My Brother, Sister-in-law and Niece were in town from the mid-west today so I went with them, along with our Father to China Town.
Our first stop was at this place with sweet rolls that had pulled pork in them. I had never had them before, but they were delicious.
We saw these fruits for sale in the market area but no one in our group knew what they were. Any thoughts?
A family tradition when in China Town is to go to the fortune cookie factory. To the left of the picture you can see the batter pouring onto the pan. Then it gets clamped down and cooked. Then, as you can see to the right of the image, it pops up after going around. It's quickly pulled, stuffed with a fortune and set to harden. If it sits to long on the pan it will harden flat. This factory serves traditional cookies and chocolate fortune cookies. I brought home a bag of the chocolate ones, as did dad.
The main purpose for our trip was so that Father could get my niece (his grand daughter) a Chinese dress. 
While Father and the women focused on that, my brother and I shopped the trinkets out front.
All of the buildings have great art work on them and each of the shops are well decorated.
Eventually we made it to the Chinese Cultural Center where there were these cool chandeliers and fire pit. Unfortunately, the Center had no exhibits because of renovations.
Lunch was at a Chinese restaurant where of course we ordered too much food and had to be rolled out of the place.
What is a day in The City by the Bay that doesn't include at least one picture of a pigeon.
My niece really wanted to ride a trolley car. So Her father and her went and the rest of us watched.
On our way back to the train to head home and play "Pass the Pigs," we passed a string quartet. Usually Bart has rather homelessie people playing, but these guys seemed rather professional and I wanted to listen more, but a tired 6 year-old was ready to go home. Maybe another day.
Today was my last furlough day for this Fiscal Year. Because it was on a Wednesday, instead of the typical Monday, my father and I took the opportunity to go to The California Academy of Sciences museum in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The Building was recently remodeled and was a lot more impressive than when I went several years ago on a field trip in Elementary school. The first picture was taken in Golden Gate Park.
Unique to the Academy is an Albino alligator.
This is the roof to the building. I'll let the next few photographs explain this unique building.
What's a museum without a T-Rex?
On one of the upper floors is an education center with several thousands of displays and eager naturalist ready to answer any question you might have.
The next picture is from the roof and the above picture is from inside the building at the exact location.
A shark.
A sting ray.
Dory.
I just thought this was a beautiful and educational wall paper that I could go for in my own house.
Do you see the sand fish?
What about in this picture? There are two in this picture.
Upside down jellyfish.
Dory and Nemo's Dad.
Jellyfish
The underside of a catfish.
I did not know all of the things on this sign.
He was moving so fast it was hard to get his picture.
One of the big exhibits is a rain forest you can walk through that has many different butterflies and birds and frogs to observe. They have snakes as well, but the snakes are behind glass. That made my father feel much safer.
Over by the penguins are stuffed animals. My father and I are of the same thought process - it sucks to see dead stuffed animals, but this really is the only way we will see some of these animals.
We were there for a penguin feeding. The Handler got in the water to feed them and answer questions from the audience. When she was done she got ready to go, but the penguins did not want her to go and gather quietly around her.
After the Museum, Father and I wandered around the Golden Gate Park including going to the Botanical Gardens.
