Mick was in heaven at the Jelly Belly Factory!

This was a fun place to visit.
While we were standing in line they gave out sample of Jelly Beans.

The tour was great. It takes about 7 days from start to finish to make a Jelly Belly.
After the tour we were able to go to the sample bar and try some Jelly Belly's.

We also went to the Bean boozled wheel to try out luck.
Kaylie and I got lucky and got peach flavored Jelly Belly's.

Carly and Mick weren't so lucky.
Carly got tooth paste.
Mick got triple dare.
The 3 flavors he got were pencil shavings, vomit and skunk!
He said they were all pretty gross.
He breathed the skunk scent on us and we can verify that it was gross!

Muir Wood National Forest



This forest is close to San Francisco.
It has a lot of tall Redwood trees in it.

It was a beautiful area and the trees were amazing.

Lombard Street

We are at the top of Lombard Street.
In the distance you can see Telegraph Hill and the Oakland Bay Bridge.

Lombard Street is known as the steepest, windiest road in San Francisco.
We didn't tell Carly and Kaylie about it until we were getting ready to go down.

We all survived and got some fun pictures!

At the base of the hill.

Looking up at Lombard Street.
The flowers were beautiful! We were glad we went down first thing in the morning.
When we rode by the next day on the Trolley Car there were tons of tourists there.

We walked about half way up Lombard Street.

I thought the flowers were so pretty on the street and houses there!

The Golden Gate Bridge



This was before we drove across the bridge.
There is a little park you can stop at and take pictures.
We walked up to the first tall part of the bridge and back.
That was pretty fun.

It was foggy so you couldn't see the top of the bridge on this side.

Behind us on the island is Alcatraz.

I love this view that Mick got of the bridge.

This was after we drove across the bridge and went up to a viewing area.
You can't even see San Francisco because of the fog.

Getting ready to ride the Cable Car.



Our 2nd day in San Francisco we bought a muni pass to ride
different types of transportation. We road on a city bus to get down to the Cable Cars from our motel.
We had a lot of fun riding the Cable Cars and went on them several times.
We rode on the Trolley Cars which wasn't a great experience.
We were packed like sardines on them. We got off as fast as we could!

The Pier along Fisherman's Wharf.

It was fun watching the ships sailing and to feel the ocean breeze.

China Town



We spent a few hours in China Town.
We went to the fortune cookie factory and watched them make cookies.
We ate at a Chinese Restaurant.
They served us tons of food that we couldn't finish but it was good.

Mick had seen these men playing chess the day before and really wanted to play.
So we rode the cable car down to Market Street so he could play.

He loved playing but made a wrong move and lost.
Mick said this was probably his most favorite thing he did in San Francisco.

Carly, Kaylie and I felt a little nervous as we watched him playing.
We observed alcohol being passed around and men digging
out of the nearby garbage cans trying to find food.
We were relieved when the game was over and were happy to ride the Trolley Car back to the Wharf.

Riding the ferry across to Balboa Island.

The waves can get pretty high here.

It was fun to watch. We didn't get too wet on this day.
We had been at the Santa Monica Beach and Venice Beach the day before.
I didn't have my camera with me at those beaches.

Mick and I on Balboa Pier.

We had lunch at Ruby's Diner at the end of the pier.
It is a 40's style diner known for it's hamburgers.
We enjoyed the ocean view while we ate lunch.

Looking back at Balboa Beach.

I love the Ocean and have really enjoyed seeing it along the California Coast.
The seaside cities are really fun. We had been told we had to get some doughnut holes in Newport Beach on the boardwalk.
We found the place and were not disappointed....they were yummy!!!

Newport Beach Temple


The Temple in Newport is only a couple of years old.
It is uniquely designed and the temple grounds are beautiful.

We love seeing all of the Temples!

This is the garden at the back of the Temple.

Mick was able to contact a family that he had taught on his mission.
The oldest daughter invited us to her home. She lives in Beverly Hills. The view of the Los Angeles area was amazing from her back patio! They were so touched that Mick would come and see them after so many years. Sadly their mother had passed away 4 months previously. We had a wonderful visit with them and were treated like royalty.
They served us an awesome grilled lunch.The family was so kind and loving to us.
They have never joined the church but have many fond memories of their experiences with the Elders.
This was a family that Mick had great love for as he served his mission.
This was a sweet moment for Mick to reconnect with this wonderful family.

Los Angeles Temple

The Temple is huge!
It is a beautiful oasis in a massive city.

Before we left Los Angeles We stopped at the Temple grounds and walked around.
Mick has many fond memories of serving his mission in Los Angeles. The mission home is next to the Temple.

Having some fun in the Hotel.

We checked into one last hotel. Mick spoke at the EFY in Las Vegas.

He spoke 2 different days and had a great experience.

He is a great speaker and has had great impact on all of the youth he has spoken to.

Carly, Kaylie and I went shopping while he was teaching.

It was pretty hot...108 degrees. We decided our air conditioned hotel room watching TV was a better option!

St. George Temple

We stopped for about an hour on the way home and walked around the St. George Temple grounds.
It is a beautiful temple and reminded us a lot of the Kirtland Ohio Temple.
We watched a video about a young pioneer girl in the area. It was an amazing story.
It really makes us wonder how many times angels are surrounding us and protecting us.