San Francisco

From the start San Francisco was a much needed change of pace.  We packed up and left the Disney Hotel nice and early on Monday morning (August 1st) and headed for the AMTRAK station.  In my husband's infinite wisdom the decision had been made to travel from Anaheim to San Fran via train.  It was something he really wanted to do and he assured me the scenery would be amazing.  I was ambivalent to the idea of 12 hours on a train with a 3 year old but I was so wrong - it was a perfect day.  

However before we got on the train things got way too hectic and stressful for my liking.  After the short trip from Anaheim to Union Station in LA we realised we had about 2 hours to kill before the long train ride started.  One flippant comment from Rob and we were in a cab whizzing around the sights of LA (not a planned part of this trip).  We almost missed our train to San Francisco and it took about half an hour for my heart to stop racing.

Here's the evidence that we have been to LA!!

Once we were on the train the relaxation really began.  Rob was right the scenery was beautiful - farmland, beaches, bird-filled wetlands, old mining towns and quaint stations.  We were blown away by our day on the train.  We had booked a sleeper cabin so we all napped and relaxed and we were also fed a really nice hot lunch and dinner - all included for only just over $200 for all of us.  It was a great way to recharge plus see some sights we would never see had we flown up the coast.

Our hotel was situated right in Fisherman's wharf with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.  All of these pictures were taken within a 10 minute walk of our hotel.

One of the highlights of San Francisco was time spent with our wonderful friends who had left Australia about two months earlier to start a new life living in Cupertino (about an hour from SF).   These are friends who trusted me with their children for four years so they mean a lot to me and especially I love those kids like they were mine.  Noah has very close bonds with the kids and especially with the Ivy who is only 9 days older. It was like a reunion from a teary rom-com and then they were inseparable for those couple of days.

  

We all cruised under the bridge together and visited the famous Pier 41 sea lions

Noah loved the public art - we had to take at photo at every one

Riding the famous Cable Cars

Views up and down Lombard Street - Famous for being a very long steep road that includes a section that is supposed to be the windiest in the world

Some of Noah's Photography 

Noah having a nap on a bench in Muir Woods

Muir Woods and the famous California Redwood Trees

Next Stop Vegas and then New York City.