San Francisco by Bike

On Saturday, we rented bikes at "Blazing Saddles"- probably the best decision we made the entire trip. It was soooo much fun! Definitely something I want to do on vacations in the future - it was such a fun way to see the sites and get a different viewpoint of everything. We started out in Fisherman's Wharf and biked over almost to the Golden Gate Bridge. Of course we had to stop and take pictures.From there, we climbed a steep hill and then proceeded across the bridge.

What an awesome exhilirating experience! It was pretty windy, but it was incredible. We stopped about halfway across because the view was awesome (and windy, obviously)...

Once across, we headed into Sausalito, where we locked our bikes and walked around the cute little Mediterranean town just on the other side of the Bay. We saw the cute little (expensive touristy) shops, and then settled in this little cafe right on the water for lunch. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and we were loving every minute of it!

We'd initially planned on only biking to Sausalito and then taking the ferry back, but once we were there, we decided to continue on to Tiberon. The whole ride was about 16 miles, and we wanted to do it. So we did. There were definitely some hills on the ride, but it was so beautiful and again, a perfect day. The views of the City from the other side of the bridge were spectacular, and it was one of the highlights of the trip! Once we made it to Tiberon (at the end of the bike path) ...we rode around for a little while and saw a few more views of the City ...

and waited for the ferry to go back to Pier 41. Thank goodness for the self-timer on my camera!There were about 300 bikes on the bottom of the ferry - we were certainly not the only ones biking that day!

After the ferry arrived at Pier 41, we hopped back on our bikes to ride them back to Fisherman's Wharf - and soon realized where the name "Blazing Saddles" came from! ha ha We returned our bikes, and walked straight up to Ghiradelli Square - of course after that long bike ride we needed to gorge ourselves with ice cream right?! Unfortunately, the ice cream was mostly melted by the time we got it, but what we did eat sure did taste good!

We relaxed at the hotel that night, after taking a cab to the Mission area of San Fran to pick up a pizza from Little Star, which had been highly recommended. The hot tub and hotel beds never felt better than that night! What an awesome day though - definitely one of my favorite memories of San Francisco, even though most of it wasn't actually in the City :)

4th of July in San Fran

After the game, we walked all the way down the Embarcadero into the touristy part of San Francisco. First stop: Pier 39. Walking around apparently made us hungry, and we saw a little crepe shop that look fantastic (maybe because the line was clear out the door and they were slatering nutella onto the crepes in the window) - so we joined the crowd and proceeded to have one of the best crepes I've had in my life. Unfortunately for us, there was no place to sit (at a table), so we sat ourselves right down on the back side of the information booth, right in the middle of Pier 39. That crepe shop should have paid us for their advertising, because I can't even tell you how many people wanted to eat those crepes they saw us devouring!

After we left there, we continued on to Fisherman's Wharf (for one of the many times we would go there during the weekend).

There were so many people everywhere, since it was the 4th of July, but nothing like how crowded it is on the National Mall in DC! We took our sweet time walking down to where we were going to see the fireworks, and then staked out a spot facing the water ...Which just so happened to also be just in front of Ghiradelli Square.It was pretty chilly that night, but we survived. Definitely not nearly the same feeling as sitting in the sweltering heat and humidity of DC fireworks! Unfortunately, the fog was so dense that we couldn't even see the Golden Gate Bridge at ALL that night. We were a little disappointed that we wouldn't be able to see the fireworks next to the bridge, but it ended up turning out to be really cool to see the fireworks in the fog. First you heard them, and then you saw the clouds changing colors and the faint shadow of the fireworks ...And here is the Photoshop edited version of that same picture ... It was funny that we actually wanted them to do more fireworks that were low to the ground so we could see them! After a few minutes, our disappointment turned to delight as we enjoyed a fireworks display unlike any other we'd ever seen in our lives. They were shooting the fireworks off at the pier directly in front of us, so we had a great view of everything. The exact same show was going on at Pier 39 (same fireworks and everything - simultaneously), but we couldn't see them as well. I can only imagine how it must look on a clear night. This was definitely a 4th of July to remember!

San Francisco Giants AT&T Park (Stadium #27)

San Francisco: the California Treat. It most certainly was this time! Way back when I looked at the baseball schedules in February, I decided that I wanted to spend the 4th of July in San Fran this year to knock off two more baseball stadiums: AT&T Park in San Francisco and The McAfee Coliseum in Oakland. I don't think I could have picked a better weekend! Sharyn and I flew out Friday morning and met Kelli in Oakland. Our trip got started off on the wrong foot when our flight was 2 hours delayed leaving DC, but after that, everything was perfect.

Because of the flight delay, we took BART to our hotel and checked in and headed straight to the Giants game at AT&T Park. I got really excited when I saw this in front of us ...Absolutely beautiful!! I could hardly wait to get inside and see the rest of it.It was a gorgeous day, the Giants were playing the Dodgers in front of a sold-out crowd, and we had awesome seats to enjoy the game and the view from. I must say, the garlic fries were better than they were at Safeco (sorry Karrie and Robin!) ... the game was very exciting (Giants ended up winning 10-7) and we thoroughly enjoyed taking it all in. After the game, I made everyone walk around the stadium with me so we could get a closer look at the whole thing. I'm sure they loved that (ha ha)...We couldn't walk up to the giant baseball glove, unfortunately, since they closed it down after the game ended. Oh well - I've gotta save something for the next time I'm at a game there, right?!?I loved the view from the stadium (except for the fact that you couldn't see the Bridge). There were boats out in the Bay, people walking up and down the sidewalks outside the stadium, and of course, the wind blowing everything a million directions. The verdict: Well done San Francisco! AT&T Park definitely ranks among the best ballparks in my book.

Ward Trip To Kirtland

My ward went to Kirtland, OH last weekend. I have to admit, the thought of sitting on a bus for 15 hours over the course of 2 days didn't sound all that appealing to me. But, I'm so glad I went. We had a lot of fun (and a lot of funny stories that aren't appropriate to share on the internet) and saw and experienced some amazing things.

We left early on Friday morning, and drove about 7 hours (including breaks) to Kirtland. Luckily for us, the bus was fully equipped with nice televisions, so we were able to watch movies like "The Sandlot" the whole time. Can't complain too much about that!

Our first stop was the John Johnson farm ... we split into groups and toured the home there. This is in the "translation room" where Joseph Smith finished translating the Bible, and received the revelation in the 76th Section of the Doctrine & Covenants (among others):Here's my roommate Lisa and I standing on the porch where Joseph Smith preached:We had a BBQ with the single's ward there on Friday night, and then a bunch of us walked across the street from our hotel to the bowling alley for a little cosmic bowling.

Saturday EARLY we got up and went to the Kirtland temple ... The Community of Christ owns the temple now, and they let LDS groups rent it out for church, which is exactly what we did - for a nice Sacrament Meeting (testimony meeting), followed by a tour.We spent some time on the temple grounds, walking around, etc., Then we headed over to the Church-restored downtown Historic Kirtland (just a couple blocks down the road). We toured the buildings there with the LDS missionaries, and had a great time. From there, we went to the Isaac Morley farm for one last tour, lunch, and the last bit of socializing with "the other bus" before we headed back to Virginia. We crammed a lot into those few hours in Kirtland! Its out of character for me, but I didn't really take a lot of pictures on this trip. That doesn't mean it wasn't an awesome experience though. For those of you who haven't ever been, GO to Kirtland! It is an incredible place where so much of Church history happened, and there is no denying the spirit that is still there. What a great way to spend a weekend.

The Hair Cut

Ok, all those of you that have asked - here is a picture of my latest hair cut. [I decided I should probably post a real picture of it before I post my Kirtland pictures, since those were all taken after the half-hearted effort of getting ready that comes when you wake up at 6am on a Saturday morning sharing a hotel room with 3 other girls...]

Anyway, thanks to Jen, here's my new 'do ...

What's Wrong With "Baseballitis?"

Dear Abbie,

I like baseball. I'm not afraid to admit it. But is that a crime? I didn't think so until I read one of my good friend's blogs yesterday, in which she wrote to you about this obsession that she coined baseballitis. I'm a little concerned now. I, for one, would like to think that in a world of so many distractions (and un-wholesome ones, at that), that one might find it refreshing to see two young women trapsing across the country to reach a worthwhile goal. Sure, not everyone appreciates baseball. I've probably heard all the reasons - it is boring, there isn't any action, games are long, actual playing time is about 10 minutes for a 3 hour game, it is hot during the summer, the players are overpaid, the fans are annoying, the tickets and food are expensive, blah, blah, blah.

I certainly don't think, much less expect, that everyone will have the same likes and dislikes that I do (heaven only knows the world would be a very boring place if that were true), but honestly, when I walk into a new baseball stadium, its like I revert back to being a giddy little girl on Christmas morning. It is all very exciting - to me. I wouldn't dream of imposing that on anyone unwillingly, but amazingly enough, I have found many friends in my life who share the same love of the game that I do. And for that I am grateful. And I'm pretty sure they are too :)

What better way to travel around the country than by visiting baseball parks? Thanks to this goal, I have been to cities I wouldn't have ever visited otherwise. And, we've made it a point to not only see a game in every city, but also to do something "native" to the city as well. Like go to a cheese chalet in Wisconsin, visit the Mall of America in Minneapolis, eat Chicago pizza, visited the Arch in St. Louis, check out South Beach in Miami, and the list goes on. Actually, going to baseball games in a city tells you a great deal about the population there - you get an idea of what people are really like. Wisconsin is not known for its beautiful people. While Miami thinks they are, everyone there had boob jobs. Cincinnati rallied around their team and filled the stadium even when they don't even have a good team (perhaps because there's not much else to do on a beautiful spring evening, but still). Boston fans are loyal - and not just in Boston. I could have mistaken San Diego for Boston when we were at a game there and 85% of the stadium was wearing Red Sox paraphernalia. I could go on, but rest assured that the adventures I've had have been amazing, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. Its a pretty good feeling to sit and watch SportsCenter or Baseball Tonight and see baseball highlights of the day's games and think "oh yeah when I was at that ballpark..." and reminisce about the people, the places, and the memories that I've created over the last few years. But then again, I guess if you don't watch SportsCenter you wouldn't appreciate that anyway.

I think I'll go pick up my Toronto Blue Jays embroidered team logo baseball (to put in my display case) from the Post Office now. Obsessed?! Hardly. I like to call it "anxiously engaged." ha ha

- Proud To Be Plagued By Baseballlitis in the 'Other' Washington

Time For A Change.

I think I have blog ADD. I get sick of my blog template every so often, and decide to change it. Thanks to designerdigitals.com, there is never a shortage of papers and backgrounds to choose from. I don't know much about HTML code, but I sure love playing around with it. I also love the website colourlovers.com to find just the perfect colors to use in my templates. I'm sure there is much, MUCH more to learn than what I know, but I'm not trying to be fancy, just to have a little fun. When there's not much I can control in my life, I can control my blog :)

Another change that I can control: my hair. I went to get my hair cut last night, and before I even sat down, my stylist said to me "I just want you to know that I have already had 3 people print out your picture from my website and bring it in and tell me that's the haircut they want." ha ha too funny - especially considering that haircut was now 3 styles ago for me! I'll have to take a decent pic of my new 'do one of these days (after the sunburn on my forehead from our sailing trip this past weekend stops peeling) because I love it - and its a very welcome change right now.

Who says change isn't a good thing? Certainly not me!

A Polo Match.

On Saturday night, our friend Dave got a group together to head out West for a Polo match. I've had friends go before, but I've never been able to make it. I'm so glad I was able to go this time!

We packed a picnic and braved the blistering heat and humidity to pretend we were high class enough for a polo match that night (ha ha) I learned all kinds of new things - like instead of calling it a "quarter" in polo, they call it a "chukker." Whoever came up with that?? I liked that much better than all the nasty cigar smoke I inhaled though!

Another highlight of the evening was that I got to catch up with Meg & Mark - they are getting married soon and I'm really going to miss them!!

What a fun night though - and to top it all off, ALL four of us roommates were together. That, in and of itself, is nothing short of a momentous event, and definitely worthy of a spot on my blog! :)

Safeco Field - Stadium #26

Anyone who knows me won't be surprised to know that the MAIN reason for my Seattle trip was to go to a game at Safeco. It just so happened that the Red Sox were in town, so that was an extra treat. I have to say though, that I was a little disappointed in the Red Sox Nation's showing in Seattle. Definitely not as memorable as they were in San Diego last year! Regardless, it was an awesome experience. So ... without any further delay ... here are the pics.

First, on our way in ... Robin, Jenny, me, and Karrie.

In the middle of the game ... I went and sat with my old roommate Christine, who luckily got seats in the section next to us!
After the game we took some additional obligatory pictures ... And another one -
Seriously, friends at a baseball game, in Seattle on Memorial Day - life doesn't get much better than this! Safeco was fabulous. The burger I got there was way better than the one I had at the new Nats stadium earlier this year. And the fact that they had Diet Dr. Pepper kind of sealed the deal. Safeco Field, Check!!

Seattle!

I went to Seattle over Memorial Day this year and it was absolutely fantastic! We honestly couldn't have asked for better weather - I didn't even feel one rain drop (probably because I was still asleep the morning it sprinkled). I was able to see lots of great friends and many of Seattle's sites.

Friday when I arrived, I went to the temple ... and afterward, I set the self-timer on my camera since there wasn't anyone to ask to take my picture! Friday night I spent with Karrie, one of my dear friends from BYU. She was so nice to let me stay with her while I was in Seattle, and we had so much fun together! (thanks Karrie)

On Saturday, we met up with Jenny and her aunt, as well as our friends Robin & Christian, and we fully embraced the fact that we were tourists in Seattle. We spent the morning at Pike Market - if I lived in Seattle, I would probably buy fresh flowers all the time there because they were so beautiful, and so cheap! They had so many gorgeous tulips - in every color you could imagine. I loved these ones with pointed edges -
We had the best little mini donuts I've probably ever had in my life that morning at the market as well. I think this is the only picture we took there - awesome that it is in front of the "sanitary public market" sign. Yeah, I'm holding a donut (one of the many that I ate that day). I was on vacation ok? :)We went to lunch at Ivar's on the waterfront ... no trip to Seattle is complete without fish & chips!Or seagulls and ferry boats?!? We hurried to snap a picture before the seagulls invaded us again!After lunch, we headed over to the famous Folk Life Festival ... and quickly realized that we were definitely in Seattle at its finest. If ever there was a prime opportunity for people watching, this was it! I'll just post a couple favorites, but just know that there was nothing short of a plethora of these sorts of things ...Those boots were definitely NOT made for walking! And while it was hot, this girl wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion (or maybe she was, what do I know)?!?After we made our way through the festival, we went to the Space Needle. After deliberating about whether or not we should actually go UP it, we finally decided that since were only here once, and it was an absolutely perfectly clear day, we'd do it. That was a decision that we'd later come to regret ... not only was it a holiday weekend, on a gorgeous day, with millions of people from the festival, but also as luck would have it, AFTER we got our tickets we discovered that only ONE of the THREE elevators was working. So what should have been a nice and easy tourist attraction turned into two and a half HOURS of waiting in line to go up, and another line to come back down. Oh, but we did walk around the top for about 3 minutes to make it all worthwhile.(I blame the hot, seemingly un-air conditioned wait in line on the bad hair) We really had a fun trip and I'm soooo glad we had beautiful weather. On Sunday night, we went to see the singing monks at a cathedral (I can't remember which one) somewhere near Capitol Hill (though I never saw a Capitol). It wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be like, but I did manage to take an illegal video of them singing "Amazing Grace."

As for the rest of Seattle ... well ... that's just about worthy of a separate post :)