Taking On The Pacific Coast Highway - Day 3

Stop 6 - Swanton Berry Farm: Our first stop of the day was at the Swanton Berry Farm along Highway 1. The kids enjoyed getting to run down the rows of the strawberry patch to find berries ripe for the picking. One of the coolest things about the farm was that it was right along the coast so you could actually see the ocean while you picked. After we finished picking we went inside the vintage farm store to pay and sat in their lounge area snacking on the berries while the kids admired the many knick knacks displayed throughout. 

Stop 7 - San Francisco's Chinatown: Anyone who knows Maeli knows that ever since she started the Mandarin program in school she has been completely obsessed with all things Chinese. Some people may think it's crazy to make a stop in San Francisco just to see Chinatown, but we knew it would be a highlight for Maeli. 

We walked out the elevator doors & were immediately surrounded by old Chinese people gathered in groups playing card games in the park. We first stopped and let the kids play at a park in Portsmouth Square. Maeli quickly made friends with a little Chinese girl and they practiced hanging upside down together. 

After the park we headed down Grant Avenue to let the kids explore the various touristy shops. The kids each brought spending money on the trip and decided that their money would be best spent in these shops. Maeli bought an umbrella that came in a hard case and Milo and Cooley each purchased a small airplane. We also made a stop in a kite shop and overpaid for a Minion kite to use at the kite festival we would be attending a few days later. 

Next we made a quick pit stop at the Willy Woo Woo Wong playground so the kids could run around before heading down Waverly Place to view the pretty painted balconies lining the road. 

Before our trip Maeli watched a travel show where they showed many of the strange foods sold on the streets of China. We told her that she would be able to see some of the foods they eat in the local food markets in Chinatown. It took all of 60 seconds of walking through a market for her to decide she would stick to her unauthentic Panda Express.