Our Life and Times in NYC: May 2008

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Break from blogging

Apologies to those of you who check our blog regularly - you've probably been dissappointed lately. Work is busy for Ethan and I - he's been working late and I am getting ready for end of the year closing. We have been slacking on the postings but we'll get back on it this week. Pics from Ethan's race, details from the Swell Season concert, and adventures with the Seattle boys coming soon...

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Happy Birthday, Brooklyn Bridge!

Today marks the 125th anniversary of the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. There's going to be a light show and birthday party at the bridge today.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Poor Mariners...but a fun day

A couple weeks ago, we went to a Mariners / Yankees game with our friends, Chad and Sarah. The seats were great and it turned out to be a beautiful day. We were prepared for the rain, but the sun came out and we ended up a little hot and sunburnt. The M's scored 2 runs in the first inning and then they were done for the rest of the game. Another loss, no big surprise. Regardless, we still had a fun time!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

SF - The End

We ended the trip with a walk in Golden Gate Park - which is right next to Haight Ashbury. We stopped at the Conservatory and looked at the pretty orchids, carniverous plants, and colorful butterflies.

This is it for our San Fran recap. We had a fun time with Kathleen and my parents and we enjoyed seeing the sights of the city. We can't wait to go back! K picked a nice city to move to.

Here are a few photos for the SF finale:

We had an intense game of Scrabble one night at the inn. Kathleen was really thinking hard about that triple word score.

Kathleen has this cute backyard at her aparment. I am jealous!

Dad looking sharp in K's shades.

Notice the name on the bus? Instant photo op.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

SF Part III - Cable Cars, Sea Lions and a Baseball Game

During our trip to San Francisco, we rode a cable care from downtown to Fisherman's Wharf. The cable car was pretty cool - it's a lot harder to operate than I imagined. The driver had to pull levers and work the brake- it looked like a good arm workout. They change the brake pads every 3 weeks - good thing because it was a little interesting making stops on the hill.

On the cable car - Mom and K lucky to get seats , Dad standing and hanging on tight.

Down we go...

Cool sculpture at Fisherman's Wharf. This area is the touristy place to visit - much like Pike Place or Times Square. We made a pit stop for ice cream here. You know the Thomas family - we love our treats!

Video of the sea lions at Pier 39. This is a protected area away from the sharks in the Bay who love sea lion dinners. They were very vocal and very stinky. The big one at the end below the Pier 39 sign is the big papa. He seemed to be in charge and liked to push the smaller boys off his dock.

We watched the Giants play the Reds at AT&T Park one night. My parents bought tickets in the center field bleachers - best bleacher seats I've ever seen. The field seemed very close and we had a nice view of Ken Griffey, Jr.. One of Kathleen's friends works at the stadium and got us club level passes (which is like the Terrace Club at Safeco Field). We stopped there at the beginning of the game- it was nice because we got dinner without waiting in long lines and could see the field while we ate. This ballpark is very nice - Ethan likes it better than Safeco! I'd say they are about the same. :)

Out in center field - notice the 756 sign? The only trace of Barry Bonds left in the stadium.

At the concourse behind our seats - right on the Bay. We left our seats at the perfect time and saw a home run go into the water. The kayaker in the picture below was ready but a man on the walkway was too fast and used a net to scoop the ball right out of the water.

One more SF post to come (I told you I took a lot of pictures).

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

SF Part II - A Birthday, A Prison and Some Parrots

Kathleen's birthday was April 25, so we celebrated by going to Alcatraz and hiking up Telegraph Hill. We also met up with her friend, Moira, and had a very tasty dinner at the Stinking Rose, a restaurant that puts garlic in nearly everything on the menu.

Kathleen and one of her presents - a sewing box to keep her "notions".

From K's neighborhood (Haight-Ashbury), we headed down to Fisherman's Wharf to catch the Alcatraz ferry.

On the boat

A nice welcome to Alcatraz Island

Inside the main prison building. We listened to an audio tour which was narrated by actual guards and prisoners from Alcatraz. It was a very interesting tour and a little scary to hear about what prison life was like on The Rock.

View of the dilapitated warden's house on the hill

Through a window at the warden's house

View of the city

Golden Gate Bridge - this is the closest we got to it. Next time we'll walk across.

After we returned back, we walked to the top of Telegraph Hill to see Coit Tower. I was not used to walking up steep hills and was a bit sweaty by the end.

Almost there...

Coit Tower - there are floor to ceiling murals inside on the main floor.

For those of you who saw The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill movie, you may recognize this tree. This is the spot where the man lived (the tan building on the right) and fed the parrots. We did see some parrots fly away and land in another tree.

Stay tuned for part three...

Sunday, May 04, 2008

SF Part I - Road Trip to the CA Coast

On our first full day in San Francisco, my parents rented a car and we took a road trip down to the Monterey Peninsula. We spent most of our time at Point Lobos State Park - starting with a picnic lunch, hiking on trails, and seeing lots of wildlife. It is one of the most beautiful places I've seen (and a nice change in scenery from the concrete jungle of NYC). We also drove on a really windy road to get to Big Sur and on the way home had dinner in Carmel. Here are some of the photos from our fun day at the ocean.

Point Lobos State Reserve