San Francisco's China Town

There aren't any pictures of my kids in China Town because we were too busy shopping. I am surprised I was even able to snap a few shots on the camera. Its unbelievable how many things two small children can find in the shops along Grant Street in this popular strip in San Francisco. It is a must-see for any tourist and don't be afraid to bring the kids. There are toys, trinkets, clothing, souvenirs, jewelry, embroidery, and many other treasures. The famous trolleys also stop in the heart of China Town -- another must do for the kids, so its easy to catch around to/from other stops around the city.

Yoda Fountain at LucasFilm, LTD

"May the force be with you."

George Lucas film offices are located on the Presido in San Francisco.

Jedi Knight.

R2D2

Boba Fett hanging with the girls.

Gangam style at the Yoda Fountain.

One of the great secrets of San Francisco is LucasFilm, LTD (1 Letterman Drive). Lucas sold his company to Disney in 2012 for just over $4 billion, but the offices were retained in the Presidio in San Francisco. They can be visited during business hours on the weekday by simply asking the security guard if you can check out the Yoda Fountain. He'll direct you to your own parking spot and let you in on the real secret that you can also enter the lobby area to see authentic costumes of Darth Vader, Boba Fett, the actual light sabers used in the films and dozens of other small treasures for Star Wars fanatics.

Muirs Wood National Monument

We made Alex and Serene's cousin Sophie get up at 6am on a Saturday to go with her little cousins to Muir Woods National Monument just 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. There are only a handful of parking places available to accommodate thousands of daily guests (especially on summer weekends). Many take shuttle buses or tour buses from San Francisco, while others park roadside and walk miles before even reaching the gate.

We arrived just after 8am, parked easily, were able to skip the $7 adult entrance fee (ticket window not open yet) and enjoy the majestic Redwood trees well before the crowds arrived. A wooden boardwalk along the entire path makes it very easy for strollers. The kids loved climbing inside the trees and running along the trails.  We spent a few hours and gave one lucky van our coveted parking spot as we pulled away.

The Coast Redwood grows only along the northern California coastline, from Big Sur in the south to just over the Oregon border in the north, and only up to forty miles inland and below 2500 feet. The Coastal Redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth, reaching heights of over 368 feet (112 meters). They are one of the widest trees on earth, reaching diameters at their base of over 30 feet (9.3 meters) and one of the oldest trees in existence, the oldest on record having lived 2,200 years when it was cut down.

Views of the Bay at Tilden Park

 

 

 

 

The view of the San Francisco Bay from the Berkeley Hills at Tilden Regional Park is breathtaking. The Golden Gate and Bay Bridges frame the city skyline just below trees rolling down swooping mountains. In park's forest, there is a Botanic Garden, carousel, steam train, pony rides and golf course.   

Serene and Alex rode the steam train on the narrow gauge railway that was built in 1952. In the crisp air, we took a 15 minute ride through the woods, catching glimpses of the beautiful Bay views. Alex is well past his train engineering years and Serene probably won't catch the Thomas the Train phenomena, but the pair (with cousins and aunties in tow) both enjoyed the ride.

I left my heart in San Francisco

Haight Ashbury is a strange place to take kids in San Francisco, but if you are looking for comic books stores and Japanese toys, its got a few off-beat shops working hard to defy the trends. China Town features all the delights that China can offer from sharkfin soup to knock-off toys and cheap jade and silk. Alex and Serene actually gave up after a few hours of playing tourists and went back to the hotel to swim. For the little ones, save these trips until their older. And, buyer beware...the shopkeepers are experts and getting even the little kids to buy their goods. Alex walked down one street and bought something at every shop! Its a good thing, the aunties, uncles and cousins were along to help.

Curiosity @ CuriOdyssey, Coyote Point

Coyote Point is located just south of San Francisco in San Mateo, CA directly on the Bay. The beautiful eucalyptus trees line the park and provide stunning views great for walking, running & biking for big kids and little kids. Bring a picnic and hangout by the giant play area featuring a three story viewing point offering one of the best view of the Bay. Alex and Serene hooked up with cousins at the CuriOdyssey Museum also located on the small peninsula. This science museum and small zoo is perfect for little children. On the science side, children can test gears, turn wheels, touch fog machines, make soft sponges float high in the sky over lightly blowing machines and watch bees make honey. On the zoo side, there are Golden Eagles, bobcats, vultures, frogs, slugs and lots of other critters. All the animals are rescued and deemed not able to return to the wild.

Calling All Gold Medal Mothers!

Just when you think you are the only woman on the planet crazy enough to drag her kid(s) from one end of it to the other, be reassured that there are others like you, including some of the women of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Softball Team. This story, A Journey Toward the Games, With the Kids in the Back, tells of how gold medal winners didn’t ride with the team around the States for the qualifying games to travel to China, but instead tugged their toddlers along in a RV. While the women of softball aren’t the only athletes alternating trainings with diaper changes and carpool duty, all moms who tackle jobs, travel, study, and more alongside family should be Gold Medal winners.

Since Alex was born, he’s traveled alone with mom from California to Idaho to Texas to Kentucky to the Middle East all on behalf of mommy’s work. At just one year old, and barely able to master walking, the three hour drive in Idaho from Boise took him trekking through the soft snow of Sun Valley. Things warmed up in Houston, but he slept all along the beautiful River Walk of San Antonio. A year later, he hopped skipped and jumped his way from the hills of downtown San Francisco to exquisite horse farms in Lexington, KY. Two trips to the Middle East already under his belt will soon make him an expert on the region.

But, while the women of the US Softball team were able to pull together the $75,000 needed for the daycare on wheels, the rest of us are not so lucky. What would I pay for a nanny-on-the-go? Even accepting the help of family, friends, business contacts and strangers in planes, trains, rental cars, airports, hotels and more is never enough to make the challenge of travel much easier, but the prospects leaving Alex behind is far more difficult. So until I win the lottery to cover the costs of a traveling nanny, Alex and I will continue the journeys alone.

Santa Claus is Coming to San Francisco

When does something you do become a tradition? After you do it the once, twice? Or, must you spend a life time doing the same thing year-after-year before it is forever a part of who you are? Closing in on 2-years-old, Alex’s Christmas tradition takes him to San Francisco.

With mom’s sleigh (aka Ford Escape) loaded with presents, and the California I-5 Freeway clear, the six hour journey north from Los Angeles couldn’t have gone smoother this year if Rudolph himself was guiding the way. There are a few good tricks to handling a child who has to be strapped into a car seat that restricts him like a straight jacket. First, bring good music. But, leave U2 at home. Do You Know the Muffin Man or Where is Thumbkin can get you half-way through the state; you can Skip to My Lou the rest of the way. Second, prepare to stop -- and then climb and crawl. Congress should pass a law that requires every fast food restaurant along any interstate to put up an indoor Play Land with red, yellow and blue tube tunnels and curling slides. Finally, remember…there is an end to every road trip -- eventually.

San Francisco is a city that glows throughout the year, but at Christmastime the city also glistens with twinkling lights. You can lose your heart on Cable cars, at the Golden Gate, strolling at the Fisherman’s Wharf or twisting down the famous turns of the elegant Lombard Street Hill. And, of course, a few dozen cousins and aunt Fifi’s special recipes are also a part of the holiday cheer.

As the Christmas traditions of my childhood have faded away, Alex’s traditions are just beginning. As Alex’s journeys may take him far from home for the holidays, the good news is that Santa can find good little boys everywhere. Alex tops the list!