Our second stop on our West Coast Swing Road Trip was South San Francisco in San Mateo County. The highest gas price we saw along the highway was $4.88 (yikes!). Travel Tip: One of the ways we counteracted the high fuel prices was bringing along an ice chest filled with water, juice boxes, snacks (a big bag of trail mix, cut carrots, apples, etc.) and supplies for lunch. It also saved us time since we didn’t have to stop except for gas. The Netflix Max & Ruby and Dora movies helped make the time go quickly and the next thing we knew we were pulling into the Courtyard Oyster Point Waterfront.
The hotel just finished a 3-million-dollar renovation and it shows, especially the guest rooms’ new Marriott Revive Bedding. Our room was very quiet and had a nice view of the bay. We found this South San Francisco hotel to be very family-friendly. The next morning while the kids slept in I hit the workout room which looks into the indoor swimming pool, perfect for our little dolphins next time. After I finished my workout DesertDaddy went for a run on the Bay Jogging Path which passed by the harbor. It sounded like a great run.
San Mateo County is loaded with family fun activities (I’m hitting the Pez Museum next time) but with our limited time we drove into San Francisco to Pier 39. Had we been staying another day we would have taken the Courtyard’s free shuttle to the local CalTrain station then 
rode the train into the city.
After a quick breakfast at Boudin Bakery and Cafe and coffee from San Francisco Coffee Roasting Company we boarded the Blue and Gold Fleet for the Escape From the Rock cruise, a 90-minute sail under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz. The Captain told tales of the prison’s history and we heard first hand accounts from prisoners, including one prisoner’s attempt at an escape. The kids just loved the ride and so did we.
South San Francisco and the entire bay area was fantastic. After our adventure we headed north over the Golden Gate Bridge and the adventure continues…
