We’ve been packing a lot in during the last few days, so today we had a hotel day. We had to catch up on some of the girls’ schoolwork (their new books came in), and my classes are coming to an end, so I had a lot of grading to knock out. Ray did some “admin” things – laundry, shopping, and cooking. We were happy to take a break from all the going today. Yesterday was a different story, though. We ran the roads, and we left our footprints all over San Francisco!
We started bright and early at the Japanese Tea Garden inside Golden Gate Park. I had forgotten that I’d been there before with a good friend when she and I visited San Francisco years ago. Once inside, I remembered it. It’s a really beautiful place, and after walking the gardens, we stopped at the teahouse for cookies and tea. The best part was we arrived before 10 a.m., so it was free to get in.
After the tea garden visit, we drove over to Twin Peaks (two summits that rise up to 900 feet, and from the tops, one can see panoramic views of the city), and we saw San Francisco from up above.
After Twin Peaks, we headed toward Chinatown, and we were stopped dead in our tracks for a good 45 minutes during a protest that halted all traffic. We watched, half-annoyed (because we were in search of good Chinese food and were hangry at that point) and half-interested (because we’ve never been stuck in traffic due to a protest); and once it passed, we were on our way again. We had a nice lunch of Chinese Food in Chinatown, and then we walked the area a bit. The girls got some souvenirs – parasols that they immediately opened and held above their heads for the rest of our stroll.
Rayne and Jayden wanted to ride a cable car, so we got tickets and rode the Powell/Hyde line all the way to the end. They equated the ride to a rollercoaster because of the many hills (they’ve never been on a real rollercoaster), and I think this was their favorite part of the day. We got off, got in line, and got right back on to head back.
We stopped to get a taste of Ghirardelli chocolate, and then went to visit the Sea Lions on Pier 39. It was a full day, and we were typical tourists, but it was fun. It was also tiring. It’s actually been nice having a little rental car, rather than our massive truck, since we’ve been having to constantly find parking in a town that is not massive truck friendly. It’s not very roomy, but it sure can fit in some of the smaller spots in the city.
4ina5 
What a day! I might require multiple rest days after a day of going to so many places like that! Love the parasols & the tea garden looks beautiful!
LikeLike