Baker Beach - San Francisco, CA

Followed up outdoor ice skating with... a trip to the beach? Yes. It was an unusually warm day in The City!

Justin Herman Plaza - San Francisco, CA

Spent some time watching the ice skaters at Justin Herman Plaza, including big sister Kate and Auntie Angelique.

Burlingame, CA

Walked around the streets of Burlingame after a haircut. Powell's Sweet Shoppe was a big hit for Katherine.

Abilities Expo - McEnery Center, San Jose, CA

Abilities Expo is an annual traveling show that brings necessary products and services together under one roof for the community of people with disabilities, their families, caregivers, seniors, and healthcare professionals. It's a great way to discover products and services that you never knew were out there.

Howarth Memorial Park - Santa Rosa, CA

Mommy's friend brought us here since we stayed the night in the area. Howarth Park, sometimes called the “jewel" of Santa Rosa is a 152-acre community park provides endless recreational opportunities with a beautiful lake for fishing & boating, a softball field, tennis courts, picnic areas, unique playground structures, miles of hiking and jogging trails, and an amusement area featuring a miniature train ride, carousel, animal farm & pony rides.

Canine Companions for Independence - Santa Rosa, CA

We are anticipating getting a skilled companion dog. It was suggested that we take a tour of the Canine Companions facility in Santa Rosa. This is the headquarters for this wonderful company. The land was donated by the Schulz family (creator of Peanuts).

NASA Ames Research Center - Moffett Field, Mountainview, CA

The space exploration agency offered walking tours of its research facility to mark the 75th anniversary of the Ames center, located at the Moffett Federal Airfield in Silicon Valley. Over 200,000 attended the event.

The open house event included a self-guided walking tour, where visitors could check out NASA facilities, interact with scientists and engineers, and have opportunities to learn about new technologies and developing projects at Ames.

Twin Peaks - San Francisco, CA

More family time for Kate's birthday. We went up to the highest point in San Francisco for some spectacular city views.

Sky High Sports - Burlingame, CA

Big sister, Kate, had her 8th Birthday Party at Sky High Sports. The staff closed off a small portion of trampolines so we could have a safe place to bounce all to ourselves.

Movie in the Park - San Bruno, CA

San Bruno Parks and Recreation Department has free concerts and movies in San Bruno City Park during the summers. We came to see Frozen. We arrived early and heard a Bon Jovi cover band finishing up a concert.

Millbrae Central Park - Millbrae, CA

We were wandering around San Bruno and somehow ended up in Millbrae when we found this park.

Junipero Serra County Park - San Bruno, CA

Check out my older post for more information on this park: http://jillianmichelestevens.blogspot.com/2013/12/junipero-serra-county-park-san-bruno-ca.html

San Francisco Zoo - San Francisco, CA

Seriously, this is becoming a second home for our family!

Swimming at Shelter Creek - San Bruno, CA

Swimming outside at the main pool

Pacifica Pier - Pacifica, CA

Silverado Resort & Spa - Napa, CA

Another work related weekend put us up in this resort for the weekend. We had absolutely beautiful weather.

Apple Valley, CA

We took another 4th of July trip to see Auntie Lesa and Uncle Scott.

San Andreas Lake - San Bruno, CA

San Andreas Lake is a reservoir adjacent to the San Francisco Peninsula cities of Millbrae and San Bruno. It is situated directly on the San Andreas Fault, which is named after the lake.

Since the lake is a public water source, it is closed to the public. However, hikers and bicyclists may travel along the eastern shores of the lake on a paved trail that runs just west of Skyline Boulevard from San Bruno Avenue to Millbrae Avenue. A connecting trail, called the Sawyer Camp Trail, crosses the rift valley on the San Andreas Dam. This 6 mile trail eventually reaches the eastern shores of the Lower Crystal Springs reservoir and the Crystal Springs Dam.

Coyote Point Recreation Area - San Mateo, CA

Check out my older post for more information on this awesome park:  http://jillianmichelestevens.blogspot.com/2013/01/coyote-point-park-san-mateo-ca.html

Parca Day at the Fair (San Mateo County Fair) - San Mateo, CA

Shakespeare Garden (Golden Gate Park) - San Francisco, CA

We attempted to go to California Academy of Sciences for their free admission day but the line to get in wrapped around the block and didn't seem to be moving. So we decided to just wander through Golden Gate Park. We stumbled on this very quaint garden named for Shakespeare and supposedly themed after his work.

Bay Model Visitor Center (US Army Corps of Engineers) - Sausalito, CA

While we were in Sausalito, we happened to see signs for The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bay Model, a working hydraulic scale model of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta System. While the Bay Model is still operational, it is no longer used for scientific research but is instead open to the public alongside educational exhibits about Bay hydrology.

The model is approximately 320 feet long in the north-south direction and about 400 feet long in the east-west direction. It is constructed out of 286 five-ton concrete slabs joined together like a jigsaw puzzle. Features that affect the water flow of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are reproduced, including ship channels, rivers, creeks, sloughs, the canals in the Delta, fills, major wharfs, piers, slips, dikes, bridges, and breakwaters.

The limits of the model encompass the Pacific Ocean extending 17 miles beyond the Golden Gate, San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay and all of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to Verona, 17 miles north of Sacramento on the north, and to Vernalis, 32 miles south of Stockton on the San Joaquin River on the south.

Bay Area Discovery Museum - Sausalito, CA

We took a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge to The Bay Area Discovery Museum located in Sausalito, California inside the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It is right at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. The museum's mission is "to ignite and advance creative thinking for all children," so that children will gain skills to become the innovative problem solvers of tomorrow.

The museum is geared to children from 6 months to 8 years of age with different areas of the museum tailored to a specific age group. Children have the options of exploring the 6 different sections of the museum: Art Studios, Bay Hall, Discovery Hall, Lookout Cove, Tot Spot, and Wave Workshop. Each area is designed in a way to support and further the mission of the museum and provides hands-on, child-directed exploration that ignites creative thinking, flexible problem-solving, and exciting discoveries. All Museum exhibitions, both indoor and outdoor areas, are hands-on and play focused. In fact, Bay Area Discovery Museum is the only children's museum in the country to be located inside a National Park.

Shelter Creek Photo Shoot - San Bruno, CA

The very special, and extremely talented, Auntie Theresa came for a visit to take our annual spring photos. She was able to capture some amazing shots. We were also able to sneak cousin Hannah into a few of the photos. :)

Swimming at Shelter Creek - San Bruno, CA

John Lennon Art Exhibit - Walnut Creek, CA

The art of John Lennon was on display and limited edition reproductions were available for sale. They gave us free shirts while we were there. They wouldn't accept our payment! :)

Petting Zoo Birthday Party - Oakley, CA

A birthday party for a cousin turned out to be great fun for everyone. They brought the petting zoo to us!

Leo J. Ryan Memorial Park - Foster City, CA

Check out my older post for more information: http://jillianmichelestevens.blogspot.com/2012/06/foster-city-lagoon-foster-city-ca.html

Portland, OR

We took a family vacation to see Auntie Angelique! Poor Katherine was sick during most of the trip so we didn't get out much.

Juniperro Serra County Park - San Bruno, CA

After school fun!

Check out my older post for more information on this park: http://jillianmichelestevens.blogspot.com/2013/12/junipero-serra-county-park-san-bruno-ca.html

Seal Point Park - San Mateo, CA

Check out my older post for more information on Seal Point: http://jillianmichelestevens.blogspot.com/2012/02/seal-point-park-san-mateo-ca.html

Gull Park - Foster City, CA

Check out my older post for more information: http://jillianmichelestevens.blogspot.com/2013/05/gull-park-foster-city-ca.html

Diddalidoo - San Bruno, CA

We decided to spend some time here during the week since there was no school today.

Check out my older post for more information on this place: http://jillianmichelestevens.blogspot.com/2013/01/birthday-party-at-diddalidoo-san-bruno.html