Monday, January 19, 2009

Open Up Those Golden Gates . . .

. . . We've Arrived!!!
After going across the Golden Gate Bridge we paused to gaze back at
The City. We then crossed back over The Bridge and plunged into our day-long adventure of FUN!


The Academy of Sciences captured our first tourist dollar but clearly I found the Steinhart Aquarium and other exhibits so completely new and exciting, after the extensive remodel since my last visit, that I forgot to take any pics at all of the alligators, fish, African (stuffed) animals, South African (LIVE) penguins, not to mention the FABULOUS tropical rainforest exhibit complete with birds, butterflies, poison dart frogs, leaf cutter ants, and lush flora. The rainforest was my favorite exhibit . . . alas, no pics. : (

A nice young man at the souvenir concession
offered to take our photo
and *DING!*
I remembered I had a camera. : D (L to R: Me, Lydia, Rachel, Aunt Lisa)

We exited the Academy of Sciences
and ventured across the park to
The Japanese Tea Gardens.
(A little plastic tray that ferried our check to us at the Tea House -- so cute!)

This Friendship Gate ushered us into lush and tranquil gardens,
Offering breathtaking vistas,
Peaceful coves inviting personal reflection (*snicker*),
And quiet meandering walks among the well-tended woods.

Brilliantly-hued pagodas . . .
. . . And hillside beauty complete with waterfalls enchanted us.
The still pond waters doubled the beauty of the moment.
We enjoyed the few koi fish we could find,
learning from the gardener that raccoons fish regularly each night
thus depleting the stock.
We took the challenge and climbed high atop the streams for a fresh view. No trip to the Tea Garden would be complete without a pause for tea.
We chose Jasmine tea and a delightful assortment of cookies.
Aunt Lisa enjoyed Jasmine tea for the VERY FIRST TIME!
I recalled fond girlhood memories of tea dates
with my "Nonie" in this very spot.

We all felt very fortunate to be in such a beautiful place,
sharing such a peaceful moment together.
After a trip to the gift shop
(any guess what Miss Rachel purchased?)
we set off for the parking garage as we required transport
to the next exciting item on the agenda.
* * * * *
I'll return soon with photos from our jaunt down to
Fisherman's Wharf
where we dined upon deliciously fresh seafood
and watched with delight
as the sun set on our very special day in The City.

8 comments:

Flea said...

I love that you took time for personal reflection. :D

Julie said...

What gorgeous photos. I can't wait until my daughters are grown enough to take on scenic trips.

Thanks for always stopping by my blog and leaving an encouraging word. Good luck and have fun with your upcoming home improvement projects!

Becky said...

Fun, beautiful, relaxing...

I'm jealous ;-)

Love the parasol.

Laura ~Peach~ said...

lovely!

dawn klinge said...

Last year at this time I was in San Francisco with my family. The Academy of Sciences was closed for renovations at the time. Your pictures are beautiful and have inspired me to visit some places I've never been upon my next visit in May.

Karen said...

Looks like you guys are having a wonderful time. I'm glad you were able to get away.

mauro bianco levrin said...

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L'Acchiappa Mosche-ITALY

farmlady said...

Well, you don't need a photo of the Golden Gate Bridge do you? Nice shot of it.
Loved the photos of the
Tea Garden. Haven't been there is years. I think I'll go soon.
Lovely post.