These words are spoken practically daily by my boys. We are deep in a phase (after over a year can I still call this a phase?) where everything gets labeled as “good guy” or “bad guy”. By everything I include cars that we pass along the road, certain lego pieces, you name it.  This moment of play inspired an impromptu trip to San Francisco. I thought both of them might really enjoy seeing the baddest of the bad guy jails. It was time to take them to…. dun dun duuuuuuunnnn…. the Rock.

Alcatraz, one of the highest security prisons of its time, is affectionately called the Rock. It is located on a small island one and a half miles off the shores of San Francisco. The most notorious history of Alcatraz includes the 29 years it served as a federal prison beginning in 1934. Its less popular history, but equally fascinating, includes its early beginning as a jail for Civil War prisoners as far back as 1861. The prison was decommissioned  in 1963 due to erosion and it’s high cost to maintain. About six years later it was occupied by a group of Native Americans who laid claim to the land. Though the occupation lasted only around nineteen months, the take-over is defined as a key movement in the Native American independence. Following a succession of demands at Alcatraz, the U.S. government returned excess, unused lands to several tribes. Graffiti from this period of history can still be easily seen around Alcatraz.

I am well-aware that this is a very popular tourist destination. I have heard warnings that getting tickets requires advanced reservations. Still, this was not on a weekend and it is not summer break anymore. I thought buying same-day tickets would still be possible.  Not exactly. Tickets were sold out for the next two days. I had to come up with a plan B quickly. Judging from my youngest’s vocal “expression of disappointment”, plan B better involve a boat. 

Luckily, a few piers away is the Blue and Gold Fleet which offers hour-long tours of the bay, including a cruise around Alcatraz Island. Here’s the kicker… we happened to be visiting the day before Fleet Week. During the weekend of Fleet Week  military ships are open for the public to visit, and there is an air show including the Blue Angles. The day before the air show, these planes do a practice run. Luck would have it that we were riding the ferry during the hour that the blue angels were in the sky. I use the term “in the sky” lightly because they were practically skimming the water at times. It was an incredible show, and quite by accident I think we got one of the best seats in the house.

The day of our trip I was apprehensive about traveling so far without a plan and back-up plan in my hip pocket. Today I am already dreaming of our next trip to San Francisco. The kids have several days off in November, and fall is a fabulous time to head to the City. I have the Alcatraz ticket reservation number pinned to the calendar. But as for the rest of the day, I think plan A will be to embrace the art of  exploring in the moment.

Today I am participating in the Mondays are for Dreaming series hosted by Mara at Mother of All Trips. Check out her site for more travel dreams.

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The first hour the kids were excited to share the beach with the dog. They threw the ball for him, chased each other threw the waves, energy galore.

About an hour in, the energy, among other things, began sagging:

And by the end of the day, the dripping wet pants lay on the beach to dry, the kids were on to a new project, and the dog  was begging nearby families for one last throw.

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This beach is in the north-eastern part of San Francisco. Getting to it was not tough at all, even refreshing as we entered a beautiful lush park shortly before the beach. There were signs directing me which way to go, and two very large parking areas close to the sand. A public restroom was accessible, a Godsend at the end of our trip as we desperately needed to change clothes.  The beach was an ideal size, large enough for dogs not to be in each other’s way but small enough that they can’t run far away if they are inclined to do so.  As you can see from the pictures, the scenery was gorgeous. The golden gate bridge towered brightly on one side, the picturesque houses of San Francisco on the other. Also, fall is the time to catch San Francisco ‘s best weather. This day was a prime example. The kids (and the dog) ran themselves silly for several hours, they gobbled up some snacks on the way home to fill their bellies, and the ride home was the quietest it has ever been.

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Fantastic playground for all ages.  In addition to that various aged climbing structures you may typically see at playgrounds, there are nice additional features. One includes a water feature where by stomping on a button on the ground, you can get a very mild stream of water that runs down a ramp area and into a sandpit. It was difficult to pull either boy from their moat creation, despite the fact that their feet were wet and it was the normal cold and foggy weather. Another nice addition were small tilted seats that spin 360 degrees. And of course, there was the cement slide area that my four year old spent lots of time on. There is also a tall rope structure to climb for those who enjoy heights.  Nearby is a carousel which runs from 9am – 4pm.  And as with golden gate park, lots of grass and space to run around.

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Perched on a hill in central San Francisco, this museum is made for the younger crowd, and its FREE!  A puppet theatre welcomes you as you enter. A large room full of interesting animals, some you can pet if they aren’t hiding, is on the right side as you enter. There is an area to build leggo structures, then see if they can withstand a mini earthquake. Downstairs on Saturdays the model train room is open. All in all its a great place to burn an hour or two.

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The Bay Area Discovery Museum sits at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito. It uses former bunkers from its earlier days as Fort Baker  to provide themed activity rooms. It offers plenty of hands-on activities for the younger crowd to touch and play with, as well as other ways school-aged reading kids can enjoy the space as well. Parking is plentiful, free, and very close to the museum.  There aren’t many eating establishments nearby, but the cafe here has pretty good food. I have described this museum in more detail here.

Across the Golden Gate Bridge is another terrific hands-on place, the Exploratorium. To get there from the Discovery Museum, start on McReynolds and turn R on Kober, then R on Murrey, then R on Bunker Road East and left onto Bunker Road. (Each of these turns is less than a half mile apart.) Go R on Sausilito Lateral Road which takes you to 101 south. Go left toward Marina and a sharp right on Lyon Street.   The parking lot entrance is about 500 feet ahead on the right.

The Exploratorium is all about playing with science, and so geared more toward the elementary aged kids. There is certainly something to do for kids of all ages. There are so many hands-on exhibits, to me it encompasses how well learning and fun can go together.

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First we stopped in at the Zeum. This is a three-story museum with lots of exhibits dedicated to technology and cameras, as in motion picture cameras. You can make videos, claymation films or karaoke videos.  As a museum I think it is terrific for older kids. Now, my guys are only 4 and 2 so we did end up passing quickly through most of the exhibits. But, there is a lego wall you can build on, and a few other fun things they can do.

We quickly headed over to the playground. The prevalent thing you notice there are these two rocket looking slides. QUITE steep. I took my little one down the smaller of the two, and really it is not as bad as it looks. Luckily my oldest wasn’t all that interested in the tallest one. I’m sure it would also have been fine for his age, but it definitely looks like a thrill ride. There was plenty of  space to run around, including water and sand areas. At one point a park guy came along to start his worm feeding duty and encouraged my son-of-many-questions to help him shred the lettuce. Then when it was time to feed the worms, this guy told all the kids to gather round if they want, and everyone got to watch and ask questions. Also, at some point some large bouncy balls and hoola hoops appeared. So I guess city employees open up the closets when they are around and let the kids play with whatever is pulled out. I’ve never seen any other city do that, pretty cool.

The Yerba Buena cafe was closed when my kids were about tired out, so we went across the street to the Metreon (shopping mall) to find a bite to eat. Many of the restaurants there looked too nice for my rambunctious boys now on their second wind, but a small Mexican Grill proved to be an excellent place. The portions are plentiful, so with the kids splitting a plate of quesadillas, eating out didn’t end up costing a whole lot. Another idea is to cross 3rd street to find Max’s Diner.

I used the parking garage at Fourth and Mission which was only about two blocks from Yerba Buena Gardens.  From there you can easily find the YBG  thanks to the huge carousel on the corner. The BART Montgomery station is also northwest a few blocks.

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I suggest making this an afternoon half-day trip, as Zeum doesn’t open until 1pm.  Zeum is a museum that focuses on media technology. There are costumes and teleprompters to assist kids put together their own commercial or other production, but it does take some patience so I suggest making place your first stop.  If being in front of a camera is not your thing, you can also manipulate objects in front of a mini camera and create a movie that way or make a claymation feature. There are three floors so if you like singing or dancing as well, this is the place for you. Other exhibits to draw creativity out of the younger crowd include a wall you can attach leggos to, or another wall that colorforms will stick to.

Afterwards, head out about 150 ft. to the playground. One might be surprised to find it amoungst a cemented area, but the floor of the playground is padded. It is shaped like a bowl so if you can, bring toys that roll downhill. At the top of the bowl area are trees (shade) and picnic tables. There’s a water feature near the sand area, so you may also want to bring along an extra change of clothes for the smaller ones.

Next take a spin at the  Looff Carousel . Again, it is not far away at the corner of Howard and Fourth. Over 100 years old, this carousel is absolutely stunning. A $3 ticket gets you two rides.

For dinner there is a good burger place called Mo’s Grill upstairs from the bowling alley.  They close at 8pm on Tues – Sat, and 5pm on Sunday and Monday. You may also consider exploring the Metreon across the street. This is a shopping mall with a fairly large selection of dining options on the bottom floor. Many of the restaurants there are nice, but I also recommend a Mexican Grill for the more casual dining.

If you are still up for more activities, you can pick up a game of bowling or spin around the skating rink back at Yerba Buena Gardens, or  pick up a movie at the IMAX at the Metreon.

The Yerba Buena Gardens festival runs from May-October and there are musical performances throughout that time.  To see more pictures or read more details about our trip to Yerba Buena Gardens visit the blog.

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The museum is designed for kids 6 months to 8 years old. There is a tot area for kids under 43″. It has places to crawl, soft things to climb on, and even cute bug-like clothing to wear for imaginative play. Other bunkers focus on art, theatre and there is even a permanent exhibition that focuses on waves and the sea.  Outside is “lookout cove” with a huge play area including an old shipwrecked boat, planks, bridges, rope ladders, and a short beach trail. There is certainly something for every kid at this museum.

Note: Mondays it is closed, and the first Wednesday of each month is FREE

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