If you’re scratching your head for a great holiday gift this season for friends and family, an experience gift through Cloud 9 Living is something unique and exciting for all ages. Cloud 9 partners with experience providers all over the country —everything from flying lessons, to racecar driving, to tamer things like city tours and the Pirates Adventure Dinner Kristi just experienced in LA with her family.

My 9-year-old gladly helped me test drive the iFly SF indoor sky diving gift a few weeks ago

Seeing the sights in San Francisco has all the makings of a great family adventure. The hardest part is often fitting in everything you want to do. Ride a cable car, Segway through Golden Gate Park, bike across the Golden Gate Bridge – the list goes on and on. But one attraction that’s near impossible to cross off for most family visits to San Francisco is Alcatraz.

Seeing the sights in San Francisco is an family adventure waiting to happen. Cable cars climb steep hills so you don’t have to. Segways glide through Golden Gate Park, bikes roll along the waterfront, and now classic VW Beetle convertibles will have you turning heads during a family visit to San Francisco with kids.

There are so many things to love about summer, but family vacations top the list. My family takes advantage of every moment, squeezing getaways in between work commitments, kids athletic practices, and camps. This summer, Omni Hotels & Resorts is bringing the best of camp and vacation together.

Fun camp style activities like scavenger hunts, paired with plenty of vacation moments for parents to unwind and relax.

One of the best parts of summer for kids is the sense of freedom that comes with it. With no school bell to worry about, families get about 10 weeks to set their own schedule. For many families that means traveling and camps. Omni Hotels is out to make the two synonymous. I spent a weekend with my girls at the Omni San Francisco Hotel, and when Sunday rolled around, none of us wanted to go home.

Located in San Francisco’s Financial District, the Omni is a magnet for business travelers, but it was clear from the moment we arrived, they enjoy having kids as guests.

Give my family an excuse to head to San Francisco and we won’t even hesitate to hop in the car and get rolling. I use the term excuse lightly. “I’m in the mood for dim sum,” has been known to lead to fun-filled days in the city by the bay. San Francisco isn’t a huge city by most standards, and as my kids have gotten older, we’ve discovered one of our favorite ways to get around during the summer is by bike.

When I was asked to participate in the Expedia Kids in the City Program, I knew exactly what I’d recommend.

The Golden Gate Bridge is recognized around the globe. More than just a bridge, it’s an iconic symbol of the state of California. As many as ten million people visit the Bridge every year. If you’re lucky enough to visit with your family this year, you’re in for a treat.

The Golden Gate Bridge is celebrating its 75th Anniversary this year!

It’s relatively easy to fill your days on a family trip to San Francisco. Most don’t even need a guide book to put together the basic must see, must do list. But after you’ve walked on the Golden Gate Bridge, escaped from Alcatraz and jumped on a Cable Car, take the kids to Golden Gate Park.

For many families, a trip to a children’s museum while on vacation is typically a compromise of sorts. Mom and Dad sacrifice an afternoon to entertain the kids, when secretly there are other places they’d rather be exploring.

Factor in children that range in age from toddler to teen and the family dynamic gets even more complicated. In other words, it’s really hard to make everyone happy. Hard, but not impossible, for families who include the California Academy of Sciences in their San Francisco itinerary.

Eating through San Francisco with my baby son has been one of the biggest joys of parenthood for me because there are so many restaurants to explore that offer delicious food that appeals to both baby and mommy taste buds.

When Amie asked me to share my picks for five family-friendly restaurants in San Francisco, it was really tough to pick my favorites out of so many amazing eateries in the city.