Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Get Ready for San Fran!

Alright ladies! I, like many of you, have been feeling a little mixed about spending Christmas away from family and in a hotel.... but then I realized a few things: 

1- this team is our family here. Whether you have family close to Provo or not, the team and wives share a bond that no one else does. This year we get to spend Christmas together too! 

2- We are going to watch our husband play! Not every team makes it to a bowl and I'm so glad that we get to experience this game with them! On that note.....

3- We have an all expense paid vacation to one of the greatest cities in America! Not only do we get a chartered flight with the team (if you haven't experienced that yet, it really is great!) but we also get to go on some great adventures -- for free. 

4- Last but not least, it's one Christmas that we get to have an alternative celebration. It's one Christmas where we get to embrace the fun part of being a football wife. Yes, it's one Christmas away from family but it's going to be one fun Christmas.

So lets look at all of the great things happening...
- The bowl is taking us to Alcatraz complete with an island cruise. 
- We will have fun at the Exploratorium - one of San Francisco's most popular attractions with 600 exhibits.
- We have the opportunity to serve the needy in San Francisco by feeding meals during this holiday season. The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl has provided over 300,000 meals to the the Bay Area hungry in the past 3 years.
- The kickoff lunch is always a fun event. We are received by bowl officials and get to eat a fantastic meal while hearing from both teams and the bowl officials about the history and initiative surrounding the bowl.
- Plus, the truck that goes down will have room for us to pack one box each with Christmas decor for our rooms and gifts for our husbands (and kids). 

Those are just 4 things that the bowl has planned.... we can do anything else too! While the guys are at practice every day, the girls can head off and have fun! 

Here are some of the most popular attractions in San Francisco: 
-- Golden Gate Bridge: The Bridge connects San Francisco to California's northern counties. With its tremendous 746-foot tall towers, sweeping main cables, signature International Orange color, and Art Deco styling, it is a sensory experience featuring color, light, and sound.
-- Union Square: Situated north of SoMa and south of Chinatown, the Union Square neighborhood is a fun and funky rest stop for travelers and locals alike. And at its epicenter is the eclectic Union Square Park, an open space decorated with palm trees. Union Square is also a shop-a-holic's delight: Nearby are high-end shops like Prada and Tiffany & Co. among others.
-- Cable Cars: Chances are you've seen a television show, postcard or some type of San Francisco memorabilia emblazoned with the city's iconic cable car or trolley. So of course, to get the full experience of the San Francisco's charm, you'll have to hop on board. San Fran's cable car system is the last of its kind in the United States, and is considered one of the main tourist attractions in the entire city.
-- Nob Hill and Russian Hill: Nob Hill and Russian Hill cast a long shadow of history and refinement. Booming since the 1870s -- when wealthy transcontinental railroad magnets constructed dazzling mansions -- Nob Hill remains an affluent bohemian district. Along the steep city streets, beautiful Victorian homes preside over lush gardens and idyllic vantage points of the bay. To the north, Russian Hill also boasts lavish homes and exquisite city views. 
-- Ghirardelli Square: a landmark with shops and restaurants in the Fisherman's Wharf area of San Francisco, California. A portion of the area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Pioneer Woolen Mills and D. Ghirardelli Company. Ghirardelli Square once featured over 40 specialty shops and restaurants. Some of the original shops and restaurants still occupy the square.
-- Pier 39 is a shopping center and popular tourist attraction built on a pier in San Francisco, California. At Pier 39, there are shops, restaurants, a video arcade, street performances, an interpretive center for the Marine Mammal Center, the Aquarium of the Bay, virtual 3D rides, and views of California sea lions hauled out on docks on Pier 39's marina. The marina is also home to the floating Forbes Island restaurant and much more! 
-- Painted Ladies: The Full House house. These homes are famous in San Francisco for their color and architecture. 
-- Chinatown: The Chinatown, centered around Grant Avenue and Stockton Street in San Francisco, California,  is the oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest Chinese community outside Asia and is the oldest of the four notable Chinatowns in the city. Since its establishment in 1848, it has been highly important and influential in the history and culture of ethnic Chinese immigrants in North America. Chinatown is an enclave that continues to retain its own customs, languages, places of worship, social clubs, and identity. There are two hospitals, numerous parks and squares, a post office, and other infrastructure. Visitors can easily become immersed in a microcosmic Asian world, filled with herbal shops, temples, pagoda roofs and dragon parades. While recent immigrants and the elderly choose to live in here because of the availability of affordable housing and their familiarity with the culture,  the place is also a major tourist attraction, drawing more visitors annually than the Golden Gate Bridge.
-- Japantown: Japantown is a section located in the Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco, California that comprises about six square city blocks. San Francisco's Japantown is the largest and oldest such enclave in the United States.The area is home to Japanese (and some Korean and Chinese) restaurants, supermarkets, indoor shopping malls, hotels, banks and other shops, including one of the few U.S. branches of the large Kinokuniya bookstore chain. Most of these businesses are located in the commercial center of the neighborhood which is a large shopping mall built in the 1960s as part of urban renewal efforts and is run by Japanese retailer Kintetsu.
-- Fisherman's Wharf: If you're looking to explore all of San Francisco -- from its alternative underbelly to its mainstream attractions -- Fisherman's Wharf is really a must-see. The waterfront neighborhood and tourist attraction houses several popular San Francisco sites, including the PIER 39 shopping center (a great spot to view sunbathing seals) and the Ripley's Believe it or Not! Museum. Fisherman's Wharf is also where you can catch a ferry to nearby Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate Bridge isn't too far either.
Last but not least, we will probably make time to visit the Oakland Temple. The way the team has been doing things, there is a good chance that our husbands will be joining us! So beautiful! 

I know many of you have family around or have spent time in San Francisco so please, share your ideas in the comments! We want to have as much fun as possible so we need suggestions! 
We can't wait to share this week with all of you! 

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