California Vacation - Day 2

So, this past Saturday, I added another ballpark to my list of sports venues that I have been to. AT&T Park became the newest addition as we ventured over for the Giants-Reds game that afternoon. I must say, this is definitely in my Top 3 of baseball stadiums.

We walked around the outside which is beautifully constructed with Giants history. There are statues of greats such as Willie Mays, Juan Marichal, and Orlando Cepeda and several plaques for the Giants Wall of Fame on the third base side. Palm trees adorn the facility too. Once inside, you see more of why the park is fantastic. For starters, the view is one of the best in baseball. You can see San Francisco Bay in the distance with McCovey Cove in right field, the site of many home run balls. In the upper level on the left field side, you have a beautiful view of the Bay Bridge, which can also be seen from the upper level seats in right field.

Other great features of the park include comfortable seats, a wide variety of food (including Gilroy's Garlic Fries), and very very friendly employees. There is an area in left field with a wiffleball field, and the famous Coke Bottle Slide and big leather glove. Right field is like a boardwalk where fans can walk atop and purchase seats to watch the game.

As for the fans, they were passionate, cheering hard, and ripping on me for the most part as I was wearing my Yankee jersey. One fan chanted "A-Roid!" at me, which I laughed at considering they worship Barry Bonds, Overall, just a great place to go watch a ballgame; I recommend doing it during the day when it's sunny and gorgeous out.

After the game, we did a night tour of the city, even though it was still light out. This was another double-decker bus tour and featured many great spots in the city like Union Square (a big shopping area), the Financial District, and City Hall among others. Another cool little tour that showed some of the best San Francisco had to offer.

Dinner was just as good as the ballgame as we ate at what is probably the most popular place in Chinatown: House of Nanking. After waiting 30 minutes in line at about 9:00 at night, we got a table and even sat with three fellow-New Yorkers who were also big Yankee fans. You don't order from a menu here; the waiters ask what you like and bring you dishes that cater to your taste. We had a shrimp cake appetizer, a very good sesame chicken, and an equally good pork dish. The tea was the wildest part. They serve it in a beer glass and there is a little flower on the bottom that blossoms into a big one inside the tea. It is a site to see for sure. I highly recommend eating here if you go to San Francisco. It was a truly unique experience.

After getting some famous Mitchell's Ice Cream in The Cannery down by the Wharf, we turned in for the night. Another great day in the Bay Area! Keep an eye out for pictures coming later tonight in another post!