francisco. Amazing. |
I'll give you a hint...
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| Not bad, except for my skin tone and dark brown sideburns. |
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| It makes quite an impression - wouldn't you say! |
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| Awwww |
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| A huge ice-skating rink was set-up right in the middle of Union Square. This shot was taken from the top floor of Macy's. |
The next morning we all woke up early to have breakfast and exchange Christmas presents. Guess what I got?
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| After long-last, I finally got a pair of Aviators. Sweet. Thanks Mom and Dad. |
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| Cheryl didn't like the hill :( |
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| We made a little pit stop at Stow Lake and got some coffee and hot chocolate. |
After a face-numbing ride back to the bike rental shop, we jumped in the cars and finished what we started and made it through the entire park finally ending at Dutch Windmill. By this time, we were getting pretty hungry and decided to have a late lunch at the Beach Chalet Restaurant and Brewery.
Since the wait was about 30 minutes, we all ran across the highway and had some fun walking along the beach together. We couldn't venture too far for fear that our pager would be out of range of the restuarant - We were hungry!
After some delicious fish and chips and a frosty beer, my tank was topped off and I was ready for some more San Francisco.
A few weeks before our trip, mom had called me and asked me for some advice on a potential surprise 60th birthday for dad. After going back and forth, we decided that we would never be able to surprise him unless we did something during an already planned event. I had recently watched a travel show on San Francisco and the many great bay cruises that are offered year round. The one that caught my eye was the New Year's Dinner and Fireworks cruise, although I dismissed the idea because it was probably booked solid for months on out. I mentioned the idea to my mom and she absolutely loved it. So, naturally, I was now in charge of getting the details and making it happen, if possible. Fortunately, there were still some spaces available and my mother and I booked an amazing evening on the bay for New Years.
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| My dad thought we were just going to dinner at a nice restaurant in Alameda. Little did he know that it would be on boat. |
And now for the real suprise, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD. 13 days early, but who's counting?
What I was most excited about was the incredible pictures I was going to get of the city. Turns out, it is extremely difficult to get a low light shot, without a tripod, on a BOAT! These are the best of the lot. Enjoy.
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| Bay Bridge |
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| Golden Gate Bridge |
Happy New Year Everyone!
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