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SERIOUSLY!!! It was a GREAT start to a great vacation! Have you ever been to SF? You do need to go- it's very eclectic, and very beautiful.
Wow! Somebody knows how to treat you right!
Double wow! What a special gift...DIS'ers rock!
ABSOLUTELY!
Some great pictures here. It really does look like a beautiful city.
It is one of those places that just offers SO much- love it!
I think I would have liked to hear Pods' take on it instead. It would have been like mine: "Um...they're shoes. They go on your feet...
...that's about it."
LMAO!!!! That is EXACTLY what he would have said! "They're black. My other pair is brown. I put on the ones my wife tells me to."
We do lots of research with that show, too!
He does alot of shows in SF- lots of places there to check out- there was another one on my list, it was a diner that was mexican/korean fusion- the burritos looked amazing- but we were never in that area at the right time.
Sassy servers are the best servers.
Agree!! Much more fun to have a personality than a dud!
Alcatraz? Why would you want that in the picture? I figured you just wanted the family in front of unrecognizable water.
Seriously! I prefer to have unrecognizable water, then put all the pictures up from various vacations in front of mystery water, then have everyone guess where we've been-
Really-Here we are in Chicago-
This is at Lake Michigan-
On the Italian Riviera-
Our quick jaunt to Nantucket-
Yeah, that's Clown-in-Poltergeist-level creepiness.
Right???
Very cool!
Looks like I replied before you were finished updating...oops!
Glad everyone enjoyed dinner...looks like a neat place! I would have gone straight for the steak, though.
Or the PB&J- I know....
Beautiful sunset!
All subbed up Ellen!
YAY!!
Hehe, good for you!
The pic of Tim in front of the Left Hand store...Timmy is a giant! A tall, skinny giant! When did that happen?
Crazy, huh? He loves it, too- always touching and reaching for things the rest of us can't- SHOWOFF!!
We passed by a Left Hand kiosk at Downtown Disney last month. I had never seen it there before, so I think it must be relatively new.
We will have to check it out! But it will be a while....
We just got back from a week at WDW...the Beach Club. I'm debating whether or not to do a trip report. On one hand, I want to. On the other hand, I doubt my ability to stick to it until the end!
I didn't realize until your lobby photo that thats where Michael Joshua stayed last December during their boys trip to see the Raiders game.
Yes! We were chatting about that last year-
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Love every bit of this report from dinner (yum) to the sweet gifts. You are blessed my dear.
That's what I call an awesome day!
It sure was!
Great gifts (well deserved, and a delicious dinner ..... only to be topped by some great wine and an evening on the balcony.
You live THE life, Ellen!
What a wonderful gift! I'm sure you enjoyed getting it almost as much as eating/drinking it!
We loved the mechanique museum too! What a hoot! Looks like a wonderful dinner - looking forward to your next day!
Oh, Ellen! The pleasure was all mine. You are always so incredibly sweet! Thank YOU for all the time and TLC you put into your trip reports. Its not just your wonderful trip reports and pictures, but you really have a way of connecting with your readers and making them feel special. I cant wait to read about the rest of your trip. The next time we have visitors in town, I will tell them to read your TR and Im certain that even if they only manage to do what you did in one day it would still be a very fun, full week!
It's really a challenge. And as I said to you months ago, I was worried because there was no beach or pool part of the day here, so I wasn't sure how it would all go- fortunately, they LOVED their time in SF- they both were very impressed with your beautiful city. So funny that you would send your visitors to my TR- when YOU are the one who helped me plan it! 
You should know that YOU have a way of making ME feel special-Thanks. 
I do so want to go to SF after seeing your photos! The night picture from your room was stunning!
We LOVED sitting out there every night, it was a fabulous way to end the day.
The box of fruit was like a treasure chest fill of jewels. Beautiful, I love fresh fruit. Then to also have that great bottle of wine, such a gracious lady.
She sure is! Your description is so accurate, too- it WAS like a treasure chest. AMAZING!
Timmy is growing up so fast. Tyler always looks so blasé, but that's the typical teen pose.
Nice choice! and what a lovely thoughtful gift! I really like Embarcadero/Financial District for stays. We have stayed in most parts of the city, including Fisherman's Wharf and we really loved being down at the Ebarcadero this time as well. SO many good options in the city though.
Yes, I agree- TOO many! It was SOOOO hard to choose- usually I can narrow it down pretty quickly (which hotel to stay in)- but this time? I just kept reguessing and stressing! Originally I picked a boutique hotel in Union Sq- it had a Ben and Jerry Suite, complete wioth a freezer filled with ice cream (that was included!).When I saw that, I was like I'm gonna be Mom of the Year!!! BUT.....no 4 in a room. Actually, no 4 in any rooms there- small rooms, and suites only for adults. I looked at sooooo many places- but once I found the Hyatt, I kept coming back to it. So glad!
I want to travel with you too!
Well COME ON!!!!!!!
We had brunch there yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What did you have? The brunch pics looked great!
Fun to see pictures of the Musee Mechanique, we've never done it and I bet the boys would like it. The exploratorium is extremely cool. I didn't know it had moved from the Palace of Fine Arts, and was so shocked to see it down there!
We have a museum here in Nj called the Liberty Science Center, which we have been to with the boys- it looks really similar to what I saw for the Exploratorium. Loads of interactive stuff. It moved to the water just recently-
I've never been but have heard good things. There is not much right in Fisherman's Wharf itself that is for sure!
You win the internet today!
Hi Ellen! Just found your new TR last night. Have started reading this morning but just wanted to comment on your first set of pictures. They are great of Sean, Tyler and Tim. Boy have they grown up. And Sean looks so happy.
Hi Chris! It's getting close to double digits before our cruise!!I can't wait! And yes- the boys have really grown up. So sad how quickly, ya know?
Now, going back to read the rest!
I knew you were going to California after I read your last TR.
If you ever become a travel agent-I will be your first customer.
Well, where do you want to go, lol? Because I am in business!!
I posted very last on your Hawaiian vacation and I even commented if you would do my travel plans, without me even knowing about your TA plans.
I saw that, it was so funny that you said it! But it was late at night when I read it, and I meant to go back and type a reply- but forgot, no doubt because I was headed to CA. I'm sorry!
Nice shout out to Wisconsin.
It was very pretty there- the water was nice, and you could see, even from the plane, that there were waves to the shore- I pointed that out to the boys and they stretched over to see.
I had to look at the picture and I thought at first you were crossing the Mississippi, but then I realized you were crossing over Lake Michigan by Milwaukee. Me and my dh just came across the Milwaukee Express Ferry and I recognized the coastline. The Ferry was my big adventure this summer. My dh has to much work, we spent part of our vacation at a mechanic shop that is putting a new engine in a subway train. His company is putting a new subway tunnel in under Grand Central Station and it will go out to Queens. My youngest son is moving to NYC next week-he also works for Michels Corp, so maybe I will get to go and visit, but he already told me I can't stay with him, I have to get a hotel
How exciting!!! When are you visiting? I do live near NYC, ya know......
Back to your TR-please become a TA-you take the neatest vacations. I never knew you could buy a ticket and be able to use those different transportations.
I just found your TR and this is the exact trip that I have been thinking about planning!
GREAT idea!!!!
My husband and I got out to SF last October for the first time and loved it.
Absolutely incredible, right?
We would like to go back and take our girls but I can't imagine going to SF or DL without the other. Then I figured out how close Yosemite is and well, it has to be included too!
I think I understand how your mind works....
I can't wait to read along and take notes for my planning.
Christine
Loved your updates, Ellen! Made me a little homesick, but still...
I don't blame you- I would be homesick always for SF if I had moved- have you ever taken Willow for a visit?
What a beautiful gift you received. How nice was that?!
BEYOND nice!!! It was incredible-
And it looks like y'all had a great day and evening in SF.
A very good first day- everything went as planned!Or better!
I am loving the pics of Timmy and the oysters!
and found a Celebrity Alaskan cruise sailing out of San Francisco! So we had four fabulous days in San Francisco before sailing off to the beautiful scenery in Alaska. I'll never forget it.
Sadly, I haven't yet.
HOWEVER, I am heavily into vacation planning for 2014 right now. My mom wants to do something with us - we were going to do the DCL Alaska cruise again, but the family friend who would split a stateroom with my mom bailed on us, so that probably won't happen. I think it's a blessing in disguise, because the cost is 
, and I'd rather put that off a year. So I am making a list of options for my mom and will be going over all of them with her shortly. Top of my list are Hawaii and .. wait for it .... fly to SF and spend a few days visiting friends and family and enjoying the city, then rent a car and drive the Pacific Coast Highway over the course of 4-5 days, and then end with a few days at DLR! OMG - I am LOVING this idea!!!
Sorry, but we all found this hilarious!! A YEAR ago, on Kauai, Timmy stood on the edge of a 200 ft cliff with gale force winds and LAUGHED at me as I SCREAMED at him to get away from the edge while I clung to the wall of rock behind me. But a glass elevator? TERRIFYING!! Our first glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge, appropriate amount of fog in tact-
seeing the elevator photo. How fun is that. 
