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Stadium #18 Candlestick Park San Francisco, CA |
Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers Stadium September 7, 2008 23 - 13 Loss |
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| Main Page | Race to 31 | 49ers ProShop | My Blog |
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Quest for 31 Stadiums:                                 RETURN Free 2013 Fantasy Football Cheatsheets |
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Stadium Vitals Built: 1959 Capacity: 70,207 seats Playing Surface: Natural Grass Draft Beer: $7.75 Hot Dog: $7.00 Stadium Parking: $25.00 |
 Candlestick ParkStadium Address 602 Jamestown San Francisco, CA 94124 (408) 562-4949 Get Directions |
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Stadium Review - "Monster" No More  The San Francisco 49er dynasties of the 1980's solidified my love of the game of professional football. Watching Super Joe direct game winning drive after game winning drive, as the west coast offense took the league by storm, created a new appreciation for a sport that was introduced to me by my father on a living room couch in Buffalo, NY. Almost three decades later, my love of the game has only intensified as it currently plays out in this three year attempt at super fandom that I call the Quest for 31. So attending a game in the home of the team that started it all, and returning the name "Candlestick Park" to this great venue was indeed a unique thrill for me. Entering the hallowed halls of Candlestick Park, one can't help but feel the tangible ghosts of Super Bowl greatness reaching back from the beyond to be rekindled. But our experience starts in the parking lot outside of Candlestick Park at 8:30am in the morning on Sunday, September 7, 2008. It's Week one of the NFL regular season and two football fans from Detroit have arrived to kickoff the 2008 Quest for 31.  On this weekend, Candlestick Park was to become stadium #18 on my quest and I can't think of a better venue with which to open the season. Arriving early at Candlestick Park has it's privileges. If you can get there before 10:00am, you can park anywhere you like. Arriving after ten, ensures that you will be placed where they like. Anyway, arriving early, myself and my frat brother Marion were primed and ready for the bay area tailgating experience with a double header NFL weekend including a visit to McAfee Coliseum on Monday Night. As we began unpacking the car to raise my brand new Quest for 31 flag, we were immediately approached by several neighboring Niner fans eager to learn about the Quest. Upon explanation, the traditional and always unexpected offer of a beer prompted entrance into the multiple tailgating parties that surrounded us as the full sized grills and coolers packed full of beer were already staged as if awaiting our arrival. It all began with Chef Chuck who was preparing bacon wrapped foodstuffs that would surely be the cause of my next coronary. Chef Chuck grilled up some excellent shrimp skewers individually wrapped with strips bacon to prepare his guest for the main course, succulent bacon wrapped filet mignon. The veteran savvy of Niner tailgaters shined through as we saw racks of ribs, every manner of seafood imaginable, and chowder pots percolating all over the lot as weekend grillers and even professional chefs made appearances in Candlestick Park. Our main tailgating experience was being provided by the fine folks at 49ersWebzone.com, the premiere fan forum for information on your San Francisco 49ers. they had marinated chicken, all forms of beer, and all the dogs, burgers, and sides we could hope for ... another amazing spread. Come game time, it was off to Candlestick Park to watch the San Francisco 49er season opener. I have to say that not since Qwest Field in Seattle have I seen the variety of concessions that were available at Candlestick. Niner fans have microbrews on tap (a huge plus as one can only drink so much Bud Light), veggie burgers and portabella mushroom sandwiches, garlic fries, and a wide variety of sausages that can be purchased at what were comparatively reasonable prices. I had a massive ˝ pound Polish sausage with sauerkraut and a sourdough bread bowl of clam chowder. Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, a Bay Area creation, is also served at Candlestick Park, concession stands, so they definitely get points for offering some local flavor. Our seats were great as there doesn't appear to be a bad set in the place. I got my tickets through TicketCity.com, a great online ticket broker I found over the NFL offseason. The game itself was not so great as the debut of Mike Martz's offense yielded less than optimal results. Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals outshined the 49ers in their home opener handing them a 23 - 13 loss as the Niner Defense was bested by Warner and the boys and the Niner offense had JT O'Sullivan running for his life the entire game. The evening closed out with a couple more beers with the folks from 49ersWebzone.com as the Niner faithful slowly filed out of the parking lot, but Candlestick Park was everything I hoped it would be. A return trip is definitely in the works. For more information on the city of San Francisco, California check out my other reviews by clicking on the links below: NFL: San Francisco 49ers, Candlestick Park Stadium Tour |
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| City of San Francisco Local Information | |
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Top Tourist Attractions: Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz Island, Duck Boat Tour of the Bay Golden Gate Bridge Ashbury & Haight District Muir Woods (Redwood Forest) Local Foods: Local Seafood Clam Chowder with crab meat What They're Drinkin': Anchor Steam, Fat Tire Tailgating Hotspots: Local Sports Media: San Francisco Chronicle |
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Bar Districts: Best Restaurants: Fan Resources: Pocket Map of San Francisco Stadium Policy Stadium Parking Map Fan Forum - 49ersWebzone.com Getting to the Stadium: Candlestick Park is located outside of the downtown area. Your best bet is to drive in on gameday for a day of tailgating in the lot rather than try to take a bus into the stadium. Where To Stay: With so much to see and do in the City of San Francisco, I suggest staying in the downtown area or near Fisherman's Wharf. this will give you easy access to the tourist trap attractions, but you can still get to Candlestick Park on Gameday. |
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Compare Prices for San Francisco 49ers Football Tickets Here: Click on the following links for San Francisco 49ers ticket availability at each of the top online ticket brokers on the web. Try each link to find the cheapest NFL ticket prices: |
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TicketCity.com | |
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StubHub.com | |
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VividSeats.com
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TicketNetwork
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Razorgator.com
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| Chef Chuck with bacon wrappped barbecuing | I need another beer over here | 2005 Tailgaters of the Year | ||
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| Professional setup here | The 49ers Fanzone | Not sure why they have a watchtower ... | ||
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| Chef Glenn Hammer | 49er great, CB Eric Wright -and he's frat! | Chef Chuck and the Boys - real die hards! | ||
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| The fine folks at 49ersWebzone.com | Lovin' that Quest for 31 Flag | Some die hard Tailgaters here | ||
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| Great shot of Candlestick Park | Ready for some football! | These seats are high ... | ||
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| Great shot of the field | Hoping for a comeback | Marion and I - Where's the beer? | ||
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| One last look... | The fans have filed out - Loss this time | Stadium #18 Candlestick Park | ||
| COMMENTS? Please feel free to post any suggestions or comments you might have for my journey to Candlestick Park, including the following: - Local Hotspots (Bar Districts, Restaurants, Clubs) - Local Foods (Traditional Cuisine, Micro Brews) - Tailgating Traditions - Your Experiences or Helpful Hints - If you saw me let me know! All commentary will be moderated. Your e-mail address will not be published. |
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From: 49er Rich & Kat Sent: Friday, January 2, 2009 09:17:02 EST |
Your site is
awesome!!!!!! My wife and I are season ticket holders with the 49ers,
and we have decided to begin our journey over the next few years to
visit every stadium in the nfl to watch a game!! starting with the
stadiums that may not be used anymore. I really ienjoyed seeing your
flag and am excited to create my own!! If you do come back Candlestick
it would be gret to meet you and get some advice about tickets or other
tips you have learned along the way that would be helpful for us! Thanks
again Rich |
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From: BigRon from SF Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2008 23:09:09 EST |
Good to have met you. I hope your trip thru the 31 is all you want it to be. Good luck on the trip. BigRon 49erswebzone.com | |||||
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From: Gil from SF Sent: Monday, September 8, 2008 21:49:28 EST |
Have a safe trip. Hope ya liked the baconshrimp. | |||||
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