Verrrrrry suspicious ordering 滷肉飯 from a nice young man named Jorge but the food at China Live turned out to be authentically delicious. The chef is Taiwanese, the menu is pan-Asia Chinese, and care was put into every last design detail of the space. They're trying to be the Eataly of Chinese food, which I appreciate, even if the prices are a bit high.

Here's a link to my story for Seattle's Child: family-friendly adventures in San Francisco.

Shopping used to be one of my hobbies, but I'd get in this cycle of buying and purging, and who's got time for that with kids?? I still love shopping, only now it's (mostly) window shopping. Some things that caught my eye:

Let's make a public park, but put it in the SKY.

Salesforce Park sits on the roof of the transit center and runs 4 blocks long. There's security 24/7 and the park is immaculate.

The free gondola was sadly out of order, but the kids loved the bus fountain, which shoots up water when a bus passes underneath.

Here's a link to my story for Seattle's Child: family-friendly adventures in San Francisco.

Even if you're one of those insufferable minimalists, you can't help being wowed by the garden court at the Palace Hotel. Marble columns, Austrian chandeliers, 115-year-old glass dome... We ordered room service because it's just easier with kids, but stopped by the garden court to have a good look.

The hotel survived the 1906 earthquake but burned down in the ensuing great fire. It was rebuilt in 1909.

I've always wanted to live above a chocolate store! Our incredible suite at the Palace Hotel was directly above the Ghirardelli store.

Here's a link to my story for Seattle's Child: family-friendly adventures in San Francisco.

I sometimes fantasize about going to prison, where I'd have my own cell and no one to take care of. That is, until I went to an actual prison and it seems not super hygienic in there!

I was surprised by the public access on the Alcatraz tour. We even tried out the solitary confinement cell.

Our ferry also took us to Angel Island, the Ellis Island for Chinese Americans. There are no rabbits or squirrels on the island, but there are a lot of harbor seals.

Here's a link to my story for Seattle's Child: family-friendly adventures in San Francisco.

The California Academy of Sciences took my breath away. You enter a rainforest sphere, and the path winds upwards. Along the way you see macaws, giant spiders, bats, nothing in cages. Butterflies dance at the rainforest canopy.

Then you take a glass elevator down, down, down below the water, where there is an entire freaking aquarium. It was unbelievable.

I knew it was a natural history museum, and I thought it would be a lot of taxidermy or something. Nope.

Here's a link to my story for Seattle's Child: family-friendly adventures in San Francisco.

The Exploratorium is so stinking amazing. Every single station is an interactive STEM activity. I was completely blown away. It's like a year's worth of science lessons in one morning — and FUN! Details on some of the experiments in captions below.

Here's a link to my story for Seattle's Child: family-friendly adventures in San Francisco.

San Fran's Chinatown is the oldest and biggest in the US.

Here's a link to my story for Seattle's Child: family-friendly adventures in San Francisco.

Brought back so many memories. When I was 22, I spent a summer interning in San Jose and most weekends, I'd take the train to SF and spend the day walking through the city. More often than not, I'd wind up in Chinatown, gawking like a tourist. That's when I knew I'd have to move to the West Coast. Lemme tell you growing up Asian on the East Coast was not the funnest. My Seattle-born children were not impressed by Chinatown, but it is still where I feel most at home.

First time trying Peruvian cuisine. Lots of raw fish, fresh and bright. La Mar Cocina Peruana has been around SF for 17 years (it's right next to the Exploratorium) and is opening a Bellevue location in October.

Here's a link to my story for Seattle's Child: family-friendly adventures in San Francisco.

SFMOMA! I’d never been, always wanted to go, and it was everything I hoped for and more. The communications director for the museum is a mom, and she gave me her personal kid-approved list. It was GOLD. Here it is in visual form:

Here's a link to my story for Seattle's Child: family-friendly adventures in San Francisco.