This weekend, the legendary Blue Angels will take over the skies above San Francisco. If you hear unusually powerful sounds in the South Bay over the next few days, it's likely the jets practicing their show. Fleet Week, as it's called, happens every year in early October and is a very special event featuring planes and ships from the Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard.

Pictured below, you can see my husband and three sons watching two Blue Angels zip past them like speeding bullets five years ago. This weekend's air shows are completely free and will take place between 12-4 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Parking might be a challenge, but totally worth it. The ships are docked at the Embarcadero; tours are free and give you an opportunity to interact with Sailors, Coasties, and Marines and get a taste of their day-to-day lives.

This week's Las Vegas shooting is a nightmare come true and is on all of our minds. I'll certainly be conscious of keeping my distance from crowds; but I must say, the presence of jets, battleships, and active-duty military makes me feel quite safe heading up to San Francisco this weekend.

"...the land of the free and the home of the brave."