Wharf & Bay Cruise - Day Two

After a quick bus ride we were back near the Wharf. It was the warmest day forecasted all week so we decided it’d be the best day to do a Bay Cruise. The Red and White fleet had tours for $22/person. While walking over there, a couple was offering a tour on their fishing boat at one o’clock for $15/person, we opted to go that route we put our name on the list and killed time at the Antique Arcade and passed by nearby vendors at the Wharf.









There were dozens of creepy animated puppets. Some made no sound, others like these, just laughed and laughed. It could only be creepier if they were clowns.





I got a kick out of the old-time porn, we sure have come along way…



We killed enough time, we were able to board the boat. We walked down the ladder off the pier unto the boat and took a seat up front. For the longest time it seemed we have the bow to ourselves, but no such luck. A couple joined us. No problem, only about 15 people can ride so it can’t possibly get too crowded.

The boat we were on was much like these.



Once everyone boarded we were on our way. Scoma’s is at the end of the Pier, we ate there later in the week.



Crab season opened on Saturday, our last day – unfortunately. Here you can see all the crab traps piled up. Boats were loaded with them on Friday evening.



Jeremiah O’Brien is docked at Pier 45, it’s one of two of the last Liberty Ships built and launched during World War II.



Out on the Bay…



Once we got near the bridge everyone from the back of the boat migrated up near us. Two solo photographers, a couple kids and a group of guys that were reliving their frat boy days – they were awfully annoying, they got wasted pounding back a case of Bud Light. Between them, and the rocking from the waves it was tough to get decent shots.







I thought it was neat to spot this plane above the bridge considering we were in boat. Planes, boats, and automobiles… doesn’t have the same ring to it.













Lastly Alcatraz…







Then it was back to dock, we spotted seals napping along the way.



The cruise would have been perfect if it weren’t for the drunk frat boys. I liked going out in the smaller boat, they shared brief details with us along the way and provided blankets.

Next, we were off to the Hyde Street Cable Car.

Downtown - Day Two

Downtown San Francisco reminded me of Chicago, the tall buildings, architectural detail, and bustling streets – I love that big city feel.









The Transamerica Pyramid is the tallest building in the San Francisco skyline. At 853 ft, suddenly it didn’t seem so big despite it towering above us. Especially when Las Vegas has The Palazzo topping out at 642 ft, Fontainebleau at 735 ft or the Stratosphere Tower at 1,149 ft. However, it is still an impressive sight.





Redwoods in Redwoods Park, around the corner from the Transamerica Pyramid. Neat to see.



The flower stands were welcomed bright spots in the concrete jungle.





We enjoyed our look around, it was time to head to the Wharf.

Waiting near the bus stop.

The Mission - Day Two

We were up bright and early Tuesday. Our first stop was Walgreens to buy 3-day Muni passes ($18ea) so we could ride the busses, cable and street cars all we wanted. Next stop was coffee at Starbucks – fortunately for us, they were next door to each other. Then, we were off to the bus stop. We were headed to the Montgomery Bart Station, and then we took Bart to 24th and Mission. It was a breeze.



Once in the Mission District, Dynamo Donuts was our destination. It was several blocks from the Bart station, we could have taken the bus, but it was considerably warmer there – we opted to enjoy the weather, and take in the sights of the neighborhood. Large murals covering sides of buildings could be spotted at nearly every corner.







Many homes were brightly painted with amazing detail, I loved this one.



We passed dozens of Taquería’s – some touted tacos and others tamales. Few were open since it was early otherwise it might have been tough to simply pass by. Dynamo Donuts is a walk up donut and coffee shop there are a few tables inside. They are known for their Maple Glazed Bacon Apple donuts. We got two of those, and we also tried Lemon Pistachio – my favorite, Spiced Chocolate, Vanilla Bean and a Cinnamon Stick Bun. I thought the bacon and bacon fat maple glaze might make these donuts savory, but nope, they were sweet. Just like you’d expect a donut to be. We had hoped for something different. We were a bit disappointed.





We walked the streets and passed time until La Taqueria opened. It boasts “The best tacos and burritos in the world”, I can’t say that is true but they were Muy Bueno! I had a carnitas taco and Frank chose the carne asada burrito. Both are served with beans and salsa. We also ordered a side of chips and salsa. The salsa and green sauce were fantastic.











We filled our bellies and got a feel for the oldest neighborhood in San Francisco, it was time to head back downtown, an easy trip via the Bart.

San Francisco - Day One

The Flight to San Jose was quick; it was a breeze getting to the Caltrain Station. Time passed quickly, I read most of Bastard Husband: A Love Story while traveling - great read, by the way. Once in San Francisco we hopped on the bus to get to our hotel, The Tuscan Inn. We had been up since 4:30am, so by the time we made it to the room we were exhausted and starved - it was around 11 o'clock.





We walked a couple blocks for Freddie’s Sandwiches. We had the club on sourdough and wheat. The wheat was the better of the two. The other gave my jaw a work out – it was the chewiest sourdough I ever came across. The sandwich shop has been around since 1926, it has an old feel. They offer a huge selection of pop and beverages. Hundreds of varieties cover the walls.





No longer hungry, we just needed sleep. We napped, and lounged a bit. Eventually, we walked over to the Wharf and chose to dine at Cioppino. How could I dine at a place called Cioppino and not try their signature dish? Never having tried it before, I figured what better time? I loved the crab and snapper, the clams were also tasty. The mussels, shrimp and calamari could have been better. Each got chewy as they cooked in the broth. Frank had Shrimp Scampi. It was delicious. The shrimp were tender and perfectly sweet.




After dinner we walked up the Wharf and along the Bay up to Ghirardelli Square. We stopped in for sundaes. Frank had the peanut butter, and I had the intense dark chocolate with coffee ice cream. Both were out of this world!



We wandered a bit before turning in… we looked forward to the adventures ahead.

Back home!

We had a great time in San Francisco last week. We saw a lot, did a lot, and ate a lot. Details to come, but first I need to play catch up. Plus there are over 500 photos to sort through.

Here are a few teasers...

The Fat Greek

This week's LLV article covers one of our favorite lunch spots. The Fat Greek. They serve up all kinds of tasty eats.

Check it out, Vegas Values: Gyros and more!

Wow!

It is Friday. Already. This week flew by, which is pretty astonishing since my vacation begins at four o’clock today. This weekend will be spent with the family. My mom, Blaine and Mike drove in from Pahrump last night and they’ll be staying with us a couple nights. I’m not certain what is in store, but bingo was mentioned as was the Wrangler’s hockey game. Mike won two tickets a few weeks ago at Bite of Las Vegas. I’m looking forward to whatever we do, especially since Mike will be heading back to Chicago in less than two weeks. Whenever family and friends visit time flies and it’s a whirlwind.

This past weekend was no different. We had a great time with Jimmie and Kate. It was her first time here, she was in for a real treat since Jimmie surprised her with the trip; they stayed at the Signature, rented a Corvette, saw Crazy Horse, and did the Richard Petty Driving Experience. In their free time, they hung out with us at Ellis Island, Firefly, Hard Rock, and Seablue. Frank took them for a night run under the moonlit sky to give them a taste of off-roading; they also cruised thru Red Rock Canyon and did some hiking. I was stuck at work on Monday so I wasn’t able to join in the fun and enjoy the gorgeous November day. I was definitely jealous. They’re already talking of making a trip next year, I hope they do. It’d be good to see them again soon.

Last Friday before they got into town, Frank and I met up with old friends at Three Angry Wives. It is an Irish themed video poker bar and restaurant. We caught up over beers and then ordered dinner. Frank had the Rueben he thought it was pretty good. I went with the corned beef sandwich. It was decent, but I ran into some tough fatty pieces. That’s always a disappointment. Prices were reasonable. I wouldn’t go out of my way to return, but I wouldn’t mind going back.

After dinner, we all headed to Bailey’s Sports Bar (Rancho/Craig) for Amateur Comedy Open Mic Night. It happens the last Friday of the month. No cover, a pitcher of Widmer was $12.75. It was fun, some comedians were better than others; only two were really terrible. I imagine new talent performs each month.

We crammed a lot in last weekend; we had long days and particularly long nights. It was one heck of a weekend! It was also great because Frank had time off from work. I really appreciated all of our extra time together.

Thankfully, we get another dose next week. No work and all play!

NHRA Video

NHRA Nationals

Check out my blog post at LLV, NHRA: The Need for Speed for details about the Nationals on Saturday. Below are several photos I took throughout the day.


Pro-Stock & Stats




Top Fuel Dragsters and their stats.










Funny Cars





Tomorrow I'll add a couple videos.

Vegas does Halloween right

Halloween was fun-filled to say the least. We started with NHRA (details to come) and then headed downtown Saturday evening and we finished the night – err, morning off at the Hard Rock. Fremont Street was packed with visitors in their Halloween costumes. We’ve never been on the strip or Fremont for Halloween so we were in for treat. Most Halloween’s Frank has been stuck working, although, one year we did get out to the Orleans for Monday Night Football. That was neat to see all the cocktail waitresses dressed up. However, I never imagined the number of costumes we saw this year. Las Vegas has to be the largest Halloween celebration around.

We met up with Jimmie and Kate at Golden Gate and then decided to kick off the night at Firefly for bacon wrapped dates and sangria. You cannot go wrong there. The restaurant was packed, and I think we might have been the only ones without a costume. The staff was overwhelmed, but we eventually got waited on. Joe Dirt was our server. How great is that? We quickly learned people watching would be our entertainment for the night. We saw a great Blues Brothers duo, the Teletubbies, the sluttiest Belle from Beauty in the Beast, saw a Kate from Jon & Kate + 8, plus many many more. My brother joined us, and then we decided to move on.

When Jimmie first planned the trip he asked if we wanted to go the Fetish & Fantasy Ball at Hard Rock. It sounded fun, but pricey. We passed, and he later decided against it, too. Instead, we chose to head over around midnight and check out the vibe and see what kinds of characters were roaming about.

The hall from the parking garage was packed quite the bottle neck formed it took us a bit to make our way into the casino. The center bar was four and five people deep. We managed to sneak in to order a round. Jimmie was brilliant and went ahead and ordered two drinks for everyone. The bright side to the crowds was that it was amusing to see what everyone was wearing. For the most part bare skin was key, I even saw some men that were wearing less than the ladies. Thigh highs for the women were extremely popular, but no complaints here. We saw slutty and creative costumes, both are great. The Flintstones characters seemed to be one of the most popular costumes this year. Along with officer Dangle from Reno 911 and Lady Gaga. Also, saw a few guys with baby’s ala The Hangover. Some look-a-likes were so dead on I had to do a double take, Raoul Duke from Fear and Loathing, Brett Michaels, and Gene Simmons are a few that come to mind. Oh, and Michael Jackson, he was better than impersonators on the strip. Some of the more original costumes I enjoyed were Cleveland Browns fans who wore paper bags on their heads, Green Man from Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a Facebook profile, and OJ Simpson complete with blood and knife, and Wonder Women with body paint.

With a drink in each hand, we set off to find a spot on the outer ring of the casino to people watch. There was a constant parade of people all decked out - some funny, some trashy, some really hot, and others that were just plain fun. We hung out for a couple hours, before heading home. The others hit the strip, my brother said the costumes were even better on the strip. The Carnival Court and Rockhouse at IP had the biggest crowds. He spotted a bunch of neat costumes at Bellagio, too.

I’ve decided Halloween in Vegas is a lot like New Year’s Eve. Crowds are a bit smaller and there are no fireworks, but there is a lot less clothing and a lot more skin. People watching is more fun for Halloween, but New Year’s is a larger party. Both are a guaranteed good time.

Costumes were really great it’s a shame I didn’t get better photos, just another reason to check it all out next year. But even in person they might appear fuzzy and blurred... I suppose it depends how great of a night it was.

Great MJ!


Almost the whole Sesame Street was there, only Oscar and Cookie Monster seemed to be missing.


The pope couldn't even miss out on this party.


Officer Dangle ran by chasing Terry fortunately he was captured. Criss Angel didn't care to notice.


Britney and Chris Farley from the SNL skit with Patrick Swayze (he was there, too) where they do the Chippendale routine.



Now, can you just imagine how entertaining the elevators and casino entrances had to be around 9am on Sunday morning. You know hundreds had to make that walk of shame.

More misc thoughts

This cold weather has had me feeling like a mope. It makes it tough to muster up a coherent post so how about more random thoughts…

It’s going to be one LONG winter. Fortunately, it’s a bit warmer today and it looks like the weekend will be nice.

Thank goodness! Tomorrow we’ll be at the Speedway for NRHA. We’re both excited.

Plans for tomorrow night are still in the air, but there’s no shortage of stuff to do.

Sunday, Frank’s off, we’re having people over to watch the games. Yes, we’re ready for some football!

This past Wednesday we attended a cocktail reception at Cherry Nightclub inside Red Rock. They were hosting the “Best Places to Work” awards. We were nominated and took home first place for companies of medium size (100-500 employees). I really do work for a great company. The owners deserve the award.

It was neat to see Cherry, nightclubs aren’t my thing so I’d never see the inside otherwise. I gotta say I expected something nicer. I remember reading all the hoopla when it opened; however, I failed to see anything noteworthy. Carpet was pilling, ceilings were unfinished, and the Halloween décor was cheesy. I suppose most nights it’s too dark, crowded or people are too drunk to notice.

Frank is also off today, I planned to take the day off until I learned I had no more paid time left. Instead, here I sit. At least, it’s been quiet. We had a nice spread for breakfast, we have a Halloween costume contest – the winner receives a $50 gift certificate. I didn’t dress up, nothing brilliant came to me. But others did, we have the Progressive insurance lady, Barbie (in a box), Ricky Bobby, and a pirate. We all voted for our favorite, the winner has yet to be announced.

I’ve got a head start on Christmas which is pretty bizarre since I’m usually a procrastinator. I designed cards on Shutterfly, scored free shipping and 25 free cards; they shipped super quick, I got them yesterday. I’m pleased with the final product.

My dad is always the toughest to shop for and I’ve found gifts for him already. Score!

I shipped Nicky’s birthday gift today. He’ll be three on Wednesday. Time sure does fly!!

Poor kiddo has been sick with a fever all week. Hopefully, he’ll be better by tomorrow so he doesn’t miss out on trick or treating. His birthday party is next weekend. If nothing else he needs to be well by then.

It sucks missing his parties. Times like these make it really hard to live so far away.

Speaking of, I had hoped to go to Chicago over Thanksgiving, but fares are too expensive and funds are too tight. Looks like I’ll have to wait until next year to see my favorite boy - and family.

Frank will be 30 in a month. It seems like yesterday we were celebrating his 18th birthday. Have I mentioned time flies?

Hmmm, I think that’s about it…

One more thing, check out this week’s Vegas Values: Discover Bellagio.

and

I hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween!

Baby, it's cold outside

It's windy, too. I haven't seen the sun since Monday. Sure, it's only been a day, but it feels like eternity. I need my sunshine. When't it's dreary and cool. I just want to stay in bed and hide under the covers. That's exactly how it was yesterday.

Last night, the house was cool about 70. We didn't feel the need to turn the heat on, but blankets were necessary. However, before bed, Frank set the thermostat at 66. I heard the the heat kick on about 3:45am and it was still on when I left the house. It was only 45 degrees at the time, with wind gusts up to 50mph. No wonder the house was so cold.

I hate this weather. It's too early for it. October is supposed to be perfect weather - dammit.

I'm absolutely dreading winter this year. My blood has gotten way too thin. It's hard to believe I lived through Chicago winters. You'd never guess, now, because I'm such a wuss when it comes to cold.

I'm also dreading the time change this weekend. I'd much rather have the hour of sunlight in the evening than in the morning. I hate it when it's dark when I get home from work. I need sunshine, remember? The five minutes I might see in the morning isn't enough. I wish we were like Arizona. It'd be nice not to observe DST.

It's tempting to hiberate... wake me, when it's spring.

Stuff on my mind

My mom had gallbladder surgery Friday morning. She waited so long for it, we were really concerned that it wasn’t going to hold out and she’d be forced to have emergency surgery. But her gallbladder was a trooper and it held on until the very end. Her surgery went well; she was released from the hospital Friday afternoon. I drove out to Pahrump straight from work. I stayed the night to lend a hand. I didn’t want Mike to be overwhelmed. She was in a lot of pain, she was sore and nauseated from the pain meds but all that was to be expected. She didn’t have any gas pain symptoms, which was a surprise, since I had awful pains after having my appendix removed. When I left her late Saturday afternoon, she was doing really well. But after I left she was sick from the pain meds and the gas pains finally reared their ugly head. She’s been miserable since, I feel for her. I remember how awful and uncomfortable they were. She also has pain and discomfort from her ruptured discs so it’s not just the surgery that’s causing her trouble. Hopefully, the pains will subside soon.

She happened to get biopsy results on Friday, too. She shows no signs of skin cancer, each came back clear. Such a relief! Now, she just needs her back fixed. She meets with Frank’s back surgeon on Nov. 6. Not much longer and she’ll should be on the road to feeling better.

Saturday night, we went by a friend’s house to watch the UFC fight. The fight means little to me, but it’s always nice to get together with friends.

Sunday my only plans were to get my haircut, clean house, and run errands. The last few weekends have been hectic so I was behind. I nearly accomplished all I hoped. I have two bathrooms left to clean and the floor needs to be mopped. With any luck, I squeeze those in sometime this week. As for my haircut, I wanted a change, I thought now would be a good time to go shorter. It’s getting to cool to cruise in the Firebird without T-tops and we won’t have time to go off-roading until February – both require me to tie my hair back. I went with a chin length bob. It’s much shorter than I anticipated. I’ve never worn my hair so short before it’s going to take time to get used to it. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it. Frank was shocked. It was one of the few haircuts he’s noticed, though.

Sunday nights are one helluva tv night. Curb your Enthusiasm has been absolutely hilarious this season – vehicular fellatio and second hand semen – some of the funniest moments in comedy history, I swear. Last night’s episode was unexpected, too. So clever and witty, I just love it. Mad Men is wrapping up, only two episodes left. It’s nice to finally start seeing loose ends coming together. Can’t wait to see what else unfolds. Californication, Hank is such a whore. How many women can he juggle? As for Dexter, it seems so odd to root for a serial killer, but I find myself doing it week after week, season after season.

Cold weather is on its way. Wednesday’s high is supposed to be 58 degrees. What a cruel joke, October is usually perfect weather month. This year it hasn’t earned that title. It’s been cold, it’s been hot, it’s been windy.

Halloween is Saturday. Unreal. This year has flown. We won’t be home for trick or treaters. We’ll be at the Speedway for NHRA and then we’re getting together with friends that are in town from Chicago. No firms plans, but it’ll be fun to catch up.

Do I seem wiser? Evidently I am. My first wisdom tooth has made an appearance. It’s terribly annoying. My next dentist appointment is scheduled for December. I’m not sure of I can wait that long. I’ve always been slow to get teeth. I remember I was 13, I had 6 baby teeth pulled because I could lose them on my own. I was pretty old before I got my first tooth, too. It’s no wonder I’m nearly 30 before my first wisdom tooth broke through.

Only a couple weeks left until vacation! I need to get a list of good eats together and places to see. I’m so excited to experience San Francisco!

I think that’s about it. Until next time…

Childhood beliefs

Kids! You gotta love their innocence and unexpected humor.

Here’s a conversation my sister shared with me, between her, and my nephew, Nicky. He’ll be three in a couple weeks.

Nicky: I want to go to Las Vegas. I want to go on an airplane.
Amy: I know honey, but I don’t have any money.
Nicky: So? Go buy some.

If only it were that easy.

It got me thinking about the crazy things I believed as a kid, such as:

• If I swallowed gum it would build up in my stomach eventually causing me to be stuffed with gum.


• If I swallowed watermelon seeds a watermelon would grow in my stomach.


• I could fall through sewer grates. I was afraid of being eaten by rats.


• Wontons in wonton soup were dragon eyeballs – thanks, grandpa.


• That Care Bears really lived in the clouds, I’d always look up to try to spot them.


• That thunder occurred when angels were bowling.


• When the news showed photos of most wanted or criminals on the loose, I thought they were specifically coming for me.


• Oral sex was talking about it out loud.

My favorites that I recall my brother and sister believing:

Mike thought that barf bags on airplanes were for popcorn, and Amy thought that the flight attendants were doing magic tricks when they went over safety precautions.

Funny stuff.

Who knew there was an entire site dedicated to I used to believe? But, there is a site for everything, now, isn't there? A few of my beliefs made the most common list. Check it out, it’s good for a laugh.

I never heard this one, but how brilliant is this? Ice cream vans only play music when they've run out of ice cream.

What did you believe?

Quest for Chinese

This week's article is about my search for Chinese. I had no idea that there were so many variations. I was in for a shock when we moved to Vegas. Chinese food was nothing like we knew back in Chicago.

Whenever, I visit family and friends back home. A trip to Golden Palace, in Lansing, is a must. Frank and I had an apartment near there for a couple years prior to moving to Vegas. We ate at that restaurant weekly. Bean sprout noodle, fried rice and sweet and sour chicken, eggrolls and almond cookies for dessert. Yum! Even years later, it's still just as tasty and operated by the same family.

Offerings at the Victorian Room inside Bill's doesn't quite compare, but it's the closest we've found here in Vegas.

Vegas Values: Familiar Flavors.

Say it isn't so

Eating Las Vegas reported that Daniel Boulud Brasserie at Wynn will close April 2010.

We ate there in September 2008. We weren't blown away by most of what we tried. However, the duck confit was fantastic. We might just have to make another trip before Daniel Boulud closes.

Yeah, I gotta have that duck again.