Commuter Family: The Next 36 Hours

TUESDAY AFTERNOON – San Remo Hotel in San Francisco

We arrived in San Francisco Tuesday afternoon and checked into the San Remo Hotel. The San Remo is a Victorian house in the desirable North Beach area and it is VERY reasonably priced – here is why:

No Private Bathrooms: The bathrooms and showers are in the hallways and we share them with other guests.

No Television: There is no television but internet was very speedy.

Kids Shared a Twin Bed: Our room had one double bed and one single bed. Oldest Son and Youngest Son slept in the single bed with heads at opposite ends.

No Air Conditioning: Lots of places in San Francisco have no AC – we slept with top sheet only.

Parking Down the Street: $16 dollar parking is available a couple blocks down the way.

And I loved this place! It was decorated nicely, had lots of personality and was not “over the top.”

I think it is good to present children with modest choices where adapting is required. Apparently, both boys learned a new life skill: how to turn on a shower with a handle that pulls OUT. Oldest Son and Youngest Son (wrapped in only a towel!) both trekked back to room (at different times) from the shower to let us know they could not turn on the shower – seriously? Well now they know …

Oldest Son's comment "That place was a little nutty."

My reply "Nutty is way more interesting. And the money we saved allows us to spend more on experiences."

Our small, adequate room as we packed up to leave.

Not our room – one of the rooms with double bed only – isn’t it cute? Notice it does have a private sink in this room.

Oldest Son reading something on the wall. Book cases also in hallway.

The hallway sink with showers behind the wooden doors to the right.

TUESDAY EVENING – San Francisco Giants Game

We had a family homerun: we attended a San Francisco Giants game with great seats and our Beloved Preschool Nanny met us with her husband. Beloved Preschool Nanny helped us with the boys when Youngest Son was 3 years old and Oldest Son was 5 years old. She also came to Mexico to help one month when we lived there (May 2009.)

We road the cable car to the Ferry building and then walked along the wharf to get to the ballpark. The game included hot dogs, garlic fries, Ghirardelli hot fudge Sundays, Shock Top beer and catching up with super special people. On the way out, Youngest Son requested a dollar to drop in the jar of the street musician. An excellent way to end Tuesday.

Perhaps the only stadium with a clean up crew of Sea Gulls! Those white spots are the birds swooping in for leftovers when game ended.

WEDNESDAY MORNING - California Academy of Sciences

We started the day at Pat’s Café for breakfast. Highly recommend. We then loaded up the Prius and headed to the California Academy of Sciences (Beloved Preschool Nanny suggested this outing), which is a great science museum and aquarium. Highly recommend.

Pat’s Café was around the corner from the San Remo.

Commuter Husband had Crab Cake Eggs Benedict – super tasty.

Never too old to touch sea creatures!

Oldest Son, Youngest Son and Commuter Husband Connect the Continents in the computer generated puzzle in the earthquake exhibit.

Youngest Son learns about sailboat that won America’s Cup. That boat is truly an engineering achievement.

The roof top garden is another engineering feat. We learned allot about this ecofriendly strategy.

Playing genetic engineer at the Tree of Life exhibit.

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING – Hwy 1 North to Mendocino

Curves, more curves, another curve, oh my gosh it is only one lane, ohm I feel sick. Hwy 1 North of San Francisco is so beautiful along the California Pacific Coast. However, I do believe Commuter husband has now checked that drive off his bucket list.