July Trip Out West: San Francisco with Cousins

Our last full day in the Bay area was spent with family we adore in the city we love.  Heather was a definite sweetheart to pack up all the kiddos and join us on one last adventure in San Francisco.  We first drove to Fort Point located directly under the south side of the Golden Gate Bridge.  So many wonderful memories with friends taking pictures, running through the tunnels, and enjoying the windy views.

The family in front of Fort Point.  It was a bit chilly since the bridge and fort form a strong wind tunnel.

Inside the middle of the Fort

There were hardly any people there so we literally let the kids run free.  The older kids immediately started a hide and seek game throughout the many different tunnels while Daxton and Olive chased each other from room to room.  It is also pretty awesome because the whole Fort has incredible acoustics so you could easily call out for the kids and they'd hear the magnified call.

The kids never stopped running for almost an hour!

The kids also had fun playing on all the different cannons throughout the fort.

As we were rounding up all the kids, Daxton and Olive continued to chase each other; this time while splashing in puddles.  These two were seriously hilarious together!

So many cousin hugs!

I loved watching how Daxton was literally just another sibling.

Seriously, I love my nieces and nephews!

They're hilarious!

Where's Daxton??

After exploring Fort Point, we decided to head to Pier 39 since there were so many kid friendly restaurants there.  We ended up choosing Hard Rock Cafe, but there was a bit of a wait, so we listened to the live entertainment outside.  The kids immediately broke out into different dance moves and entertained all the tourists surrounding us.

Our food took much longer than we had planned so the kids were beyond restless when we finished eating.  Letting them explore the rest of Pier 39 was a perfect idea to get their wiggles out.  I took them to the new staircase I had found while visiting a couple days earlier with my friend Lisa.  The kids had a blast jumping on the different stairs (keys) and making music as they went.  Lincoln even tried to play some of his piano songs.  Needless to say, they had a lot of fun running up and down those stairs.

We also made our way to the two story carousel located near the end of Pier 39.  The kids had a blast choosing their favorite animal and riding it a couple times.  I however cannot do circular rides any more, so Dallas was a sweetheart to take Daxton.

They've also added a really cool virtual reality 3D (or 5D is what they called it) experience.  Dallas took the older three on while Heather and I watched Will, Olive, and Daxton.  They wore 3D glasses and were placed inside a virtual game where they earned points with how many targets they could hit.  The funny part was they had video screens outside the building where onlookers could watch exactly what the gamers were seeing and another screen that showed the reactions of the gamers.  Dallas was a lead scorer at the beginning.

And once again, no trip to Pier 39 would be the same without seeing the sea lions...

We ended our fun day with warm baths and yummy food.
Our week in Northern California, although short, was super fun and filled with the best visits with family and friends.
Thanks again, Erik and Heather, for letting us stay at your home and for joining us on so many fun adventures.  We sure do love and miss you guys!