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.

Riding the Rails....

Roaring Camp outside of Santa Cruz, California offers two chances to catch trains in Northern California. The 90 minute steam train travels through narrow gauges into the Redwoods, while a Diesel takes 3 hours to make a roundtrip to the beach at Santa Cruz.

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.

The best trip is to the pool