Road Trip Update

Hello folks and greetings from Day Five of the West Coast Swing. We've driven a lot of miles and stayed in at least two hotels with Wi-fi issues. So here's the rundown so far - apologies for the delay.

Day One:

After a six-hour flight from Boston to San Francisco, Team Fire It Up touched down in California wary but excited to begin the 2010 West Coast Swing. And it started with a doosie: Tim Lincecum pitched a complete game shutout as the Giants beat the Mets (and hard luck loser R.A. Dickey) by a score of 2-0. AT&T Park lived up to the hype: an intimate setting (holds just over 40,000 fans), which was also ice cold. The wind coming off the bay and the temperatures in the 50’s during the later innings made Fenway in April seem pretty bearable by comparison. To try and warm up, I had some halfway-decent nachos and a Fat Tire ale while Jay opted for an Anchor Steam and the infamous Cha Cha Bowl – white rice, black beans, jerk chicken, vegetables and seasonings. Other options for warmth: a Pablo Sandoval “Kung Fu Panda” panda hat (despite the rumors, I did not purchase one). Other highlights: a visit to the “Tipsy Pig,” a place where people wear Nantucket Red pants and expect to be taken seriously, with our friend Billy, and my first trip to In-N-Out Burger, where I observed a couple guys on the street, one with a guitar and a sign that said “need $$ for weed.”  What honesty. What a day. And we’ll be back next week.

Day Two:

The fog lifted as we drove away from San Francisco through Oakland; too bad the next game was not in Oakland, but in Anaheim. With some burrito action from Carl’s Jr. providing the fuel, we settled in for a 9-hour drive south (the last 2.5 were spent in L.A. traffic). Angels Stadium is a pleasant experience. The park is bigger (built in the late 60’s and holding 45,000+, the fans are nice, and the view is cool. It’s a good place to watch a game. Wearing my Ray Allen Celtics jersey, I was met with a couple of boos but did talk hoops with Vincent, a stadium attendant who was very much into the Lakers. The Angels were playing the Mariners that day; we watched Ichiro hit a half dozen moon shots to the right field bleachers during batting practice, then went to left field where Mariners coach (and former lights-out closer) John Wetteland was kindly fielding questions from a Little League team. Angels Stadium offers several different hot dog choices: the Chicago Dog, the KC BBQ Dog, the Angel Dog, the NY Coney, and the Boston Dog – each captures the culinary theme of its respective city. Our offering boasts baked beans and chopped bacon, FYI. Jay and I opted for the KC BBQ Dog with brisket and barbecue sauce. One of the best hot dogs I’ve ever had. Jered Weaver held off Felix Hernandez in another solid pitching match up, and the post game fireworks were really good.

Day Three:

Holy moly Laguna Beach. Thanks for the suggestion Brick; Las Brisas has a fantasic view and a tremendous breakfast buffet for $14.95. The omelet bar was excellent, as was the eggs benedict and the two types of crepes, one filled with meat and the other with zucchini. A stop at the Rainbow Sandal shop in San Clemente yielded three pairs for sandal aficionado Jay Hall and possibly the most comfortable pair of sandals in the world for me. We then proceeded to San Diego, went to the beach and to Petco Park for a late afternoon tilt between the Padres and Diamondbacks. Despite its reputation as a “pitcher’s park,” five home runs were hit that day, four by the Padres, including an inside-the-park job by Tony Gwynn Jr. as San Diego won, 8-5. San Diego has a spacious, comfortable stadium with character (the former Western Metal Supply Co. building is literally built into the stadium). After the game we hit up Food Network favorite Mama Testa for some excellent fish tacos and hit a couple bars in the Gaslamp District, which was crowded to say the least. Our lower-key choices included The Field (yep, you've been to the one in Cambridge) and Maloney's Tavern, featuring a crazy one-man band in the back. Good stuff.

Day Four:
Nine-and-a-half hours of driving from San Diego through Arizona, along Route 66 for a stretch, straight to the Grand Canyon National Park. Along the way we stopped at a “Back to the 50’s” shop in Seligman, AZ – the only thing that would've been cooler for Jay is a DeLorean museum. As planned, we made it to the ridge before sunset. If you've ever been to the Grand Canyon, you know exactly what we saw. It's pretty unique.

After a stop in Sedona, AZ and Slide Rock State Park, we're getting ready for a Diamondbacks-Mets game in Phoenix tonight. We'll catch up with you soon.