Ten Things I Like About the Bay Area
In no particular order:
The weather: A nice variety of it from fog to partly cloudy to rain to sun to wind. More than we get in So Cal, and much cooler, cleaner air quality.
Cable cars: There is something cool about riding up and down the hills in cable cars, especially if you're one of the last paying patrons hanging on with a foot and an arm with the other limbs dangling off the edge. If I have to get somewhere fast, I take the bus. These cars are unique and I hope they're maintained long enough for future generations.
Restaurants: Good quality, good selection and the stands at the wharf selling chowder and shrimp are the bomb.
Buena Vista was where I had my first Irish coffee in the 80's.
The California Open: Well thought out tournament with good structure and generous prize pool. After talking with Bennett,
I hope he reconsiders his choice to permanently step down and just take a sabbatical. I noticed way
too many players hounding him, incessant whining and complaining. It's okay to voice observations,
however the tone of voice and body language is the difference between being informative and confrontational. This guy should be applauded for doing
this for free--instead I could sense his stress.
Family: Sister and brother in law across the bay in Montclair. One niece at UC Berkeley, the other in high school.
Ghirardelli Chocolate: The aroma is apparent two blocks away. A lot of history there.
View of Alcatraz Island: It is scenic and captures the imagination despite the history there. It almost looks 1/2 mile to 3/4 a mile on a clear day from the piers, though it's measured at closer to 1 1/2 miles. Did the Morris brothers and Angllin make it ahsore in their 1962 escape attempt, or did they drown from hypothermia in the cold waters (though not nearly as cold as the Titantic waters)? It is possible for the non Olympic swimming layman to swim this far in those conditions? Interesting no bodies were ever found, even more suspicious after the Scott Peterson case demonstrated that eventually all dead bodies come to the surface. Washing out to sea would be highly unlikely based on the currents in the bay. The debate continues in popular culture to this day.
Napa Valley: Even though I'm more a coffee guy, I enjoyed a couple tours of the vineyard and wine factories during
a company trip. Good wine, great golf, and scenic. Site of the movie Sideways, combining wine (I'm not drinking and f@#*ing Merlot) and golf. No looking for golf balls that land in the vineyards --
errant shots are treated as environmentally sensitive areas. On a four person scramble format, can I push back the temptation to grip it and rip it and just play percentage golf?
Golden Gate Park
and the Presidio: Miles of trails to explore, Japanese Tea garden, and the bridge.
Sausalito: Nice ambiance for a lunch or dinner
The weather: A nice variety of it from fog to partly cloudy to rain to sun to wind. More than we get in So Cal, and much cooler, cleaner air quality.
Cable cars: There is something cool about riding up and down the hills in cable cars, especially if you're one of the last paying patrons hanging on with a foot and an arm with the other limbs dangling off the edge. If I have to get somewhere fast, I take the bus. These cars are unique and I hope they're maintained long enough for future generations.
Restaurants: Good quality, good selection and the stands at the wharf selling chowder and shrimp are the bomb.
Buena Vista was where I had my first Irish coffee in the 80's.
The California Open: Well thought out tournament with good structure and generous prize pool. After talking with Bennett,
I hope he reconsiders his choice to permanently step down and just take a sabbatical. I noticed way
too many players hounding him, incessant whining and complaining. It's okay to voice observations,
however the tone of voice and body language is the difference between being informative and confrontational. This guy should be applauded for doing
this for free--instead I could sense his stress.
Family: Sister and brother in law across the bay in Montclair. One niece at UC Berkeley, the other in high school.
Ghirardelli Chocolate: The aroma is apparent two blocks away. A lot of history there.
View of Alcatraz Island: It is scenic and captures the imagination despite the history there. It almost looks 1/2 mile to 3/4 a mile on a clear day from the piers, though it's measured at closer to 1 1/2 miles. Did the Morris brothers and Angllin make it ahsore in their 1962 escape attempt, or did they drown from hypothermia in the cold waters (though not nearly as cold as the Titantic waters)? It is possible for the non Olympic swimming layman to swim this far in those conditions? Interesting no bodies were ever found, even more suspicious after the Scott Peterson case demonstrated that eventually all dead bodies come to the surface. Washing out to sea would be highly unlikely based on the currents in the bay. The debate continues in popular culture to this day.
Napa Valley: Even though I'm more a coffee guy, I enjoyed a couple tours of the vineyard and wine factories during
a company trip. Good wine, great golf, and scenic. Site of the movie Sideways, combining wine (I'm not drinking and f@#*ing Merlot) and golf. No looking for golf balls that land in the vineyards --
errant shots are treated as environmentally sensitive areas. On a four person scramble format, can I push back the temptation to grip it and rip it and just play percentage golf?
Golden Gate Park
and the Presidio: Miles of trails to explore, Japanese Tea garden, and the bridge.
Sausalito: Nice ambiance for a lunch or dinner