Warning: this post sucks. Don’t read it. If you enjoy pain and suffering, please do read on.
Introduction
Brian and I had been in discussion about going to see an away Husky game in California sometime this year. First we were considering going to the USC game via Las Vegas, but the airfare was expensive, and we wouldn’t have much time in either city. Then Brian found very cheap flights and tickets to the Stanford game.
Jackpot.
I expect a lot of you have been to the Bay Area before, so instead of giving my usual narrative of events, I’ll instead highlight random aspects that I found particularly amusing, different, or otherwise worthy of attention. Although I had visited San Francisco with my family a few times, Brian hadn’t been before, so we spent our day there on Sunday doing the usual tourist-y things.
The Plan
Wake up at 4am Saturday and fly to SFO. Arrive at 0930, drop off our bags at the hotel, and go to Palo Alto for the 1700 UW-Stanford game. Watch the Huskies stomp Stanford, go back to our hotel at San Bruno, catch up on sleep, wake up Sunday and spend the day in San Francisco before waking up at 0330 Monday for a 0630 flight back to SEA.
Weather
We had heard that it was going to be an exceptionally nice day in the Bay Area last weekend, but we weren’t quite expecting just how nice it actually was. Both days were 80+ degrees with clear skies and a light breeze. I was thanking my lucky stars for deciding to bring a pair of shorts at the minute: because they were certainly needed to keep from getting heat stroke. And it was almost November!
San Bruno
Our hotel was about 1.5 miles from the airport in a lovely Bremerton-like town called San Bruno. We got the impression that nobody EVER comes from San Bruno. One of the squishisest parts of my plan was getting from the airport to the hotel. There was some short of hotel shuttle, but we weren’t sure how early it ran. Worst case situation I figured we could just walk there, not really thinking through that airports are not designed to have people walking from it to the main part of the city. After some fiddling and futzing around, we decided to try and walk to the hotel.
Oh it was just awesome. Extremely warm, sunny, and with our bags. While walking through Bremerton. Er, I mean, San Bruno.
The Hotel
The hotel? This was our view from across the street. I think it says just about all you need to say.
Train station
The CalTrain station in San Bruno? Oh, it was just lovely.
Drinking on the train, and in public
Clearly nobody told us, but not only was drinking on the train acceptable, it was almost universal. Everyone but us had gotten the memo to bring a cold brew on the train and drink it.
Stanford + Huskies
I think the Huskies played or something. I don’t really remember. I do remember walking through a sea of Stanford red before spotting the promised land in the form of purple and gold tents and balloons. In the direct sun on a grassy field, we joined the UW Alumni event and had some Blue Moon, listened to the UW (Alumni?) Band, and kept it real.
Game… what game?
Hunh? We just went to the stadium, walked around, and left.
San Francisco
San Fran was beautiful as per the usual rules.
Occupy SF
Brian detected the Occupy SF folks with his spidey sense. They were milling about much as in the other Occupy movements, but it was fairly clear that they had a lot more time to erect structures and become a commune.
Down with the man
Me being awkward
YOU SHOW THAT TENT. YOU JUST SHOW IT.
In-N-Out Burger
We went to an In-N-Out burger for lunch, despite me not able to eat the actual burger. Brian tried this unusual place and noted that while the burger was “tons” better than Dick’s, the fries were decidedly worse.
Keeping it real
Sunday night we kept it real by ordering Papa John’s delivery and watching baseball in our hotel room.
The real-est.
Waking up at 2am.
I like early flights: less people in the airport, TSA aren’t total buttholes, and I get to read onboard to the morning light. Too bad I woke up after 3 hours of sleep at 2am and couldn’t get back to dreamland before the alarm went off.
Annoying California Family
After the Occupy visit, we found a nice brewpub along the water that offered tasty beers. Getting an high table in the corner, we were somewhat like the lords of the dominion and could people watch the hell out of the place. To the right of us were a couple who clearly didn’t like each other: the girl looked annoyed with the total bro she was with and he seemed totally immune to this observation.
And then the real fun showed up in the form of “annoying brunette,” her clueless fiance, her parents, and two other friends. “Annoying brunette” said “like” every two seconds and complained about the most asinine things possible. While this was going on, her father, who looked like some professor, was trying to engage fiance in an intelligent conversion. Fiance was having none of it and instead looked annoyed every time professor father said something that was more complicated than “i lurv me osme steak.”
I’d say more, but you just kind of had to be there.
Nikky's Notes 