JourneysPhotograph

A Day Out with the Animal Statues

·San Francisco, California·#winter#bay area#kids#hike#family-day-out#statues
Two children interact with a large, beige lioness statue outdoors amidst green tropical plants.

We took the kids out for a walk on a Sunday at the end of January. The weather was mild, and the place we went was full of lush, almost tropical plants that made it feel like we were somewhere much warmer than the Bay Area in winter.

The main attractions for the kids, unsurprisingly, were the large animal statues scattered along the paths. Our oldest climbed right up onto the back of a huge stone lioness, posing for the camera. Meanwhile, her little sister, still a bit wobbly on her feet, reached out tentatively to touch its teeth.

There was a good amount of walking involved to see everything, so for part of the day, I carried our daughter in the blue backpack carrier. It gave her a good vantage point to see all the giant ferns and palm trees from.

Before we left, she found another statue to conquer: a bronze gorilla. She seemed pretty pleased with herself, hugging its head for a picture. It was just a simple day out, wandering through the greenery and letting them climb on things.

A man with a beard carries a child in a blue backpack carrier through a dense green forest.A smiling child sits on a bronze gorilla statue on dark wood chips, looking at the camera.