San Francisco and Berkeley {California Dreaming}

A recap and photo tour of our family vacation in Berkeley and San Francisco, California.

As you probably noticed if you followed #LemonTravel on Instagram, my family and I recently escaped the Michigan winter for a week of fun in California.

The main purpose of the trip was to attend my cousin Hannah’s Bat Mitzvah in Berkeley. However, if you’re going to fly across the country with a squirmy toddler in your lap, you might as well stay awhile so we decided to explore San Francisco as well.

This was not my first visit to the Bay Area. In fact, growing up we would fly out during spring break to visit family, often trekking into the city for dim sum and fresh crab.

This was Asher’s 3rd visit to California and Jacob’s first but I’m confident it won’t be their last. Also, I’ve decided there is nothing cuter in this universe than toddlers in suits.

While visiting Berkeley, we stayed at the Claremont Resort located in the Berkeley Hills. We would often stay here as kids so it was fun to return now that I’m a parent myself.

From our window we could see people playing tennis, walking their dogs, going for a jog… you know, all of those things we can’t do for 5 months out of the year. The climate in the Bay Area is really out of this world magnificent.

And you really can’t beat the sunset with views of the Bay Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline in the distance under the fog.

One of the most memorable evenings of our trip was the Shabbat dinner hosted at my Ema Ljuba’s house. You’ve heard me mention her before but in addition to being the cantor at my wedding, my grandma also makes the best beef brisket and homemade challah bread you’ll ever taste.

For the last several days of our trip, we headed into San Francisco for more exploring and family adventures. We had a feeling our oldest would love the cable cars. Loved would be an understatement.

Our day in the city was mid-60’s and sunny so we took advantage of the weather by walking over 6 miles.

Of course, we had to visit my version of heaven: the Ferry Building Marketplace. Full of specialty foods and delicacies, I could live inside this hall of deliciousness.

One of the highlights of the visit was the chance to spend a couple hours giggling with a few of my blogging friends who live in the Bay Area. From left to right: Glory, Sarah, Me, Amy, Trish, Amy and Dorothy.

Overall, the trip was a huge success and I’m so glad we braved a cross-country flight with toddlers. The chance to unplug for the entire week was priceless and I’m so grateful for the experiences and memories we will always cherish.

What are your favorite family vacation destinations? We are already planning our next adventure so I am all ears!