The Year in Pictures: February 2007

February proved to be a much more memorable month for the Morris family, "anchored" as it was by a Presidents' Day weekend trip to San Francisco. The trip included a much too rare visit with Aunt Kari and Uncle Eric, at their old place on Russian Hill, and some good exploring of the city on foot and by cable car--something the boys had never really done before. The official occasion of the weekend getaway, though, was a double treat for Pete: beer and bicycles.



The beer event was the annual California Homebrew Club of the Year Celebration hosted by San Francisco's own Anchor Brewery. And Pete's club, Pacific Gravity, was the winner for the second year in a row! This was a not-to-be-missed party, featuring endless supplies of the whole slate of Anchor beers and a delicious BBQ lunch all served up by Anchor employees smack dab in the middle of their brew house. Great beer, great food, and an unsurpassed view of the city from Potrero Hill. After a refreshing cab ride back into the heart of San Francisco, it was off to a nostalgia-laced, pesto-coated dinner at Caffe Michelangelo in North Beach, an old favorite of ours that we can happily say has changed very little in the last two decades.



The bicycle event was Sunday's opening Prologue Time Trial, along the Embarcadero waterfront, of the second annual Tour of California. The threatening rain held off, and while a bit cool and windy, it proved to be a nice day to hang outside and watch the spectacle of professional bike racing flash by--including a first-ever appearance by Italian superstar Paolo Bettini in the United States, in the world champion's rainbow jersey, no less! It wasn't quite the same thrill as drinking in the Anchor Brewery, but it wasn't a bad encore either.

The Tour was only getting started that weekend, of course, and like the year before, we (or at least Everett and I) went to see the final stage the following weekend here in the Southland. This year, the race ended with a 10-lap circuit race through the Long Beach waterfront. The cool, somewhat blustery weather continued, but it still was a chance to see the famous--at least in our household--Jelly Belly team car parade behind the peleton.