Final California Update…

More vacation pics….  the last few days in Cali were full of adventure.

We stayed on Fisheman’s Wharf.  Ate like kings.

If you don’t follow me on Facebook, I’ll try to give you the cliff note version of what you missed: (see updates 1-5 for the first 5 days and pictures of PCH, Point Reyes, Muir Woods, Monterey, 17 mile drive, Pebble Beach, Santa Cruz, etc)

• Bought a few Dungeness crabs for the kids and I…  they loved it, of course….  even more they loved the stories of when I worked on a commercial fishing boat in Alaska and my job was to measure Dungeness Crabs and empty bait jars.  I was the worst fisherman to ever hit the shores of Alaska…  I’ll post about it some day..
• Ghiradelli hot fudge sundaes and banana splits.
• I paid a commercial fisherman with a BROKE-ASS wooden boat to take us on a tour of San Francisco Bay…  If you know me, you know that this is what I do… I do not like crowds.   I am a fan of the little guy. .  I don’t eat at chain restaurants.  I buy local.  So it only seemed right to walk past the 450 tour companies and strait to the fisheman (who pretty much looked homeless) and ask him to take us around the bay.   It was such a great experience.. He let the boys drive the boat.. took us under the Golden Gate Bridge, around Alcatraz and pointed out many dolphin and sealions.
• trolley ride
• Washington Square
• North Beach Street Festival
• China Town
• Father’s Day lunch (minus the Father) of dim sum and peking duck.  We were the only white/English speaking people in packed restaurant.  As the restaurant cleared, the staff started to set the tables around us for the dinner crowd.   They then brought out huge serving platters and placed them on each table..  Each table had a dish of bok-choy, a dish of rice,  a pot of tea and a dish of chicken feet with some other crazy innards…   the staff (had to be 50 pp) started pouring out of the kitchen and they all just sat around us and ate.   I tried to take stalker pictures…  it was awesome.

Monday, we finally had ONE DAY with Seven!  We were all exausted..  He had gotten about 3 hours sleep…  so we piled in the car, put the top down and drove South on the Pacific Coast Highway.   Our goal was to hit Monterrey, have lunch, then turn around..    What actually happened was lunch in Half Moon Bay, then the next 4 hours exploring the beaches within 40 miles.   Then back to Half Moon Bay for dinner at an amazing location on the water, then to SFO for the redeye home…   (note:  it’s currently 12:19 pm as I write this and Number One is still asleep..  he’s on hour 15)  It was a big week.