Day 26, it is.

Today was full of highlights, no doubt about it.

We started off at the Presidio and tracked down Lucas Film and their Digital Arts offices. All I can say is "wow!" For this die-hard Star Wars fan, it was a real treat to be close to where it all happens. Yoda greeted us and posed for a quick pic, then it was into the lobby to see some of the wonderful replica collectibles on display. The lobby is really put together for the fans, with a wonderful seating area, coffee table books to look through and life-sized statues of Boba Fett and Darth Vader, ready for ogling. And ogle we did, then took pics.

After grabbing a Starbuck's and heading out of the Presidio, we made our way to Golden Gate Park. This park is stunningly beautiful and houses a few things we wanted to see. The first was the Conservatory, absolutely stuffed with tropical plants, trees and flowers. So many things to photograph...


I'm not so sure Jacob is enjoying it as much as us adults...y'think?


Next, it was off to the California Academy of Sciences. We spent hours in this impressive aquarium, zoo and tropical rainforest museum, and didn't even see it all. It was a little pricey, but well worth it.


We were all a little crowd weary and foot-sore, not to mention famished with hunger, by the time we dragged ourselves back to the van. We decided to try to escape the crowds by heading south on Hwy 1 down the coast. Yeah, it was a day full of highlights, to be sure!




Worth remembering:
The two Lucas Film employees we overheard discussing Force-users and Anti-Force-users while on a smoke break...what a thrill! And the really cool hand dryers in the bathrooms - you stick your hands down inside of the blower and they literally blow the water off your hands lickety-split - cool! (Not like those energy-saving lame-o ones that don't really work.)

Not worth remembering:
Both camera batteries dying mid-Cali Coast...ugh! Also, the frustration of trying to park to walk the historic 'boardwalk' in Santa Cruz - we ended up giving it up and heading back to San Fran, instead. Bummer. Oh, and not being able to check out the Japanese Botanical Gardens at Golden Gate Park; so, I guess we'll have to come back, eh?

Photos snapped between Lisa and I: 686...oy!
Price paid for gas: $3.09/gallon, but we have seen it as high as $3.25
The best Round Table Pizza Restaurant: Pacifica, CA - yummy!
Weather: beautiful sunny with some fog in places, temps hangin' in the low 60's
Lighthouse visited: Pigeon Point LH, Pescadero, CA

More Cali Coast tomorrow as we make our way up to Crescent City...hopefully with freshly charged batteries!