Field Trip Friday: Pier 39 in San Francisco

We don't normally get sucked in to tourist traps, but, when we do, Pier 39 is a good choice. I have loads of wonderful childhood memories walking the pier, laughing at the sea lions, and getting a chocolate butt from the Chocolate Heaven store. Really.

On Friday, we drove Granny and Aidyn's cousin to AT&T Park to watch the Giants play the Rockies. Once we finally weaved out of the traffice jam, we whirled around the Embarcadero and parked at Pier 39.

Ok, so it was in the triple digits where WE live, but when we got out the car it was 69 degrees and cooooold.

I'd remembered what Mark Twain had said about SF: "The coldest winter I ever had was a summer in San Francisco."

You summed it up perfectly, Mark.

After a three-hour drive (mostly due to traffic) and chilling temperatures, we huddled inside for some classic Clam Chowder Bread Bowls.

Aidyn, aka Mr. Cool Dude, slurping that clam chowder like a San Fran pro.

Afterward we made a beeline for the sea lions because it was getting darker and colder fast, and we wanted to see them before we refused to go back outside.

The picture is terribly dark, but I promise there were sea lions there! Aidyn climbed up some wooden steps for a better view and mostly remarked that he could "smell them."

If my hands weren't frozen, I would have taken more pictures, but you'll just have to use your imaginations, all two readers, you.

We scoured every store we could, scarfed down the most delicious chocolate crepe in the world, tried on wacky hats, oohed and awed over some magic tricks, marvelled at the city lights, and arfed like sea lions in the bumper-to-bumper traffic on the way home.