Looking for Sun in San Francisco

Pictures: Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Seals by the Bay, Hippie District, Jelly Belly Factory.






We just loved the rest of Oregon. It has the most amazing beauty. Unlike any other I have witnessed. Our next stop was in Northern California near the Redwood forests. Now those are some trees. The kids learned about how they grow and how they have sustained for hundreds sometimes thousands of year.s We felt like a bunch of ants in the forest. It was a truly magical place.
Our stay at an RV park called Sounds of the Sea near Trinidad CA, revealed its name when at night we could hear the sea lions yelling from the rocks on the Pacific.
The surf was dangerous and was scary to even allow the boys near it. Although they made every effort to get wet in the frigid waters.
Heading further south we stayed at Fort Bragg. This town proved to be interesting to say the least. Lots of people hitchhiking and backpacking. We stayed right on the water but the clouds and cool weather continued to follow us. We expected CA to be hot and sunny. Not the case.
Currently we are outside of San Francisco. We visited the city as tourists and enjoyed the sites we had only previously heard of. The Golden Gate bridge being the most notable. We also saw Alcatraz from our viewpoint. This led us to study about the prison and its history of being the toughest penitentiary in the US during its time of operation.
We were able to experience the crookedest street in the world along with many steep roads that I would never dare to park on. The kids were so thrilled by this. Our visit also included the Fisherman's Wharf, a pier that has tons of shops overlooking the San Fran Bay.
The last place we visited in the city was the hippie district of Haight-Ashbury. This was cool to see as there is a lot of history there from the 60's era. So many great bands started there it was hard to fathom being here. We didn't feel uncomfortable there but there were many things that we not kid friendly to say the least. We stayed a short while only and ended our day.
It has been so awesome to homeschool on this trip. There is a lesson around every corner. Whether it be history, science, math or just a life lesson, learning occurs everywhere, all day every day. I'd say that has been one the best things thus far. Having John around has really made the learning beyond anything I had hoped. He offers so much to the kids with the things he know.s It amazes me. The guy is a genius. We all know he is the "smart one."
Things I read about in school our kids are experiencing first hand.
Yesterday we toured the Jelly Belly factory to see how this delightful treat is made. This place was great for kids and kids at heart. I know this jelly bean lover was in heaven. Gabe had to try the nasty jelly beans, including: ear wax, vomit and skunk. Why anyone would willingly place anything with those names in his mouth is beyond me. Needless to say he didn't finish them all.
Next we are headed inland to visit Yosemite.