Our last day in San Francisco was, unfortunately, a short one. Marla and the kids were to return home and leave me in the city for the remainder of the week for the Game Developers Conference. Our only mission today: find The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in China Town.

Marla had read about it in the guidebook (Frommer’s San Francisco With Kids) and I’d seen in a NY Times article that they made the cookies the “old fashioned way”. I was a little suspect, when we turned down an alley way that supposedly led to the place, but we pressed on.

As it turns out, the “Factory” is a tiny shop, barely big enough for the cookie machine, two old ladies sitting in folding chairs and a man minding the front of the store. They largely ignored us as we watched them working, continuing to speak with each other in Chinese. We communicated with the fellow in front by pointing to the bags we wanted and holding up fingers for the cost of the cookies. The shopkeeper seemed to like Emma and Henry and gave them a few extra cookies.

After a huge lunch – Chinese, of course – we decided to walk back to the hotel before the kids had to pack. Emma didn’t complain one bit, despite it being a mile or so back to the hotel, and seemed to enjoy the buildings and traffic. Henry on the other hand, was getting sleepy and cranky so he took a ride on my shoulders and ultimately fell asleep. We heard numerous people talking, giggling and pointing as we made our way along with street, Henry’s head slumped over on my shoulders.

After a snack of fortune cookies, we hopped on the BART bound for SFO and our trip came to an end. I’m looking forward to the next time and I know Emma is, too. Nearly every art project at school in the months that followed contained a trolley and the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.