Finally, the souvenir cup power rankings:
- A's
- Padres
- Dodgers
- Giants
- Angels
Showing posts with label West Coast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label West Coast. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Cup Collection: West Coast
I got souvenir cups at five of the six ballparks I attended on my West coast trip. I have uploaded pictures of these five cups because it is interesting to compare the different styles. Three of the five cups (Dodgers, Giants, and Angels) feature star players. Also three of the five cups (Giants, A's, and Padres) have the team's schedule on the cup. The Giants and Dodgers have the same style cup while the A's and Padres have the same style cup. The Angels cup is noticeably more flexible than the other cups so it feels cheap.
Finally, the souvenir cup power rankings:
Finally, the souvenir cup power rankings:
The Road: Lessons Learned
I have completed my first road trip of the summer - the West coast. My trip consisted of 6 major league ballparks (Chase Field, Dodger Stadium, AT&T Park, the Oakland Coliseum, Angels Stadium, and Petco Park) 4 flights (Grand Rapids to Phoenix, Los Angeles to San Jose and back, and Los Angeles to Detroit, and one super long Greyhound bus ride (Phoenix to Los Angeles). It was also a blast to see relatives and friends, experience the different MLB ballparks, and tour some of America's finest cities. Overall it was a great trip with no real problems. Still there were some lessons learned that could only be obtained through experienced.
Lesson #1 - Talk to the Local Fans
Initiating conversations with total strangers is not something that comes completely natural to me. That being said, I found myself in conversation with fellow fans at about half of the ballparks I attended. Only in one of those ballparks did I ask about the specialty food item at the stadium (AT&T Park), and that was after I had already bought a regular hotdog. The local fans I talked to were nice to me and would have been glad to share some insight on their hometown park. I don't think anyone would take offense to "Hey, I am from out of town. What is the best thing to eat at this ballpark?"
Lesson #2 - Absorb the City Culture
I think I did a pretty good job at making an event out of each ball game. Most of the times I have done something before or after games which is unique to the area. It would have been pretty easy to go into a city for a game and head back on the road as soon as the game is finished. Unfortunately, I may have to this for some of my upcoming East coast read trip. Somethings I have learned from my West coast trip are: the better (and cheaper) food may be outside the stadium, the nicer stadiums incorporate aspects of the region into the themes of the park, and the city can offer some excitement if the game is boring (I can't believe I just wrote that).
Lesson #3 - Learn How to Upgrade Seats
Very few times did I sit the entire game in sections where my seat was assigned. I have learned there are two main ways of moving to better seats. The first is to show up for batting practice and stay in your seat until the game is well underway (i.e. 5th inning or so). Ushers will let you sit close to the field to catch home run balls and expect people to move to their actual seats when batting practice has completed. This method will not work however if the game is crowded. If a person has a ticket for the seat you are in, you have to move to either another seat in the same section or your actual paid seat. The second method is to get food after the game is well underway and move down. In my experience, ushers do not check tickets after the 3rd inning.
Lesson #4 - Know What To Collect
I decided to start collecting souvenir cups once I visited Dodger Stadium. This means that I am missing cups from Chase Field and Turner Field. At both of these ballparks I got a free weekly pamphlet that had roster information for both teams and a couple of fan interest stories. I thought this would be a great item to collect at each ballpark because it is free and tells me what series I attended. Unfortunately, not all stadiums give you these pamphlets. Being somewhat OCD on things, it would have been nice to collect the same items from every park. Possible items to collect at each ballpark could be baseball hats (although you could get them at a local mall), souvenir cups (serves a dual purpose), or picture at each stadium (free but not really a collectible).
Lesson #5 - Take Time to Plan Each Trip
I really wanted to take a ferry to Alcatraz while in San Francisco. Despite online websites warning me that the tours fill up well in advance, I thought I would just wing it. True to form every ticket for Alcatraz the only day I could go was completely sold out. I learned that if you want to do something, don't be afraid to plan it in advanced. There is nothing worse than sitting around in an interesting city with nothing to do because you failed to make a plan in advance.
Lesson #6 - Take Care of Yourself Physically
I found it was very easy to let myself fall into unhealthy habits on the road. Attending baseball games every night meant that I was eating a lot of processed food and not a lot of fruits and vegetables. Traveling also meant that I didn't have the time or facilities to work out. I tried to stay active by walking from place to place when I could and going on a few hikes. Lastly I learned that sunscreen is your ally. I didn't put sunscreen on early in my trip and ended up with a nice farmer's tan. I then went to the beach, attempting to even out my tan, and ended up getting sun burnt.
Lesson #1 - Talk to the Local Fans
Initiating conversations with total strangers is not something that comes completely natural to me. That being said, I found myself in conversation with fellow fans at about half of the ballparks I attended. Only in one of those ballparks did I ask about the specialty food item at the stadium (AT&T Park), and that was after I had already bought a regular hotdog. The local fans I talked to were nice to me and would have been glad to share some insight on their hometown park. I don't think anyone would take offense to "Hey, I am from out of town. What is the best thing to eat at this ballpark?"
Lesson #2 - Absorb the City Culture
I think I did a pretty good job at making an event out of each ball game. Most of the times I have done something before or after games which is unique to the area. It would have been pretty easy to go into a city for a game and head back on the road as soon as the game is finished. Unfortunately, I may have to this for some of my upcoming East coast read trip. Somethings I have learned from my West coast trip are: the better (and cheaper) food may be outside the stadium, the nicer stadiums incorporate aspects of the region into the themes of the park, and the city can offer some excitement if the game is boring (I can't believe I just wrote that).
Lesson #3 - Learn How to Upgrade Seats
Very few times did I sit the entire game in sections where my seat was assigned. I have learned there are two main ways of moving to better seats. The first is to show up for batting practice and stay in your seat until the game is well underway (i.e. 5th inning or so). Ushers will let you sit close to the field to catch home run balls and expect people to move to their actual seats when batting practice has completed. This method will not work however if the game is crowded. If a person has a ticket for the seat you are in, you have to move to either another seat in the same section or your actual paid seat. The second method is to get food after the game is well underway and move down. In my experience, ushers do not check tickets after the 3rd inning.
Lesson #4 - Know What To Collect
I decided to start collecting souvenir cups once I visited Dodger Stadium. This means that I am missing cups from Chase Field and Turner Field. At both of these ballparks I got a free weekly pamphlet that had roster information for both teams and a couple of fan interest stories. I thought this would be a great item to collect at each ballpark because it is free and tells me what series I attended. Unfortunately, not all stadiums give you these pamphlets. Being somewhat OCD on things, it would have been nice to collect the same items from every park. Possible items to collect at each ballpark could be baseball hats (although you could get them at a local mall), souvenir cups (serves a dual purpose), or picture at each stadium (free but not really a collectible).
Lesson #5 - Take Time to Plan Each Trip
I really wanted to take a ferry to Alcatraz while in San Francisco. Despite online websites warning me that the tours fill up well in advance, I thought I would just wing it. True to form every ticket for Alcatraz the only day I could go was completely sold out. I learned that if you want to do something, don't be afraid to plan it in advanced. There is nothing worse than sitting around in an interesting city with nothing to do because you failed to make a plan in advance.
Lesson #6 - Take Care of Yourself Physically
I found it was very easy to let myself fall into unhealthy habits on the road. Attending baseball games every night meant that I was eating a lot of processed food and not a lot of fruits and vegetables. Traveling also meant that I didn't have the time or facilities to work out. I tried to stay active by walking from place to place when I could and going on a few hikes. Lastly I learned that sunscreen is your ally. I didn't put sunscreen on early in my trip and ended up with a nice farmer's tan. I then went to the beach, attempting to even out my tan, and ended up getting sun burnt.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
West Coast: Day 8 and Day 9
On day 8 of my 9 day west coast trip it was essential I make it down to San Diego to see the Padres play. Instead of making the two hour trip south from Los Angeles just to watch baseball, my aunt and I made it a small day trip. We first went to Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma just outside of San Diego. This peninsula is the assumed first landing by a Eurpoean on what is now the west coast of the United States. From this point we could see downtown San Diego and the navel base on Point Loma. While we only saw one large Navy ship, there were several smaller ships in the ocean below and helicopters flying around above. Also at Cabrillo National Monument was one of the first lighthouses on the west coast. After Cabrillo National Monument, my aunt and I ate a Mexican restaurant in old town San Diego. The restaurant had a lady out front making fresh tortillas. I made sure to order something with a fresh tortilla so I ordered the carnitas. Ordinarilly I would say that the fillings are the critical aspects of Mexican cuisine but the fresh tortillas made the dish. We then headed to Petco Park where the Padres played the Nationals. The ballpark review of Petco Park has already been posted. After the game we made the two hour drive back to Los Angeles.
On the last day of my trip I took it easy. I ate at a local burrito place on Hermosa Beach where my cousins have seen many L.A. Kings players through the years. I then walked to the Manhattan Beach Peir and back. It was kind of cool to see all the expensive beach homes right next to the beach. I can imagine how renting a beach house for a week and going to the bars right off the pier would be a blast but I don't have that kind of money and would rather spend my time going to baseball stadiums.
I then took the red-eye flight back to Michigan. I tried to sleep on the plane with very limited success. I flew Spirit Airlines which must have the least amount of leg room of any airline in world. Additionally, a lady on the flight had a food allergy reaction so they had to turn the lights on in the cabin and make a few announcements, consequently waking everyone up. My flight got back into Detroit at 6 AM and one of my roommates was gracious enough to pick me up.
On the last day of my trip I took it easy. I ate at a local burrito place on Hermosa Beach where my cousins have seen many L.A. Kings players through the years. I then walked to the Manhattan Beach Peir and back. It was kind of cool to see all the expensive beach homes right next to the beach. I can imagine how renting a beach house for a week and going to the bars right off the pier would be a blast but I don't have that kind of money and would rather spend my time going to baseball stadiums.
I then took the red-eye flight back to Michigan. I tried to sleep on the plane with very limited success. I flew Spirit Airlines which must have the least amount of leg room of any airline in world. Additionally, a lady on the flight had a food allergy reaction so they had to turn the lights on in the cabin and make a few announcements, consequently waking everyone up. My flight got back into Detroit at 6 AM and one of my roommates was gracious enough to pick me up.
Friday, May 17, 2013
West Coast: Day 6 and Day 7
I left my friends place in San Jose early on Tuesday morning to catch my plane back to Los Angeles. My cousin picked me up at the airport and drove me back to my aunt and uncle's house. After taking a little while to get organized after my trip to the Bay Area, I went down to the beach. The end result of the beach was a bad sun burn and a terrible tan line on my neck. I then watched the L.A. Kings playoff hockey game with my cousins and uncle as they are huge Kings fans.
The next day, my aunt and I hiked up to the Hollywood sign. The trail to the sign was fairly steep and took us about an hour and a half roundtrip. I was a little surprised to see that the Hollywood sign was all by itself on the side of a mountain and not surrounded by houses and roads. My aunt then drove me through Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and past a couple of movie studios. In Hollywood we stopped at an In-N-Out and got a hamburger the classic California fast food restaurant. The burger and fries were definitely better than any other fast food I have had before. We also stopped at a landmark cupcake shop where you can get gourmet cupcakes out of a vending machine. We then drove back to my aunt and uncle's house, picked up my two cousins, and headed off to Orange County for the Angels game.
The next day, my aunt and I hiked up to the Hollywood sign. The trail to the sign was fairly steep and took us about an hour and a half roundtrip. I was a little surprised to see that the Hollywood sign was all by itself on the side of a mountain and not surrounded by houses and roads. My aunt then drove me through Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and past a couple of movie studios. In Hollywood we stopped at an In-N-Out and got a hamburger the classic California fast food restaurant. The burger and fries were definitely better than any other fast food I have had before. We also stopped at a landmark cupcake shop where you can get gourmet cupcakes out of a vending machine. We then drove back to my aunt and uncle's house, picked up my two cousins, and headed off to Orange County for the Angels game.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
West Coast: Day 5
I was on my own for day 5 of this west coast trip. My college roommate, Zac, and my friend I was staying with, Jordan, both had to work. I took the CalTrain again from San Jose to San Francisco in hopes of taking a tour to Alcatraz. Even though it was highly recommended to get tickets in advanced, I thought it was extremely unlikely the tours would sell out considering it was a Monday and schools are still in session. Unfortunately, the unlikely was reality: all Alcatraz tours were sold out until I was out town. Even though I was bummed out, I made the most of my afternoon in the city by the bay. I walked around Pier 39 and saw the sea lions on the docks, walked around Fisherman's Wharf and had claim chowder in a sourdough bowl, viewed the old ships at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, and had chocolate samples in Ghirardelli Square. I also went on a 1 hour boat tour of the bay that went through the Golden Gate and around Alcatraz.
I then made my way to the nearest BART station and took BART to the O.co Oakland Coliseum for the A's vs. Rangers game. More on the venue, game, and atmosphere in a later post. The game ended early and I made the long journey back to San Jose. I rode BART for about an hour from the Coliseum to the transfer. I then took the CalTrain for an hour more and arrived in San Jose just after midnight. I was very lucky catching trains out of the Coliseum: one BART train later and I would have needed to wait for the next CalTrain arriving in San Jose at 1:30 AM.
I then made my way to the nearest BART station and took BART to the O.co Oakland Coliseum for the A's vs. Rangers game. More on the venue, game, and atmosphere in a later post. The game ended early and I made the long journey back to San Jose. I rode BART for about an hour from the Coliseum to the transfer. I then took the CalTrain for an hour more and arrived in San Jose just after midnight. I was very lucky catching trains out of the Coliseum: one BART train later and I would have needed to wait for the next CalTrain arriving in San Jose at 1:30 AM.
West Coast: Day 3 and Day 4
On Saturday morning, my aunt and my two cousins took me out to breakfast at a restaurant right on the beach. It was cool to go to the boardwalk and see the beach for the first time on my trip. The weather was also beautiful! After breakfast my aunt took me to see Palos Verdes, a community with large Spanish style homes on a large hill looking over the Pacific Ocean. We then went to a whale observation point and walked around a fancy resort right on the water. At the resort we saw a pod of dolphins in the ocean below.
I then got on my flight from L.A. to San Jose, where my college roommate, Zac, picked me up after driving from San Luis Obispo. We then went to my friend Jordan's house in San Jose where we met up with one of his roommates Ben. We ate at local brewery and went to a bar with a patio afterwards.
The next day, Zac and I got bagels at a stand in San Jose and took the CalTrain into San Francisco for the Giants vs. Braves game. The CalTrain only took just over an hour and dropped us of a couple of blocks away from AT&T Park. As always, more on the ballpark in a later post. After the game, we walked to Chinatown and are dinner. We then headed back to the train station and took the train back to San Jose.
I then got on my flight from L.A. to San Jose, where my college roommate, Zac, picked me up after driving from San Luis Obispo. We then went to my friend Jordan's house in San Jose where we met up with one of his roommates Ben. We ate at local brewery and went to a bar with a patio afterwards.
The next day, Zac and I got bagels at a stand in San Jose and took the CalTrain into San Francisco for the Giants vs. Braves game. The CalTrain only took just over an hour and dropped us of a couple of blocks away from AT&T Park. As always, more on the ballpark in a later post. After the game, we walked to Chinatown and are dinner. We then headed back to the train station and took the train back to San Jose.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
West Coast Trip: Day 2
The overnight bus trip from Phoenix to Los Angeles wasn't too bad. The bus was crowded and the seat was small but I was able to get a few hours of sleep. All told, taking the bus was well worth the $200 saved compared to the alternative of getting a hotel in Phoenix and flying to Los Angeles the next day. We arrived in Los Angeles just before 9 AM where my aunt picked me up. We ate breakfast at The Pantry, a well-known 24-hour diner type place just down the street from the Staples Center. I had a ham and cheese omelet which hit the spot after the long bus ride. The area around the Staples Center was newly developed with a couple of high-end hotels, new apartment buildings, and L.A. Live (an entertainment complex with the lots of attractions and restaurants).
We then went back to my aunt and uncle's house where I took a much needed shower and nap. After I took a nap, my aunt drove me to my uncle's work. He works for a company that makes visual effects graphics for feature films. They had a room full of toy movie collectibles and movie posters signed by directors and actors. My uncle and I then went to the Dodgers vs. Marlins game.
Friday, May 10, 2013
West Coast Trip: Day 1
My Dad and I left our house at 5:45 for me to catch my 8:00 AM flight from Grand Rapids to Phoenix via Chicago O'Hare. The flights went rather smooth and I landed in Phoenix around 11:30 AM local time. I then took the light rail from Sky Harbor Airport into downtown Phoenix, suitcase and backpack in tow. The Arizona State graduation was just finishing up so I weaved my way through herds of graduates and their relates. I had call the Downtown Phoenix Sheraton Hotel earlier in the week to see if they would hold my bag despite me not being a guest and they said they would. I then dropped my suitcase and backpack off at the hotel, only keeping a drawstring bag containing essential items (water, maps, sunglasses, etc.). I then hopped back onto the light rail and got off at Papago Park, just East of Downtown and just North of Tempe. Papago Park has a golf course, holds the Phoenix zoo and Desert Botanical Gardens, the Oakland A's spring training stadium, and hiking trails. I hiked for close to two hours around the several buttes in the park. The most interesting of the buttes was the hole-in-the-rock, where there was literally a large hole in the middle of the butte that offered a view of downtown Phoenix. The hikes were interesting: on one side of the trail was a large rock formation sparingly dotted with desert plants and on the other side was a golf course, a busy freeway, and the airport and Phoenix skyline in the distance. I have always heard Phoenix was built in the middle of a desert but it is hard to believe that the whole area once looked like the terrain surrounding the buttes.
I then took the light rail back downtown for the Diamondbacks vs. Phillies game at Chase Field. I bought a ticket from a scalper for $10 and ate at pretty much the only restaurant near the stadium: a sports bar called Legends. I was hoping for a cheap and authentic Mexican place but I can't really complain about happy hour priced appetizers. I then headed to the game for batting practice. I will talk about my ballpark experience in a future post, but I really enjoyed Chase Field. After the game, I walked back to the Sheraton, got my bags, and took a taxi to the Greyhound station where I am now waiting for my 1:30 AM bus to Los Angeles. I had thought about walking around Phoenix some more after the game but it was dark, I wasn't really sure where I would go, and concluded that tonight wasn't the time or place for exploring. I have been up for about 22 hours now and I am looking forward to getting some sleep on the bus.
I then took the light rail back downtown for the Diamondbacks vs. Phillies game at Chase Field. I bought a ticket from a scalper for $10 and ate at pretty much the only restaurant near the stadium: a sports bar called Legends. I was hoping for a cheap and authentic Mexican place but I can't really complain about happy hour priced appetizers. I then headed to the game for batting practice. I will talk about my ballpark experience in a future post, but I really enjoyed Chase Field. After the game, I walked back to the Sheraton, got my bags, and took a taxi to the Greyhound station where I am now waiting for my 1:30 AM bus to Los Angeles. I had thought about walking around Phoenix some more after the game but it was dark, I wasn't really sure where I would go, and concluded that tonight wasn't the time or place for exploring. I have been up for about 22 hours now and I am looking forward to getting some sleep on the bus.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The Road: West Coast Trip
Tomorrow I take my first big trip of the summer. I am headed to the west coast to see the Diamondbacks, Giants, A's, Dodgers, Angels, and Padres.
The first stop on the trip is Phoenix, Arizona. I am flying out of Grand Rapids and arriving in Phoenix around noon and going to the Diamondbacks vs. Phillies game at 6:40 PM local time. I am then taking an overnight Greyhound bus from Phoenix to Los Angeles, where I am staying with my aunt and uncle. The Dodgers play on Friday night but I don't know if I will go to that game or wait until later in my trip to go to Dodgers Stadium.
On Saturday evening, I am headed to my 3rd metropolitan area in as many nights: the Bay Area. I am meeting up with one of my college roommates and staying with another friend who now lives in the San Jose area. I will be going to the Giants game on Sunday afternoon and going to the A's game on Monday night. I am also excited to explore San Francisco during the day on Monday.
I fly back to Los Angeles on Tuesday morning. The Angels and Dodgers both have games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Depending on what I do on my first stint in Los Angeles, I will go to either just an Angels game on Tuesday/Wednesday or Angels and Dodgers games on consecutive night. My last city on the trip will be San Diego on Thursday. San Diego is only two hours south of my aunt and uncle's house and I should be able to road trip it. I return to Michigan on the red-eye flight on Friday night / Saturday morning giving me all Friday to go to beach one last time.
My biggest fear on this trip is rain. If the Giants or A's get rained out, the chances of seeing a game at all 30 ballparks takes an earlier hit. As of now, there are no big threats of rain in the forecast for San Francisco, San Diego, or Los Angeles. I am certainly crossing my fingers though!
The first stop on the trip is Phoenix, Arizona. I am flying out of Grand Rapids and arriving in Phoenix around noon and going to the Diamondbacks vs. Phillies game at 6:40 PM local time. I am then taking an overnight Greyhound bus from Phoenix to Los Angeles, where I am staying with my aunt and uncle. The Dodgers play on Friday night but I don't know if I will go to that game or wait until later in my trip to go to Dodgers Stadium.
On Saturday evening, I am headed to my 3rd metropolitan area in as many nights: the Bay Area. I am meeting up with one of my college roommates and staying with another friend who now lives in the San Jose area. I will be going to the Giants game on Sunday afternoon and going to the A's game on Monday night. I am also excited to explore San Francisco during the day on Monday.
I fly back to Los Angeles on Tuesday morning. The Angels and Dodgers both have games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Depending on what I do on my first stint in Los Angeles, I will go to either just an Angels game on Tuesday/Wednesday or Angels and Dodgers games on consecutive night. My last city on the trip will be San Diego on Thursday. San Diego is only two hours south of my aunt and uncle's house and I should be able to road trip it. I return to Michigan on the red-eye flight on Friday night / Saturday morning giving me all Friday to go to beach one last time.
My biggest fear on this trip is rain. If the Giants or A's get rained out, the chances of seeing a game at all 30 ballparks takes an earlier hit. As of now, there are no big threats of rain in the forecast for San Francisco, San Diego, or Los Angeles. I am certainly crossing my fingers though!
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