Day 7 - Houston Astros' Minute Maid Park #23

On Tuesday, we left Arlington and made the 3-hour drive to Houston.  We were able to reserve a room at the Cambria Hotel which is a fairly new hotel in downtown Houston and only three-tenths of a mile to Minute Maid Park.  The hotel was very nice and we scored a city-view room on the 18th floor - very nice!  We checked in around 3 and rested a while before going to the game.  The tickets for the game I had acquired through FaceBook on the Astros Ticket Exchange group page.  This is highly recommended (thanks to the tip from my brother-in-law Chantz whose family had lived in Houston).  By purchasing through this group page and using Paypal and the Ballpark App, there are no hidden fees like you might pay through Stubhub.  Anyway, I got two sets of seats - one pair in the famous Crawford Boxes in left field and the other pair was on the front row in right field.  The night before we left for Houston I received a message from one of the season ticket owners that I bought the tickets from.  She told me that for this homestand against the A's that the stadium was opening up 30 minutes earlier for season ticket holders!  Perfect - now the boys and I could get in to watch most of the Astros batting practice as well as the A's - what this means is a better chance of getting a BP ball or two (we ended up getting 4!).  And Tammy could stay behind and go to the fitness room and still have time to shower and get ready for the game.

Small World - before the game, Tammy met a family from Taylorsville - The Pierce Family - who are also on their bucket list mission to see all the MLB ballparks.  They are really nice folks who were at Minute Maid (#13 for them) and then on to Arlington and then to Omaha for a baseball tournament.  We were able to share some stories about different adventures that our families have had on this journey.  It was great to meet people who have shared similar experiences.

So again, we were able to see a game in an indoor facility that had air-conditioning.  This could spoil you because it was really nice (especially compared to watching some games in "Hotlanta".  The game featured the AL West Division-leading Astros vs. the second-place team - the Oakland A's.

The view from our seats in the Crawford Boxes

My attempt at taking a "selfie" with Tammy

Our view of the Jumbotron showing the Minute Maid train

Trey and Tate's seats on the front row just above and to the left of the S in State Farm

The game was very exciting, but the highlight of the whole night for me was the fact that it was a Tuesday game and that meant "Dollar Dog Night!"  A promotion the Astros have is on Tuesdays all Nolan Ryan Hot Dogs are $1 and you can get as many as you want.  This was awesome!  We all ate our fill!

The A's jumped out to an early lead, but the Astros came from behind to win 9-6 thanks to 2 home runs by the Astros' rising star - Yordan Alvarez.  Halfway through the game, Tate and I decided to switch seats (I think so he could get away from Trey who can be quite bossy to his little brother).  Funny tidbit - As fate would have it, Yordan's second home run was hit into the Crawford Boxes right in the direction of where Tate and Tammy were sitting.  Now, Tate had his glove with him and might have had a chance to catch the ball, but he did not have his glove on when the ball was hit.  Needless to say, he did not catch the ball even though it might have been within reach.  He was in an aisle seat and it landed in the aisle.  Of course, his brother has given him grief ever since.  We have even watched the highlight of Tate not catching the ball on MLB Network several times.

Trey and Tate's view from the Right Field Seats

Orbit waving the victory flag after the Astros win.

Standard pose for the boys with the field in the background

Tammy photobombing the shot!

So the Astros win the game and we head back to our hotel preparing to fly back to Charlotte the next day.  Stadium number 23 in the books!  This adventure, although somewhat stressful at times, was a memorable one.  We go to see some of the beautiful scenery that our country has to offer as well as see some pretty cool ballparks.  I'm not exactly sure yet about where these three parks would rank as far as favorite parks go.  I guess it depends upon the criteria.  I plan on writing about that in a later post.  The next trip(s) will be much more involved as we will have to fly and drive again out to the west coast.  But this trip was full of some pretty incredible memories - ones that we will look back on for years to come.

Day 6 - Arlington, Texas - Home of the Rangers #22

On Monday morning we left Amarillo and drove southeast to Arlington.  So we leave the Texas Panhandle to make the 5-hour drive.  You really get an idea of how big Texas is when you start driving across the state.  We arrive mid-afternoon and find our hotel which is within walking distance to Globe Life Field.  (Stadium Tour Tip - pay a little more to stay within walking distance to a stadium if you can - it is much more convenient and the parking is already taken care of).  Globe-Life Field is MLB's newest ballpark having been built and opened in 2020, so I was excited to see what it was like.  The number one feature that it has - air conditioning!  It is an indoor facility and to watch baseball in the AC is pretty nice.

The view of Globe Life Field as we were walking in.  It is located right beside Globe Life Park which is the old stadium - it looked to be in great shape, but no AC!

Inside Globe Life Field - Very Impressive!

Another good thing about staying within walking distance for Tammy was that she did not have to go to the game the same time that we did.  We always like to go in as soon as you can which is two hours before first pitch to watch batting practice.  Tammy got to stay behind and do her workout and come to the game a little later.  We were about a half-mile from the stadium.

The Rangers were hosting the Detroit Tigers, which was not exactly a marquee matchup as both teams were near the bottom in their respective divisions.  The game did have some interesting storylines:

-Kolby Allard was the starting pitcher for Texas.  He was a former Braves prospect that was dealt to Texas last year.  He pitched a great game into the 6th when he gave up 5 runs.  But he looked sharp striking out nine.

-Former Hickory Crawdad, Joey Gallo, hit a home run in this game.  He will also be in this year's Home Run Derby next week in Colorado.  Other home runs hit were by Texas catcher Jonah Heim and Tigers shortstop Zach Short.

The Tigers went on the win the game 7-3.  The game was enjoyable, mainly because the temperature inside was perfect.  The prices at the stadium were some of the highest we have seen.  Concessions and merchandise prices were on the high end compared to many places that we have been.

The "Boomstick" Hot Dog - We didn't try it but we should have!

I was able to get front row seats in the outfield, but we had to look through these steel wires.

The boys sporting their Sodpoodle shirts at the Rangers game

Outside Globe Life Field after the game

All-in-all, the Rangers game was nice.  The facilities were great and the atmosphere was very pleasant.  Stadium number 22 checked off the list.  The next day we were off to Houston.

Day 5 - Amarillo (Which is Spanish for Yellow)

We had booked an Airbnb for two nights to stay in Amarillo, TX which we found out was the halfway point on the famous Route 66 Highway that runs from Chicago to Los Angeles.  It was a famous route for Dust Bowlers in the 30s to get to "California or Bust" as well as the road made famous for kids in the Pixar movie Cars.  I just had to see some of the "Mother Road".  Unfortunately, there is not a lot of it left since I-40 came along in the late 50s and 60s.  There were some old streets that are in town that are trying to hang on to the past.

Tate and Trey on Route 66

Our first stop on our day visit in Amarillo was the Cadillac Ranch.  Some guy thought it would be a good idea to bury several old Cadillacs in the ground in his corn field and let travelers come by and spray paint them.  It was pretty popular as many people were there even after heavy rains had made it very muddy.

You can see the cars buried in the background

Tate leaving his mark

Trey was here!

Somebody in the family had already been there it seems!

So, after we visit that tourist attraction, we head into town to see what was left of Route 66.  There is one stretch in town that has become an antique and restaurant row through Amarillo.  Sad, but not much there to see.  We had a little time so we went to check out the Amarillo Zoo.  It had been a while since the boys had been to a zoo, so we decided to check it out.  There were quite a few cool animals there (Lions, Tigers, Bears, oh my!  And buffalo and elk).  After our outing, we go back to the room and prepare for my big treat - Dinner at the famous Big Texan Steak Ranch!

All the way to Amarillo, there were road signs advertising the World Famous Big Texan.  Legend has it that this restaurant owner was feeding some hungry cowboys one day and there was a challenge to see who could eat the most one-pound steaks that he sold.  One cowboy ate 4 and a half steaks, a loaded baked potato, a salad, and a dinner roll all in under an hour.  This gave the owner an idea.  If anyone could come in and eat that same meal, they could eat for free.  And, so that is the big attraction there.  It seems that almost 10,000 people have done it since the 1960s - eaten a 72 oz. steak with all the sides!

The "Big Texan" - the picture does not do it justice!

The boys outside The Big Texan

Famous road side sign

My meal - only a 16 oz Ribeye - Pretty Good!

After our meal, we decide to, well, go see another baseball game!  Amarillo is the home of the Amarillo Sodpoodles, the Double-A minor league team for the Arizona Diamondbacks.  This was also the 4th of July and they were hosting a fireworks show after the game.  The game was nearly sold out and all we could get were standing-room-only tickets.  We go and the park was amazing.  The team and the stadium are only two years old so everything was really nice.  What is a Sodpoodle you may say?  Well, it is a nickname for a prairie dog.  The game didn't go so well for the home team as the Wichita City Wind Surge blew in and was able to pull out the win.  It didn't matter.  A good time was had by all and the fireworks were great!

Ruckus the Sodpoodle mascot

The Amarillo skyline from the ballpark and yes Jason Aldean, it is an Amarillo Sky - absolutely beautiful!

After the game, we head back to our place and prepare for the next day's 5-hour drive to Arlington to see the Texas Rangers.

Day 4 - Amarillo By (Evening) - Sorry, George Strait!

After spending the night at the Econolodge in Pueblo (NOT RECOMMENDED!), we get up and go to Cracker Barrel for breakfast.  We had planned to drive to Amarillo to stay for a couple nights in the Texas Panhandle.  Tammy had wanted to go for a walk along the Pueblo riverwalk but the boys did not seem too interested, so we decided to drive on to Texas for what we thought was going to be a 5-hour drive (it's a good thing we did).  The drive south through Colorado was beautiful with the Rocky Mountains always on the horizon to the west.  We even got a good look at Pike's Peak along the way.  Then you cross into New Mexico for a while and you head through the famous Raton Pass as you're heading toward Texas.  As we were coming down and almost out of the Raton Pass, there was a lot of road construction.  We were just about to reach the exit where we were to change roads when we hit a huge pothole.  Wham!  And we punctured a tire. 

This was NOT GOOD!

Our little Mazda 3 that we were driving had these low-profile tires which do not give much when you hit a pothole on the interstate.  So we take the next exit which was only .7 miles away and we pull off into a service station.  We call Enterprise to inform them of our dilemma but they were going to be no help as the closest place they could help us was 90 miles away.  It is near lunchtime on Saturday of the 4th of July weekend.  Most of the nearby Tire Dealers were closed.  And those that were open, many did not have the 18" tire that we were needing.  We were stressing!  So, the boys and I put on the spare (which was a life lesson for them as I had never done that with them before)

We were thinking we were going to have to drive several hundred miles on that spare when we had one more idea.  There was a nearby tire store called Cunnico Tire there in Raton.  We had called them before but no answer.  So, we decided to just drive by there just to see if anyone was there.  As luck would have it, it was a little three-man shop and they were open for another 20 minutes.  I ask if they have the size tire that we need and they did not have the exact tire, but one that would work!  Thank goodness!

The boys and I outside the tire store that "bailed us out"

So we gladly purchase a tire (which Enterprise will reimburse us for) and go to a nearby Pizza place for lunch.  Crisis averted.  We then head on to Texas bound for Amarillo.  And yes, I made Tate the DJ play George Strait's classic song, "Amarillo by Morning". We had booked an Air BnB in Amarillo and we got there around 5:00.  Tammy had to get a walk in, so we found a local park and she walked and the boys got some long toss throwing in at the same time.  After a long and stressful day, we rested well that night.

Day 3 - Head for the Rockies

On Friday, we leave Denver and head west to go take in some of the sights in the Rocky Mountains.  We did not have a whole lot of time to see some of the best places so I decided to go to Red Rocks and then make the hour-long drive to Mount Evans and drive on the highest paved road in North America knowing we could enjoy some beautiful scenery on the way.  We were not disappointed.  Red Rocks and the famous Red Rocks Amphitheater were impressive.  The huge Red Rock formations were beautiful to see and almost made us feel like we were on another planet.

The view of Denver from Red Rocks

Trey and Tate at the appropriately named Red Rocks

The famous Amphitheater where many famous acts have performed since the 1930s

Mount Evans is one of the Rockies' "14ers" which rises to 14,000 feet above sea level, so we got to see some marvelous views.

It is about 14 miles of continuous winding roads to get to the peak of Mount Evans.  It even rises above the tree line and the views as well as the fact that there are no guard rails on the sides of the road are breathtaking!

A view of the road - "No guardrails!"

A lake view on the way up.

Tammy and I at the top!

Trey and Tate at the summit.

We even saw some Mountain Goats (That is orange paint on the little one - not sure how it got on there)

So, after our time in the Mountains, we had to head South toward Texas.  We drive a few hours and get a room in Pueblo, Colorado for the night.  Little did we know what fun times we were going to have on Saturday!

Year 8 - Stadium Tour - Denver to Texas - Days 1 & 2 Coors Field #21

 Recap:  We began this bucket list adventure way back in 2014 when we were inspired to attempt this goal of visiting all 30 MLB ballparks by the time that Trey graduates from high school.  In 7 years, we have seen so many stadiums.  In 2014, Trey was 9 and Tate was 7, we went to  Philadelphia, New York Yankees, Cooperstown for the HOF induction ceremony when Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Bobby Cox were inducted, Boston, New York Mets, and Baltimore.  In 2015 we went to Cincinnati, Detroit, Toronto, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh.  In 2016, we went to Miami, cruised the Caribbean, and went to Tampa.  In 2017, we took a year off to save up for the next year.  In 2018, we did the All-Star game in Washington D.C. In 2019, we went to St. Louis, Kansas City, Minnesota, Lambeau Field, Milwaukee, Chicago Cubs, and Chicago White Sox bringing the total of stadiums visited to 20 out of the 30, 2/3 of them covered.  And then COVID-19 hit in 2020 and everything was put on hold.  So, in 2021, as the boys are now 16 and 14, we decide to resume our quest and head out west for Stadium #21 - Coors Field in Denver.

This trip will be different because we do not have our own transportation.  It has now become impractical to try to drive to these cities our west so we fly to Denver and get there on Wednesday, June 30.  Now, as these trips get farther and farther from home, there is a lot more planning that goes into preparing for this trip.  As I have said before, Tammy is a logistical genius when it comes to planning, so prior to the trip, we think we have everything covered.  Well...when we get to the airport, we have to take a shuttle to the rental car location where we had reserved a car from Thrifty.  As we try to get our keys, we are told that since this is a one-way rental, we have to put a $500 deposit down on a credit card.  We had already paid for the rental ahead of time.  They just needed a credit card to put a deposit on hold.  Here is where we encounter a huge difficulty.  We do not have a credit card.  We have debit cards which work as credit cards on most purchases, but no credit card.  The rental agency would not accept a debit card.  So, we were stuck. We have to take the shuttle back to the airport and get an Uber to take us to our hotel.  (Fortunately, Tammy had a contact with Enterprise who came to our rescue, but it took two days to get it).  So we relied on Uber and Lyft and Lime Scooters for transportation to Coors Field and to get around Denver for two days.

The boys loved riding the scooters around town!

Day 2 in Denver - we did not get to do some things we wanted to do on this day, but we did go into the city and see some of the sites.  We saw the National BallPark Museum which is a museum dedicated to some of the old historic ballparks that are no longer in existence (Ebbets Field, Shibe Park, Old Yankee Stadium, Polo Grounds, etc.). While on a Stadium Tour, we had to go see this museum, right?  I thought it was very good.  They had lots of exhibits and artifacts from many of the torn down parks, so many that The Hall of Fame in Cooperstown has called it one of the best collections of baseball memorabillia.  A great way to spend some time before the game.  Another thing we discovered in Denver were electric scooters!  The boys, especially Tate, were amazed that you could just come upon a scooter, hop on and go (of course there was a small fee incurred after a credit card swipe, but many cities are using these as a way to help reduce emissions - Lime, Uber, and Lyft are all in on this).

The Game - Rockies vs. Cardinals - back when we got our tickets a couple of months ago, I was kind of surprised at how expensive the tickets were going on Stubhub and other sites.  Also on the Rockies website, there were not a lot of tickets available.  I was wondering why this game was in such high demand, after all the Rockies are not playing that well and they were playing the Cardinals.  It turns out that the game we had decided to attend was going to be the first time that former Rockies All-Star Nolan Arenado would be back at Denver.  This is not the first time that we were able to experience this as we were able to be in St. Louis two years ago when Albert Pujols came back there for the first time when he was with the Angels.  And just like in St. Louis, the Rockies fans gave Arenado a standing ovation prior to his first at bat.  He is still held in high regard for Rockies fans.  

Coors Field - Wow!  We were very impressed with this stadium.  I don't know if it is the clean mountain air or maybe the effects of a possible contact "Rocky Mountian high", but this park was a beautiful place.  I purchased some tickets on the third level and as you can see in the pics below, we had an awesome view.

View of the scoreboard at Coors Field.

View of the field from our seats.  This was taken after the game was delayed by rain, but as you can see, it is gorgeous!

Evergreen trees native to Colorado that made up the Batter's Eye in Centerfield

The boys sporting their Rockies T-Shirts they bought at the Team Store

The game was delayed about 45 minutes due to a passing thunderstorm, but once the skies cleared, the game was underway and you could not ask for a better night for baseball. The temperature at first pitch was 64 degreees!  Some of the highlights of the game:

-It was really cool to see the Rockies fans give Nolan Arenado a standing ovation.  They still love him in Denver!

-We saw future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina play for the Cardinals as well as one of my favorite pitchers - Adam Wainwright.

-We got to see home runs hit by Brendan Rodgers for the Rockies and Paul Goldschmidt for the Cardinals.

-The Rockies won the game in the bottom of the 9th on a home run from Catcher Elias Diaz (but we were not there to see it as we left in the 8th inning to get back to our hotel making sure that we could get an Uber - yes, Trey was not very happy about missing that!)

All in all, Coors Field did not disappoint.  I don't know if it is one of our Top 5 stadiums that we have seen, but definitely is in the Top 10.  Maybe I will give my own rankings when we complete this.  Denver is a great city.  The people are friendly, the air is clean, and the views of the Rocky Mountains are incredible.  So we leave Denver the next day and "head for the mountains".