San Francisco..... baby!

Left San Diego on Wednesday morning and headed up the coast of California. Got through Los Angeles motorways unscathed and out the other side. Stopped at a few coastal towns along the way and played ball games in parks etc to break up the drive. Scoop did an awesome driving job for a total of 10 hours on the road that day! We slept in the car that night on a very quiet State Park beach front, still 3 hours from San Francisco. Woke at 5.30am by the early surfers and moved on our way.

Got to San Francisco at around 9am and checked into our hotel. Only 3 blocks from the BEAUTIFUL Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. By far the best city we have been in!! Love it, love it, love it! So much character and atmosphere.
First day we ran to the Pier so we could see the bridge - unfortunately it was so foggy it wasn't visible at all.
Could see Alcatraz and the big Bay Bridge that goes across to the otherside of the bay to Oakland. Did some shopping and eating and took in the sights. Last stop was at Jackson's favourite place for tea on the way home.......Hooters!!!!! Surprisingly the food was really nice.

Day 2 - hired mountain bikes for the day. Stuck Kenny in the front pack of Makalea's bike and off we went. They don't wear helmets over here by law, but the kids and I still wore them. Scoop for once in his life opted 'not' to wear one. Rode around 35 - 40kms around San Fran, across the Golden Gate Bridge (which felt like around 4 kms in itself) and across to Saucalito (which has now surpassed Southport Qld as my new retirement village - So pretty. It felt like you were in the middle of France or Italy)!
Caught the ferry home across the bay as the kids did an amazing job to ride so far. Once last sight to see was the AT & T Stadium - home of the San Francisco Giants Baseball Team. Took the bikes back and went straight to Ben & Jerry's (thanks Jenna!!!) - the best ice cream shop in the US of A! Next port of call was "The Cannery!".....unlike the Ballarat one, we could purchase beer not fruit.
 By far the best day we have had here yet!

Went for a walk at night to find some Pizza. First corner we turned was into a fairly ritzy area - how do I know this........?? Because there was a 'Daycare centre and Beauty Salon..............FOR DOGS!!!!'

Day 3 - Up early and caught the world famous 'San Francisco Tram Car' for a ride down to Union Square. Up and down the hilly streets. Kids loved it. Better than making them pound the sidewalks.
We then hopped in Rodger (the Dodge!) and drove about 3 blocks from our motel in Lombard Street to the 'Worlds crooked street'. A very, very windy and curly street.

We then headed over the Bay Bridge to Oakland to see the home of the NFL team Oakland Raiders, a working class part of San Fran, to us it looked like where all the freighter ships docked for the entire Bay area. We then came back across the bridge in HEAVY traffic, as there were so many emergency services on the top (police, ambulance, fire dept etc) as there was a person who had jumped out of his car and wanted a closer look at the water (emergency services were still chatting to him as we went passed). This bridge is sooo big it has 6 lanes going one way across the top and then another 6 lanes going the other way underneath it!

Then it was off on another Grid Iron Field Trip (Ben Christie - you should be here!!!) to see the home of the San Francisco 49's.  We saw this field 10 years ago and nothing has changed at all. It is still a very run down stadium but they are in the process of building a new one which will be completed in around 4 years time in San Jose.

Bit chilly here as we head further up the coast of California towards Canada. Had to buy a jumper this week. Got to around 20 degrees! Tomorrow we head off from San Francisco through the Napa Valley (wine country). It will take us around 2 days but our next stop is Portland in the state of Oregon.

Take care all.

Love from Team Connor USA.  XOXOXOXO