San Francisco!
Tyson suggested we go to San Franscisco for our vacation this summer. It was the best vacation we've had in years!
This was Tyrien's first time flying since he was a baby. He packed his red ladybug backpack and was ready to go well in advance of our departure time. He was pumped! So pumped, in fact...
Same for Tyler.
So excited!!!
Tyler has flown more than any kid I know his age, even though this was his first flight in three years. He's a pro.
I can't get the video to play on hear, but Tyrien's reaction to take off was priceless.
Tyler - "Tyrien! Get ready for takeoff!"
Tyrien - "Okay! I'm ready!"
Tyrien - "Mom! I see the plane! We're going too fast! Stop! Stop! Turn it off! I can't! I can't! Turn it off, please stop! Just stop it, turn it off!"
It's not on the video, but after his initial terrorized yet joyful panic attack, he said, "Oooh, I like it!"
Tyler did a great job teaching Tyrien how to travel.
Starting with baggage claim...
Ground transportation via Uber...
We arrived at the hotel just a few minutes before midnight. We ordered delivery for dinner, and barely ate before crashing out. Hotel Zoe. It was a great locale for us - close to everything we needed. The room was small, but got us through the week. And they had delicious coffee, infused water, and hot cocoa every morning.
The next morning, Tyson got us up and moving, walking four miles to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Our attempt at a family photo was foiled by low blood sugar, scraped knees, soggy pants, and the general irritability that comes with windy conditions and lack of sleep.
Yeah...we took a bus back.
But chose to get off early enough to walk by Ghiradelli Square.
We realized we needed a cheaper and more timely source of sustenance. We didn't have a kitchen, but did have a mini-fridge. Peanut butter and bread, and rotisserie chicken. Meals for days.
After a much needed nap, we walked over to Fisherman's Wharf and found a cool house of mirrors.
And a carousel. Tyrien still blisses out on carousels.
The next day, we took the bus on a scenic route (code for, got distracted by cool buildings and got on the wrong bus, so ended up in the financial distric, desperate for a bathroom, then finally were able to get on a bus going the right direction...) to the Museum of Science.
The next day was our adventurous journey to Walnut Creek!
Tyrien experienced his first subway ride. Again, can't show the video, but it's pretty funny.
"What's going on? What's going on out there? What is that?"
My Aunt Carol picked us up at the subway station. This was the first time I'd ever been to there house. Funny, sending Christmas cards to the same address for 40+ years, and finally seeing the house for the first time.
Aunt Carol and Uncle Chuck told us wonderful stories of childhood, coast guard years, about their kids and grandkids. Seeing photos of my cousins, Steve, Amy and Gary, was so fun. And so was seeing a familiar photo of my dad's parents - Florence Irene and William John Glass.
Next, they took us to their neighborhood park.
Then a trip to their neighborhood pool. We had a great time swimming.
Then alas, it was time to go back to San Franscisco. Aunt Carol gave us a ride back to the subway station. And soon enough...
We spent the Fourth of July celebrating our independence by visiting Angel Island and Alcatraz. We took the ferry from Fisherman's Wharf.
Tyrien's first ferry ride!
We passed by Alcatraz, then headed over to Angel Island.
We took a tram around Angel Island.
We wished we had more time there and that we could have explored the island on bikes. It was beautiful. Angel Island is the west coast version of Ellis Island, and the tram tour included translated readings from poems and writings found in the walls inside, where immigrants were kept for years, waiting to "prove" impossible-to-prove facts about their ancestors, such as where their great-grandparents were buried so that they could gain entry to the country. Being here on Independence Day seemed particularly poignant given the current political climate.
Angel Island had also been used as a military base, to defend the Golden Gate bridge.
At Alcatrez, we started with a tour. I think Tyler was confused as to his role.
I loved hearing the docent's stories, but realized Tyrien's attention span was overspent. We headed inside and received headsets for the audio tour. Tyrien had a hard time. He wanted to be carried, he kept ripping my headset off, squirming non-stop, he couldn't get comfortable. He was so hard to carry that I set him on the floor. He proceeded to have a fullblown tantrum on the floor in one of the cell blocks, so I took advantage and put him in time out in one of the solitary confinement cells, because at moments when you feel frustrated with your child, and frustrated with yourself, and aware of people glaring at you with facial expressions that say "You're RUINING my vacation" - you have to find SOME humor in the moment. He slept soundly in my arms for the duration of the tour and for most of the ferry ride home. Three year olds just aren't built to recover from lack of sleep and changes in schedule the way eight year olds are! Had it been Tyler at age 3, we would have brought the BOB (jogging stroller), because we would have known he couldn't walk 4 miles or stay awake for long hours. But Tyrien loves to run, and is so small that he is easily carried, it never occurred to us to bring a stroller. We'd forgettn that he'd fall asleep with ease in a stroller instead of trying to find a comfortable position in our arms as we walked. Sorry, Tyr. How quickly we forget. (Hey, remember that time when you were 15 hours old and we took you to the doctor without bringing a diaper bag? Yeah. You'd think second-time parents would have their act together...)
Lombard Street!
I just can't get over this bouganvillea.
Seriously.
We also walked to the Cable Car Museum.
Here's a cute picture...
Here's the realistic one.
Next, we had to catch a cable car! Easier said than done...
Tyrien's first cable car ride!
Tyler's too, but he enjoys standing.
Our adventures continued in Chinatown...
And the Imaginarium...
We learned that it's best to explore a museum in groups of two due to the age gap and difference in attention spans. Three year olds want to stay on the same display endlessly, while 8 year olds want to see what's next! Tyson and Tyler went one direction, Tyrien and I went another. Made for a much more enjoyable experience!
We reconvened for the trip to Coit Tower.
And decided we didn't want to wait 45 minutes AND pay $11 per person to ride the elevator to the top.
One last look, and it was time to prepare for the journey home.
By prepare, I mean, stop at a local brewery. Tyrien was...upset.
Fountains fix everything.
One good night's rest, a 3:30am wakeup call, found an Uber driver with ease, and boarded the plane with time to spare. The boys chose to ride together for the journey home...
