giants and tigers and victories, oh my

I was pumped to cheer on the Mizzou Tigers on Saturday afternoon, but was trumped by enthusiastic Giants fans who were not happy that there was a single, solitary TV turned to the Mizzou/OU game at the Bus Stop bar. One TV out of seven. Give us a break! Luckily San Francisco won to advance into the World Series, so Giants fans were happy, and us Mizzou fans weren't berated too much. Needless to say, it was a doubly exciting evening as MU beat OU just a couple of minutes before the Giants beat the Phillies.

they call it mammoth for a reason

We are quickly checking more places off our list of must-sees in Northern California, and they are quickly getting more and more spectacular. Last weekend was Mammoth Lakes, and the quickest way to get to Mammoth from San Francisco includes driving right through the middle of Yosemite National Park, so that was a little bonus. The five-hour drive was turned into an eight-hour day-trip with a stop for breakfast at a cozy, small-town diner called the Mangy Moose in the random town of Manteca, California, and a hike in Yosemite to the Tuolumme Grove of Giant Sequoias. Highway 120 through the national park offers some awesome views of the mountain peaks and domes, particularly the famous Half Dome. Eventually we made it through Yosemite and down to the rustic town of Mammoth Lakes and our hotel, the Westin Monache Resort, where two outdoor hot tubs and a heated pool were waiting for us, surrounded by pine trees and Mammoth Mountain. As it's not quite ski season, but no longer summer, Mammoth Lakes is in a bit of a limbo, so with nothing really to do, we were forced to relax and enjoy the scenery. Tough job.

After lunch the next day at the very cute Convict Lake Resort, where we admired the golden leaves on the aspen trees and had homemade chili and, quite possibly, the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever tasted, we headed back the way we came, through Yosemite, though Manteca, across the Bay Bridge, and back to San Francisco. The only difference was the 10 minutes of snow that fell on us as we were waiting to enter Yosemite through the park's eastern gate....ski season is on its way.

The Western entrance to Yosemite National Park on Hwy 120

On our way down to the sequoias

Giant Sequoia

Giant Sequoia + tunnel

View over Yosemite from the highway

Another stunning view, with Half Dome in the background

Half Dome

Convict Lake

Convict Lake

Convict Lake

Convict Lake Resort

Aspen trees at Convict Lake

Snow at the eastern entrance to Yosemite

fresh off the farm

Seb and I signed up to have fresh, organic, locally grown produce delivered right to our front door every two weeks from Farm Fresh to You. Our first delivery was this week. Between the radishes and three different kinds of lettuce, I felt like Peter Rabbit.

in a parking lot, drinking beer? must be football season!

At Lombard Street (the crooked street)

It was a heavy football weekend for us with college football at the Bus Stop Bar all afternoon Saturday and the 49ers game on Sunday. Good friends were in town -- Jenny, a fellow Mizzou Tiger, and Chip, an Arkansas Razorback. Seb was drowning a little in so much gridiron activity, but for someone who did not grow up with fall football mania, he was a good sport. The 49ers lost by three to the Eagles, but Seb's first football tailgating experience was a winner.

At the Bus Stop bar for the Arkansas/A&M game

Turning Seb into a true Tiger for the Mizzou/Colo. game

Tailgating before the 49ers game: Chip, Jenny, Jon

Candlestick Park stadium

Very high seats, but good ones

Chip, Jenny, Leah, Kelly