Nate and Christiana

For my mom’s 60th birthday, she wanted us to take a family day trip to San Francisco. We all piled into my Aunt Mary’s 15-passenger van, which she had thoughtfully decorated with banners, confetti, and little party bags for each of us. It was the Party Mobile! Our first stop was the newly remodeled California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. They had several fascinating exhibits, including an albino alligator, monkey frogs (that actually swing from the branches), corral reef aquarium, penguins, flashlight fish, and a myriad of other mesmerizing sights. After having fun with the critters, we had a wonderful picnic lunch in the Botanical Gardens. The boys played football, while the girls chatted. It’s amazing to think how fast our “little” family of seven has grown! We then walked around Stow Lake, where we hopped aboard some paddleboats and sailed around Strawberry Hill (with an occasional ramming of each others vessels). After the strenuous paddling, we headed over to the Conservatory of Flowers, and wandered the beautiful outdoor flower beds. We then jumped back in the Party Mobile and took a brief driving tour of San Francisco. We found a few great beaches, that I was not previously aware of, and also made time for a photo op in front of the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge. Our last stop was a wonderful Moroccan Restaurant, called El Mansour. We ate the traditional way–no utensils, and thoroughly enjoyed the hearty meal placed before us. Apart from missing David and Shannon, who weren’t able to make it from San Luis Obispo, it was a great day. Excellent idea, Mom!