Erin and Adrian Go to the Bay Area Discovery Museum

Just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco sits Fort Baker. Fort Baker is an old army installation, and future site of the Starfleet Academy, but in the interim some of the old buildings have been put to other uses. One of those uses is a children’s museum, the Bay Area Discovery Museum.

We had never been to the museum, though we’ve had pictures taken nearby in front of other Fort Baker buildings. But it being a long weekend, with nothing else to do, we decided to make the trip north to check it out. (Note: Driving to Sausalito, where Fort Baker is, from Santa Clara County will take as long as a trip to Monterey. It doesn’t look like it on the map, but since there is city driving involved it can take forever. Leave early.)

The kids liked the mix of outdoor and indoor installations.

Emily liked the hula hoops.

We all liked the view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Erin liked the woodsy parts.

She especially liked playing hide-and-go-seek in this “building” with some boy she just met.

Adrian was all about the giant table with wooden trains.

And they both liked the sunken treasure ship play structure.

While the kids weren’t looking, Emily and I scored some cuddle time on a rope web.

And while we weren’t looking, Erin found an awesome climbing tree to get into.

Eventually, the kids found the gravel pit, with its trucks and tables and shovels. And shoe gravel.

And we ended the visit in the Storybook exhibit, putting them to work making new shoes. It’s educational.

The Bay Area Discovery Museum is only open until 5pm on Sundays, and we weren’t ready to drive all the way home, so we went into downtown Sausalito to explore, and have dinner.

Erin asked for a coin to toss into the fountain.

Not to be left out, Adrian demanded his own coin, but evilly.

Erin’s wish: “I wish my parents were the best parents in the whole world.” Aw, thanks, kid…I mean hey!

We walked along the waterfront to a spot where we could see San Francisco, and I took one, almost good picture. I told Adrian I had candy so he would look at me. This seemed to puzzle Erin, who had been smiling, but who now just wanted to know where the candy was.

We avoided all the romantic restaurants and pizza parlors on the waterfront. We walked along the street until we found a simple, totally greasy, fish n’ chips joint. The kids had hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches, then ended the evening with a shared cup of vanilla ice cream.

Maybe it’s because we don’t give the kids that much sugar to begin with, but we can see what happens to them when they have even a little bit. They go insane. They were giggling, and laughing maniacally.

And when Emily tried to help Adrian get some ice cream from the bottom of his spoon, he resisted like someone was trying to take his crack away, going so far as to mouth-bomb the spoon while Emily was holding it, just in case she was never going to give it back.

We had a brief walk to our car after that, just long enough for the Crazy Twins to burn some of that energy off. And five minutes after we got in the car, Adrian was out cold, two hours earlier than his usual bedtime. He slept all the way home, woke up a little at home, but then went to sleep so quickly we didn’t even put his pajamas on. Thanks, ice cream.

Erin, though, was awake for another couple of hours. Thanks, ice cream.