Social in the suite and silent in the outdoors
On Saturday night, Dave and I were invited to join one of his clients in the Audi Legends Club for a Giants game at AT&T Park. This was my second Giants game, but first time in a suite.
Now that’s the way to watch baseball.
The suite had tons of food, an open bar, flat-screen TVs, couches, high-top tables and plenty of seats to enjoy the game. Unfortunately, since I got home much later than expected from my day of group fitness training, we didn’t make it to the game until halfway through, but were still able to meet everyone in the suite and take in the experience.
We were definitely the youngest couple in the suite and had a most excellent time meeting our fellow fans. Something I have noticed during my time on social outings here, is people are very interested to hear a new person’s thoughts on the Bay Area. This particular suite of people was full of local San Franciscans, and they were in awe of meeting someone who was born and raised in Florida.
Common questions include:
- Is this place cold for you? Yes.
- Do you like it here? Yes.
- Why did you move? Dave’s job.
- Have you traveled down to Southern California? Sadly, not yet.
After the game, we were invited to join another couple for a drink. So we, along with what looked like the rest of the entire population of AT&T Park, flooded onto the street heading into the few establishments near the stadium. Seeing the lines forming, we walked about half-a-mile to a wine bar down the road, which was also quite packed. One beverage and some chatting later, we all decided to call it a night, parted ways and were home in time for Saturday Night Live. (However, as usual, I fell asleep shortly after the opening monologue … arg!)
With a concert on Friday night, and so much activity on Saturday, Dave and I had planned to seek some serenity on Sunday to end our weekend.
Just before noon, we put on our comfortables (i.e. sweatpants, usually reserved for the privacy of home), packed a bag of picnic items and headed out to Marin County for a long overdue hike in the Marin Headlands starting from Rodeo Beach and Fort Chronkhite. Fort Chronkhite is a former World War II military post; and the barracks, mess halls and structures still standing today are now used by the National Park Service.
As usual, it was pretty cold outside. I hadn’t worn enough layers, but luckily we had some extra clothing in Dave’s trunk that was meant for donation. I pulled out an old sweatshirt and popped it under my jacket, then we hiked about a mile to the most incredible picnic spot we’ve found thus far in the Bay Area.
It was there that we sat, listened to nothing but the waves break on the rocks and took in the fresh sea air. Sometimes the hustle and bustle of city life can keep you on edge, so it’s always a welcome retreat to absorb the natural sounds of the great outdoors for a retreat.
Fun fact about Dave: His absolute favorite activity on the West Coast is to go on on relaxing hikes in Marin County, preferably with views of the ocean. During this hike, he climbed down close to where the waves were breaking on the rocks, made friends with a seagull and stood for nearly 20 minutes in awe.
Some days you need some socializing; some days you need some silence. Here’s to a weekend full of both.
