The Lewis Family: I left my Heart in...

Over spring break, we took a mini-vacation to San Fransisco. We hadn't taken the girls there since they were too young to remember, so we spent a full two days doing as much as we could in the city.

We spent the bulk of our first day exploring Golden Gate Park. We had a lovely picnic near a lake and enjoyed a family-friendly hike to the top of "Strawberry Hill." The girls had a great time kicking up dirt, climbing things, and spotting wild-life (turtles, ducks, squirrels, and birds.) We waved to people in paddle boats, stood above a waterfall, and rested under a Chinese pergola. Later, as we exited the park towards the ocean, we stopped our car and got out to enjoy a colorful field/garden of flowers surrounding a huge windmill. We then walked across the street to the beach for a serene moment of breathtaking beauty. After we got back in our car we headed over to Chinatown (and got a fun car-tour of the city along the way, including driving down zig-zaggy Lombard Street!) As we spent a few hours traversing Chinatown, the girls had a lot of fun going in and out of shops looking at all of the little trinkets. My favorites stops were the Chinese bakery and the kite shop. We ate dinner at a tasty Chinese restaurant (although we were disappointed to find out that Dim Sum isn't served after 3 p.m.) After dinner we headed back to our car with full tummys and tired feet...on to our hotel room for the night.

The next morning we took the BART train back into the heart of the city (our hotel was out by the airport.) We spent day two riding the train (this part was not just transportation, but a huge thrill and as exciting as almost anything else!), riding the cable car, eating clam chowder in sour dough bread bowls at Fisherman's Wharf, walking through an incredible art (photography) gallery, visiting the "Aquarium of the Bay" (awesome tunnel shark tanks), and experiencing Pier 39! It was a very full day, but we even managed a quick stop at IKEA on the drive home (barely before they closed) in order to pick up a mattress for Daphne's new big girl bed. The kids were so worn out by the end of all of that, but everyone was so happy! They were all such champs and in great moods almost the whole time...it was such a blessing! I loved this trip with my sweet family...they are truly my joy, and I am so grateful that we got to have this special time together.