survived the drive

It is a holiday weekend in the US, for labor day. We chose to use the day to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge. I would have to admit that short of looking at the photos I did not really see the bridge - I was concentrating too hard on not driving on the wrong side of the road, drifting into the lane to the right or anything else stupid that I could do on the road. Here is the evidence that we were on the bridge, taken by Deb from the passenger seat.

We simply got to the other side exited the highway and turned back around and paid $5 to cross back into San Francisco. The public holiday made all of the tourist spots looks to chaotic to even consider, maybe another time.

From there we went back to the apartment before heading out to try to find a good inner city 

playground to wear out the girls. Todays effort was mixed, we found a park really close (South Park - the name should have warned us...) and the playground was OK - but there were quite a few homeless people hanging out, so it did not really suit - particularly as Deb will need to take the girls by herself once I start working. 

But all was not lost, just up from the park was a small microbrewery called 21st Amendment, which a friend had recommended before we left. It was only as a result of checking out the park that we came across it. Great thing is this place is practically my local. I tried two beers while the girls managed to eat 1/2 of a sunday between them - everything is so huge when it comes to food. First off the list was the Wheat Watermellon, disturbing sounding beer and not such a great taste either - the beer was OK, but just had too much of that fermented fruit overtone to be enjoyable, there was a slight nori taste underneath that was OK though. I followed this up with a classic India Pale Ale - very nice. Here is the menu - check out the IBUs on the IPA :

From here we caught a bus up to the Yerba Buena Garden kids park, which is on the roof of the Moscone Centre in the heart of the financial district. Strange place for a kids playground, but the best we have able to find so far and the kids like it. Tomorrow we head to the bay to check out the parks down there.

I head back into the AAA tomorrow, still not starting with them until the 15th of September, but they have arranged a Magellan for me - which is one of the major GPS brands in the US. This is certain to make driving a little less traumatic for the family - be nice to have confidence in where we are going! We also enroll the kids in art classes tomorrow at Fort Mason, so slowly but surely our life over the next 4 months is being set up.

As sick as it sounds I am very keen to start work, going a little stir crazy in an apartment (very nice apartment - thanks AAA) with no yard.

Anyway time to sign off for now.