A great way to start the day…….

It was a day of traditions, of being the ultimate tourist and hitting all the spots SF is renowned for.

The first stop was a BIG breakfast/brunch, something I had been promising the boys since we booked the trip. They still carry memories of a HUGE breakfast at International Drive in Florida, which offered them a rare chance to go wild in the morning and kick off the sensible habit of toast or cardboard style cereal. America isn't about healthy living to the boys it's about blowing out on super-sized burgers and jugs of mountain dew then buying super-sized NFL shirts to hide the new super-sized you.

So breakfast consisted of waffles, maple syrup, poached eggs, scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes and American scones. Number one son varied his with Italian sausage as we were dining in North Beach and I went for the more healthy option of spinach and smoked salmon. We soothed our consciences with mantra thoughts that it was brunch not breakfast and would last us the day. Which in the end it did.

We then attempted to burn off the thousand calorie breakfast by walking telegraph hill to the Coit tower. I think it may have made a small impact.

The views were stunning and the iconic Golden gate bridge prompted a family debate on how many times it had been destroyed in movies.

Still feeling full we waddled down Lombard street absorbing ourselves in the unique style of housing and treasuring the art deco freezes. Fishermans wharf glistened in the distance beckoning us onward.

Disney meets Brighton is a good way of describing Pier 39 which was a bit too in my face for, so I cut off to explore the surrounding area with my second son, while the two eldest males of the family ventured into the deep of the Bay aquarium.

We discovered the Boudin sour dough shop, complete with museum and treats such as jalapeno and cheddar sour dough roles and stocked up for the evening.

We restrained ourselves from boosting our calorie count at the renovated Ghiradelli factory which offers chocolate and ice-cream of every imaginable flavour and settled instead for an iconic Irish coffee in the Buena Vista café, as advised by our new found friend Jimmy. One step up from a hobo he advises tourists on the best way to get around the city for a small gratuity. You can't help donating to his life fund as he is so charming and inoffensive. His coke bottle lenses and leathery skin are telling tales of his rough life.

It was difficult to resist the lure of a trolley car ride and were lucky enough to bag the front seats and I subsequently squealed my way down the Powel-Hyde route to Union square, where we alighted for a spot of shopping. For once it wasn't for me and the boys got kitted out with long overdue shoes and shirts from Macys.

After a trip to Walgraves to stock up on bathing products we were done in and had to stop for a coffee fix. I tried the recommended Chai latte, but won't be repeating the milky cinnamon experience.

A final stroll through Chinatown took us closer to home where we stocked up on gifts and treated ourselves to another calorific overdose of monosodium glutamate.