After spending a short time in Beijing, we hopped on one of the fastest trains in the world to head south to Shanghai. Moving at over 215+ mph, Everett was definitely in his element!

After arriving in Shanghai, we dropped our bags at the hotel and headed out along the Bund in search of lunch.
Jet lag can be rough, but the views out our hotel window are truly the best. At night, the Bund lights up and it is pretty spectacular to see. The next morning, a few of us set out on a little excursion to try to see the Yu Garden, but it is unfortunately under construction right now. We did enjoy viewing a few older buildings nearby though. 
After stretching our legs, we were off to experience one of the world’s best Sunday brunches at the Hotel Westin Bund Center. This is our second time and it does not disappoint!
[Spiderman washed the windows while we dined]
[They even surprised me with a little birthday treat]
[the kids joined the DJ to spin some tunes]
After the brunch, we were met by our tour guide for the next few days. Our first stop was to Nanjing Road for some light shopping, followed by a stroll through the French Concession area called Xintiandi.
After that, we were off to visit the Starbucks Roastery. We enjoyed some pastries, flat breads and sipped on smoked butterscotch lattes. 
At this point, we were definitely slowing down, but there was one last stop for the day – the Era Theatre for an acrobat show.
The show was breathtaking and I highly recommend it. The performers were mesmerizing and the kids loved it!You may have noticed that Fitz did not make this portion of the trip. He stayed back in Beijing with grandma and grandpa and had the best time going trick-or-treating!