Cable Car Barn and Museum451

After reading the book, Maybelle at the library (by the author of Mike Mulligan and his Steamshovel) my husband & I took a daytrip to the city on a beautiful, albeit cold, clear winter day with grandma and our two boys ages 7 & 5. We rode up the Powell Street line from Market past the bustling Union Square which was all dressed up for Christmas. We got off when the driver told us we were at the Cable Car Museum. We weren't sure what to expect, but it was just the right size museum for two busy little boys. We took their pictures on an old cable car, they smashed a penny (one quarter and one penny each) for their penny collections, watched the cables whirling around, learned a little bit about how cable cars work, and followed up on what we had read in that charming library book about how the cable cars were saved in 1947 by the Friends of the Cable Car. My mom was able to keep them entertained in the gift shop so my husband could read every scrap of writing on display (he takes his time in museums....a good reason to visit only a tiny one with both him and the kids in tow). After our free visit to the museum we took the cable car down to the end of the line at aquatic park where we saw a swimmer in the bay. If we hadn't already had plans for dinner, we would have followed up with dinner at the Rainforest Cafe (the kids loooove this place). We got off, watched the cable car turn on the turntable while we waited in line to go on another cable car back to Market. The ride home was beautiful because it was just getting dark and all the city lights were super bright and the view of Coit tower was amazing. If we had a little more time, we would have gotten off at the super-twisty Lombard Street. We started out at about 3:00 in the afternoon and returned at 6 or so. All in all, it was a really special day that hopefully made some special memories.