(Photo) “The Catch” Sculpture.

Piece 1: Levi Stadium. Located in the northern part of Santa Clara County CA near the southern rim of San Francisco Bay is the current home of the National Football League’s San Francisco 49ers, Levi Stadium (4900 Marie P. DeBartolo Way).

After playing in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park for over 40 years, the 49ers moved south to Levi Stadium in 2014. We got lodging within walking distance of the venue, and just seeing the majestic facility from our hotel window kindled our excitement for the game (home team versus the Arizona Cardinals).

We knew that a select number of fans getting to the stadium early on game day would be rewarded with a souvenir bobble head doll of star 49ers offensive lineman Joe Staley, so we made a point of getting there in time to get one.

“Joe” now stands beside our bobble head doll of Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks, which we got in similar fashion at Wrigley Field. The early birds get the worms (and the bobble head dolls too).

We entered the stadium on the southwest side, through Gate A, and immediately saw the life-size action statues of 49er great Dwight Clark and Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana.

This two-piece art installation immortalizes the touchdown pass (known as “The Catch”) that beat the Dallas Cowboys in the 1982 NFC Championship and set up San Francisco’s first Superbowl win. What’s really cool is that the statues are 23 yards apart, the actual distance of the winning pass play.

On the day we were there, the plaza inside Gate A was full of activity. A band even played Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”, a welcoming sound to our Alabamian ears.

After shopping in the Team Store (which features a large selection of 49er apparel and souvenirs), we found our seats.

Probably the most unique part of our experience at Levi Stadium was the very loud foghorn they sound at the beginning of the game and following every 49er touchdown.

A really fun day, and the Niners won a close game with a dramatic score at the end. Wow!

See’s Candies Retail Store in California

Piece 2: See’s Candies/Tesla Fremont Factory. While See’s Candies may not be a well-known confectionery brand across the country, it is one of the most recognizable chocolatiers in California.

Established in Los Angeles CA in 1921, See’s Candies followed the recipes of the family matriarch, Mary See, whose picture is still featured on the box lids.

The company moved its manufacturing operation to the cooler climate of San Francisco in the mid-1930’s to aid production of its best selling cream and truffle candies.

The distinctive flavor of See’s products could be attributed (in part) to its locally sourced ingredients, such as special formula chocolate supplied by Guittard Chocolate Company in Burlingame CA and California grown almonds and walnuts.

Although See’s now has shops scattered across the country, the majority of its retail stores are in California. Santa Clara County has many See’s locations, so we stopped in one to explore (and smell). The shiny white walls of the shop were adorned with brightly lit display cases filled with chocolate candies.

Our immediate inclination was to “get one of everything”, but reason won out and we limited ourselves to a few selections we could fit into our suitcase.

After leaving See’s, we wanted to take a drive up into south Alameda County (to Fremont CA) and see the Tesla Plant. The site was previously owned by General Motors (GM), and used for GM automotive production until the company abandoned the facility.

Electric vehicle maker Tesla purchased the old factory in 2010, and initially used only a fraction of the 16 million square feet of space available. Over the years, operations expanded to accommodate the growing demand for Teslas (we saw them all over the roads in the Bay Area).

Traveling north on Interstate 880 from Santa Clara to Fremont, we were able to get a good view of the Tesla Production Campus, located on the right side of 880 just past the Warren Avenue exit. Massive place.

Sunset View from Santa Cruz Wharf

Piece 3: Santa Cruz. South of Santa Clara, along the northern edge of Monterey Bay, is the beautiful city of Santa Cruz CA. We lodged within walking distance of the historic municipal wharf.

Built in 1912, the wharf’s original purpose was industrial shipping and fishing, but this activity dwindled in the 1950’s and the long pier was converted into a tourist destination.

Measuring close to 2,800 feet in length, the wharf is a nice place to take a walk, see amazing views of the Pacific horizon (particularly at sunset), and enjoy some great food and shopping.

We had a delicious meal at Stagnos Brothers, a seafood market and restaurant that has had a presence on the wharf since the late 1930’s, and then stopped in Marini’s Candies for something sweet.

Santa Cruz offers visitors a pleasant and relaxing environment; a good place to celebrate an anniversary or a milestone birthday.

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