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Discover Tunnel Tops Playground: San Francisco’s Must-Visit Family Spot with Epic Views

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If you haven’t been to the Tunnel Tops playground in San Francisco yet, stop what you’re doing, pack up the kids, and go. This place is pure magic—a perfect blend of breathtaking views, imaginative play spaces, and that unmistakable is a Bay Area vibe that makes you feel alive. I’m telling you, this spot has it all, and has become one of my favourite places to take the boys when we’re in the city.

The views— wow. Perched above the Presidio, Tunnel Tops offers jaw-dropping panoramas of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the sparkling waters of the Bay. It’s the kind of view that makes you pause and just soak it all in. Whether you’re a local or visiting from out of town, it’s a postcard-perfect backdrop that never gets old.

The space is filled with natural elements like logs, climbing structures, and slides that blend seamlessly into the landscape. My boys were in heaven, running from one activity to the next, climbing, balancing, and letting their imaginations run wild. There’s something for kids of all ages here, which makes it a win for families with little ones and big kids alike.

And can we talk about the vibes? This place just feels good. It’s got that relaxed, community-centered energy where everyone’s just enjoying the moment. Families picnicking on the grass, kids playing, couples taking in the views—it’s the kind of place that reminds you how special San Francisco really is.

There are wide, accessible pathways, plenty of seating, and open areas that make it easy to relax and enjoy the day. And did I mention it’s free? This kind of experience at no cost feels like such a gift. There are bathrooms available on-site (lifesaver!), and the playground operates from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the day. Plus, it’s dog-friendly, so your sweet little pupper dog friends are welcome to join the fun.

Whether you’re looking for an incredible playground, a gorgeous spot for a picnic, or just a place to unwind with your family, Tunnel Tops is it. It’s the kind of place you’ll want to come back to again and again.

See you at Tunnel Tops!

Website: Presidio Tunnel Tops // Interactive map of Tunnel Tops // Instagram: Presidio SF

 

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Lancome Events & Scion Adventures

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header-explore-sfI had a grand ol’ time the other week peppin’ around in a new Scion iM! Check out the bum on ‘er, so cute right? The Scions are great starter vehicles for anyone ready to purchase their first car. Though, I do have to say I did miss the sunroof, especially living in Sunny California.

Scion-backup-camBut for what it lacks sans sunroof, makes up for what my car doesn’t have — a backup camera! It’s so handy to have, especially in a car you’re not familiar with.

Specialized-ScionI had this Scion iM to review for the week and I drove it up to San Francisco twice! That’s a rare occasion for me to head up to the big city that often, but I’ll take it!

Lancome-eventFirst up was the Lancôme event at Clift Hotel, more to come on that later — because I’m super excited to show you some of their new launches coming out in June. And have you ever wished you could create your own foundation type, coverage, and lasting power? You’re going to want to stayed tuned to my blog, let me tell ya that much. If you follow me on Snapchat you’ve already seen the behind-the-scenes of what’s to come. Shh, don’t tell anyone! :)

Scion-hatch

Alfie-in-ScionOf course, Alfie (aka Captain in Command) is always my first passenger in the car. He loves goin’ for little joy rides. I never drive with him on my lap, ever. I was parked here.

Secondly, it’s been way too long since my husband had been to the City, so on the weekend we drove up and spent the entire day being tourists.

California-AcademyWe hit up the California Academy of Sciences. I have to be honest, it was a bit of a dud. The Tech Museum in San Jose was way better and on a completely different scale. While the CAS had a great observation deck to view over the gorgeous Golden Gate Park, we were a bit disappointed in the place itself – plus it was really pricey for day passes! Yikes.

Golden-Gate-Park

GgateAcross the park was the de Young Fine Arts Museum, so we walked over there before it closed.

De-Young

De-Young-museumWe only had about 90 minutes to walk around before it closed but for me, that’s honestly long enough. You have to go up on the 9th floor to get an insane view of San Francisco! Don’t leave this building without going up there! Check out those views.

picassoI saw some Picasso paintings (in case you didn’t know, I used to paint replicas of picasso when I attended art school!! I have a soft spot for ol’ Pablo!)

SFCityNeither of us had seen the Palace of Fine Arts up close before, and being the parkin’-pro I am, I snagged an excellent spot right in front (there’s extremely limited parking, about 10 spaces!).

Palace

he-and-iThis spot is always super populated with wedding & engagement shoots, and all sorts of other people in fancy outfits getting photographed. We saw a Ballerina getting her photos done… so gorgeous. I’m also super lucky since I snagged this guy in for TWO photos with me, in one day! A rare treat!

We finished off our sight-seeing and went down to the populated Fisherman’s Wharf to grab supper at Boudin, and dessert at Ghirardelli. And want to know a little somethin’? In the past 2 years we lived here in the Bay Area, Ghirardelli ice creams have doubled their prices lol. Just something we noticed!

first-passenfer

scionI feel like reviewing cars for the week is such a great way to get a feel for how much I like the brand, or the vehicle type itself.

Scion-iM-carWouldn’t it be great if, when you were looking to purchase your own car, dealerships would loan them out to you for that long too? That way you could get such a fantastic idea of whether or not you’d like to purchase. I mean, how much can you really tell with a 20 minute test drive?

Odd question I know, but what’s your favourite city to visit in North America? I have a couple of course:

  • Toronto, ON
  • St. John’s, NL (home! Explore your own city!!)
  • San Francisco, CA
  • Santa Cruz, CA
  • Point Lobos, CA

Huge thanks to Scion for loaning me the car for a week to review!

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Loneliness and subconscious busyness

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The past two weekends in a row, my husband had been gone (first weekend: Santa Monica biking with his Canadian pals, and this weekend he went to NYC to run the half marathon). Truthfully I was a little nervous being on my lonesome for the first time, since my Dad passed away. Usually when I’m bored, I called my Dad for a chat in the evenings, since my Dad stayed up much later than my Mom. Well, now that he’s not here any more, I knew for sure I would get a little stir-crazy in the evenings and feel the loneliness kick in.

While I think it’s okay to mourn and be sad, I don’t want to live in a state of sadness or sink into a slump. Sure, I have heavyhearted moments where I shed a few tears, thinking that I won’t see/speak to my favourite person in the world any more (in fact writing that made my eyes tear up a little, geeze). But like I said I had made big plans for the two weekends, and kept busy.

Alfie-walksI’m in the process of editing some photos from when Lauren and I went to Fort Funston off leash dog beach with our two pups, and our two Lexus cars to review, I had a blast, and literally had to cross my legs because I thought I was going to pee from laughing so hard. Lauren is hilarious, and I love that she moved closer to where I live. That means we can hang out as often as possible. Yay! By the way, I can’t wait to share the photos from Fort Funston with you guys. It’s coming! I got a new phone and don’t really know how to get the photos off it yet. Technology is hard.

Explore-SFSince I had the Lexus RX 450 to review for a week, I spent a full day having a bit of me time and drove to San Francisco to explore the city a bit, and browse some areas I was unfamiliar with. I scoped out Japan Town, shopped some art stores, went to a cool coffee spot, and then had an acai bowl at a place just around the corner from Dolores Park (which by the way, I witnessed a truly scary fight a few minutes after relaxing in the park. And ya knows now, this lil’ newfie got the eff out of there as soon as THAT happened. Because: guns are allowed in ‘Murica, and I’m frightened to death lol).

ANYWAY. I had a grand ol’ time in SF, and even watched the sunset on the drive home. I mean, really. When is the last time you sat on top of a gigantic hill, and watched the sun set? It’s so relaxing.Sunsets

Another thing that kept me busy was Snapchat. Do you guys have it? Add me if you do: spiffykerms. When people asked me if I had it last year, I was all NOWAI, isn’t that for hooking up? But apparently it’s all changed now and it’s fun and not weird. I’m addicted to it, and I think it’s so hilarious. I don’t even need friends on there, I just laugh at MY OWN snapchats all day long. It’s ridiculous.

declutterThen oh my gosh I compiled all my makeup, skincare, body care, hair care (you name it) into one big ol’ pile, bought some famous MUJI acrylic drawers, realized I had an embarrassing amount of items (because I get PR samples all the time, and apparently don’t go through them enough to declutter), and decided to keep a tiny bit, donate (Shauna, Krista — You coming down for a visit here any time soon? I’m keeping the bag just for you two to go through!) a shiz-ton, and throw out a few old pieces. I’m quite happy with the smaller size of makeup I now have, and it doesn’t overwhelm me any more. I blurred the photo because I think I want to do a blog post about it. I filmed a YouTube video on it, which I’ve yet to edit/upload — stay tuned if you’re interested.

Riding-bikesSo all-in-all I would say I had a decent two weekends in a row. I did get lonely at times missing my husband, but that’s what phone calls, bike rides, solo-runs with Alfie, and voice notes to Megan were all about. Staying in touch, verbally! It helped.

How have all you been doing lately?

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