Today we set out to conquer the Bridge and taste some local wine. After getting the cars we headed out along Lombard Street. Yes the same one that is windy but we didn't do that part yet. That's tomorrows challenge on the way out of town. We headed north along highway 101 which takes you over the Golden Gate Bridge. The sun was shining and the traffic was quiet, better than we expected on a Saturday morning in San Francisco. As we turned the final corner the big red towers and wire cables came into view. It is massive, I guess it needed to be big to support a 6 lane highway. The girls took in the views back over San Francisco and out to the Pacific ocean while I concentrated on staying in my lane. I am getting confortable with driving on the right hand side of the road, but don't need to make a mistake on a bridge! The further north we got the more open space there was. Only 1 hour north of San Fran is the Sonoma wine area. Next door to, but not as well known as Napa, but a source informed me that it is better. As we drove in, the area started to resemble the Barossa and Clare Valleys with hills on each side and flat plains with rows of vines in the middle. We stopped past the visitor centre to find good spots for wine tasting with kids. They were very helpful. The first stop was The Larson Family Winery. It was an instant winner with kids as we were greeted by a labrador as we pulled up. They have a great outside area with seating, games for kids and most importantly dogs, 4 to be precise. While Emily and Matilda played, Penny, Dad and I went to try some wine. We had a great chat with the people about the Australian fires and the fires they had last summer. It was also great as they did not ask for a tasting fee. We tried a good variety of reds and whites and walked out with 1 of each. Could have easily bought more but have luggage allowance issues to consider. We then drove the full length to the north end for The Benziger Family Winery. Here they are focussed on being a sustainable winery, recycling water, using cow and sheep manure for fertiliser and attracting birds to keep pests away. We again had a good chat with the guy, who use to work for Treasury Wines so picked us as Aussies immediately. Again Penny, dad and I tasted a good variety of wine and they waived the tasting fee as we walked out with 4 bottles. Tilds played with the cat while we drank so again another win all round. The final stop was to Buena Vista winery just near Sonoma township. This was the first winery in California. They have a great site and lots of outside space for picnics. They even have a maze for kids to play in. We didn't try any wine as they charge for a set tasting. Being Aussie and too stingy to pay to taste we passed. After our customary vegemite sandwiches (which we are slowly running out of and can't find anywhere that sells it) we strolled around Sonoma town. This is a quaint spot, with a variety of food places and some historic sites around the square. After getting icecream we wandered around looking at an old barracks and mission buildings and reading the historical information dotted around. I guess I can claim this as PD for schools as we make wine at Urrbrae, would you agree Wardy?

We left Sonoma, but are keen to come back and explore further, and headed back to San Fran. We hoped to stop past a lookout and get a photo of the bridge on the way back, but so did 100,000 other tourists or so it felt like. Cars were banked up everywhere we turned into. After giving up we drove back down a side road to get back onto highway. Penny said, "turn here" and after driving down the road for a bit we came across a park with plenty of space and a great view of Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco. She is a bloody good navigator. After taking our time getting photo's and enjoying the view, which included a bunch of people dressed as cats/foxes/wolves or something like that posing on the cliff for the camera, we easily got back on the highway and had a little giggle at all the cars queued up for miles to get into the other carparks for a photo.

Back in San Fran we parked the cars and Emily went back to the hotel with mum to get some rest as she is getting a sore throat and feeling tired. Penny, dad, Matilda and I went to the Aquarium of the Bay which was included in our Citypass. It is on pier 39 and is well organised. Has lots of information about sharks which Tilds found interesting and then a good simple aquarium of fish found along the wharf in San Francisco bay. We even saw a interesting fish called a Spiny Lumpsucker. It is a small fish similar to a puffer fish with a sucker on its belly. After all that it was pizza and bed as we are heading south along the coast tomorrow.