Where Will I Be

At Dauphin, I just jumped into a train that is bound for Churchill, Manitoba. I should get there Thursday (August 1st) morning around 9 AM.

On August 3 (Saturday), I am flying back to Winnipeg.

On the evening of August 4, I will board a train for Toronto, which should get there Tuesday August 6.

At that point, I am heading back to the States to hit my three remaining MLB ballparks:

- August 6-7: Pittsburgh
- August 8-9: Cincinnati
- August 10-12: Cleveland.

I return to Toronto on the 13th for a few days and then should be in Montréal on the August 16-18 week-end.


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Days 68-71 (July 9-12): Victoria, BC

I took the Victoria Clipper, a Seattle-Victoria passenger ferry, at the ungodly hour of 8:30 AM on July 9th. This marks the end of the first stage of my travels (flitting around the US of A) and the beginning of the second (crossing Canada over land, mostly [darn those island provinces]). It also means that I have now travelled on this trip by plane, by train, by bus, by automobile and by boat.

While the 2:45-hour ferry ride was fun, it was uneventful as we were surrounded by fog for the bulk of the trip, which limited sightseeing.

Coming back to the hinterland motherland after 67 days (you see, there was a reason I was numbering days) in the US of A led to a few minor re-adaptation issues. For the first day or so, I was generally surprised when I 'spotted' a Canadian flag. I also kept catching myself reaching into my wallet for one's, having temporarily forgotten the looney and twoney scourge under which we live. (I know that this does not even represent a drop in the bucket regarding the money that is transacted every day in Canada, but I wonder how much currency in the form of looneys and twoneys is lying in the bottom of dresser drawers, in tea cups or in whatever improvised piggy banks people use.)  I was helped along, however, by a surefire sign that I was back in Canada: Green Rider fans wearing their colours for no apparent reason.

As for Victoria itself, well, it is very quaint. That being said, while I do not generally comment on the standard 'tourist-y' activities I undertake, I have to note two Victoria attractions that particularly impressed me:

- Butchart Gardens. In particular, the Sunken Garden, built in a former quarry, is definitely worth seeing:

- Whale watching. I took a three-hour whale watching tour in (I think) the Juan de Fuca Straigt.  I have to admit that I whooped fairly loudly when we spotted the first orca; we subsequently spent roughly 30 minutes following a female and her two offspring, which was quite exhilarating. I ended up taking quite a few pictures with the film camera, so I have only one to share, of a dorsal fin, so you will have to trust me on this one:

Otherwise, after a blues fest and a beer fest, what was waiting for me in Victoria, but the 14th annual Victoria Ska-fest of course. A combination of a free outdoor festival on the waterfront (with a supremely disorganized beer garden [another sure-fire sign that I am back in Canada: let's make beer consumption so difficult it feels like a privilege to be allowed to have one. This country has an extremely parochial streak.]) and some inside gigs, the fest featured a surprising number of local (Victoria and Vancouver Island) bands. Now I am not sure how broadly they were defining ska, as some of the bands I saw on opening night did not feature horns, but there seems to be a relatively thriving punk music scene on the island.  I caught the Sierra Leone Refugee All-Stars on the Wednesday night; I had heard about them but never before seen them. They are more Afro-jazz than ska, but put on a great, infectious performance.

On the food and drink front, some notables:

- I do not generally eat at self-described 'brasseries'; the food is generally be old-style standard French cuisine, mostly sea food, (e.g., bouillabaisse, moules-frites and the like) which does not greatly appeal to me. Also, for me, etymologically speaking, a brasserie should basically be a tavern, not an upper-scale restaurant. I was greatly surprised by Brasserie L'École (Government Street), described to me by a foodie friend as an 'old Victoria stand-by' which, while their menu was well in the Brasserie tradition (lots of sea food), serves some very imaginative fare. I had an endive salad with apple, bacon and hazelnuts with a mustard wine dressing to open and Sooke trout,with gnocchi, spinach, bacon, almonds as a main. Both dishes married a number of tastes which complimented one another perfectly; it yielded a solid meal.  The Brasserie also features a high number of wines by the glass and a large selection of Belgian beers.

- When I was in Vancouver for Grey Cup in 2011, a barmaid had recommended to me to be on the look-out for 'Fat Tug' by Driftwood Breweries, a Victoria brewery. (Either that or she called me a fat tub; I always have had my doubts until now...) I had a pint or two of the Fat Tug at the Bard and Banker, one of Government Street's many pubs, which had it on tap. It is an amazing IPA, with a lovely and strong hoppy taste (and you know, if you have been reading along, that it is just what I like in a beer.)  All in all, one of the better IPAs I have had.  On the other side, I had a two different IPAs from Phillips Brewing Company, also from Victoria, that were both brewed in the Northwest IPA style, which features spruce in the production.  They tasted, well, rather spruce-y, probably in line with what some select household cleaners would taste like if one were to sample them, which is probably not recommended...

- Jam Café (on Hearald Street, near Government) serves voluminous, really hearty and fancy breakfasts. I had the Charlie Bowl, Jam's version of a hash, which included biscuit, eggs, ham, cheese and gravy. While it took everything in my power to finish half of it (the second half was breakfast the next day), it was obviously extremely filling and quite good and gooey.

- The Oyster Bar, on Humboldt Street, next to the Empress, offers a heaping smoked fish platter for $14, which includes oysters, salmon, tuna and a couple of others, evidently house smoked.  A ridiculous value for the price.

Finally, I happened across this extremely cool memorial to the unsung Canadian heroes of the Mac-Pap Battalion about a block from the provincial Legislature.

Days 66-67 (July 7-8): Seattle, Washington

Ok, did I mention my timing was good? Did I?

Sunday, July 7th was the last day of Seattle's International Beerfest. (But really, I stumble upon a blues festival in Portland and then a beer festival in Seattle; I cannot wait to see what is next...)

From what I could make out, rather than inviting brewers (and agents) to rent space to display their wares, the organisers ordered the beer directly from said brewers and agents. They assembled a wide array of various beer types representing both American craft and European brewers. Some beers were only available at specific times, while others, mostly single casks, were tapped at random times. Overall, roughly 125 beers were available during the two-day festival. In addition, there were at least two 'beer garden' counters, where people could buy 12 ounce glasses of more accessible beer (e.g., Pilsner Urqel [sp?]) rather than 2 ounce samplers.

According to my less than copious notes, amongst the several beers that I sampled, two my favourites were:

- a bourbon stout, brewed by Anderson Valley Brewing Co. (Boonville, Ca) in Wild Turkey barrels. The lingering taste of bourbon married itself well with the stout; and,

- Tripel Entendre, a strong Belgian style beer with a very nice finish (and a funny name which only works on two levels, unfortunately. Well, maybe only on one.) brewed by Sound Brewery (Poulsbo, Wa).

Random Comments:

- I listened to Neko Case's 'Thrice All American' as the train went through Tacoma.

- If it seems like I did not do much in Seattle, well ...

A) I got in around noon on the 7th and left early in the AM on the 9th, so I was not there for all that long. (A good chunk of Monday was also spent trip planning. I do not have little elves that do this stuff for me, you know...)

B) I spent Sunday afternoon at a Beer Fest...

C) I did go to the Crocodile club (2nd Ave.), another one of Rolling Stone's top 20 rock clubs, on Sunday night. I do not have many observations to share because of, well, see B above.

D) I went to Jade Garden (7th Ave), which, according to eater.com, is the best dim sum place in town, but it was, surprisingly, very, very pedestrian, so I will not review it... Oops, oh, darn...

E) After the baseball game on Monday evening at Safeco Field (soon [?] to be reviewed), I went to the Purple Cafe and 'Wine Bar', located within a block of my hotel (the Monaco, BTW) which supposedly has a great wine selection, hoping to try a few Washington State offerings. Well, the bastards do not serve past 10:45, which really invalidates calling themselves a 'wine bar'. Fuckers.

Still, I really like Seattle.

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Where I Was (July 4): Waterfront Blues Festival

Part of the crowd, at the two main stages:

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What I Glimpsed (July 3): Mount Shasta, Oregon

From the train:

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Days 62-65 (July 3-6): Portland, Oregon

- How did I get here?

A 21-hour train ride, leaving Emeryville, Ca. (oh, let's say a suburb of Oakland) at 10 PM on the 2nd and getting to Portland at 7 PM on the 3rd, three hours late, because of some sort of delayed connecting train at Sacramento. The result of the delay is that we got to see a lot of Northern California and Southern Oregon that the train usually passes by in the night. And to me, that stretch was probably the nicest of the trip, starting with a whole heck of a lot of agriculture northwards from Chico, including massive fruit orchards. We also got to see Mount Shasta in Southern Oregon (picture to follow), which is majestic. After climbing through the mountains, the rest of the trip was kind of monotonous, mostly with forests of pines and firs to either side. An apt comparison would be the three-hour car ride from Québec City to Chicoutimi, through le Parc des Laurentides, except with taller trees.

- Doug Fir Lounge

I am getting lucky with scheduling lately. Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas, who had impressed me tremendously when I saw them open for Bob Seger in late 2011, were playing at the Doug Fir Lounge (830 East Burnside) the first night I was there. They played a solid 45 minute set of funky, almost big band like tunes, featuring Hernandez's powerful voice. I am repeating myself from 18 months ago, but they really have a distinctive sound that I have not encountered elsewhere. (Then again, maybe that is what all the kids are playing these days. Who knows?) The crowd, most of whom were hearing the band for the first time (they had never played Portland before) showed their appreciation loudly and enthusiastically. The Deltas were opening for a local punk band, Guantanamo Baywatch, a three-person outfit, which evidently were coming back to the stage after taking a break from performing. They were facing a rather friendly audience, who clearly had seen them before and had come out to cheer their return.

As for the venue, the Doug Fir Lounge (Get it? Get it? It took me far longer than I care to admit to figure it out) is a small subterranean venue, holding maybe 250 people, which is made to look like a log cabin. It lies below a restaurant/bar of the same name, which serves a small selection of local beers and offers what I would call healthy bar fare. The Doug Fir is attached to the Jupiter Hotel, part of a small chain of 4 or 5 boutique hotels in the North West that look kind of funky, according to their website anyway. The Lounge itself was recently selected by Rolling Stone as one of the 20 top club venues in the US.

- Waterfront Blues Festival

Did I mention I was getting lucky with scheduling? Unbeknownst to me upon my arrival, the 26th annual Waterfront Blues Festival was being held from July 4th to the 7th, in downtown Portland (yes, by the waterfront). And guess what, Ottawa readers? The festival actually did not just feature a smattering of blues, it hosted mostly blues acts, with one of the four stages dedicated to cajun/bluegrass music (an acceptable [to me, anyway] adjunct to the blues, musically speaking). The one exception might be the headliners: Eric Burdon, John Hiatt and Robert Plant (with fireworks on July 4th), although you could probably make a passable argument for each that they were not a huge departure from the festival theme.

The festival was extremely well attended: huge lineups were waiting to enter the grounds on July 4th (fireworks!), with smaller lineups on the Saturday.

The proceeds from the festival went to the Portland Food Bank. The suggested entry contribution each day was $10 plus two non-perishable food items. The exception was for the Sunday, because Plant was headlining, for which tickets were $50 or so, on top of having to buy a $60 four-day festival pass.

There were a few elements designed to give the Festival a smaller feel and keep a closer connection with the attendees, starting with a small, more intimate stage, where some performers gave workshops and engaged a small crowd. At the cajun/bluegrass-themed stage, they had actually laid out a large, wooden dance floor which was quite full during performances. In addition, between acts, as the techies were setting the stage, MCs were giving group dance lessons in cajun dancing (e.g., two-step).

There were two musical highlights for me: John Hiatt, a personal favourite on the strength of his mid- to late-eighties work, as well as his comfortable unassuming, at times funny, stage presence and the Pine Leaf Boys. You may remember that, after reading about this band a number of years ago in the New York Times, I found their CDs in New Orleans at the glorious Louisiana Music Factory. They played a rollicking hour-long set, alternating between French and English songs, with a couple covers thrown in (including 'Great Balls of Fire'), most with a strong fiddle and accordion base.

Overall, the Waterfront Blues Festival yielded a much more pleasant experience than I have had in recent years at the bloated Podunk Bluesfest.

- Powell's City of Books

I was intrigued when I noticed Powell's City of Books was one of the attractions for which there were directional signs through downtown Portland. You usually see these for specific attractions such as museums, generally not for private businesses. After seeking out Powell's, and spending a fair chunk of an afternoon there, I understood why. The bookstore covers at least a city block, includes multiple levels, features a wide array of fiction and non-fiction (colour-coded) sections and is replete with both new and used books. I could have easily spent a day in there and was amazed I only left with three novels.

-Food and Beverage

Partly because the Bluesfest was on, and partly because I just did not feel like it, I did not go out of my way to seek out restaurants or bars, with one exception. Bunk's Sandwiches was recommended by eater.com for, well, you know what they were recommending them for. They did not disappoint. It also made me realise that I have been running into a lot of these sandwich places, either as stand-alone counters or as part of a deli, over the last several weeks. There is clearly a market for higher-end sandwiches, featuring good cuts of meat and interesting sides. Maybe this is a corollary to the popularity of charcuterie-based restaurants. (It also makes me realise that I miss Murray's Market...)

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Where Will I Be?

I am just leaving Vancouver by train, on my way through the Rockies to Jasper. My schedule over the next 10 days or so follows the Via schedule from here to Manitoba:

July 17-20: Jasper, Alberta.

July 21-22: Edmonton, Alberta.

July 23-24: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

July 25-?: Onanole, Manitoba.


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Days 60-61 (July 1-2): San Francisco, Ca.

Highlights:

- Restaurants

The restaurant gods may have turned against me.

After missing out on Chez Panisse's re-opening by a few days when I was in Berkeley 10 days or so ago, I booked a table for lunch for Monday, July 1st... only for BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit, the light rail system that links San Francisco to Oakland, Berkeley and other communities across the Bay) employees to go on strike at 12:01 that morning. From a cursory look at the transit map, I figured I would have to take a ferry and two buses, which would have probably eaten up my entire day.  I had to cancel the reservation.

On July 2nd, I tried going for lunch to Swan Oyster Depot, on Polk Street, an eater.com recommendation... only to find out that they close every week for the week of July 4th. All was not lost as a local couple sent me on my way to Cheese Plus, north on Polk Street (also in the Nob Hill neighbourhood), a deli known for its sandwiches.  They were right:  I had a 'Willie Brown Bird', basically a smoked duck breast sandwich, which was as amazing as a smoked duck sandwich should be.

I had dinner that night at the Wayfare Tavern, downtown on Sacramento Street.  A relatively new restaurant, the Wayfare seems to want to emulate old time taverns/steak houses, with wood panelled walls, leather chairs, etc along with a menu that is built around more traditional fare (e.g., steak, rack of lamb, burgers steak tartare, even devilled eggs) that could be called American.  I had eaten at a similar restaurant in San Diego ('The Cowboy and The Star'); in both cases, the crowd was fairly young. (I have also noticed other similar, all relatively new, restaurants, featured on eater.com, especially on the West Coast...) I wonder if this is a bit of a trend, with late-20 and 30-somethings looking to capture a 'Mad Men' type experience, with classic American food, rather than fusion-type or even molecular cuisine. (I had made the same type of comments in a review of Hy's Steakhouse in Ottawa, but I would not consider Hy's as part of any trend, as it just seems to not have changed its approach in decades...) Either that, or it is the result of a bit of a general lowering of expectations vis-à-vis 'fine' restaurant dining, where patrons are not generally looking for new experiences but to eat familiar fare.

- San Francisco Opera

I attended the closing performance of Mozart's Così Fan Tutti on July 1st at the San Francisco Opera. The War Memorial Opera House, which opened in 1932, is a classical opera house, with the house appearing broader than deeper, with seats on a slow semi-circle. The production was solid, with great performances all around.  They set the opera in a resort town, I am guessing on the Mediterranean, in the early 1900's.  The sets and costumes, while relatively simple, aptly reflected that.  It was almost quaint watching members of the chorus, or, more likely, production staff dressed as members of the chorus, manually move some of the stage elements, given my most recent opera experience was the technically brilliant Ring Cycle at the Met in early May.

My issue is with the opera itself. I have now seen it produced three times (if you include a University of Ottawa production...); it really is an overblown and rather long rom-com, with mixed identifies, disguises, triangular relationships, etc. For me, it starts to drag a bit in the second half...

- Vistas

On the afternoon of the 2nd, I took the ferry to Sausalito, in Marin County, across the Bay from San Francisco.  The ride crosses the Bay and  provides great views of downtown San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and Marin County.  As for Sausalito itself, well, yawn... Some pics:

Random Comment:

- I ran into a woman from Minneapolis on July 1st, probably the next best thing to running into a Canadian...

Day 59 (June 30): Gay Pride Parade, San Francisco, Ca.

I arrived in San Francisco around 10 PM on June 29th to find out from my cab driver that Gay Pride Parade was the next day. That is akin to arriving in Podunk on June 30th not knowing that July 1st is a huge bash, for want of a better word. I figured this was a can’t-miss…

The parade travelled up Mission Street over a dozen blocks or so, culminating in a public party at City Hall, all of which were a few blocks from where I was staying.  Crowds were lined up on both sides of Mission, at least 8 to 10 deep.  It was also a much more soberly attired crowd than I anticipated; while a lot of people were dressed up, it was not the norm. Some crowd shots:

It was not a parade in the traditional, North American view of a parade, with floats and marching bands.  While there were a few floats (and a couple of marching bands), the parade consisted mostly of community groups (not all with a GLBT slant) marching in support of diversity and GLBT rights (as well as any number of politicians looking to either show their support for the cause, or derive a benefit from their participation; not being up on San Francisco or California politics, I could not tell).

The parade started around 11 AM (about 30 minutes late).  There was a lull around 1 PM, so I figured the parade was over and headed to the City Hall area, where people were shoe-horned into cordoned off streets and a public square; it was actually difficult to move.  Along with food trucks and stands from community groups and merchants, there were supposed to be two or three stages of local entertainment, I only found one.  When I walked away around 2:15, the parade was still going on, well over three hours after it began.

There was an added feeling of exuberance or joy surrounding the parade as it came a few days after the US Supreme Court struck down the last hurdle to the legalization of gay marriage (as far as I understand).  Numerous couples were marching with signs that made statements like ‘Just Married’ or ‘Together for n years; about to get married’ to warm cheers from the crowd.

Also, of note, many young women were showing their support by going topless. I have absolutely no issues with that stance.

Random non-Parade comment:

- While I am not a huge BBQ fan, I have obviously hit a few BBQ joints in my recent travels, starting in Tennessee in late March/early April. Today, I had the best beef brisket (and the best tangy coleslaw for that matter) I have had in a BBQ joint in, of all places, the Haight neighbourhood at Memphis Minnie’s on Haight Street, west of Fillmore.

Day 58 (June 29): Riding the Rails between San Diego and San Francisco

As per above, I took the train from San Diego to Oakland, with a bus connection to San Francisco. The train ride had two legs:

- San Diego to Los Angeles, departing at 6 in the bloody AM and taking almost three hours. The train mainly follows the coastline, providing great views of beaches and surf.

- Los Angeles to Oakland. This is a gorgeous route. Lasting 10 or so hours, It starts off heading north-west from Los Angeles for about 90 minutes, and then angles towards the coastline, which it follows for two hours or so, at times paralleling Highway One.  It then cuts back towards the interior, where it cuts through heavily agricultural land, foothills and the odd US Air Force base (Vandenburg Air Force Base; through which my seat mate and I tried to make sense of some of the many structures [Radar towers? Rocket launch pads?] that were visible from the train). It eventually goes through some tidal flats near Monterrey (very interesting geography, and wildlife; I am fairly certain I spotted a White Pelican).

This is a great train ride; the vistas are gorgeous; the geography changes through the route and there is wildlife to be spotted (e.g., mule deers, vultures, various raptors; on a previous trip, I had seen some wild turkeys).

Some pics:

Random sea side view, oh, two hours north-west of Los Angeles.

Santa Maria Valley, North of San Luis Obispo.

Present-Time Update: Where am I/Where Will I Be/Blog Update

Where Am I: back in Canada.  I got to Victoria on Tuesday, July 9th, by boat to less, which now brings me to air, rail, bus, car and boat as modes of transportation.  It felt a little weird to see so  many Canadian flags at first and to not be able to reach for one's in my wallet.

Where Will I Be:  I am heading to Vancouver tomorrow (the 12th); still not entirely certain after that.

Blog Update:  I am almost two weeks (and four stadia) behind, and will try to get up to date as well as I can.  Expect short(er) posts...

Cheers.

Days 54-57 (June 25-28): San Diego, Ca.

I had been to San Diego once before, in 1997, and had not been all that impressed. Other than the San Diego Zoo, the city had struck me as being somewhat boring. There was not much happening on the downtown core and the main entertainment neighbourhood, the historic Gaslamp District, seemed to only range for a couple blocks of nondescript bars and restaurants.

Downtown San Diego seems to have revitalised itself since then. The Gaslamp District now sprawls over 20 square blocks or so (maybe it did 15 years ago and I missed it...), and includes restaurants and pubs that seem worth a visit. The Eastern part of downtown, following the construction of Petco Park, has gone through a re-birth, with condos and hotels replacing run-down industrial buildings, and interesting restaurants and bars sprouting up. The attached 'then and now' pictures displayed in Petco Park shows the impact of either the stadium, or of a well-thought out and executed urban renewal plan that accompanied the construction of said stadium.

Stone Brewing Co.

We stopped in to Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, north of San Diego on our way into town. I have encountered Stone products throughout my travels; their IPA is one of the better beers I have tasted during this trek. We did not visit the brewery, but sat in their tap room and absolutely gorgeous (and large) restaurant and patio, which offers a varied menu that goes beyond bar fare (e.g., wild boar ribs, cheese plate).

I tasted a couple of products that are only available at the brewery, one, the 10th anniversary Ruination IPA which was had an extremely long, complex finish, and bought two of their other beers for later consumption, Stone's signature Arrogant Bastard Ale as well as the Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale.  The Arrogant Bastard is a strong beer, nicely and subtly hoppy.  The Self-Righteous, is a dark, reddish beer, which is a little sweet and not overly malty. Plus, it has a great name.  The Bastard and the Self-Righteous are two of the better beers I have tasted on the trip.

San Diego Zoo

I spent June 26th touring the San Diego Zoo. Even though I had been before, it is still very much worth spending a full day there. Beyond the critters, the zoo is well laid out, albeit with some slopes, which makes it an enjoyable walk.  Here is an okapi:

La Jolla

I spent the better part of June 28th in La Jolla, a rather well-off beachfront community north of downtown. I have to admit that I am growing quite fond of the beach. A couple pictures:

Random observations:

- The weather was heavenly; there is no other way to describe it. Temperature in the mid to high 80's (have I mentioned how much I love the Fahrenheit scale...), cool, refreshing breeze blowing in from the ocean, nary a cloud in the sky...

- I am travelling again, as Charlie left to head back East on June 26.

Day 52-53 (June 23-24): Santa Monica, Ca.

We got in to Santa Monica on the evening of June 22nd and left around noon on the 25th. Along the way, there were two baseball games, the LA-esque commute to said games, as well as a Bruins game (more on that below), not leaving all that much time for many other activities.

Before we get to that, when I set off on these here adventures, I had promised myself that I would at some point invoke the 'YOLO' clause and book at least one ridiculously extravagant hotel room.  Santa Monica seemed to be the perfect candidate. And it was. I spent three nights at the Casa Del Mar, complete with king-sized bed I almost needed a stool to get in, jacuzzi tub, TV in the bathroom, bathrobe, slippers (too small for my ridiculously large feet, but sill, slippers), turndown service (still not sure what that means), courtesy car and driver and this view:

I could get used to waking up in the morning to the sound of waves hitting the beach.

Here is a view of the hotel from the beach:

Santa Monica and Venice Beaches

I spent a good chunk of June 24th walking the boardwalk and the beach in Santa Monica and Venice. Some pics:

Santa Monica Beach and Pier:

Venice Beach, south of Fisherman's Pier:

Stanley Cup Finals

I spent another chunk of the day figuring out where I could watch Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals in relative proximity to Dodger Stadium, given I had a ticket to that night's game. Dodger Stadium is located in Chavez Ravine, basically a large park in the middle of Los Angeles, if your definition of park includes a ballpark and several square miles of parking lots. There are no next door neighborhood bars and, unless you have club seats (at least $250 a pop) no bars at the Stadium itself.

I ended up at the Short Stop bar, on West Sunset Blvd, evidently the closest bar to the Stadium, 0.8 miles away. (Now, I'm pretty sure that is actually the distance, as the crow flies, to the front gates as opposed to the Stadium itself.) The Short Stop is a cool little place:  the walls and ceilings are painted completely black and all the light bulbs are a dim orange. The place is dark. It is also very much a Dodger bar, with pictures of Dodger greats on the walls. Unfortunately, at 7 PM (during the second intermission of the hockey game), they flipped their one and only TV to the Dodger game. I cannot blame them for that, given the nature of the bar, but it did not help me any. The manager suggested I try Compadres, the Mexican restaurant next door, because they had at least two TV sets.

Not liking my odds of watching the rest of the game, I headed to Compadres. Lo and behold, they were showing the hockey game not only on the two TVs behind the bar, but on a big screen. Several people, including one of the bartenders, were watching intently. And, of course, there was a Mexican trio playing (three older gentlemen, two of which were playing guitars and one a stand-up bass). Add to that that the bartender welcomed me back and said he had not seen me in a while (I had to agree) and it was one of the most if not sur-realistic then unexpected environments in which I have watched a hockey game.

After that, I could not hail a cab to save my life, so I attempted to walk to Dodger Stadium. Between the steep hills (I did mention it was in a ravine), the lack of signage and the lack of signage, I have a lingering suspicion that I may well have been the first person to actually walk to the Stadium in living memory.

Here is a view of downtown LA from one of the many Chavez Ravine parking lots post-game:

Random observations:

- I may be warming up to LA itself. There is an extensive public transit system, which, from the little I used it, to be built along some semblance of logic. Fares also seem cheap, ($2 to $2.50 on average, depending whether you transfer or cross zones).  This is the second time I have been there, after promising myself I would never return after my first visit. I may need to give the city another shot.

- That being said, it seemed that when I had pleasant conversations with service sector staff, it was with people that had recently moved there. Otherwise, the abruptness of bar and restaurant staff was noticeable.

- Comped drink count: oh, let's say 8, because I have lost track.  The barkeep at The Short Stop comped me a beer because he had not given out anything yet that night... I suspect he may have been from out of town.

Where Was I: AT&T Park, San Francisco, California (June 18, 2013).

Ballpark count:

For the trip: 11.

MLB active: 23.

Overall MLB: 31.

Seat: Section 128; Row 28; Seat 18, up the LF foul line.

Result: Giants 5, Padres 4.

There is not much I can write about AT&T park that has not already been said. The park is gorgeous. The promenade behind RF that gives out on the Bay as well as the public boardwalk where non-ticket holding fans can catch a glimpse of the game are inspired design elements. The park redefined how open areas can be used behind the OF walls. It is relatively downtown and easily accessible by public transit. The concessions are many and diverse.

However, one has to dress up in fall clothing to go see a mid-June ball game at AT&T, because of the cold wind coming in off the Bay. This is simply not baseball weather.

And because of that, despite the gorgeous design, despite how fan-friendly it is, this is a significant failing for AT&T as a ballpark. 

Random Observations:

- The PA announcer is a woman; it is the only park to which I have been where this is the case. Glass ceiling broken, I guess.

- The large Coca Cola bottle in left field is actually a slide; I had no clue.

- Giants fans sure do like their Marco Scutaro.

Where Was I: Coors Field, Denver, Colorado (June 11, 2013)

(I am going to try to catch up on some of these...)

Ballpark count:

For the trip: 10.

MLB active: 22.

Overall MLB: 30.

Seat: Section 121; Row 19; Seat 10, roughly 20 feet past 3B up the LF line 1B up the RF line.

Result: Rockies 8, Nationals 3.

Coors Field is another gorgeous, modern stadium which follows the brick and steel approach that characterizes most stadiums built in the past 15 years.  It is located downtown, in the 'LoDo (Lower Downtown) district, which features brew pubs, bars, restaurants; i.e., there are any number of options to do before and after the game.

The PA announcer bills Coors Filed as 'Baseball's finest ballpark'. That may be hyperbole, but it certainly offers fans an extremely pleasant game day experience.

The concessions are great and varied. Along with the 24-inch hot dogs in Arlington, Coors Field may have a joint winner for concession item of the trip so far: frozen cheesecake on a stick!  (The same stand also sells berry kabobs: chocolate covered berries on a stick.) Other notable concession stands include a gluten-free stand (I have noticed several of those as I move West), a Buckaroo's concession stand just for kids, several craft beer stands twe are in Colodaro after all), the seemingly requisite BBQ stand (Famous Dave's, in this case) and a 'craft burger' shack.

The RF area is by far the most interesting part of the concourse. It features:

-  a standing room section that overhangs just above the bullpens;

- a 'play' area behind RF that includes batting cages and speed guns; and,

- a fantasy broadcast booth which faces the filed, where for $10, two people can play the role of announcer and colour commentator. Participants receive a DVD of their performance. Evidently, a lot of father-child combos participate, but it is not limited to parents and children. This is one of the most imaginative activities I have seen at a ballpark and, in my experience, unique to Coors Field.

On a negative note, the Rockies have the most excessive All-Star ballot stuffing encouragement I have witnessed. Fans receive prizes (i.e., t-shirts, pins, free ticket vouchers) each time they turn in a large number of completed ballots.

Random observations:

- Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez sure can play some nice defence.

- Weeknight games start at 6:40, which is unusual but obviously allows for more sunshine for evening games.

- Coors Field has a spin on the 'steal-a-base' promotion that I saw in Arlington, Houston and Phoenix; there is a 'Grounds Crew Challenge'.  A fan has 20 seconds to run in from left centre, install the base at second, then run off the field at third base. 

- Several contestants for 'Ms. Universal', whatever that is, were in attendance.

Le meilleur nom de tous les temps pour un magasin

Si j'avais vu ça dans une ville francophone, j'aurais été impressionné. Que cette boutique soit située sur la rue Polk à San Francisco m'épate et m'ébahit...


Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.

Day 50-51 (June 21-22): Driving Up Highway One, California Coast

We spent the bulk of the two days driving Highway One, from Healdsburg to Santa Monica, with an over-night stop in Monterrey.

This is an incredible drive, which mostly follows the Pacific Coast, with some occasional forays into the inland. 

The drive is breathtaking. It seems that every five minutes, I uttered OMG, or words to that effect, at the amazing vistas which unfolded in front of us (and behind us for that matter), as waves crashed into cliffs or into beaches or into rocky formations. The stretch from Monterrey to San Luis Obispo is especially amazing.

This could have easily been done over several days with breaks for hikes through any number of state parks that border the highway, visits to beaches and photo breaks that seemingly were warranted every five minutes or so. 

The drive yielded one of the highlights of my trip so far.  Sitting on the tree in the middle of the picture are two of the approximately 400 California Condors living in the wild.  This is the product of what seems like a successful program to reintroduce the Condor to its natural habitat after the population dwindled to single digits in the late 70s.  The picture was taken just south of Big Sur.

Other pictures:

Coast, near Duncan Mills (north of San Francisco:

Near Big Sur:

South of Big Sur:

And elephant seals, Piedras Blancas rookery near San Simeon: