West Coast Roadtrip With My Son

[soupcan]

With my other 2 kids in camp for the summer my 14 year-old son and I seized the opportunity to go to California the same week the Mets were playing the Dodgers and Giants - why they didn't play the Padres that week is beyond me but whatever...

Anyway - we flew into San Diego because that's where my father lives and we figured we'd start there, spend a few days with my dad, then drive to L.A., see a game there, drive up the coast making our way to S.F. and see a game there before flying home.

So all-in-all a good trip, we had fun, saw some really cool things (including a model sunbathing topless at the pool at our hotel in L.A.) and did a little father-son bonding.

I had been to Dodger Stadium a lot as a kid - I used to go out to L.A. during the summer - but I hadn't been there in about 20 years. If you had asked me about Dodger Stadium previous to this trip I would have told you not to believe the hype. I thought of it as Shea Stadium West. Narrow concourses, bad sightlines, etc., etc. The only differences were the palm trees beyond the outfield fences and the great vistas provided by the San Gabriel mountains.

My view has changed. The place literally sparkles. They've done a really great job with it. Very clean and neat - nice family-friendly atmosphere (and lots of Po-Po). It was like walking into a '60s time machine. Weather was great, crowd was lame � not a great time to be a Doyer fan.

Driving up the coast along the PCH in our rented convertible was fun. We stopped and saw Elephant Seals in their natural habitat � just lying on the beach. They are immense.

Got to �Frisco and went to the Dickey/Hairston game on Friday night. That game was a LOT of fun. Great park although smaller than I'd thought. The concourses were narrow and crowded. Reminded me of Fenway a little actually. The place was PACKED. I think there was an announcement that said it was the Giants 48th consecutive sell-out. Good times to be a Giants fan.

The crowd was awesome - really into the game and very friendly. It made it hard not to root for the Giants. They loves them their team. Great pregame music - mostly Grateful Dead. Now I'm no Deadhead but still hearing The Dead being piped in at the ballpark on the 'Frisco Bay was cool.

Bottom of the 8th I think - Bochy comes on the scoreboard with a taped recording 'Hey fans, it's now time to pass your garbage and recyclables down the aisle to the Giants employee who will take them from you...' With that, nobdy thinks twice, polices their own little area and sends everything down the aisle - I was amazed, it was great. When Wilson came in, the place went bonkers � understandably. He is a huge personality and again � hard not to like a guy who makes fun of himself.

With the Mets beating up on 'The Beard' and winning, the whole night was just a great experience for me and soupy Jr. A great capper to our West Coast roadtrip.


Here's some photos for you good folks...


Sunset over Mission Bay in San Diego


View from our hotel in L.A.


Gene Simmons


His form could be better but he got it to the plate


Estadio Doyer - Nice place to watch a game


Another view of the place after the 7th inning exodus


Notice the Padres shirt? That's a shot over the Wilpon's bow - Sign Reyes....or else.


Freakin' Elephant Seals (I was calling them Sea Elephants all week...Doh.)


AT&T Park


The Beard enters...!


The Beard exits!

Edited July 12, 2011 by Guest

[Ceetar]

nice.

[metirish]

Very cool Soup, sounds like a great time

soupcan wrote: Bottom of the 8th I think - Bochy comes on the scoreboard with a taped recording 'Hey fans, it's now time to pass your garbage and recyclables down the aisle to the Giants employee who will take them from you...' With that, nobdy thinks twice, polices their own little area and sends everything down the aisle - I was amazed, it was great.

During one of the games SNY showed some people watching the game from the street from an area that's accessible out there, fans looking through the fence.....Gary explained that they rotate the fans every inning.....Ron guffawed that it would never work on the east coast....and he's probably right


I lived in San Fran for a year and the place and people are really friendly.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

We decided this week SF is where we wanna go next year to see the Mets, hopefully in the summer again.

[soupcan]

Great idea -San Fran was our favorite part of the trip. Great town, nice people, good food, good park, lots of other toursity things to do. Weather was cooler than I'd expected - think mid-to-late September when packing - and I was told that is their usual summer weather.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Only time I was ever in SF I was on crutches, always wanted to see more. Looks like you guys had a great time.

[bmfc1]

Great report. I'm glad you got two wins. I went to a game in SF and then in LA last season and saw Takahashi lose twice, the LA game being a shutout. Obviously, not as much fun.

[Ceetar]

soupcan wrote: Great idea -San Fran was our favorite part of the trip. Great town, nice people, good food, good park, lots of other toursity things to do. Weather was cooler than I'd expected - think mid-to-late September when packing - and I was told that is their usual summer weather.

yeah, great place. only bad thing I'd say is the massive amount of homeless.

[soupcan]

bmfc1 wrote: Great report. I'm glad you got two wins. I went to a game in SF and then in LA last season and saw Takahashi lose twice, the LA game being a shutout. Obviously, not as much fun.

Thanks - yeah we saw the 2HR Bay game in LA which was fun.

Ceetar wrote: yeah, great place. only bad thing I'd say is the massive amount of homeless.

Yup. My son noticed it and said almost exactly that.

[HahnSolo]

Bonding on the road with your son, the Mets, and topless models. Sounds like an awesome time.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yes, tells us more about the boobs you saw.

[Guest themetfairy]

Great pictures, descriptions and accounts of a wonderful trip!

[TransMonk]

Nice pics! That sounds like a great trip I'd love to do.

[soupcan]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Yes, tells us more about the boobs you saw.

That was pretty funny actually. We had just gotten to the hotel after driving from San Diego and we were hungry and looking for something to eat. My dad, son and I went down to the lobby and out to the pool thinking there'd be a cafe or something out there. We see the pool and beyond it what looks like a seating area where they could possibly be serving food. My son starts walking to the pool to go to that area. He's walking ahead of my dad and me and I suppose he's focused on where he's going rather than what's directly in front of him because my dad and I saw her first. Sort of a Kate Moss type chick, sitting up, facing us and reading a book that she had her on her lap so it was really a great view. My dad and I saw her at about the exact same time but the boy was a beat or so behind us in noticing her. Finally he's about 10' from her and he looks up. I saw him visibly react while trying desperately not to. I was dying! He couldn't change direction or stop because then it would have been obvious, so he had to keep going and walk right past her. Finally he sees that where we are headed is in fact not a place to eat so he has to turn around and go back past her again! As he's walking back to us his face is a scarlet red and my dad and I are trying our damndest to stifle the laughter.

As to the actual boobage - young - 20-ish, b or c's, really tan. Gorgeous gal. We saw her later getting into a cab out front of the hotel. Skin tight leather pants, loose flimsy blouse, no bra. Yowzers.

[bmfc1]

Ceetar wrote: yeah, great place. only bad thing I'd say is the massive amount of homeless.

I thought the same thing.

[DocTee]

As a NYC transplant living in the Bay Area for 13 years....I'll never go back East.

The weather alone makes it worth staying. Y'all should definitely swing by for a road trip-- I'll buy youse a beer.

[Guest sharpie]

Seems like Soup and I just missed each other.

Lived there for 12 years and then moved back here. Glad I did it though I enjoy visiting my old haunts.

[Ceetar]

DocTee wrote: As a NYC transplant living in the Bay Area for 13 years....I'll never go back East. The weather alone makes it worth staying. Y'all should definitely swing by for a road trip-- I'll buy youse a beer.

I could see myself living in the Bay Area. Or Hawaii (but it'd be hard to get used to 7am Mets games)

[ashie62]

With the father/son bonding and boobage I couldn't help but think of Clark & Rusty Griswold...

Great photos..Thanks.

[Guest attgig]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Yes, tells us more about the boobs you saw.

wrong question....
how about posting some pictures of it... As I was scrolling down, I was waiting for it as we got to the LA hotel....but then instead saw Gene Simmons and some elephant seals... not exactly what i was expecting...

[Fman99]

The whole story is tits.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Awesome trip & recap, Soup. Glad you dug Doyer Stadium. I do, too, but rarely go b/c of hellish traffic ,and haven't been since the Stowe beating. Heard it was both empty and safer nowadays. I like bare boobies, too, btw.

bmfc1 wrote: Great report. I'm glad you got two wins. I went to a game in SF and then in LA last season and saw Takahashi lose twice, the LA game being a shutout. Obviously, not as much fun.

Pretty sure i was at that Takahashi game in LA.