Trip to San Francisco with 24 month old?

I have family in the Bay Area and we just took a trip there with DS when he was 23 months old. It was awesome (but admittedly, he's a laid-back, adaptable kind of kid), aside from some wiggly moments on the airplane. Here's what we did while we were there that is kid-friendly:

- Golden Gate Park - ducks, paddleboats to watch, cyclists, other families, flowers, the Chinese Pavilion, the rose garden - it's all fun there.
- Chinatown - lots to look at, live animals in the fish markets (frogs, turtles, snakes in addition to the fish), dim sum restaurant was very entertaining for everybody.
- riding on the trolleys

Other fun SF stuff:
- Musee Mechanique It used to be under the Cliff House, but it got moved (luckily, as it was slated simply to close forever)
- Sutro Baths - fun to wander around in.
- You can rent bikes and go over the Golden Gate Bridge if the weather is nice, or just ride around SF.
-The CA Academy of Sciences would be fun if you keep an eye on his energy level.
- Chrissy Field is fun if you like to watch dogs running.
- The Pirate Store in the Mission has fun kid-friendly things, as well as bulk lard (who could ask for more, right?)
- Alcartaz or just riding around on the ferries.
- Pier 39 probably has lots of touristy but entertaining things going on.

Personally, I love using BART, and you can use it to get into SF from the airport, so you might not even need to use a taxi much if you can get around on BART, MUNI, the trolleys and streetcars, and on foot or bike. I would opt for not lugging a carseat unless you think he'd travel waaay better on the plane in one (but we were stingy, didn't buy DS a seat on the theory that if the plane's going down, a car seat won't save him, and just chanced it on the turbulence...) I guess I would minimize car travel - SF is a walkable city with good public transit. Take a lightweight stroller or a sling/wrap/ErgoBaby carrier...

What we did was to rent a car and used one they provided (but we were also driving all over creation visiting friends and relatives - if we were staying in SF, I would not rent a car unless the hotel has parking). I am happy to report that the one they gave us was VERY new (manufacture date of 03/09 and we were there in 06/09) and totally clean.

I think if you talk to him about it beforehand, show him pictures and maps, talk about the plane ride, and keep an eye on his energy level, you would be fine - maybe plan for one outing a day with naptime factored in, keep things very relaxed and mellow so you can really be guided by his rhythms and tolerance for novel situations, have some days that are exciting and others that are more mellow, you will all do fine and probably have an awesome vacation!

We live in the Bay Area and visit SF frequently(I have many friends and family memebers who live there.) I think its SUPER toddler friendly!

I definitely recommend The California Academy of Science. Its smack dab in the middle of Golden Gate Park where this is plenty of space to romp around and play at will. (There is also the previously mentioned Stow Lake, The Conservatory of Flowers, the Carousel and the Japanese Garden. We <3 GG Park)

The Zoo is fantastic and right across the Great Highway from Ocean Beach. If you have AAA, you can get a discount and kids under 2 are free. Then, you can take a sandwich and play in the sand and watch the waves.

Pier 39 area is, of course, touristy but also pretty friendly for toddlers. The Rainforest Cafe is neat to at least walk through, and eat if you have the time, money and inclination. There's a Maritime museum and Ghirardelli Square where DD loves to climb up and down the bajillion steps and people watch. Also, the sea lion who've homesteaded at the marina next to Pier 39 are a riot!

BART is fun to just ride on and so are the ferries. (There's one that goes across the bay to Sausalito where there is also the Bay Area Discovery Museum for children.) DD adores the ferries!

The Streetcars run along the Embarcadero down where the Ferry Building are Piers are. Fun! The Ferry Building has a yummy Farmer's Market on Saturdays and possibly a couple other days of the week.

Zeum is more downtown, close to the Mascone Center. The old carousel from Playland-at-the-Beach is there.

Grace Cathedral is located on Nob Hill(incidently, would you be stay in the Mark Hopkins?) and while not overtly toddleresque, its pretty awe-inspiring and has a park right across the street.

The Cable Car museum is also withing walking distance of Nob Hill and ooooh soo cool!

You can go for gelato in North Beach and sit outside. And walk through Chinatown!

If you rent a car, you can head over the GG Bridge and visit the Marine Mammal Center at the Marin Headlands. They do tours and visits during feeding time. And if you do they, you're right there by Stinson Beach and Muir Woods which are great for getting the bugs out of antsy toddlers!

All in all, I think you'll be disappointed if you don't go and I think you can work around your DS so its fun and thrilling for BOTH of you.

My son was 2.5 when we went there and we had a blast. Mainly we explored Golden Gate park.

My main comment is how different it is to take a toddler to a city when you are used to living in a less densely populated area. We were at Pier 39 and I was trying to buy tokens for the carousel and I was having trouble. 20 seconds later I looked at my son, but he was gone. IN 20 SECONDS. Fortunately I found him within a minute, but still, I was panicked.

Of course that was the day I didn't take my sharpee pen with me. I always write my cell phone number on his arm and didn't that day. After that I did. I also bought a whistle and taught him to blow it if he couldn't see me. We made a game of that, but I'm not sure it will work for 24 months.

After that I was terrified of playgrounds or any other crowded places. Just be prepared for that.

We stayed at the motel http://www.oceanparkmotel.com/. It was two blocks from the beach and the zoo and the train stopped right in front. It has a quiet courtyard and a playground. Also kitchenettes. I know you have supplied hotel, but I am posting this for anyone else that is reading this.

I think whether it is worth it depends a lot on your child. My kiddo is not very adaptable and so that tends to make me less willing to travel with him.

We live in SF (saw your post from the first page). I disagree with the CA Academy of Sciences suggestions. We went recently with family who were visiting and we all agreed that it was too crowded to be much fun--and this was on a Monday morning at opening and with a 6 yo, 8 yo and 11 yo. The two big draws are the rain forest and the planetarium, and we had to stand in line for both of those--after standing in line just to get in to the museum. I definitely wouldn't find it worthwhile with a 2 yo.

We have really enjoyed the Bay Area Discovery Museum, which is just across the Golden Gate Bridge and designed for kids up to age 7. It is also usually sunny over there even when foggy in SF. If you head over there, there is a good, but pricey, restaurant in Sausalito called Fish. It's very casual and fine for kids (even has some outdoor seating). Also just a bit farther north is Muir Woods, which I love and recommend for all ages.

I also recommend Crissy Field. It's on the Presidio, has a fair bit of parking, has the Warming Hut for drinks, has bathrooms (near the Warming Hut) and, of course, the beach--on the bay side. If the weather is nice, it's even good for wading. If you want to go shell collecting, we've had the best luck at Ocean Beach--we have about a dozen sand dollars found there.

Golden Gate Park has tons of room to play and lots of great thing. The Children's Playground is very cool. http://www.yelp.com/biz/golden-gate-...-san-francisco (On a side note, www.yelp.com can be helpful for restuarant, museum, etc reviews in the city.)

The zoo is also decent, although not awesome. It is flat, which makes it stroller friendly and there is a nice children's zoo. It tends to be cold and sometimes foggy because it is close to the ocean.

I've never hung out in Nob Hill so I don't have any suggestions for that part of town. But here's a link to description of the playgrounds in the city: http://www.ggmg.org/Playgrounds/playground_summary.html Maybe there's one near your hotel.

Catherine

Wow! All I can say is that you mommas are absolutely the best! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your suggestions. The website with the playgrounds is absolutely brilliant, thanks!

Since everyone is being so helpful, I hope you don't mind a few more questions:

- Would you recommend using a stroller or an ergo-type carrier? DS has never been a stroller baby and now that he's a toddler its impossible to keep him in it for more than two minutes, even with snacks and a drink. Yesterday on a walk he literally dismantled my jogging stroller by kicking and squirming. I guess I'm kind of nervous about being in a city with a kid who falls to the ground in anger whenever I try to hold his hand when we are walking.

I didn't read all of the posts in detail, but did want to second a few suggestions:

• Definitely use BART and MUNI. We've taken DD on both and they're a great way to get kids around the city.

• If you go to the zoo, be sure to show up close to opening time. It gets very busy there, especially on weekends, and parking will be a nightmare if you've rented a car and show up in the afternoon (I think it opens at 10 a.m.) most days.

• Not sure if anyone suggested this, but consider taking him to a Giants baseball game. They often have ticket deals so you may be able to find a good price! Plus, they have a kids area that you could check out midway through the game if your DS needs time to run around a bit.

• Also, if you haven't considered it yet, I recommend buying him a seat on the plane. We took DD to Disney World earlier this year (we're from California) and the flight was sooooo much easier with her strapped into a car seat. I think we would have all gone insane if she had been a lap child.

Quote:
Have you thought about one of these monkey backpack harness thingies?

We put DD in one when she was younger and wanted to walk, but was too stubborn to hold our hands. It gave her some freedom and us peace of mind knowing that she was safe wherever we went.

Quote:
Personally, I would go for a carrier over a stroller. We took the Ergo (DH won't use a pouch) and a pouch that folds down so small it just about fits in my back pocket. SF is pretty hilly, and I find it easier to have a baby on my body than to push a stroller up a steep hill, it's faster navigating crowds, city streets, and public transit without a stroller (but some people like them for the 'parting of the seas' effect they have), and I like the pouch because it's great for easy up-and-down with a kid who likes to walk and then wants to be carried, or for when you need to scoop the kid up and hustle instead of moseying. But we hardly use a stroller at all, so I am biased.

Wow, thanks again!

Quote:
Actually, I'm laughing as I type this because we do have a monkey backpack harness! My mom actually bought it for DS when he was born, and I scoffed that we would never need to restrain our son like a monkey. BUT, as with so many things my mother was right and I was wrong. So, I'll pull the monkey backpack down off the shelf and start using it.

Thanks for all of the tips on using BART and MUNI. I actually am a huge fan of public transpo in SF because it is always the most interesting way to travel. I'm just worried about being stuck somewhere with DS having a meltdown. BUT, c'est la vie. It won't be the first time that has happened.

Quote:
KC, do you mind telling me what kind of pouch you used for a toddler? I'd love to know. I own an Ergo and it is great, but kind of bulky.

: to everyone for helping me think through this trip.