Saturday August 11th

Each day we slept a little later. We found a McDonalds for breakfast and made a quick stop at Target. A big motorcycle ride had traffic clogged for a bit. Our first stop was the Giants Dugout Store in the downtown Embarcadero Center (which looked exactly like Atlanta’s downtown Peachtree Center). In addition to the 758 pins, Ceil stocked up on All-Star pins and stickers and a Giants poster and pennant. Will bought an orange & black Giants baseball for his room.

Drove down and around the crooked Lombard Street…at the bottom of the block the area was filled with tourists snapping pictures. We drove back downtown…Ceil shopped in a fabric store at Union Square on Guerry Street. Then we headed straight down that street west, past Japantown all the way to the Pacific. We parked and walked around viewing the seal rocks and Cliff House restaurant and two Oceanside parks…one overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Heading back, we drove back east through nice and average neighborhoods and ate lunch at Mel’s Drive-In, much to Anna and Matthew’s delight. The kid’s meal was served in a cardboard Chevy.

Throughout our time in the city, at every intersection I was careful to look down each street both ways at the wonderful views. The city is set up so that when you’re on a hill, you see the bay when you look both north and east. Looking west you can see the Pacific, and even looking south you’re treated to great views of the city.

After lunch Ceil found a Paper Store to browse. We drove around more, then headed through the Presidio across the Golden Gate Bridge. We then immediately stopped just northeast of the bridge to get out and take pictures, looking back at the city. We then drove north on 101, then east across a northern bay bridge, which dumped us out not far from our hotel. The kids took a short swim, then we made a quick trip to IKEA, where the kids had hot dogs and Ceil bought a pillow.

Though the A’s were out of town, I didn’t realize the Raiders played a Saturday home game against the Cardinals. I did know the 49ers were playing Monday night against the Broncos, at Candlestick.