“Orange October” in San Francisco

[Nicholas Kontis]

October in the City by the Bay - I just can’t say enough about it. Getting a late Indian summer means warm days in October. This year the city would host the America’s Cup yacht race trials and the annual Naval “Fleet Week,” complete with the Blue Angels buzzing over San Francisco Bay, all on the same weekend. San Francisco is one of world’s favorite cities. October weekends include street fairs, music festivals, food and beer festivals, and more. The city comes to life with warm days and nights.

It’s also the start of the baseball post season, the road to the World Series. Living away from the city at least half of the year I like to be back to San Francisco in October, especially if my Giants are in the post season. After not making the playoffs in 2011, the San Francisco Giants were back in the hunt for a second World Series Championship in 2012.

The “Miracle at China Basin”- 24 Willie Mays Plaza, AT&T Park, San Francisco.

The greatest ballpark in America not named Fenway or Wrigley.

Little did the baseball world know that after falling behind two games to none, in the best of five series against the Cincinnati Reds, the San Francisco Giants were poised to make one of the most improbable runs in baseball history. The Giants would travel to Cincinnati and win three straight games, sweeping the Reds out of the playoffs on the road. Only to fall behind again three games to one against the then current world champion, St. Louis Cardinals in the best of seven series, once again, only to come back to win game five in St Louis, and games six and seven in San Francisco to win the National League pennant.

World Series, here we come. After two hard-fought series against two of the National League’s  best, it was time to face the power packed Detroit Tigers. In the end, Giant pitchers proved too much for Detroit hitters. Or as we Giants fans like to say, “our Panda slayed a den of Tigers.”

The greatest fans in baseball are in San Francisco

When I arrived back in  San Francisco, who knew that a storybook ending was in store, and that the month would end in the largest parade that the city has ever seen. How fitting that is in batty, berserk, bonkers, tolerant, San Francisco, that our World Series celebration would fall on Halloween. How fitting that in a month full of activities in the “City by the Bay” that on Halloween, San Francisco would celebrate its second World Series championship in three years. A parade like no other would ensue.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants proved to be the real World Series.

AT&T Park – Where baseballs fly into the San Francisco Bay

Intense Giant fans meet at Momo’s or any of the restaurants and bars across from AT&T Park

National League MVP and San Francisco Giants, Catcher – Buster Posey.

The great Tony Bennett’s heart - still lies in San Francisco.

The Los Angeles Dodgers spent millions on four players – But it was the Giants who acquired “the blockbuster”

Marco Scutaro.

Coit Tower in orange – When the Giants make the playoffs – city monuments turn orange.

Let the celebration begin – Together they we were ”Giant.”  (photo courtesy of San Francisco Chronicle)

Giants fans celebrate on Sunday, October 28th, 2012 – The Giants defeat the Detroit Tigers 4-3 in extra innings to become baseball’s champions.

“Panda Express” – Pablo Sandoval – World Series MVP

Giants ace – Matt Cain

Sergio Romo – Giants Closer and Giant character leads the victory parade - “Your 2012 World Champions of the baseball world”

 

What is it about sports and travel that brings people together to visit new places. The love of travel and sports dates back to the ancient Greeks. In modern times the two largest sporting events are the World Cup and the Super Bowl. Millions of people travel the world for such events bringing revenue to a city or a country. Fans follow their favorite teams on the road discovering new cities, restaurants, bars. Hotels are full during prime sporting events such as the World Series. Each year, millions of sports fans travel the world. San Francisco was jam-packed for the love of Giants baseball. Restaurants and bars were enjoying the extra revenues that sporting events can bring.

What a ride it was. As the players say, we as fans play a large role in pumping up the players with over 40,000 fans showing up for every home game at AT&T Park. San Francisco Giants fans are perhaps the loudest fans in baseball.

San Francisco Giant fans never did stop believin’  (Photo Courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle)

 

The San Francisco Giants were never favored to win. They were suppose to lose to the Cincinnati Reds, then to the St. Louis Cardinals, and in the World Series, it was the Detroit Tigers who were favored to win it all. But the Giants proved that playing unselfish baseball, fighting for one another, and getting hot at the right time, that anything is possible. As was the Giants mantra goes, ”Together We’re In.” During an improbable, October 2012, The San Francisco Giants shocked the baseball world, and San Franciscan’s all stood tall as baseball’s World Champions.

I am proud to say that I was successful is circulating many of my American dollars throughout the great city of San Francisco during the Giants October run.

About the Author: Nick Kontis – Travel Expert and Founder of the World Travel List

Nick Kontis started out as a world traveler at an early age traveling back and forth between California and Greece every summer. But it was a backpacking trip around the world at age 24 that proved to be a life changing experience. After traveling by car, train, plane, bike and, boat around the world, it would be this trip of a lifetime that would lead to a life as a travel entrepreneur and world traveler. Nick has been on both radio and television. Featured on Arthur Frommer’s television show, and referred by Lonely Planet writers. Frequently mentioned as the “father of around the world airfares.” Arthur Frommer once said, “If Jules Verne were alive today he would use Nick to go around the world in 80 days.” Nick and his various travel companies have sent over 10,000 people taking their dream trip through airfare discounts of as much as 50% off the airlines published fares. Now Nick promotes travel through his World Travel List and ‘Trip Rambler’ by World Travel List. Having traveled to over 80 countries Nick hopes to inspire others to travel the world. Follow Nick’s “passion for travel” on the World Travel List.