We all slept really well, thankfully. We needed the rest.

We had a lovely hot breakfast at a nearby cafe this morning. The kids enjoyed their pancakes with maple syrup, and we enjoyed our bacon and eggs.

It was a beautiful morning – clear, blue sky, warm sunshine, and a cool breeze.

Our first stop was the Golden Gate Bridge. It is a really impressive structure. It did look golden in the morning sunlight. To be honest, up close it loses a little of its magnitude. The bridge looks best from a distance. We walked halfway across the bridge, and the view was beautiful across the bay. The US coastguard helicopter kept flying low along the length of the bridge, which was quite exciting for the kids. I didn’t take many pics of the view, because the lingering smog from the bushfires would not have done justice to the view. I think the SF bay is a little like Auckland's Harbour – a big harbour, with mountainous land all around. Really beautiful.

We then got a bus south from the bridge to Bakers Beach. We walked to the beach, and enjoyed the view north to the Golden Gate Bridge, and the rest. The kids had a great time playing in the sand. Olivia found feathers from birds, and found a rock for Pa. Josh had fun eating the sand. He was covered in it. We can look forward to enjoying the sand at the other end in a day or two!

We then caught the bus further down to Golden Gate Park, which is like the Botanical Gardens. We walked along to the Japanese Tea Gardens. They were very beautiful and relaxing. We walked to the teahouse and enjoyed pots of Jasmine and Ou-Long Tea while looking over tranquil Japanese Gardens. We enjoyed walking along the winding paths that took us through the gardens, ensuring that Josh didn’t end up in the water with the large, orange carp.

We finally left the Golden Gate Park and got the bus to Alamo Square, where we saw some of the most beautiful Victorian era houses in San Francisco. Alamo Square also had a great children’s park, so Olivia and Josh had lots of fun on the swings and slides.

We then got back on the number 21 bus and headed to Market and 5^th to get the famous cable car of San Francisco. I have to say, the MUNI – municipal transport system - is very good. We travelled everywhere by bus for $6 all day, and it took us everywhere we wanted to go. Very economical, and very environmentally friendly, too.

San Francisco is an interesting city geographically. The streets run steeply up and down, just like I remember in the great show “The Streets of San Francisco”. We decided to take the old-style cable car from Powell St to Hyde St. It was a really exciting ride! The old, wooden cable car had wooden brakes, so it adds an element of excitement when we are heading down a really steep hill. The views were amazing! Josh was clapping his hands with excitement, and was smiling and cheering. Olivia was very laid back, and ate an apple most of the way.

Once we made it back to Hyde St we walked back up the steep hill to Lombard St – the world’s most crooked street. It is a bit contrived, to be honest, but it attracts the tourists. I would hate to live on this street! You can see a photo of the many twists and turns of Lombard St.

We then walked back to our hotel and on to a seafood restaurant on the waterfront. W had a really great meal of oysters, calamari, clam chowder, crab cakes, scallops and crab. The kids enjoyed the calamari and some cheese pizza. We also enjoyed some great Chardonnay from the Napa Valley in California. It was a perfect evening!

Now, Jason is snoring, and the kids are asleep, so it is time for me to stop. San Francisco has been a relaxing end to our holiday. I’ve enjoyed the laid-back feeling of the place, and the clear, sunny days and cool breeze. Very refreshing.