Showing posts with label San Francisco attractions for kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Francisco attractions for kids. Show all posts

Sunday, February 16, 2014

San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade

Our family had a fantastic time watching the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade!  Estimates put the size of the crowd at around a million spectators, which is amazing -- especially given the fact that the total population of San Francisco is estimated at around 825,000 people.

Students from many Bay Area elementary schools marched in the parade, dressed in costumes that ranged from traditional Chinese garments to horse costumes.  We were particularly impressed by the kids marching in the parade on stilts from San Francisco's West Portal Elementary.

The lion dancers and dragons were a huge hit with our son (and likely with hundreds of thousands of others).

Here are a few pictures from the parade.  The lighting was not ideal for our blogging camera, but hopefully you'll find the pictures fun anyway.

We were near the end of the parade route, in the bleachers in front of the Hilton and right below the pedestrian bridge.  In this first show, you can see the end of the parade route (which was lit with enormous lights for the television cameras).


Political figures driving by in vintage cars:



Marching band approaching:






 Firefighters' tiger dancing team, led by a vintage fire truck:


 Somewhat frightening giants:






Another marching band:


Supervisor Scott Weiner:


BART bus-float:


One of many dragons:








Photos of a few of the many floats:




A dragon:






Floats:






The enormous super-dragon (which ends the parade) approaches:





Monday, January 20, 2014

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, San Francisco, CA

This week I am going to take my son to see the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in San Francisco.  This memorial is located right in the middle of the Yerba Buena Gardens and celebrates Dr. King's life and his life's mission.  If you walk behind the waterfall, and read the quotes on the wall, it brings me to tears!  There are several waterfalls and engraved statements dedicated to unity.  The whole effect is amazing!

Dr. King's speech, "I Have A Dream," is its' entirety was delivered on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.


Resources:

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
745 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, "I Have A Dream"
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.com

Friday, January 10, 2014

Jr. Astronaut Suit - my son got this at the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco

My son loves his new astronaut suit!  It looks really official and even comes with a matching cap!  Every few years I've had to get a bigger one.

While my son has his astronaut suit on, our whole family goes on space expeditions while we sleep, cook dinner, eat, etc.  It is so much fun!

Resources:

Jr. Astronaut Suit
Size 6-8  (These come in different sizes, and he has started from the first sizes!)
Includes official looking Astronaut Suit with matching cap)
$49.99 at the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.  The size 4-5 suit he had, we got at the Museum of Innovation in San Jose.  They come in white and orange.
Get Real Gear
Dress Up For Kids
877-776-2291
www.AEROMAXTOYS.com