Let's go (Cornhuskers) (Bruins)!

A perk of being a military family is sometimes you get free things. In this case, we were given free tickets to the Foster Farms bowl game which was held at Levi Stadium, home of the San Fransisco 49ers. This was a real treat to see Levi Stadium since Charles is a 49ers fan.

Before the game started, we toured the 49ers Museum which is attached to the stadium. It was neat to see the evolving history of the team and take some photos in a giant helmet. 

Didn't know I was a member of the 49ers back in the day, huh? ;)

The game was the Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. the UCLA Bruins. Going into the game I had zero preference between the two teams. I have never been to Nebraska or Los Angeles. But you know what sold me on cheering for Nebraska? Their marching band. Yup... I'm a nerd. But if you had seen both marching bands, I think you would understand. Nebraska's marching band far exceeded the talent and skill (at least what was shown) of the UCLA marching band. They had a whole routine with movements and a theme. UCLA stood in a line. No joke.

Plus, Nebraska is part of the Big 10. In our house, we cheer for Michigan. M Go Blue! So it only made sense to want a fellow Big 10 team to take home the W.

It was a chilly night. But we had a fun time watching a bowl game. Levi Stadium is quite nice and has some really good food options. Charles enjoyed steamed buns and I had a pulled pork sandwich.

Frisco Bay

Despite living so close to San Francisco, we have not been since moving here...until last weekend. Unfortunately, our reason for visiting was Charles' grandmother's funeral service. While the reason for going down was sad, it was a good time to see Charles' extended family.

While in town, we ate a ton of good food and took in the sites. We saw some of the same things we did last time. The weather was gorgeous which made for good walking weather.

Before heading back home, we stopped and checked out the Beat Museum. This museum highlighted the Beatnik generation; I knew absolutely nothing about this subject beforehand and thought it would be a neat way to learn a thing or two.

The church of Charles' grandma

At the Cable Car Museum

Our next adventure

With Charles in training and graduating in the next few months, a new assignment would be forthcoming. The list of available positions came out a few weeks ago. We carefully ranked our choices and ended up with Alaska and California at the top of our list. We patiently waited for the final announcement and heard on Friday evening.

We are going to CALIFORNIA!

I must say that I prefer this to Alaska. From the very limited research I have done so far, I'm getting pretty excited. I've also learned that I am going to have to start liking exercise. California is like food heaven. We'll be in the Sacramento area and there seem to be tons of yummy restaurants that have been featured on the Food Network and other channels. I have started my Pinterest board to keep track of everything.

While in California, we want to visit Oregon, Washington state, Hawaii and so many other states we have never been to. It will also give a chance to go back to San Francisco and see the things we didn't have time for last year.

The only downside is that it is on the totally opposite coast as my family and friends. But hopefully we'll make friends faster than we did here.

Other places we ate in San Fran

I enjoy food and scoping out the best places to eat while on vacation. I also love the show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives from The Food Network. That show has made finding good places to eat in other cities a little easier. I also utilize TripAdvisor like crazy when trip planning.

I knew from watching numerous episodes of DDD that he has been to MANY places in the San Francisco area. I think residents of San Fran really love to eat. They have to eat well to walk all the crazy hilly streets!

The first place we tried was Dottie's. We walked a couple miles to get there and when we arrived there was a line out the door. As you may know from previous posts, Charles hates lines! I was half expecting him to say he didn't want to wait and to go somewhere else. But surprisingly (and thankfully) he stuck it out. The restaurant had a neat atmosphere and great specials listed! We had a breakfast appetizer of a coconut chocolate chip muffin. It was huge, so it was good that we shared. And it was delicious! The coconut was toasted and yummy! I ordered their famous pancakes which are flavored with ginger and cinnamon. AMAZING! And they make it even better by serving with real maple syrup. I'm a little bit of a syrup snob. I hate the fake stuff.

Charles ordered the Pulled pork, roasted onion and jack cheese scramble. It wasn't something I would order, but he really enjoyed it.  I'm not a huge savory breakfast kind of person. It came with a side of salsa and tortillas.

The next place we tried was in San Anselmo, across the bridge from San Francisco. The restaurant was Bubba's Fine Dining. We went for breakfast. I ordered hot chocolate which came in a glass milkshake cup. I thought that was cute. For my entree, I had the Creme Brulee French Toast. It had a nice crunch on it and was served with real maple syrup. The restaurant played oldies the whole time and had a neat counter, as you can see in the picture. It was a cozy little restaurant, but it was really great!

A totally random, drive-by pick was Pizza Orgasmica. We had just picked up the in-laws and brother-in-law from the airport and got across the Golden Gate Bridge and we were all hungry and craving pizza. We saw this place and thought the name was a little risque, but tried it anyway. Plus, they had parking available. It seemed like a very family-oriented restaurant. In the back, they had a huge section for families with kid tables and toys. In the main part of the restaurant, in addition to regular tables, they had ones that sat low to the ground with cushions instead of chairs. It was a little "hippy", but would be fun for kids.

We all ordered pizza. Charles and I split a Hula Hula. It was pretty good! I prefer the Hula Hula at a pizza place near us (Spinozas), but this satisfied my pizza craving just fine. I ate three whole slices, which is a lot for me to eat. 

From looking at their website while writing this post, they have several locations in the San Francisco area. We visited the one in San Rafael.

Another place we stopped at was not featured on DDD, but was something my father-in-law insisted that we visit. It was the Marin French Cheese Factory. When he was growing up, they went at least once a month. It's just a little shop that sells cheese and such. We bought some french bread pieces, original brie, and some other kind of cheese spread (I can't remember the name of it). They have a little lake with picnic tables surrounding it. It was a gorgeous, sunny day and we sat outside to enjoy our cheese and the company. It was very good cheese! The cheese spread was flavored with garlic and was similar to cream cheese, but a little chunky. It's hard to explain. It was a bit of a drive to get out there, but it was a good experience.

Five Guys vs. In-N-Out

Going to California gave me a chance to try the famous In-N-Out Burger. I'm a huge fan of Five Guys, so I was definitely expecting something similar. When we walked up to the door, there was a line of people waiting for their orders. Charles hates lines, but we were determined to try it. The line went really fast and we were even able to score a table.

In-N-Out Burger Products (Google Affiliate Ad)

I ordered a cheeseburger and a chocolate milkshake. Charles and I shared an order of fries. They give you your order in a little red bucket-like tray. I liked that. At Five Guys, regardless if you order to eat in or to go, they give it in a brown paper bag. It feels a little wasteful sometimes.

At In-N-Out, they put a secret sauce on their burgers. I liked that. I also enjoyed the option to order a milkshake.

Plus, In-N-Out was a good deal cheaper than Five Guys...even in California. If you have never been to CA, it seems like EVERYTHING is more expensive. 

The things that just did not compare to Five Guys were the burgers and fries. At Five Guys, you can order a plethora of toppings. Even though I always only get lettuce, ketchup and mayo, it is nice to have other options if my taste buds decide to change. The fries at In-N-Out just didn't have the same good flavor that Five Guys' fries do. I'm not a huge fan of fries, anyway, but they just didn't match up.

Charles and I decided that In-N-Out would be a really good option for someone who is used to eating McDonald's or Burger King. Their burgers are freshly made and without all the crap that the other places have. Although, if you are craving a really delicious burger, go to Five Guys. 

Frisco Bay

Charles and I recently returned from a trip to San Francisco, CA. The circumstances of our trip were not ideal, but the trip was a good opportunity to meet new people and see new things. The reason for going was that Charles' grandfather passed away, so we went to his memorial service. But I was able to meet all of Charles' aunts and uncles on his Dad's side (13 in all), his grandmother, and a few other people.

We saw a lot of neat things and decided again that we do not like big cities. Too many people! But it was fun seeing all the San Francisco landmarks (and learning about a few that I had never heard of before). Here are some pictures from our trip:

Cable Car Museum

Alcatraz in the background

Musee Mecanique (reminds me of the Princess Diaries and basically the main reason I wanted to find this game in the museum)

Pier 39 sea lions

Golden Gate Bridge (north side)

Samuel P. Taylor State Park (Redwoods)

Marin French Cheese (The Cheese Factory)

House boats