Wednesday, June 30, 2021

From the Baltic to the Bay- Day 3

 From the Baltic to the Bay- Day 3 
And Then There Were Four 
Sunday, June 20 2021 


Yep... Once again, I was so excited I CRIED! 
Thank you Chris for making my dream a reality! 

A Change in Plans 
We had originally planned to leave San Francisco right after the Giants game around 5PM but some of the details were not aligning. We knew we could not leave all of our luggage and belongings in our SUV while at the game since it was not in the greatest area of downtown San Francisco and there was a high "break in rate" in the area. But that meant we would have to leave  our bags at the hotel and go back and get them, which meant leaving the game early. Then as we got to San Francisco and viewing the roads on the bus for the Muir Woods and Napa Valley areas, we realized driving to Lake Tahoe at NIGHT may not be a good idea. So we changed our plans and stayed one more night in SFO. It was a last minute change but it turned out for the best as we got to do more San Francisco things than we ever planned. 

Morning 
We slept in this morning as we were both wiped from our long excursion the day before. I woke up around 8AM and Chris snoozed until 8:45AM. We made our way into San Francisco to Fisherman's Wharf to eat at Boudin Bakery for a Father's Day brunch. This was an exceptional breakfast. The food and service were amazing and we were fortunate enough to beat the rush. Chris and I both got the Crab Omelet and it was delicious and so fresh. 

Happy Father's Day to the best daddy around! 


Father's Day Brunch at Boudin! 

After breakfast we got some souvenirs and then realized we it was pretty chilly outside (56*) and we forgot our hoodies at the hotel. The service was so fast at breakfast that we had time to go back to Brisbane and get our hoodies. 

We grabbed our hoodies and then got back to Oracle Park before the rush of fans arrived. There were lots of parking options near and far from the park but we opted to park at a Giants sponsored parking lot about .5 mile from the park. This was a cash only $40 parking lot very close to the bottom of the Bay Bridge. We arrived to park around 11:15AM and got a prime exit spot at the front of the lot. We put on some sunscreen and then had a 12 minute walk to the park. 



I love this bridge! 

They had just opened the gates when we arrived and we opted to go to the Giants Team Store to get Chris a Father's Day gift and a Giants shirt. (He was wearing an Astros shirt and with as much hate for the Astros that the MLB has, he thought changing shirts was a good idea. I hate the Giants but he fit right in)! 

We then made our way into the stadium and starting climbing the ramp to get to our upper deck seats. We had to stop about every other upward ramp because I was just completely out of breath and very winded. I never imagined I would be walking this slow and be BEHIND Chris but this was the theme of the ENTIRE TRIP! Stupid Covid... I hate you! 


I finally made it... I cannot believe it!


Only 4 more to go... Can it be? 


A view from about halfway up the ramps! 


I am so happy, I'm crying! 


Chris is pretty excited as well! 

I had purchased these tickets from the hospital bed in May. At midnight on May 24th the Giants changed their rules to not require a negative test or proof of vaccination to get into the ballpark. Once I saw this, I started looking for tickets. For several days, the first few games after this change had incredibly high priced seats ($150-200 in the UPPER decks). I looked daily and on May 28th at 3AM when a nurse came to check my vitals I saw a pod of 2 seats on sale for $44/ each instead of the $159 it had been. I didn't even look at the section and just hit "PURCHASE". It tuned out these were incredible seats! One of the best views in the entire stadium and in the shade for the entire game. TIP- Being in the shade in San Francisco is not the same as being in the shade in Houston... good thing we went back to get those hoodies! BUT... We did not get sunburnt, from the game that is! 


A view from our seats... just PERFECT! 

My dreams coming true... one stadium at a time! 

Afternoon
The game started at 1PM and we could not have asked for a more beautiful day with clear skies and calm winds. We enjoyed the view from these seats and the whole atmosphere of the stadium. At this point the Giants had fully vaccinated sections and socially distanced sections. We were in a socially distanced section and that meant a TON more space for us to enjoy the game. We looked around the stadium and the fully vaccinated sections were sold out. I am all for baseball and the fan atmosphere but who in their right mind would want to sit in a completely sold out section when you could sit in a section with more space?


The National Anthem at the Giants Game! 


The Giants first pitch! 


If you look closely you can see the fully vaccinated sections and they're completely FULL. Then the section next to it has barely anyone! 

The game was exciting with back to back home-runs and even a "splash hit" within the first 2 innings. It was a great experience and the ballpark itself has been placed in my top 5 ballparks, easily. We got lunch around the 5th and 6th innings. I tried the mobile ordering and it was not a bad experience, albeit expensive. I placed the order with my phone and got a text when it was ready. However even when they said it was ready, I still had to wait about 10 minutes to get my food. That surprised me a bit! 


This was the total just for MY food ($26). Concessions were CRAZY high here! 


My hotdog and famously "garlicky fries" were pretty tasty! 


7th Inning Stretch- God Bless America 

7th Inning Stretch- Take Me Out to the Ballgame! 

After the 7th inning stretch we ventured down to the lower section to walk around "McCovey Cove". This has to be one of the most unique areas of any MLB stadium to which I have ever been. I loved seeing the boats and kayaks waiting around for "splash hits". The crowd was invigorating as the Giants continued to score late into the game as well. We grabbed some souvenirs and enjoyed the last half inning from the bleachers in center field. 


"McCovey Cove" in the outfield of the stadium! 
TIP- Be sure to check this out when you visit Oracle Park! 


#GOALS- This will be added to my bucket list soon! 


My heart is SO HAPPY! 


The only Cable Car we got to experience this trip since they are still closed due to COVID! 


I guess I will have to come back... 


I watched this LIVE on TV! Man- I feel OLD! 


A view from the center field bleachers! It would be in the sun the WHOLE TIME but this was honestly not a bad view! 

This was an incredible experience and the highlight of our trip for me! I have now been to every MLB stadium except 4... All in California! It really is a shame that Oakland would not cooperate and be in town when we needed them to, but I am incredibly grateful I was able to experience a game in Oracle Park with Chris! Now... to get those other 4! 

After the game we drove to the Painted Ladies in west San Francisco. This is a section of houses that inspired the writers of the 1987 TV show, Full House and the newer Fuller House. This was nothing more than a park on a hill overlooking gorgeous Victorian Homes but it was breathtaking! TIP- This is a FREE activity but be forewarned the drive to get there involves VERY steep hills and those steep hills are also near the park and you must park on these same hills. It made for an interesting afternoon. We also saw a dude walking down the street we parked on literally looking into EVERY car looking for things to steal. It was freaky! 


The Painted Ladies! 


This was cool since our kids LOVE Full House and especially Fuller House! 
We have seen every episode... At least twice! 

Whatever happened to predictability? The milk man, the paper boy, evening TV! 


The Painted Ladies area! 

Evening
By now it was nearly 6PM and I had not planned on having this time so was not prepared for an action plan. I looked over towards the bay as we ended our Painted Ladies time and decided to go to the Golden Gate Bridge and hope we could see it. 

We drove to the Golden Gate Bridge and found parking and decided to try and walk the bridge. Having just recovered from Covid, I was not sure if I could make it but I really wanted to as this was an item on my bucket list ever since my family did in early 2000s. I said a prayer and we were on our way. The fog was rolling in as we walked this 1.7 mile bridge and the wind was BRUTAL but we made it all the way to the end of the bridge. Now... To get back to the other side! We had to stop about every 5th pole for me to catch my breath but we made it back in just under 2 hours and just before our parking expired


The fog was just starting to roll in at 6:15 or so. 


This was such an incredible experience !


I felt like an ant! 


I did it... I made it to the other side (Marin County)! 
Now to go back... 


I did it... All the way across AND BACK! Take that post- Covid! 

This was an incredible experience and I give all the glory to God for helping me recover and be able to do this unfathomable task. Thank you Jesus! 


I will NEVER forget these 3.39 miles! 

We called the kids and then decided to head back towards Brisbane and try and find a a restaurant to have a Father's Day dinner for Chris. We were so tired from the walking and the long day so we just went back to the BJs restaurant we found near San Bruno on the first night. It wasn't San Francisco local fare but it would do! 


Happy Father's Day honey! I love you! 


Not too bad for a celebration dinner!
 

Chris had a wonderful Father's Day dinner of prime rib, a beer flight and even a HUGE cookie dessert! What a way to end Father's Day! We went back to the hotel and crashed... quiet literally on the bed! We were so tired but knew we needed rest for our drive to Lake Tahoe on the next day! 

What an incredible day of celebrating Chris on Father's Day and crossing off another stadium from my Bucket list! We had seen SO MUCH but were still only about 1/3 of the way through our trip!
I think the best is yet to come! 

UP NEXT... DAY 4 and Lake Tahoe!

Thanks for following along! We appreciate your support! 

God is good... ALL THE TIME! 

DID YOU MISS A DAY? Get caught up below:

The Backstory

Do You Know the Way to San Jose- Day 1

Redwoods and Wine Country- Day 2

Check out ALL of our LAND travels:








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