california-day 6

Adventures on Pier 39!  As soon as we parked and got out of the car, I knew I was underdressed, haha.  It was 60 degrees with sunshine, but I forgot how chilling the coastal air is. 

The pier was very charming with it's fruit stands, little shops, restaurants, and spots to watch the seals. 

Kevin even found a bucket of the yummiest sugar covered mini donuts that we devoured in minutes.  

The only disappointment was the serious lack of seals.  When I've been here in the past, every dock is covered in seals, but apparently they migrate during mating season.  So, we tried to enjoy the two on the platform and the one swimming around :)

Pictured behind us is Alcatraz Island, an old military base turned maximum security federal penitentiary that operated from 1934 to 1963 and housed some of the country's most dangerous criminals. Our tour was scheduled for later that day, so we still had a few hours to spend on the Pier. 

Perfect photo op with all those beautiful sailboats...

After lunch, we watched the most entertaining street performer.  He shared a bit of his story as he performed, and it was pretty interesting.  His parents were both acrobats, and he himself performed in Cirque de Soleil and other shows before finding a passion for street performing. He started out doing handstands on two pegs, then added a board on top of a rolling cylinder, followed by cups and boards that audience members would hand him as he maintained his balance.  He then had a little girl throw him 3 juggling pins!  

The grand finale was him performing a handstand on top of all the balancing boards and cups!  We were definitely impressed :)

I saw a group of teenagers trying to get a picture of themselves by this wall mural, so after offering to take their picture, I asked them to return the favor. 

We quickly realized that our time was running short, and we determined that the kids and I needed additional sweatshirts or we were going to be freezing on the ferry ride to Alcatraz Island that evening.  Brooke was fairly easy to please, I found a super cute one, and then it was time to shop for Colby.  They hardly had any little boy options, and the one he wanted was not only $10 more than most, it was also the thinnest.  I repeatedly explained that it wasn't going to keep him warm, but I couldn't convince him of the thicker gray hoodie.  Kevin eventually just bought the gray one and told Colby he could wear it if he got cold. We had to hear about how he was NOT going to wear it the whole way to Pier 33, throughout our time in line, and as we boarded the ferry.  I tried to patiently tell him that he didn't have to wear it, but that if he got cold, it would be available.  

Waiting in line in our masks...

My patience was definitely wearing thin, but as soon as the ferry pulled out and the wind hit us, I heard Colby tell Kevin that he wanted to wear the sweatshirt "just this once." Moments later he said, "I guess I really do like this sweatshirt."  That kid is a piece of work sometimes, haha.

As we walked toward Alcatraz, the guide explained the significance of the Indian Land signage. It was called the Occupation of Alcatraz and was a 19-month long protest where 89 Native Americans and their supporters occupied Alcatraz Island.  Apparently they claimed that under the Treaty of Fort Laramie, all retired, abandoned, or out-of-use federal land was to be returned to the Indians who once occupied it.  The group lived on the island together until the protest was forcibly ended by the US government. 

Walking the grounds...

Not sure how much she could smell with that mask on, haha, but she sure tried. 

Beautiful view of San Francisco behind them...

Then it was time for our audio tour of the prison.  We learned all sorts of interesting facts about the prisoners, the escape attempts, and about life "on the rock."

The mess hall, which we learned was the most dangerous room in the prison due to the presence of silverware for the inmates and knives for the cooks. 

Kevin wanted to buy this sign for work, haha. "Regulation #21: You are required to work at whatever you are told to do."

The grounds were beautiful, especially this patch of hydrangeas (which always remind me of my mom and her pink ones.) Apparently, the once-barren land originally had a thin layer of topsoil and no source of freshwater, but inhabitants of the island brought in exotic soil and made it more lively by planting flowers, trees, and shrubs.  

The gardens were neglected for 40 years after the prison closed, but the Garden Conservancy, Golden Gate National Park Conservancy, and the National Park Service have done an amazing job reviving the gardens by looking at old photographs.

Kevin also really liked this old truck :)

One final picture before boarding the ferry back to the mainland.  I love that my kids had the opportunity to visit such an iconic San Francisco sight.  And this was my mom's first time as well, even though she's lived her for over 30 years! 

All aboard the ferry, feeling grateful for cozy new sweatshirts!!

We bought Colby a new harmonica in the gift shop and he played it nonstop.  Lucky for us, it actually sounded really good!

When we made it back, we literally ran most of the way back to Pier 39 in a last ditch effort to make it to the shell shop before it closed. We had run out of time earlier (due to the sweatshirt fiasco), and the kids REALLY wanted some shell souvenirs. And guess what??  We barely made it!  The shop owners were so patient as the kids made their final selections.  Brooke ended up with a shell treasure box and a pearlized trochus.  Colby got a whole sand dollar (since we never found one at the beach) and a small trochus shell. 

We toyed with the idea of walking the 20 minutes to Ghirardelli Square, but we knew that it would most likely be dark by the time we were heading back.  San Francisco isn't the greatest at night, so our final plan consists of Mom and I walking with the kids, while Kevin rushed back to get the car and move it to a parking garage right at the Square. 

It was the perfect plan and we ended up arriving about the same time.  

The ice cream was amazing, which was great considering that we spent $45 for the three items we shared, haha. 

So incredibly yummy!! My favorite was the Gold Rush (a caramel sundae), but the Mint Bliss Sundae was a close second.

Made one final bathroom stop (and photo op) before making the hour and a half drive home. 

The kids passed out after our day of fun!

I love that Brooke was holding her shell box :)  

What a great day in San Francisco!  The only sad part was that Papa didn't come with us.  There was no way he could have done all that walking, but it was still sad that he had to miss out. (Brooke brought him a few chocolate squares from Ghirardelli so he didn't completely miss out!)