49er Levi Stadium Walk

Even though they have yet to win, the 49ers have a beautiful stadium.  I walk from the train station to the convention center, passing north of the stadium.  Here are pictures form the morning walk to, and evening walk back.
 

Levi Stadium from the other Side

I pass by Levi Stadium where the 49ers play a couple times a day on the train.  However this week I got off the train and walked to the Santa Clara Convention Center, which gave me a view of the stadium from a different angle.  They have a 49er museum that is open every day if you want to pay to go in.  I decided not to with the Kaepernick mess.

Bridge to the stadium from the parking lot

Ace Train 44: Stadium Progress and Bear, Buffalo and Giant Snowman in Pleasanton

No it wasn't a real bear, but it gave me a start all the same.  Friday I met the family in Pleasanton.  Instead of hanging around the train our, station cold for a half hour, I walked to the Jack-In-The-Box at the corner.  It was pretty dark already, and when I came upon this bear at a bank it gave me a start. 

There was a buffalo at the bank where the bear was.  Crossing the street there was a jogging trail, so I followed it.  There was a Christmas Tree vendor with a giant Frost (not Wendy's but snowman).

I followed the trail right to the restaurant and I got dinner to go.  We were headed for the temple. 

I have seen the Christmas Train in Bernal a couple times, but too slow to get pictures.  I do have a couple stadium pictures: $9ers is done except the cosmetic stuff. 
I can actually see some progress on the Earthquake Stadium.  It is amazing because for so long they seemed to be preparing the ground. There is actually a steal frame work there now. 

One last travel to work story.  At Diridon Station I make the transfer to the light rail.  You have to cross the light rail tracks with gate on either side.  A homeless person was struggling, but getting through the first gate.  So being me, I held the second gate for him.  He gave me and "F' you, I don't need your help."  So I continued on my way, and as I passed him I said, "Merry Christmas."  That got me a couple F' yous.  I guess he just wasn't in a Christmasy mood. 

Ace Train 40: 580 on Stilts

 This is part of the Altamont Pass 580 Freeway.  From the Freeway you can't tell, but from the train or the old Altamont Pass Road you can tell that there is a section that the road is supported by beams rather than dirt.  Jeremy he says one night when he was on the road late, they were working adding additional beams.

There is some progress on the Earthquakes Stadium, but they are still doing preliminary ground preparation.

 However the 49er Stadium is a thing of beauty.  They have finally added some color to the stadium this past week.

ACE Train 37: Lightrail Derailment, Stadium Update, Shark Tank

There have been some happenings along the train route the past month.  The first involves derailment of the Light Rail.  This was Monday.  I didn't  know what happened, only that the trains were off schedule.  Actually, going to work, ours was on time.  Coming home the train was fourteen minutes late.  The derailment was on my line, but closer to the 49er stadium in Santa Clara.  They created a bus bridge, with the trains turning around at the derailment.  They did not cross until after 3:30 in the afternoon.  The actual derailment was at 7:30 in the morning.  Link to Mercury News article and pictures:
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_23663143/light-rail-train-derails-north-san-jose-lengthy?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

The other happening is a bit more tragic.  This actually took place a month ago.  An elevator worker was killed at the 49er Stadium construction site.  A co-worker told me about this this week, so I  thought it was new, but it actually was the first of June.  He was working under the elevator, and the counter weight got him.  They actually closed the work site for a couple days to investigate and to grieve.  Mercury News again:
http://photos.mercurynews.com/2013/06/11/photos-levis-stadium-construction-shut-down-after-workers-death/

The article above reminded me that the 49er Stadium is Levi Stadium.  In similar fashion the Shark Tank has sold their name.  It is now the SAP Center.  SAP is a software company.

The 49er Stadium appears to be coming along well.  However there is over a year of work to go with the goal for completion August 2014, or for the season 2014.  It has been selected to be the site of Superbowl 50 in 2016.

The new Earthquakes stadium is coming along very slowly.  They are still working on ground preparation, and have some good piles of dirt and old crushed concrete.  But I don't see any actual building.

If Major League Baseball would ever get their heads out their butts there would be a third stadium built along my route home.  The new A's Stadium is scheduled to be next to Diridon Station in San Jose.  They just keep waiting for word from the commissioner.  They have been waiting for many years now.  Last word is the city of San Jose is suing Major League Baseball feeling they are abusing their monopoly status.

With regards to my trip to work, Kade and I noticed that the sun was up when we got to the train station on June 23.  However, it is already now coming up shortly after leaving the station.

Ace Train 33: Mattresses on drive to work and 49er Stadium

It seems that in the drive to the train station there are at least four mattresses dumped along the road, along with some furniture.  We take Woodward to McKinley Ave.  I must admit I took the pictures a  week ago, and the trash in the under pass has been removed.  The other mattresses are still there.

Progress continues on 49er stadium.  From the train side it appears all the cement blocks have been placed.