Outing #2

As the details of our original outing idea at Pinnacles came together, things like "two and half hours away" and "strenuous hiking paths" and "knee deep water in the caves" started to alarm us. We decided instead on the old standby that is Golden Gate Park. We've been loving getting to know this part of San Francisco better and continue to be amazed that no matter how many times we explore it, we always find something new. Today was a perfect day. Weather, parking, the girls' attitudes...everything just went about as well as it could.

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A $2 ride on the historic carousel for Ella and I kicked off the morning.

Next we headed to the awesome children's play area. Ella flew down the cement slide on a piece of cardboard and scampered right up the sky-high spider's web.

Delia climbed all the playground equipment and giggled as Auntie spun her in the bowl.

The big waves and ocean animals were fun to scale and slide down.

We dragged the kids away from the park with the promise of a picnic. We found a perfect spot in the sunshine on Stow Lake. We munched sandwiches while watching birds and turtles.

After lunch, we rented a paddle boat for an hour and rode around the entire crooked-doughnut-shaped lake. We tested our echo in two bridge tunnels, saw about a hundred turtles sunbathing on fallen logs, raced ducks and watched the 3-story waterfall for a while.

We did make a quick stop at the big windmill and tulip garden and then exited the park for a hike around the northern tip of the city-- the Lands End Trail. This path hugs the coast and offers great views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

We stayed on the path a little longer today and made it to a lookout point with an amazing 360 degree view. A spin around showed us ocean meeting bay meeting bridge meeting coast and forest. We sat out on this cliff for a while just watching the waves crash and taking in the scenery.

Dave took the long way home through the city, so we ended the day with a bit of a car tour of Frisco's most recognizable tourist spots-- the Presidio, Palace of the Fine Arts, Ghiradelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf, the cable cars parked at Hyde and Powell, Pier 39 and AT&T Park. A wise choice today made for a great day. We love Golden Gate Park!