San Francisco 6-18-08

Our drive from Portland, Oregon to Corning, California was relatively uneventful except for the discovery of the Willamette Valley Wine Country. We only went to one winery, Erath, although there were at least 50 wineries in very close proximity. Erath Wines were very good, so Nancy tells me. Check it out (http://www.erath.com/).

We met Jeff McPherson at Pac Bell/SBC/AT&T Park to see the Detroit Tigers against the San Francisco Giants. It wasn't a very good game. Barry Zito pitched for the Giants and gave up 5 runs in the first two innings on walks and line drive hits. The Giant fans (and Giant Management), are not happy he signed a 7 year, $126MM contact. The Tigers won the game 7-2. Here's a link to the box score:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2008_06_18_detmlb_sfnmlb_1&mode=wrap

AT&T Park is a great baseball venue. The stadium is beautifully done in brick and does not look like a stadium from the outside. Willie Mays plays a prominent role in the walkway up to AT&T. You cross the street named Willie Mays Plaza. There's a large Willie Mays statue on the promenade leading up to the entrance and there are 24 palm trees (24 was his number) on the promenade. Inside, the walkways are wide and there are numerous concession stands. We sat in the upper deck and had an unbelievable view of the bay. I thought it was the 2nd best stadium behind Miller Park in Milwaukee. Nancy like AT&T better probably because it was the nicest day we've had ... 75deg, sunny with a brilliant blue sky. Here's a link to our pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14772189@N03/sets/

Hot Dog Rating Time: I had the standard hot dog with sauerkraut and mustard. It was a very tasty dog. One of the better ones I've had. However, one point off for a hard bun ... an "8". Nancy searched for the kiosk hot dog and found a good one on the first floor promenade behind home plate. She thought this was one of the best ones she's had. She thought it was as good as the one at US Cellular (Chicago White Sox). She's a tougher rater than I am. She gave it a "9".

After the game, we did a mini-tour of San Francisco and met Ted for dinner. We ate at an Italian place, Cafe Tiramisu (http://www.cafetiramisu.com/) in their outdoor (in the alley) dining area. A bit pricey, but very good.