River Cats Preseason Party - March 2014

The Sacramento River Cats are the AAA Minor League affiliate of the Oakland Athletics and play across the river in West Sacramento, CA. Even though I'm a little biased, most people agree that the River Cats is the best minor league team in the United States, and their home stadium - Raley Field - is the best stadium in the minors and is better than even the Oakland Coliseum! This is the second year the River Cats have opened up the ballpark for fans before the season starts, and most people had a great time - except for some tired kids and even more tired parents.

Of course Dinger was there! No, not the Colorado Rockies' Dinger, but our very own local mascot. Nobody really knows what a "river cat" is. Maybe it's one of the many feral cats by the river? Maybe it's a very lost and very wet mountain lion? I think most people hope it's a lovable, tall kitty who loves little kids and jelly beans!

Not quite as impressive as the outfield at PNC Park or AT&T, but our Raley Field still has a pretty cool background with Tower Bridge and the Sacramento skyline. West Sacramento is across the Sacramento River from downtown Sacramento - west of course - so you can see the city even though you are not in the official City of Sacramento. They were selling tickets for charity to try and hit a ball on field and had a game to get stamps around the park for a free ticket to the Stockton Ports exhibition game.

Like other stadium tours, they opened up the home locker room, luxury suites, and other areas not usually open to the public. The baseball theme is prevalent with lights and fixtures looking like baseballs and even wallpaper in the bathrooms showing the various pitches by grip! Many major league players like Yoenis Cespedes, Barry Zito, and the Giants' new pitcher Tim Hudson have all played for the River Cats. I saw Brandon Belt and Hector Sanchez play at Raley Field just before being called up to the majors. Who knows who you will see next?

Like most trips to a ballgame, there was food - although this was FREE FOOD! Everyone got two free hot dogs and a soda, plus samples of Merlino's Freeze and other samples from Raley's. For real garlic fries and 1/2 lb Dinger Dogs, you have to wait until opening day. Sadly, beer was not free.

Yes, a rubber game against the Dodgers in San Francisco is much better than a River Cats game, but it's very hard to not have a good time here in Sacramento. Both Giants and A's fans come together to root for the home team and take on the Dinger Dog challenge. Delta breezes and low humidities make for perfect baseball weather most of the season. Plus it's baseball! Enjoy the rest of the pictures below.

San Francisco - February 2014

After a fun time at Giants FanFest, I took advantage of a clear, sunny day in San Francisco. Even to this day, I am always finding new things to do and see in a city in which I have already spent many enjoyable days in my life. To balance out the sports, I took in some culture at the Legion of Honor, then hiked down to the ocean.

For those of you with either a Bank of America debit or credit card, you can get free admission to many museums across the United States. The Legion of Honor is one of those places. You do have to pay a surcharge for some exhibits, but the recent one with Anders Zorn was amazing. His watercolors look just like photographs. It was also fortuitous since I had reservations to PLAJ Restaurant later for some Scandinavian food.

After a long climb down hundreds of stairs, I reached Eagles Point near Lands End. The trails are easily accessible from the Legion of Honor, but be prepared for an intense workout climbing back out. The views are spectacular, especially in the late afternoon sun. You can just barely see the Golden Gate Bridge, but the ocean rocks are the real attraction here. Plus a labyrinth.

This is the new eastern section of the Bay Bridge all lit up at night. You can view it from Treasure Island, which is a lot easier than parking on the bridge itself. It finally opened and is very nice. Driving across is much nicer than the old version and will be a lot safer during the next earthquake. Please enjoy the rest of my pictures below.

Giants FanFest 2014 - February 2014

Your humble blogger is back to San Francisco after a long, dry winter to celebrate baseball. I know that football is the most popular sport in the United States, but really, only 16 games? You need at least 300-400 games during a regular baseball season, especially since each one lasts at least 8 hours. A little hyperbolic of course, but I am leading to a point - as I approach infinity. I love baseball. Plus, the San Francisco Giants are a pretty good team for fans.

For the last few years, the Giants have opened up AT&T Park to fans to meet the players, explore the ballpark, and most importantly, buy tickets! Yes, they were even selling tickets in the Visitors Dugout. You do save about $20 per ticket on "convenience" charges though. After they won their first World Series, and then their second World Series, the annual event is even more popular. Plus, it's still free and a great excuse to bring the family to San Francisco for a great day.

Most of the players and coaches were not only signing autographs in the concession stands like the Baby Giraffe seen above, but they were giving interviews and showing off the new home orange jerseys. Surprisingly, they had plenty on hand to sell. Even though Mr. Belt was not selling any nachos or hot dogs, everyone else was. The weather was also perfect for overpriced junk food. Tasty, overpriced junk food.

Still, this is about the fans, even the young Panda fans on daddy's shoulders. The Giants organization does a great job of encouraging their fan experience, which is helpful when their team is falling behind in the wins. Everyone in attendance had a great time walking around and seeing their heroes. Enjoy the rest of the pictures below.

Dry Folsom Lake - January 2014

Happy 2014! Welcome to the worst drought in the history of the State of California! Seriously, we are very dry here; Sacramento got only 4.5" of rain in 2013 - that is nearly half of what Phoenix received in 2013. After installing my low-flow shower nozzles, I headed up to what used to be Folsom Lake to see the old mining settlements now above water.

Folsom Lake is down to about 17% of capacity, and most of the lake bed is now above water. The landscape is somewhat bizarre with the submerged rocks and old tree stumps now smooth and silty. One of the best ways to reach the settlements is through the Folsom Lake Marina. These guys have done a good job of managing the crowds and helping to make the experience much nicer. It is a $12 park admission fee - like all other visits to Folsom Lake - but the fee helps cover the portable toilets, trash collection, and overall park maintenance. The marina staff even set up a webpage to document the revealed landscapes.

The settlement of Mormon Island is still underwater, but several of the buildings located on the outskirts of town are now visible, including a dairy and a potential winery. Lots of debris are still located around the buildings, and many people have moved them on top of the various walls and rocks to display them. There was even a volunteer from the local historical society telling visitors about this history of the area.

As you can see, not all of the debris comes from the gold rush. The place is now very busy, although not at all crowded. There is a LOT of open space that is somewhat bumpy but overall easy to walk. Many families brought their kids and dogs who both loved running around the open spaces and getting dirty in the mud. It is very dusty, so prepare for getting a layer of dirt on everything. The area is also pretty close to the foothill wineries if you want to check them out too; you may need a glass after hiking!

It is unfortunate that the lake is dry enough to see this part of California's history, but this is a great way to make a lot of lemonade out of our lemons. Enjoy the rest of the pictures below.