Day 9 - Wrapping up the trip

Today we woke up with Scott feeling much better. We decided to have breakfast in the hotel and then checks out of our room.  

We drove back to Deally plaza to get Scott up to date on all the things we learned on our tour yesterday.  Then we headed into the sixth floor museum located in the book depository.  The museum was well done but was pretty full so we paired up and went thru at our own pace. We wrapped up around the same time and headed back out to the car.  

Then we drove past the other places we visited yesterday basically following Oswald’s straps after the assassination.  

Next we drove over to the world aquarium.  From the outside it reminded me of the rain forest cafe but the inside was a fun path thru 4 floors on animal exhibit.  To be honest, it didn’t have many aquarium tanks rather more animal exhibits but it was a great way to spend some time.

After the aquarium we headed out of town for our afternoon stops.  First a visit to Chilis for some lunch.  Then on to MicroCenter - an electronics store that’s not in Michigan but one that Tyler has wanted to visit.  He was thrilled!

Then we drove further north to see the headquarters of Dude Perfect. It’s not much and has nothing for the public but Sammy wanted to see where the magic happens.

After that we stopped by The Gaylord Resort to show the boys this space.  Sammy and I stayed in a Gaylord resort in Nashville last fall and were really impressed.  

Then grabbed some fuel and headed to Hard Eight BBQ for a quick snack. I had visited this restaurant with my grandma years ago when we flew out to visit my aunt.  It’s an open pit BBQ with all the meats made fresh; nothing like it back home!  I knew it would be a favorite for my fam so we grabbed some sausage, brisket and pulled pork even though we were all still pretty full from lunch.

We were hoping to connect with some family while in town but with Scott’s sick day, we were trying to wrap up all the other activities I had promised. 

After our “snack” we headed back to the airport. Scott dropped off the bags other Sam and I while he and Tyler returned the rental car.

Tyler and I worked on school work while Sam and Scott watched some fails.  It was a pretty quiet night.  I think we are all ready to sleep in our own beds tomorrow!

Weather: high of 66* and overcast

Day 5 - Finishing Up Boston

We decided to sleep in this morning but were still up by 9:00am. We had missed the hotel breakfast so we walked to a little pastry cafe and enjoyed breakfast.

After, we decided to finish up the Freedom Trail.  The route today brought us to Old Ironsides and the Bunker Hill Monument.

Once we wrapped up at Bunker Hill, we called an Uber for a ride to the New England Aquarium.  It was a fabulous little aquarium - that we all would highly recommend.  There was a lot to see and the animals were active so it made for a fun visit.

We decided to mix it up a bit and took the subway back toward the hotel, stopping short to find lunch.  Living in West Michigan, we don't often get the chance, so we enjoy it.  Plus it was on time and only a short ride today so it was quite enjoyable for us all.

We found a little pizza shop that was JUST what I would have pictured for a Boston pizza place and we LOVED it. Unfortunately they didn't have the breakfast slice that Sammy was hoping for, but pepperoni was an excellent substitute.

After lunch, we decided to walk back to the hotel.  We crossed the locks and enjoyed seeing the mechanics behind the large gates.  Once we got back, we took a break before heading to supper at a lovely Italian restaurant just a block over.

We had an outdoor table and all ordered the filet.  We shared sides of fries, carrots and garlic bread.  It was another excellent meal and after we walked home full.

Once back in our room, we decided to make it a movie night and climbed into Sammy and my bed to watch TV together.

Tomorrow we will pack up and check out for our next stop NYC.  We are all looking forward to it!  Plus Scott is flying in Friday to join us.

Day 5 - So Much to Learn

I was awake pretty early today, so I had Starbucks delivered for breakfast while Tyler slept in a bit.

It was another rainy day today.  Apparently San Francisco doesn’t often get rain and when they do its much celebrated to water the plants and experience some green until the drought takes hold again.  However, there is currently something called an atmospheric river happening that literally creates a constant stream of precipitation funneled into the Bay Area.  So for the better part of today, we’re planning to be indoors.

We had tickets to the California Academy of Science for today.  I called an Uber for the 30 minute drive to Golden Gate Park where the museum is located.  

The museum is amazing… with a biome rainforest with plants and insects and butterflies.  Underneath that is a huge aquarium with lots of fish, reptiles, etc.  There is a T-Rex and an earthquake simulator, a planetarium, and so much more.  We had a lot of fun checking out all of the different exhibits.

 

It was early afternoon when we wrapped up at the museum so we grabbed another Uber and headed back to Pier 33.  We had hoped that the USS Jeremiah OBrien would be available for a tour today but no luck.  So instead, we grabbed some snacks and umbrellas and then did some shopping for souvenirs. 

When we were finished shopping, we decided to head over and ride one of San Francisco’s iconic cable cars.  We sat in the front on the way up and then switched cars for the return trip where we sat indoors so we could scope out the roles / responsibilities of each of the cable car workers.  It was really fascinating to learn more when a city ambassador shared with us while we waited for our second car. 

Afterwards, we walked back to our hotel for a warm shower and to get ready for dinner.  We had reservations at Epic Steak which is set just below the Bay Bridge.  A gorgeous view from the dining room and the food did not disappoint.

Then it was another car ride back to the hotel where we packed up for the morning.  We have a 6:00 am pick up to make it to the airport on time.

Day 3 - Final Destination

I’m so grateful the flight we found was for late morning.  We slept in, each took a glorious shower, and then packed up for the flights.  The hotel was not even 10 mins from the airport so we took the shuttle over.  Smooth check in and security check and we were at our gate with a few minutes to spare.

It was a direct flight - only about 2 hrs.  We had a bit of a wait for our luggage but in no time we are out by the curb waiting for our driver to pick us up.  

It was a fun ride to the hotel… the Bay Area is just gorgeous… there’s water literally everywhere with homes tightly covering the hills that surround.  I think this is gonna be a great place to visit and perhaps a fun place to come again.

We checked into the hotel and by some luck our room was ready early (its only about 1 pm at this point).  So we dropped off our bags and headed out.

Because we hadn’t planned to be in San Fran until after suppertime on the train, we didn’t have anything planned, so instead we just walked around Fisherman’s Wharf and explored the area.

We stopped for in-and-out burgers for lunch and then walked down to visit some historic ships in harbor.  We first wanted to tour of the USS Jeremiah OBrien.  Unfortunately they had just moved the ship to a new pier and weren’t open yet to visitors.  So, we headed back toward the submarine tour and made a few stops on the way.

First we visited the Aquarium on the Bay at Pier 39.  They had a nice sampling of local sharks in their tunnel tanks and we especially enjoyed watching the octopus and the playful sea otters.  

After that, we walked through Pier 39 and did some window shopping.  At the end of the pier, we took pics of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz island.  

Then we stopped by the hangout for the local Sea Lions, which were so fun to watch!

 

Then we headed back to pier 45 where the USS Pampanito is docked.  We listened to the entire audio tour (about 40 mins) and both found it incredibly interesting.  The tour was an interview with several men who served on the sub during WW2.  They told stories and shared about life aboard the sub while we stood in the spaces they worked and lived for all that time.  The favorite for both of us was hearing how they rescued some 75 allied soldiers who were shipwrecked in the South Pacific.  I already struggled to think of what it would be like with the 75 crew members but to double that… I cannot even imagine.

After the tour, we both decided it was time to head back to the hotel.  We were ready to kick our feet up after a very long day.

Ordered a pizza from Uber so that we could just stay in for the evening… and by 8:40 but of us were struggling to stay awake.  It was a huge day but a really, really good one!

Day 23 - A Crate and A Turtle

Today was a CRAZY windy day.  There was a literal hum from the wind whipping past the windows. We found out today that the glass that will be installed in the master bathroom will be delivered today in a crate on a pallet.  It wasn't scheduled to arrive until next week when Scott would be here to uncrate and move it.  Because I wasn't able to do it alone, we didn't have many options... so I went downstairs to ask the building manager for an exception.  They are willing to store the crate in the fire pump room until Scott arrives.  Phew!

But this means, we have to stay close to home until the shipment arrives.  So we worked on school work and took a walk on the beach.  I asked the kids where they saw God as we walked the beach.  It was a great activity and we really enjoyed hearing each others answers.

We decided to eat lunch at the hotel and brought some card games to help pass the time.  The walk over was pretty cold... and really windy!

The shipment arrived just before 3:00 pm, just like the kids and I prayed it would.  See, the maintenance man was leaving at 3:00 pm and although he was willing to store the item, we wouldn't have anyone there to help us.  As soon as I got the call, we ran downstairs and both Dave and Keith agreed to help me get it in storage.  So we went down to the loading dock and chatted while we waited for the semi to arrive.  Thirty minutes later, the crate was tucked away, I had offered MANY thank yous and was heading back up to the condo.

We had a few errands to run so we loaded up the truck and headed south into town.  Eventually we ended up at the Aquarium and enjoyed a quick but really good visit.

We even saw the sea turtle who doesn't always make an appearance!

Then we ran to get Tyler a hair cut, take out from Jimmyz and headed back home.  When we arrived, Kay mentioned some packages and I only then realized one of them was a 10' rug... Hehe.  

So we ran upstairs, ate our dinner and then worked to lift furniture, pull carpet, and rearrange the room to get the rug in place.  Looks great!

We spent some time FaceTiming with Scott and then headed to bed.  Luckily I remembered just in time that it was Sammy's turn to have a sleepover in my room, so she climbed in and snuggled close.  Good night!