Let the Vacation Begin!

After we had a nice day resting at the hotel we really started our vacation. We have had to pack everyday full of fun to get in just a few of the things my kids want to do. Of course driving the Golden Gate Bridge is one of their favorites!

We drove into the city and picked up our City Passes, it's a bundled package of museums, muni pass, and Alcatraz tickets. Then we checked into our hotel that we are going to call home for the next 10 nights. We stay at the Embassy Suites that is 4 miles away from Ken's work on the Bay in Burlingame. We love this hotel and stay here almost all the time.
It's just a really pretty setting. The kids love the atrium and the fish swimming in the ponds. They also love standing out on the balcony and watching the airplanes take off and land at the San Francisco Airport.
And we love having the living room. The boys sleep in the pull out coach. Now that our kids are getting older staying in a suite is becoming a much bigger deal. All of the pictures were taken from the website because ours didn't turn out very good. But we are staying in these exact rooms.
First order of business now that we can start playing is to ride on BART! Seriously my children's favorite memory is of riding BART and the Cable Cars.
We take BART to the Powell Street Station so we can hop on the Cable Cars at the end of the line there. We also loved watching them be turned around.
This day wasn't super crowded but we still had to wait awhile to catch the right one to take us to Ghiradelli Square.

We were the first ones on so we were able to sit on the side. Nathan chose to hang off the side and had a blast on his ride!
Ken's engineering retreat finished 3 hours early so he hitched a ride with some guys at work and actually ended up beating us to Ghiradelli's. Oh my goodness the kids were so happy to see Ken! Seriously, Ginger was telling me over and over again the past two days while Ken was in meetings that she wanted her Daddy. That little girl has no concept that Daddy's actually leave for the day to go to work.
We ordered 4 Sundaes and did our usual; Three bites and then pass it to the left!
It was so good and infinately sweeter because Ken was with us!
Me and Nathan by their chocolate refining machines. It makes you want to reach over the glass and dip your finger in it. But we refrained.
He is one of the original Ghiradelli's! He would come around to the tables and serenade people. Or at least Rose. This day she decided she did not want to smile and just make silly pictures for the camera.
I think his magic worked!
This is probably the kids favorite outings when we come to San Francisco.
When I left the hotel with the kids in the morning it was actually pretty warm and sunny. I really didn't think we would be gone as long as we were. As the sun began to set it was quite chilly and Ginger was freezing. So Darin had me zip her up into his. Oh my goodness these two were so cute! Half the line of people were laughing and snapping pictures of my two goofy kids!

Ken had taken the other kids to buy all new San Francisco jackets while we were waiting in line for the cable cars. Even Darin got one even though he was wearing his "The Rock" jacket from our last trip. Then we hopped on the cable cars for a ride home.

What a beautiful view from the Cable Cars. This is looking down Lombard street.
It was a good thing Ken ended up meeting us in the city. Towards the last little bit the girls started falling apart. They didn't want to walk anymore and were very tired. It would have been very hard for us to manage. Also, this trip is our first vacation stroller free!