Sightseeing Before Unpacking

The best coincidence about our assignment in San Francisco is that my brother Blair, his wife Holly, and their daughter Charlotte live just an hour and a half from us.  On our way down, we drove through the night to their home to spend the day and get some rest before checking in at our new home.  The kids played and watched movies, we ate good food and caught up on each others lives.  We talked loosely of plans to get together in San Francisco.

After checking in Monday morning (Jan. 3rd), we spent our limited afternoon unpacking and grocery shopping.  Nick had to report to work that evening.

The next morning I got an email from Holly.  She was ready to come see us in San Fran already.  Great!  Let's do it.  So we met up the next morning at the Bay Area Discovery Museum.  Fantastic.  Perfect for my kids and hers.  Bethelle loved crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.  She had been anticipating that since friends in Washington had told her about it.  As you approach the bridge, you get several good looks at it and the anticipation builds.  I love that she has such a zest for life.  Every moment is special and tends to be the best moment of her life.

We got lost a little and drove all the way through downtown Sausalito.  Wow.  Eye-popping wow.  If you have lived my life, you will probably be looking for property when I tell you that it was part Gig Harbor, part Hawaii, part Ruston Way, and a little Cinque Terre.

When we made our way back to the children's museum and our cousin, my amazement continued.  Check out the location (and maybe the cute kids).  I took this picture right by our car when we parked.

The museum is spread out between barracks, as it is built at an old fort-turned-resort community.

 Curie and Bethelle went fishing.

 Charlotte planted saplings.

And Rigby played "Sharks" (a favorite game around here) in an undersea cave.

 Rigby built this whole conglomerate while my back was turned.  I was truly impressed.

 The museum was fantastic.  We went on a busy, beautiful day, but the campus is so large that crowds were not a problem.  I highly recommend taking young kids there.