We travelled to San Francisco with our 8-year-old Kidsetter in tow.
We stayed at a centrally located hotel called Hotel Beresford and caught up with our local San Francisco friends for a meal at the hotel’s on-site traditional British pub and restaurant.
It wasn’t long before our Kidsetter had made new friends and was learning the rules of Table Shuffleboard and playing alongside them. They had a blast.
As our hotel was only hop skip and a jump to Union Square we made our way there to view the stunning Christmas tree taking centre stage.
One of our favourite things to do in San Francisco especially at Christmas time is visit Williams-Sonoma. Upon entering the store, a lovely staff member handed a delicious warming hot chocolate and peppermint crisp chocolate. Immediately you feel as though Christmas has arrived. A beautifully decorated store with a homely touch.
Next, we enjoy visiting Macy’s across the other side of Union Square. It’s a novelty and always an impressive display of Christmas fare.
As we have travelled to San Fran with our Kidsetter we didn’t take a boat ride to see the Golden Gate Bridge or visit Lombard Street. We meandered our way down to the Wharf absorbing the streetscape.
Our Kidsetter was fascinated watching people have their shoes polished on the side of the street.
We arrived at Fisherman’s Wharf and enjoyed the various shops.
It wasn’t long before we had to rescue our Kidsetter from being eaten by a great white !
Next, we walked to the Ferry Building which boasts the best farmers market in the city on Saturdays, with plenty to eat the rest of the week, too.
Our Kidsetter had fun mucking around with the Ferry Building’s Christmas décor.
Next, we visited Exploratorium. Unlike other museums Kidsetters can follow their curiosity, explore and discover things for themselves.
Exploratorium is divided into 6 sections;
- Human Phenomena; Experiment with thoughts, feelings and social behaviour.
- Tinkering; Think with your hands and explore your creativity
- Seeing & Listening; Experiment with light, vision, sound and hearing
- Living Systems; Explore life with DNA and cells to organisms and ecosystems
- Outdoor Exhibits; Explore winds, tides, and natural phe
- Observing Landscapes; Uncover the history, geography and ecology of the Bay Area
Our Kidsetter was enthralled with ‘Flock’ – a mathematical experiment with birds in flight.
- Grouping – birds fly towards their neighbours,
- Separation – birds keep a minimum distance from each other and
- Alignment – birds match their neighbours direction and speed.
We had to drag him away as loved playing with the dials to see what formations he could create.
You can imagine the delight our Kidsetter had exploring the inner workings of his eyeball !
Our Kidsetter was fascinated by a replica of the city of San Francisco made from toothpicks. Artist Scott Weaver painstakingly constructed the ‘Rolling Through the Bay’ artwork commencing in 1974.
The Tinkering section was fun as our Kidsetter learnt about Charge and Carry; feeling a slight shock from the metal disk if it’s positively or negatively charged.
There were endless displays of fun and immersive experiments which had our Kidsetter entertained for hours. In his happy place, being curious.
To end a fabulous visit, our Kidsetter enjoyed drawing the shape of the bay.
San Fran is a vibrant city known for it’s iconic landmarks, scenic beauty and diverse culture. Kidsetters alike will have an unforgettable stay in this City by the Bay.
