AT&T Park - Hit it Outta the Park

As part of the Go SF Card activities, we were able to take an escorted tour of AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The park is located in SOMA and pretty easy to get to if you're taking public transportation. Without the card, the tour's only $12.50 for adults and $7.50 for kids 12 and under. Let me tell you that it's definitely worth it, even if you're not a baseball fan. It's just an interesting experience overall.

The week we were in SF the Giants were away so we were able to see a lot of the ballpark that would've been restricted if they were in town. If it'd been a game day, even more would be blocked off. I would've loved to catch a game, but I suppose an up close and personal look at their home is just as cool.

I've never been to a professional ballpark, and since all we've got is Aloha Stadium in Hawaii, I was amazed at how huge the place was! I can just imagine how cool it'd be to actually come to a game and have the crazy fans cheering all around you. I definitely want to catch a game one day.

I also noticed that despite the number of seats and how big the stadium is, it seems like every seat is great. The vantage point of all the seats were pretty good. Plus, the day we went was exceptionally clear with nice blue skies. What a great way to spend the afternoon and watch some baseball.

Our tour guide told us that when the Giants aren't at home, the stadium is rented out to various organizations and companies for private events or concerts. Apparently, the day we stopped by they were setting up for a Stanford University event.

Besides catching a game of baseball, the stadium has this unique area called the Coca-Cola Fan Lot. It's for the kids (and kids at heart) and is located behind the left field bleachers. The Coke bottle is a giant slide that people can enjoy. There's a mini diamond for the kids. It's a good way to enjoy the game and keep the kids entertained when they get a little antsy.

The stadium is situated in such a picturesque location, right on the water's edge, that it's hard to concentrate on a ballgame when the scenery is so beautiful. You get a great view of the Bay Bridge from the park.

One of the awesome parts of the tour was that we got to go down to the field (though not on the grass) and into the dugout. This is the visiting team's dugout, but the tour guide said both sides are exactly the same. The only difference is the visiting team gets warmed up by the sun a lot more. Although, I don't think it makes much of a difference in SF. Perhaps in Hawaii the heat wold be a factor, but not in SF.

I can't believe we were standing right where big leaguer's stood and sitting where big leaguer's sat. Awesome! Now ask me who these big leaguers are? I couldn't tell ya. Haha! But still, the idea is enough to make me giddy.

We also got to go into the visiting team's locker room. It wasn't all that big actually. It was a decent size, but with a whole team of 6-footers on the juice, I can imagine it feeling quite squishy. Each guy's locker was really small. I'm not sure what they bring to these places, but the space alloted to them was tiny.

Here's a peak at the training room. Guess this is where they tape up and ice down . . . or receive some of the juice pre-game.

The tour took us up to the skybox or VIP room. Most rooms are rented out annually by corporate entities, but one room can be rented on a game-to-game basis by regular Joes like us. I believe it is $3,000 a game and you have to cater your food through the stadium. I'm thinking that's a great deal because not only do you get a room to lounge in, you get 30 seats right outside the room to watch the game. It's probably a good boy's night out investment.

This was such a great experience. It was a captivating two hours of walking around the stadium. It was really cool to come to a place this huge when it was empty. There were so many different types of food vendors that you'd definitely be able to find something to nosh on at a game. It's not the regular hot dog and beer stadium (it's in SF after all), but you can find that there too. Definitely check out the ballpark tour if you're in the area.

Aquarium by the Bay - Under the Sea

For shits and giggles and because it was free with the Go SF Card, we stopped in at the Aquarium by the Bay while in San Francisco. Surprisingly, it was pretty small (not as small as our Waikiki Aquarium though).

The aquarium is located in the high-traffic Pier 39 area, so it's convenient for most tourists to swing by for an hour or two. It's a good, family-friendly activity that I'm sure the kiddies will enjoy.

Honestly, there are better places out there for this type of thing, but this one's convenient and free if you have the card. However, I don't think I'd pay for admission, especially if I had a large family in tow.

One of the best parts of the aquarium was the jellyfish tanks. They looked awesome against the dark blue water and lighting.

There were a couple types of jellyfish in different tanks. What a life to live, huh? Just bobbing along and floating without a care in the world. Completely lovely.

The other great part of the aquarium was the interactive area where you could actually reach into the water and touch and feel the animals. One tank housed things like starfish and sea cucumbers. I'd never touched a starfish before this experience. You'd think they were soft and squishy, right? No, they felt like coral and were rough and bumpy. Weird and kind of disorienting. I really thought they'd be soft or at least slimy. Not really as thrilling an experience as I had hoped.

The other tank housed some bat rays and leopard sharks. They were so cute. The rays have a little snout/nose that is just precious. When we were there, there was a baby one who was so friendly and would come right up to you.

The rays' skin felt really soft and slippery. They're not slimy at all. Just tap the top of the water to attract their attention and the swim on by. Parents don't need to worry about their little stingers because they're cut off. The staff member overseeing the tank said that the stingers are like fingernails and grow back. Cutting them does not hurt the rays at all and allows them to be used as educational tools for the public.

The leopard sharks are harder to touch. They swam back and forth in the tank, usually in the middle, so it's hard to reach them. Still, when you do get to touch them it's really enjoyable. Their skin is also soft and very smooth too. The only drawback to this experience was that the water was extremely chilly. It was hard to even reach down into the tank because your hand felt like it was about to freeze.

I also forgot to mention that there's a large underwater tunnel that you walk through. This allows you to see the fish, sharks and rays swimming on both sides and above you. It's an interesting experience, although not very unique. There are other aquariums around that have the same thing.

Bucket List - Week 7 Update

Yes, I realize I'm a few days late but I just lost track of time this week. Somehow it was Memorial Day and then next thing I know it's Friday. What the?!? It doesn't help that I'm sooo disenchanted with work right now. But that's for another blog. As usual, here's my Bucket List update.

Bucket List #1
I haven't followed up on the manuscript I submitted two years ago (but at least I have a signed contract so that means it'll get published someday). I guess I should shoot over an email and see what's the haps.

Bucket List #2
Astonishingly, this is actually a possibility now that my friends and I have settled on Italy for our great, big Euro adventure in 2010. Now I'm reading up on travel tips, budget saving secrets and all that good stuff like a madwoman. Anyone ever try couchsurfing before?

Bucket List #6
My friend Elle actually did this at May's First Friday and it was actually a bit freaky. Maybe I should try it?

Bucket List #16
Remember how I was waiting to see what happened with my work's community service project? Well, that's what's got me so freakin' frustrated today. It's like we were on a river headed toward a mighty waterfall but ran into Hoover Dam. WTF?!?! Bureaucracy sucks. I really hate corporate life. I dream of one day walking out on in completely and hitting the dirt trails of Europe's backroads.

Bucket List #32
I found a nickel last weekend in the parking lot of the Ewa Zippy's. Now I'm only $999.93 away from my donation.

Bucket List #87
My friend Elle told me that the Hawaii Ballroom Dance Association offers dance classes at a really decent rate. I'll have to look into it a bit more, but maybe soon you'll meet the new Ginger Rogers (only brunette and Asian)?