Aquarium of the Bay

The Aquarium of the Bay is located on Pier 39 in San Francisco. Which, by the way, is filled with loads of restaurants and shopping.

When you first walk into the aquarium, there are numerous small tanks, holding tropical fish, anchovies, and jellyfish.

Once we left this area of the aquarium, we took an elevator to the main exhibit. An automated sidewalk took us through the underwater tunnels -- we could see the fish up close. This exhibit focuses on marine life in San Francisco Bay.

The last stop on the tour was the 'petting zoo.' Here we were able to touch skates, leopard sharks, and a lot of different starfish and sea cucumbers.

This tour is great for families -- even those with small children.

For a quick lunch before or after your tour, I recommend the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company for delicious seafood and a relaxed atmosphere.