Adventurin’ : SF Zoo

So… shortly after moving here, Dano’s co-worker and a few of her friends invited us to go to the San Francisco Zoo with them! It was a nice (but cold 😉 day in May) and it was wonderful to meet new friends!

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I can’t write this post without some mention of the San Diego Zoo, and in particular, their SD Zoo Safari Park (formerly the SD Zoo Wild Animal Park)… which is a truly wonderful adventure!!! After having been a member of the SD Zoological Society for a number of years, I can fully understand *why* they say “You belong at the Zoo… The San Diego Zoo!” 🙂

However… for what the SF Zoo lacks in size and such… they make up for it in many ways!

~ The entrance is directly off of Hwy 1… across the street from waves rolling in… that’s pretty cool!
~ They have plenty of Animal Keepers and Staff on-site that are ready and happy to answers questions and speak with visitors!
~ They have a Family Petting Zoo area!!!
Where one goat will lightly head-butt you to get more food! Ha! I think I even became a ‘food tease’ because I thought that was So Funny!
~ We learned, from talking to the Zoo Peeps, the stories (sometimes heart-breaking) of the rescued animals!
It turns out that the SF Zoo brings in animals that have been hurt out in the wild… minding their own business and out in their natural habitat, they have been harmed by humans… :{
That is a truly wonderful aspect of the SF Zoo that I can support!

Have a look at some of the great animals we got to see… rather up close actually!

Adventurin’ : SF Bay Eco-Tour and Pier 39

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Fun Fun Fun!!! Beautiful October Day in the City!!!

So… Dano won a pair of tickets, from work,  for a California Coast Eco-Tour with San Francisco Whale Tours !

We set-up our reservation a month in advance… and were extremely lucky to get a stunning, 70degree day on Sunday, Oct 30th at 3pm for our 1.5hr cruise!

SF Whale Tours operates a Catamaran called “Kitty Kat” (adorable!)
They are big on educating their guests about the local eco-system, along with giving guests a beautiful look at the bay and all its wonderful landmarks!

Our Captain was Capt Joe and our Naturalist was PaHoua…
both of them were so nice and helpful!
(I love the fact that they have a Naturalist aboard for the cruises!)

We took off from Pier 39 and
– headed West past the City’s Waterfront areas and UNDER the Golden Gate Bridge (THAT was fantastic!)
– then we poked into the Pacific Ocean for a little bit (being out there with the Big Waves was wonderful!)
– lastly, we headed back along the Northern (Marin County) Shoreline and behind Alcatraz and back to Pier 39.
(THIS was fun because there was a Nakey Beach along that shoreline… the boat was too far out to actually see anything (which was just fine ;)… but it was funny to see these little Pink Gumby-like characters walking around the shore! FUN!

Since we’d asked PaHoua about whales, we learned in advance that we would not be going out far enough/long enough to see Whales…
Though Dano and I did spot a few seals and lots of wonderful birds, including my favorite, Pelicans!  Of course, we also saw little tiny nakeys… HA!

We had such a lovely time! One of our favorite adventures in SFO, if not our favorite, thus far!  Highly recommended!
We will certainly be back for more cruises… next time, I’ll be excited to take a longer tour during Whale Season! YAY!

Thanks San Francisco Whale Tours!! 🙂

*~* Pier 39 *~*

As a teen, 20+ yrs ago, my family vacationed in the Bay Area… we spent a wonderful little day at Pier 39.
That memory made it really fun to revisit this area with Dano!

Pier 39 is a great little touristy locale! Across the street from the City itself; Lots of Activity, Eats, and Shopping; and the Pier has a beautiful view of the Bay… Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Marin Shoreline, and Stunning Sunsets!!

Since, I knew we’d be catching our cruise from Dock B of Pier 39, I decided to get on-line and do some research about parking and what to do close-by!

I found a GREAT site and a wonderful deal for locals! 2Hrs FREE Parking and lots of great “Buy One, Get something” coupons!
Check it out at : Pier 39 Local Advantage

We had a Buy One, Get One Burger at Hard Rock Cafe before our cruise…
After our cruise, we walked the Pier and took in the sites…
At the end of the Pier we took advantage of our Buy One California Roll, Get One California Roll at Hana Zen Sushi (Great View and Good food).

It was simply just a wonderful and beautiful day!!