Royalty returns to the Bay area before returning home to NYC!

After we left Anaheim Friday night, we drove 100 miles north on I-5 to Lebec where we spent the night at Motel 6. We arrived there around 1AM which gave us enough time to get a good night sleep.

We got up in the morning & we drove back towards the Bay area. We were going to Oakland which was 300 miles away. We drove for a short time and then I noticed an exit that had places to eat so I got off so we could have breakfast. Since Duck wanted to have coffee at McDonald's I dropped him & the King off there. I saw an Iron Skillet just up the road so I decided to go there instead. I had time and I prefer to eat well so I did. I wound up having an all you can eat buffet. It worked out well since we had a long drive ahead of us. After I indulged in my hearty breakfast, the King & Duck walked over to where I was. Once I was done, we got back in the car and we continued on towards Oakland.

As we got closer we ran into a traffic jam that was at a stand still. There was a major accident that closed all the lanes. Luckily we were able to turn around & we took an alternate route instead. By doing so, the delay we had was minimal. Once we got back on the right track we were in good shape. We wound up stopping for gas just before we got to the O.co Coliseum which is the home of the Oakland Athletics. They were playing the Cleveland Indians on this night & it was Yoenis Cespedes bobblehead doll night for the first 15,000 fans who entered the ballpark.

Me with my Yoenis Cespedes Bobblehead Doll

Thanks again to our pal and fellow ballpark chaser Tike Narry who gave us tickets to the game which also had a $6 credit per ticket on them which allowed us to get something to eat at the ballpark. In addition, he gave us a parking pass. We couldn't thank Tike enough for all he did for us at the beginning of the trip & now once again at the end of it.

He told us the ballpark gates were opening extra early at 2:30PM for the 6:05PM start. As a result, we planned accordingly. We wound up getting to the parking lot at 3:30PM. By doing so, we were all able to secure a bobblehead of the 2013 Home Run Derby champion. It's always nice when you go to a game and you get a cool giveaway.

Since we had some much time before the game, we all wandered around the ballpark before we decided to go up to the upper deck where our seats were with Tike & his son Patrick. It was great to see them again before our week long getaway came to a close.

As for the game we saw, the Indians took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning as former Athletic Nick Swisher opened the scoring with a solo homer to make it 1-0 Indians. They added another run which proved to be enough as they eventually went on to beat the A's, 7-1. The Indians scored three times in the top of the ninth inning to put the game away with two outs. As a result, the King asked me if we could leave because he didn't want to have a problem making our redeye flight out of San Francisco which was on the other side of the Bay 27 miles away. Tike told us how to get out of the parking lot which worked out well as we got out without any problems. We wound up driving across the Bay Bridge and we got to the car rental center at the San Francisco airport with plenty of time to spare. I returned the Ford Fusion I rented. I wound up driving 2,270 miles safely.

We walked over to the tram that took us back to the terminals where we checked in for our flight on American Airlines. We had our bags checked through to LaGuardia airport. We had a layover in Chicago O'Hare before arrived back home.

Stay tuned for the last leg of the journey as the King & I went in different directions that Sunday afternoon after we got home.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty goes sightseeing as we drove to Anaheim to see the Angels & some more special people!

After spending the night at Travelodge in San Ysidro which is 13 miles south of San Diego and right by the Mexican border, we checked out after we ate breakfast there on Friday August 16th.
We arranged to meet up with our pal & fellow ballpark chaser, Steve Fekete aka Padre Punk again. He took off from work that day. He told us to meet him at Portillo's for an early dinner in Buena Park which is 7 miles north of Anaheim at 4:30PM.

Since we had some rare spare time we drove up part of the Pacific Coast Highway as we made our way towards Anaheim which is 100 miles from where we stayed.

Duck & The King at Oceanside Beach

The King & Duck wanted to go to a beach to dip their feet in the Pacific Ocean. I obliged as we stopped off at Oceanside Beach along the way. We parked the car and we walked over. We took a nice relaxing walk along the beach. The highlight was when the King lost his glasses briefly when a wave came up. It was hilarious watching him try to find them. Luckily he did. Once they were done having their fun, we went back to the car and we went on our way. When we finally got to Buena Park to meet Steve, we had some time to kill. I noticed there was a Walmart in the shopping center. With that being said, we were able to go shopping while we waited for Steve to arrive.

Shortly thereafter, Steve wrote me & he said he was at Portillo's. With that being said, we walked back over there & we joined him. They're known for their hot dogs and beef. They also have chicken & fish sandwiches. I decided to get a fried halibut sandwich which was excellent. I had fries and a shake with it.
After we ate, we drove over to Angels Stadium to see the Angels play the Houston Astros. We parked the car on the street within walking distance of the ballpark thanks to Steve who knows the area since he lives nearby and he goes there often.

Steve, the King & Duck decided to go ahead towards the ballpark. I stayed by the car because I was waiting for some special people that the King & I initially met back in March 2000 when we saw the Mets play the Cubs in Tokyo, Japan. I'm referring to Dennis & Sue Kelly who were originally from Long Island. They moved to Orange County which is where Anaheim is located just over 30 years ago. Since we've met them, we've taken turns visiting each other over the years.

They showed up shortly after Steve, the King & Duck left so it worked out well. They parked right behind us. We then walked over to the stadium together. I wanted to make sure they didn't get lost along the way. We caught up with Steve, the King & Duck by the home plate gate where the two Angel hats are for those of you who have been to the ballpark there. We proceeded to round up tickets outside. Once we did we all went inside. We arranged to meet upstairs behind home plate where we watched the game together. We were one big happy family if you will.

View from Upper deck at Angels Stadium

As for the game we saw, it turned out to be a long one time wise. It took 3 hours and 48 minutes to play the nine innings. The only good thing about it was that we were able to enjoy each other's company longer. The game was scoreless for the first four innings too. In the top of the fifth inning, the Astros broke through as they scored three runs to take a 3-0 lead. The Angels answered by scoring one to make it 3-1 after five. Both teams added a run in the seventh inning to make it 4-2. The Astros pulled their starter Brad Peacock with one out in the seventh. They called on a pitcher named Josh Zeid who got Angels' center fielder Peter Bourjos to hit into an inning ending double play which stopped the rally the Angels had going with the rally monkey jumping up & down on the scoreboard during the pitching change. The Astros put the game out of reach in the top of the ninth inning when they got a power surge as Chris Carter hit a three run homer which was followed by a solo shot by Matt Dominguez to give the Astros' all the run support they needed as they beat the Angels, 8-2. Since the game went so long we decided to leave despite the fact they were having a post game fireworks show which Dennis & Sue stayed for. We said our goodbyes & thanked them for making the time to join us. It was great to see them again.

Steve Fekete, Duck, King, Me, Dennis & Sue Kelly

Stay tuned for the next installment of the journey as we headed back up to the Bay area.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty goes to Petco Park in San Diego to see the Mets and other ballpark chasers!

Thursday morning August 15th after we got a good night sleep, the King, Duck & I ate breakfast at Days Inn in Tucson before we drove 410 miles to San Diego. We drove 60 miles on I-10 until we got to the exit for I-8 which we took the rest of the way. It was the first time we ever drove on I-8. It was a very scenic ride as we passed through the desert and the mountains. We also drove through sand dunes along the way. It was another gorgeous ride. When we got near the San Diego area, I called our pal and fellow ballpark chaser, Corey Menotti aka the Dancing Friar. He was planning to join us at the Padre game but he got stuck at work later than he originally planned to because a co-worker called in sick. As a result, we arranged to meet him at Hotel Del Coronado, a luxurious hotel & resort where he works. It's located across the bridge from downtown San Diego. We had to pick up the tickets for the game he bought for us. We wound up parking the car there around 4:30PM. He then decided to give us a royal tour of the hotel which was been around for 125 years. I remember going there for a brunch back in April 2004 when our friend Steve Tepperman gave the King & I a guided tour of the area along with our friends Dennis & Sue Kelly who live in Orange County near Anaheim.

After we finished our grand tour, we drove back over to downtown San Diego and we parked the car by a meter within walking distance of Petco Park around 5:45PM. We arranged to meet up with another ballpark chaser, Steve Fekete aka The Padre Punk who drove down from Anaheim to join us. We met him for a pre game meal at Smashburger. He recommended it. It was the first time we've been in one of those. I know there's one near LIU in Brooklyn here in NYC but we've never gone in there. After we finished eating, we walked over to the ballpark.

We all went inside the park and wandered around before the game started. This was Duck's first time there. It was the fifth game for the King & I. We wound up sitting upstairs in section 301 behind home plate while Steve stood out in right field which is affectionately called the RF Mission. We told Steve we'll join him in the seventh inning. True to our word, we did indeed. By doing so, we got to see Corey Menotti again who arrived late due to work. He was in rare form doing his thing in the walk way. Like Steve says and I quote "you can't beat the entertainment out here." In addition, we were introduced to many of the regulars that go to Padre games. They included another ballpark chaser named Sean Meehan who told me he knows my pal Dave Block aka The Gratitude Guy. He usually sees him at the Delta Sky Club where he works since Sean travels a lot. We got to share some stories. We also got to meet a guy named Ismael who's known as the K dude. He puts up the K's when a Padre pitcher strikes out an opposing batter. He said he's been going to all the Padre home games for 17 straight years. We all enjoyed the time we spend out there with them.

Me & Corey Menotti aka Dancing Friar

As for the game we saw, the Mets & Padres were tied at one as each team scored in the fourth inning. It stayed that way until we moved to right field. That's when the Mets broke the tie as Marlon Byrd delivered a two run double in the top of the eighth inning to make it 3-1. They added an insurance run in the ninth inning when John Buck hit a solo homer to give the Mets a 4-1 lead. Relief pitcher Gonzalez Germen pitched the last two innings for the Mets to earn his first save as the Mets beat the Padres.

After the game, we decided to join these guys at Lolita's which was a few blocks from Petco Park. I'm not a big fan of Mexican food but I decided to give it a try. I wound up having a chicken quesadilla there. It turned out to be really good. I'm glad I was daring enough to give it a shot. As a result, we got to enjoy these guys' company some more before we called it a night. In addition, we got to meet former Padre & Met pitcher Randy Jones who was there doing a talk show. That was cool. I remember seeing him pitch back in the late '70's. He seemed like a really nice guy.

After we said our goodbyes to everyone we drove to San Ysidro which was right by the Mexican border off the last exit of I-5. We spent the night at the Travelodge there.

Stay tuned for the next installment of this journey.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty goes to Los Angeles to see the Mets play the Dodgers!

Tuesday morning August 13th we woke up after getting a good night sleep. We checked out of the Carson Valley Inn in Minden, Nevada. We bought gas at the Shell station which was right next to the hotel. It was a wise decision because the gas prices in Nevada are a lot cheaper than they in California. Once we filled up we made our way towards Los Angeles which was still about 400 miles away. We left there at 9:50AM.

We drove a few hours on scenic route 395 into California. We stopped off in Bishop, a town along the way. We were told by Tike that there was a place he saw on Yelp. He strongly suggested that we go there. He said he hasn't been there. With that being said, I planned accordingly. Ironically when I went to the team store in Reno to get my minor league pass-port book stamped, I overheard a gentleman say he came from Bishop to see the game. I asked him about this place that Tike told us about. He said it was a must see. He warned me it could be crowded. As we approached the town of Bishop, I did notice a billboard on the side of the road saying that Erick Schlat's Bakkery, home of the original sheepherder bread since 1938 was just up the road. I had the address thanks to Tike and we found it with no problem. We turned in to the parking lot and we waited a minute as a few cars were pulling out. The lot was packed. When we got out of the car and we walked towards the entrance. There was a seating area outside too. It was quite a set up. They have an area for sandwiches where we got on line just in time. The line wasn't terribly long when we did. After we were paying at the end, I noticed the line grew and grew. It was a madhouse. It looked like a bus load just pulled into the parking lot.

Erick Schlat's Bakkery

As for the sandwiches, we all got carved turkey on their famous sheepherder bread. It was a tremendous sandwich to say the least. My sandwich had dark green lettuce which was excellent it should be noted. We sat inside and ate. After we finished I noticed they had a separate pastry area with no one on line so I decided to get a cinnamon twist which was scrumptious. Duck took out some cookies as well. It turned out to be a great stop. Once again I have to thank Tike for telling us about it. If he didn't I probably would have drove right by it.

After we got back in the car, we continued on our way to Los Angeles. We drove on route 395 until we saw the cut off for route 14 which we took until we got to I-5. We did make a quick stop in Lancaster to check out Clear Channel Stadium where the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League play. It was conveniently located right off the highway so I decided to get off & take a look.

It should be noted that the drive we took was amazing as we drove through mountains and cannons on different elevations. It was truly breathtaking.

As we approached the Los Angeles area, we surprisingly didn't run into too much traffic. As a result, we got to Dodger Stadium around 5:30PM. We wound up parking the car on the street just before the entrance to the stadium parking lot. We proceeded to walk over to the stadium.

We didn't have tickets yet so we just went to the box office and bought them. We picked the wrong game to attend though. For whatever reason, this game was deemed a three star one. That meant the ticket prices were higher. We wound up paying $20 for Top of the Park seats in the upper deck. It should be noted that Monday night was a one star game for $8 and Wednesday night was a two star game for $10. We got our money's worth when we walked and they gave us a skull cap. I didn't realize it got that cold in Los Angeles. Apparently it's for fashion purposes. You got to love LA. Honestly speaking, I don't. It's one of my least favorite cities to visit.

Once we went inside the ballpark we were limited to where we could go. We could have gone down to the reserve level below us but that was all. That's the drawback of being in the upper level there. As a whole, Dodger Stadium is a great ballpark. Unlike the majority of today's modern parks, you're there mainly to see a baseball game. We decided to eat there too. By doing so, we had the famous Farmer John Dodger Dogs. It was nice to return there. The last time the King & I were there was in June 2008. As for Duck, it was his first time so it was a treat for him.

View from the Top of the Park 

As for the game we saw, the Dodgers were hosting our New York Mets. It was an intriguing pitching match up as the Mets had their young stud Matt Harvey on the mound against the Dodgers' rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu from South Korea. The Mets drew first blood when Juan Lagares, the second batter of the game hit a solo home run to give the Mets an early 1-0 lead. It stayed that way until the Dodgers finally got to Matt Harvey who escaped trouble as he got the Dodgers to hit into three double plays in the first four innings. In the fifth inning, his luck ran out as shortstop Nick Punto hit a two run double to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. They added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning when catcher A.J. Ellis drove in two more with a two out single to make it 4-1. The Mets managed to get one back in the top of the ninth inning off Dodger closer Kenley Jansen but they couldn't get anymore as they fell to the Dodgers, 4-2.

Stay tuned as the journey continued as we made our way to the desert for a mid week doubleheader in the state of Arizona. Please bear with me as I try to find the time to play catch up.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty rides to Reno to see the Aces play!

After spending another night at Casa De Narry Sunday night August 11th, the King, Duck & I woke up after the Narry family left to go to work Monday morning August 12th. Tike gave me a key to lock up the house once we got ready to hit the road. They woke up early & we slept through.

Tike who now works for Amtrak as an engineer was driving a train to Reno. We arranged to meet him later in the day there. He decided to join us for the minor league baseball game we were seeing there that night.
Once we left his house we drove back to Stockton because I told the King I was going to make sure that we would go visit his sister Alice Casiano who lives there. True to my word, we did indeed. We wound up going to her home first. We saw her and her husband Miguel. After we spoke for a short time, we decided to go to get something to eat. She recommended Denny's which was nearby. We asked her is there anything else. I suggested IHOP because I know Duck likes that place. She said yes there is. So she decided to drive us all in her SUV. We wound up having a nice breakfast together. It should be noted everything we've gone to Northern California, we've also made time to see her along the way. With that being said, it was nice to see her again.

Once we got back to her house, we said our goodbyes and we continued on our way to Reno aka the Biggest Little City in the World. We got there around 4:30PM. We parked the car in the El Dorado casino garage for free thanks to Tike who told us to do so. We then walked over to a restaurant in the Casino called The Brews Brothers where we met up with Tike for a pre game meal. He told me they have amazing specials from 2-5PM. We timed it perfectly as we got there just before that ended. As a result, we got to take advantage. Even after Tike told us about a time that he and some buddies drank there for a few hours for next to nothing, the King couldn't believe the bill when the waitress brought it to us. We had some really good pizza, wings and microbrewed beers. I want to thank Tike again for another solid recommendation.
After we finished eating, we walked over to Aces Ballpark, home of the Reno Aces which was a few blocks away. It should noted that the Triple A All-Star Game was held there in June. On the way, we stopped by the Amtrak station which is right by left field. Tike showed around there. We then proceeded to head towards the box office to get tickets for the game. Before we got to do so, a guy outside said here's tickets for the game. We were all caught off guard. He just gave them to us. We all thanked him and we proceeded to go inside. We were in the right place at the right time. As I like to say, timing is everything.

View from Aces Ballpark

As for the game we saw, the Reno Aces, the Arizona Diamondbacks' affiliate were hosting the Nashville Sounds, the Milwaukee Brewers' farm team. The Aces got up to a fast start as they batted around in the first inning. They wound up scoring six runs. There were a few walks, an error, a wild pitch and a few timely clutch two out hits that resulted in the big inning. The Sounds broke the shutout with a run in the top of the third inning to make it, 6-1. The Aces answered back in the bottom of the third inning with three more runs to go up, 9-1. The Sounds came right back as they scored four in the fourth & two more in the fifth to make it a game at 9-7. The Aces responded with three more in the bottom of the seventh inning to put the game away as they went on to win, 12-7.

Duck, The King & Tike

After the game we said goodbye to Tike and thanked him again for all he did for us. We told him we'll see him again Saturday when we return to Oakland.

We drove 45 miles to Minden, Nevada where we spent the night at the Carson Valley Inn, which was another great recommendation by Tike.

Stay tuned for the next installment of this journey as I try to make time to catch up.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty does a Bay area baseball doubleheader!

After experiencing a false start on Saturday August 10th on the way out to the Bay area, things changed for the better on Sunday, August 11th.

After I got that amazing night's sleep in Patrick's bed. I was rested for another busy day that lied ahead. I even got a break when Tike Narry said he would drive all of us. Once the King, Duck & I got ready we headed out after meeting Tike's wife Dawn. We spoke with her briefly. She seemed like a wonderful woman. She must be after all she married Tike. They initially met while umpiring a game together 15 years ago. They seem to be a perfect match. Tike found his baseball sweetheart. With that being said, I considered him a lucky man.

Once we said our goodbyes to Dawn, Tike drove us to the area by AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. He parked the car in his favorite parking lot where he can get out of the area with relative ease. The days of free parking in the vicinity even on Sundays are gone he said. They charge $7.00 an hour to park by a meter everyday. What a joke that is. Since the Giants have been World Champions two of the last three years they can get away with being extra greedy in this city.

After we parked the car, we got out and we walked towards the ballpark which was nearby. Before we went inside, we stopped off at the 21st Century Amendment Brewery which is Tike's place to go before Giant games. Tike walked in with us and he looked like he owned the place. He knows every worker there from being such a regular. In fact, he used to work at Kinko's that was located nearby. As a result, he was able to build a business relationship with the owner back in 2001. He told us he used to have parties for his employees there all the time. With that being said, he now has a second home if you will. Even though he no longer works for Kinko's, he's a customer of theirs for life.

Hell or High Watermelon 

After Tike introduced us to some of the people who work there, we sat down and we ordered our pre game meal. They had a special brunch menu that was limited because it was a game day. I normally prefer to have eggs for breakfast but the choices weren't to my liking. So I decided to do something out of the ordinary. I had a burger instead. Tike told me how good they were. True to his word, it was absolutely awesome. I had it with mozzarella cheese & grilled onions. I also had a Hell or High Watermelon beer which had a 4.9 alcohol content. It was really good. I'm not a big fan of beer. Tike is & he knows his microbrews. They brew their own beer there. I took Tike's advice and I wasn't disappointed. I knew he wouldn't steer me wrong. The King ordered a different kind of beer so did Duck. The King enjoyed his first ever beer in the morning he said. Technically speaking, it was really afternoon because we gained three hours the day before. Regardless the clock at the time said it was still morning. After we all enjoyed our brunch and brews, we headed over to the ballpark. Tike once again got us tickets in section 315 in the first row behind home plate. We had a beautiful view of the field and the amazing backdrop with the Bay in the background.

Patrick, Tike & I at AT & T Park

When we walked inside the ballpark, I got my main MLB Pass-Port Book officially stamped/validated at the Guest Services booth on the lower level. We then walked around the concourse area to look around the ballpark. I had flashbacks from my last visit there in May 2009. I must say AT&T Park is one of the best new modern ballparks. I always hear people raving about it. I can see why. It's a small compact place with incredible scenery.

When we were done walking around we went up to our seats to watch the game between the visiting Baltimore Orioles and the hometown San Francisco Giants.

View from section 315 at AT& T Park

As for the game we saw, it was a close one for seven innings as the Orioles were beating the Giants, 3-2. Then in the eighth & ninth innings, the Orioles turned the game into a blowout as shortstop J.J. Hardy and center fielder Adam Jones blasted home runs to lead the way as the Orioles beat the Giants, 10-2.

After the game, we went back to the car and Tike proceeded to drive to San Jose which is about 40 miles south of San Francisco. Thankfully he knew the way. We wound up parking the car on the street in the neighborhood which was within walking distance of San Jose Municipal Stadium , which is the home of the San Jose Giants, the single A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants in the California League. They were hosting the Bakersfield Blaze, the Dodgers' farm club. We managed to get inside the ballpark with just enough time to spare for the 6PM start. The only other time the King & I were there was back in August 1993.

Prince at San Jose Municipal Stadium

Shortly after the game started, we got a special visit from our pal Andrew Van Cleve who was there with his son, Dylan. Andrew is originally from the Bay area. He contacted me when I was at the Giant game. He asked me what I was doing that night. I told him we're going to San Jose. He was flying back from Las Vegas to San Francisco that afternoon because he had his brother's bachelor party there. He decided to join us for the game. As always, it was great to see him again.

As for the game we saw, the Blaze tied it at two in the eighth inning. The game wound up going into extra innings. The Giants ended it in the eleventh inning when second baseman Ryan Cavan delivered the game winning hit as the Giants won, 3-2.

On the way back to Casa De Narry, Tike decided to stop off at Carl's Jr. where we were able to get a post game meal. I had a charbroiled fish sandwich which was really good. I also had a orange cream shake to go along with it.

Stay tuned as I will write the next installment of this memorable journey when time allows.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman