Journeys›Photograph

Hiking, Butterflies, and a Carousel in San Francisco

·San Francisco, California·#hiking#summer#bay area#family#butterflies
A person and a small child walk on a dirt path with lush green bushes in the background.

Over to San Francisco for the day. We started with a hike — the trail was dusty and the brush already dried out to that June straw color, but the little one walked most of it without asking to be carried, which is new.

Then the butterfly exhibit. Everyone gets a sticker at the door that says PLEASE DON'T TOUCH US, WE ARE FRAGILE, which is optimistic instructions for a toddler. It didn't matter much — the butterflies did the approaching. One rode on a fingertip for a long time, a black one with red on the wings, held right up at eye level, and later another parked itself on the kid's collar and stayed there while we all crouched around making a fuss. The little one held remarkably still for someone who spent the rest of the visit lunging at the marigolds.

We finished on the carousel. Red horse, gold pole, big grin, done.

A woman and a child walk on a dirt path with green bushes and dry grass in the background.A child in a striped shirt looks down at a butterfly perched on an adult's finger, with a "fragile" sticker on their shirt.A child in a striped shirt looks at a black and red butterfly perched on an adult's finger.A person and a child observe a butterfly resting on a hand, with dense green foliage behind them.A person with an open mouth looks at a child who has a butterfly on their outstretched finger amidst green plants.A person in a Michigan shirt holds a child in a striped sweater with a butterfly button, surrounded by plants.A child with light hair reaches for yellow flowers, with another child in a red top visible in the background.A smiling child in a pink shirt holds a golden pole next to a red carousel horse.

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