Cali (minus Oakland)

I have seemed to misplace my notes that I have been keeping so, my memory being what it is, the recollection of the last few days are not very detailed.



San Francisco



I had chosen a great matchup to see my first game at AT&T Park- the Giants hosting the Red Sox. However, because of the draw of the game ,ticket prices more than tripled. A normal bleacher ticket that goes for $17 was now available for a minimum of $58 at the window. Plus parking cost an astronomical $30. But I did bring some beers with me in hopes of at least covering parking, but that did not pan out and I only sold 1. Next task at hand was finding a ticket at a reasonable price. So, as game time approached, I went wandering for scalpers. Since the game had not sold out yet, but did go on to, I knew they would have tickets that they needed to get rid of. However, they would not budge on their prices and I knew I would have to wait until the game started to truly gain the upperhand. In the bottom of the first I found a guy who had a club level seat face value of $72 trying to get $40. I offered $20 and after a little ball busting I got the ticket for $27.

Once inside I went up to the club level which was like a hotel in the concourse area. It had plush couches, carving stations, super clean restrooms among other ritzy perks. My seat, however, was not the greatest for the club section almost all the way down the right field line. They were in the shade but, I would not pay face value for them. Hearing that I must try the garlic fries, the original stadium to serve this treat, I had to get an order and was not disappointed. I was very happy to have a pack of gum on me though.




The views from the stadium are phenomenal. Over the left field fence was a Navy tanker docked at the port and the left field bleachers hosted the iconic giant glove and Coca Cola bottle. Inside the stadium corridors are a host of areas with team memorabilia. They have autographed balls from most of the players throughout their history. Also, gear from historic events such as Barry Bonds' bat from his historic slugging year in 2001.




The game was little less intriguing. The Giants pitcher, Madison Bumgarner, gave up two HRs early and fell behind 4-0 through 2 innings. In the bottom half of the 2nd Red Sox starter, Clay Buchholtz, had to leave the game due to a knee injury. Bumgarner, making his first start in 2010 and only second of his career, settled down and the Giants did get a couple of runs on the board (thanks to baseball's most exciting plays-a fielders choice and a sacrifice fly) but the early damage was too much and the Red Sox hung on 4-2.




Los Angeles



I got into LA at 1:30pm with plenty of time to get to Dodgers Stadium for ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball matchup with the Yankees. Knowing LA traffic can be brutal and the luck I have had with traffic so far, I decided to head to vicinity of the ballpark and then find some food. I did not know that Dodgers Stadium was in a mostly residential area but after I while I found some food. I decided to get Little Caesars where for $6.50 I got a large pepperoni pizza and 8 breadstix. There was a city park down about a third of a mile from the stadium and I parked there and ate my lunch. By the time I finished my delicious lunch it was an hour before game time so I decided to keep my car at this park, grabbed my sign and walked to Dodgers Stadium.

The stadium is located at the top of a hill surrounded by mountains, which made it non-visible from the base of the hill. Never being there before I had no clue how far I was or where it was. But you come over a hill and there it is and built into the side of one of the surrounding mountains is large block letters that state "Think Blue". As I walked through the parking lot I thought about how happy I was to park for free away from the stadium. Seeing that everyone in LA drives there were entirely cars in the lot. Plus, they do not allow tailgating or alcohol on the premises and it is strictly enforced. I wound up buying a ticket off a guy from Hawaii, Will, in a Grateful Dead tee that had an extra because his buddy bailed on him, which was convenient for me since the game was a sellout. Apparently one other thing they do not allow in the stadium is signs and they would not let me bring mine in. Thankfully, they have a locker you can check things into and get as you exit the stadium so I did not have to walk back to the car.



Its a good thing that the Dodgers have been good for a while now, because there isn't much to do inside the stadium besides get drunk and/or watch a game. I chose the latter and it was an excellent game (except the final result) to watch. The Dodgers would lead 5-0 though the first five innings until A-Rod hit a 2 run HR off Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers would hold a 6-2 lead into the ninth when the brought their closer, Jonathan Broxton in. And dude got rocked. He gave up four runs and for the second time in a week I got to see an extra innings game. In the next inning Robinson Cano hit a 410' shot to give the Evil Empire a 8-6 lead and eventually the win by the same score. After the game it was off to my buddy Lon's place in Topanga Canyon, which was my home base for my time in Southern Cali.

A couple of interesting notes during the game. In true LA style there were four "first pitches" before the game and between one of the innings they played Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" and as they panned through the crowd they came across this dude in his twenties that looked like he was about to fall asleep. Then right as the lyrics to the song were about to start, he snapped out of it and put on this intense dramatic lip sync/air guitar performance. It was absolutely awesome. The camera did not go to anyone else the entire song. I do not know if it was preplanned, nor did anyone else around me, but it was one of the most entertaining things I had ever seen at a baseball game.



San Diego



From the moment I arrived in San Diego I added it to my places that I would just pick up and move to without and plans ( joining Charlotte and Denver). And it wasn't even nice weather. In fact, it was probably the worst weather I have had besides Pittsburgh. It was cold and damp, not raining but threatening all day. I got around PETCO Park around 4pm for a 7pm game and parked at a garage a block away from the park and went to explore the Gaslamp district of downtown. But first I wanted to see if I could score Park Pass tickets for the game. I was made aware of these tickets from Will, the guy I had bought my Dodgers ticket off of the night before. They are $5 tickets that get you general admission to this area behind the centerfield wall. But it is inside the stadium grounds and you are allowed to walk around the rest of the grounds and tickets go fast. Since it was a Monday night game and I was early enough I was able to get a ticket no problem.



I had not eaten all day I was looking for a cheap place to get some grub and drinks before the game. I stumbled across an establishment called "Dick's Last Resort" on fifth, just a few blocks away from the park. If you are ever in San Diego please go to this place because it is an experience and it is hard to put into words. The character of the place is excellent and the employees get paid to give attitude to the customers. It's just a truly unique place that added to my experience .



After pissing away a couple of hours at Dicks it was time to see the Padres host the Rockies and off to the park beyond the outfield fence I went. It was a really area and great for families. There was a beach right behind the outfield fence, a mini baseball field to play wiffleball or kickball, a hill for people to lounge on and see the game live, and a giant big screen to watch the game on TV. It also had vending like the rest of the ballpark. I only lasted one inning back there because I saw the sparse crowd and new I could make my way into the lower level seats. Moments later I was just behind first base with the Western Metal Supply Co. building, that is incorporated in the design of the structure and actually used as suites, in my direct line of site. Every move they made in building this venue was the right one and it couldn't be more spectacular. I was even impressed to find live plants growing from the support beams around the concourse and extremely clean restrooms.

The game wasn't as pleasant for the host Padres. Ubaldo Jimenez had a no-hitter going through into the 6th until he finally gave up his first hit to David Eckstein and then 4 runs in the same inning. But that merely cut the lead in half to 8-4. The Rockies hit four HRs on their way to an 10-6 win (Padres did pull within 2 late in the game).



After the game I was planning on returning to my car, move it to a 24 parking garage, and hit up the Gaslamp district at night. I was ecstatic to find that the gate at the garage was up and everyone was allowed out, so I was able to avoid paying the $10 rate parking (which went to drinks). I given several recommendations on where to go out and the Yard House was a place for a beer and a bite ( have come to find out that there is also 2 in FL including Coral Gables). In fact, they boast the world's largest selection of draft beers. This may sound awesome, especially to a self-described beer snob as myself, but I am also incredibly indecisive. Put 100+ beers in my face and have me choose one is almost torturous. I did settle on the Dechutes Black Butte Porter and Moo Shu Eggrolls-both where delicious. Next I was told I had to go by Whiskey Girl for a great time. Without getting into further details, I slept in my car which was intended before the night began and woke up with a killer hangover the next day, which was not intended.



Anaheim



My time in San Diego was short lived because I had to make my way to Anaheim for a Angels/Rangers game the following day. I decided to drive up the PCH from San Diego to Anaheim because I had the time to kill and wanted to enjoy the scenery. The weather had not gotten much better and it was still overcast and chilly but and enjoyable ride nonetheless. Arriving in Anaheim around noon I had a few hours to kill but did not want to do anything in particular. About mile from Angels Stadium was a hugs mall called the block that had a movie theatre. And like the only other time I had been hungover on this trip, I decided to go catch a couple of movies. Grown Ups was hilarious and Knight and Day was alright. It had plenty of action and Cameron Diaz so it kept my interest. After the movie I grabbed some food, left my car at the mall and took to the stadium.




Angel Stadium is still one of the older remaining stadiums, but they have done so much remolding and work (a Southern Cal theme) that it looks more modern than it is. The entrances are very elaborate with huge batting helmets and bats at the gates. Even Mickey Mouse himself, or at least an inanimate statue, was there to greet you. The watefall in the outfield is there signature and I did not realize until I saw It up close that it has a built in "A" on the top.



The game was one of the best that I have seen so far. It was back and forth and competitive until the last out in a game which including a play at the plate and Vladimir Guerrero's return to LA. Vlad hit a 2 run HR in the 7th to help the Rangers claw back but the Angels held to a one run win 6-5. Speaking of clawing there was an awesome cat fight which evolved into the dude's getting involved in the 9th inning. I have a picture but it didn't come out so well.

Heading back Eastbound tomorrow. Arizona on the 1st and 2nd and Denver on the 3rd.



Shoutouts:


Lon Haber for his wonderful casa in the canyon and the hospitality


Will for the ticket in LA and tip about the Park Pass in SD


The cop whom I asked to point me in the general direction of the mall where my car was parked in Anaheim after I came out a different exit than I entered. He pointed me in the complete opposite direction resulting in and extra 35 minutes of walking. Thanks again boys in blue.


The city of San Diego for being awesome and providing me with a baseball game and parking for a total of $5.



Randoms:



Why do they bother painting boxes designated for the base coaches to stand in when I have not seen one stand anywhere near them yet.


I must be technology deficient because I am using a an ipod auxillary in the rental cars and everytime I turn the car on it always starts at the same song. I learned how to change, but I cannot control what songs it plays.


Twisted how Seattle had clear skies and beautiful weather, while San Diego required a sweatshirt all day and threatened rain.

Chicago/Seattle/Oakland

Chicago part two

I spent the last three days I had in Chicago in a hostel in the Greektown district, just two blocks away from the blue line. Since I already had my fair share of Chicago traffic and found a great free spot on the street just a block away from the hostel, I gave my car a break for the remainder of my time in Chicago.

I met some very interesting people at that hostel including an active military bomb diffuser (don't remember his actual title) who I believe to be a pathological lier, a couple of kids that just graduated high school that don't quite understand the repercussions of alcohol and a traveling nomad like myself named Bryan. Bryan and I had similar journeys and he came with me to the White Sox game.

The city was nice, but huge and sprawled out. I think the thing I enjoyed most in the Second City was the food. Everywhere I ate it was delicious, huge portions, and relatively inexpensive. I few highlights were the stuffed crust pizza from Giordano's, the Italian beef sandwich from Al's Beef and chicken parm from the White Palace Grill. I also had a gyro from a place that claimed it was Chicago's best and it was pretty good.

But back to what I really came to Chicago for. It had rained most of my time there and when it was time for the White Sox game the weather forecasted for isolated showers, like it had for the last three days. But it turned out it was a beautiful night for baseball with not a cloud in the sky and a crispness to the air. Bryan and I took in the sites around the stadium while trying to score tickets. Just outside the gates is still the home plate from Comiskey Park and a monument in honor of the 2005 White Sox who ended a 78 year championship drought. After some patience, we got two lower box seats for $15 a piece. Then off inside.

It turns out patience payed off. These tickets were great, right behind first base about 40 feet up. I was impressed with US Cellular Field, especially being one of the older, newer parks(about 20 years old). It held a lot of people without looking big or too tall. We watched as the Braves jumped out to an early 3-0 lead then the Sox answered with 9 runs in the first four innings thanks to a Carlos Quentin 3 run HR, eventually taking the game 9-6. The White Sox piled on a season high 16 hits including an Alex Rios hit in which Braves 3B Brooks Conrad lost the ball in his jersey. If you haven't seen it yet check out this crude video on youtube.

After the game Bryan and I explored the park while we let the trains clear out a little before going home. They had statues in the outfield plaza, but more lifesize than other stadiums have had. Harold Baines looked as if he was 160 pounds soaking wet. But on of the most unique things I have seen in any park so far was the "Outfield Shower". It was originally installed in the outfield at Comiskey in 1976 for fans to cool off in on a hot summer day. It was moved when they built this new park.

That night, since it was my last in Chicago, I was determined to go down to Rush St. I would have been foolish if I spent four days and did not head down there once to check it out-even if it was on a Tuesday night. So around midnight I got on the train and headed towards the nightlife area. 45 minutes and one transfer later I had arrived and was thoroughly disappointed. I guess I am spoiled by the offerings in South Florida like South Beach, Las Olas and Coconut Grove, but this area did not compare and was expensive. I could not get a beer for less than $7. After three beers and more than $25 later, I was bored and took the 45 minute trip (one that is only 3 miles) back to Greektown and went to sleep.

That previous night was the most I had explored of Chicago due to the weather and my great parking spot. So since I was leaving I decided to drive around a little before I hit the road to Minneapolis. I drove up Lake Shore Drive and checked out Grant Park, saw the Navy Pier and also Wacker Dr, which features the corncob buildings. I also stumbled accross the United Center where the Bulls play and saw the Jordan statue. From the hostel I was able to see the Sears tower and it's just a tall building-nothing architecturally spectacular about it. By 1:30pm I was on the road to Minneapolis geared up for the 423 miles ahead of me.

Note: for those who have kept up with the game schedule, I decided to skip Milwaukee on the 23rd to ensure I could catch my flight from Minneapolis to Seattle at 6:25am on the 24th. I will be in Milwaukee on 7/5 after I return to Minneapolis.

The drive through Wisconsin was a pretty mundane one. However, I wish I had time to stop for a few hours. The whole state,especially Wis Dells, is just water parks and amusement parks many of which were indoors. But I had to keep plugging away to get to Minneapolis.

After several stops to keep myself awake and some construction I arrived in Minneapolis at 10:30. I intended on just leaving my car in the airport parking and sleeping at the airport but things changed. Turns out airport parking was $16-$20 a day. I found a Ramada 3 miles from the airport that provides a free shuttle to and from plus lets you park for up to 14 days included with you stay. All that ran $110 compared to $160-$200 I would pay just for parking. Gladly I shelled out the money to have a bed, bathroom and shower in the morning because the next day I was off to Seattle with no other plans but seeing a 12:40 game.

Seattle

I arrived in Seattle at 8:00am with plenty of time to get to the game. I intended on getting a rental car for the 20 hours I would be in the city before flew down to San Francisco. The previous day I looked and cars were available for $25 so i figured walking up and getting one would be no problem on a Thursday. Wrong again. They had cars, but the cheapest one wanted to charge $179 for the day. After I literally laughed in their face, I was stuck having to find other arrangements. I got on my computer and looked at my options. Seeing that the game was so early, I figured I would be nice to have a room to come back to and get a good night sleep before my 11:30 am flight Friday. I got a place 5 miles from the airport for $35, but could not check in until 3pm. The light rail runs from the airport to Safeco field round trip for $5, but I could not bring my carry on into the game. For another $5 I checked my bag into storage at the airport and was off to Safeco Field.

I was down by the stadium by 10:30 and needed to eat. There was a small sports bar named Sluggers near by so I went there and found, to my liking, people already drinking for the game. The food was not that great but I was hungry and then it was off to Safeco for an interleague matchup against the Cubs.

I had been to the old Kingdome but not to Safeco so I was interested in the grounds to see a comparison. There was no comparison- the open roof, the great views of downtown and the Space Needle from the first base line, and the spacious aisles blew the Kingdome out of the water. I was confused at the large black screen in center and did not know what it was covering or its purpose. And the one thing I did not like was the amount of foul territory along the bases. But once I got settled in to my excellent seats 20 rows behind home plate I was engulfed in the game, and what a game it was. There was as many Cubs fans as Mariners fans and they all 41,329 hated former Cub, current Mariner Milton Bradley (who only pinch hit in the game). This would be my first extra inning game as Marlon Byrd would hit a go ahead single in the 13th giving the Cubs a 3-2 win. By the time the game ended and I reached my hotel it was already 7pm and I was done for the day.

Oakland

Yesterday I flew into Oakland and arrived at 3pm- an hour and half late because of low clouds in the area. I had already had reservations for a rental car and by the time I had gotten to the car it was time to head to the Coliseum while fighting traffic. Cool enough, as I was sitting in traffic, the following music was played: Jimi Hendrix "Crosstown Traffic", Sublime w/Pharcyde "Summertime", and a couple of Grateful Dead tunes. I arrived to the Coliseum at 6 for a 7 game and was not too surprised a relatively empty parking lot for a A's matchup against the Pirates.

I bought a $12 ticket which included a $6 concession voucher and went inside to a vast and empty Oakland Coliseum. However, with the lack of fans, I was able to sit anywhere and was about 30 rows up between home plate and first base. The best $12 seats in the house and it was definitely the right section. I met a couple in the section that had brought in a some Jack Daniels and a few beers and they were hell-bent on me drinking with them and of course it would be rude for me to refuse. She would pour a shot every time the A's would score a run. Under normal circumstances this would not result in much drinking, but since the A's were playing the Pirates, this was not a normal night. The A's piled up 17 hits on there way to 14 runs in a 14-4 beat down of the Pirates. Luckily we ran out of Jack during the 7 run 7th and did not have all 14 shots.

The stadium itself is antiquated but still not a bad place to see a game. They have dual scoreboards over left and right field instead of one giant board and instead of activities and flair, they substitute good, cheap food. The garlic fries are good, but I heard SF is better, and beers were only $5. It was definitely the coldest game I have been to so far, mid 50's I think.

After the game I found a place in Berkley where a Dead cover band was playing and found it to be the appropriate activity of the night. They weren't half band and the drummer went on a ridiculous seven minute drum solo, which was pretty intense. After that I retired to my home for the next two days, a cherry red Hyundai Elantra, which is surprisingly spacious.

Off to the Giants/Red Sox game tonight.

Shoutouts:

Bryan for going to game with me in Chicago

The crazy military guy in Chicago that apparently had too much money to burn and bought several meals

Tim Hevly and Mariners organization for the tickets for my first retractable roof and extra innings game.

My mother on her birthday today. Hope it's a good one.

Neil Walker, Pirates 2B who I mentioned the last time I saw the Pirates play, for hitting a HR and making me look good. However I hope he's feeling better after leaving the game when he collided with Ryan Church in the 7th.

Randoms:

They sing "Louie, Louie" after "Take me out to the Ballgame" in Seattle during the seventh inning stretch.

Chicago has way too many homeless people and after awhile of being nice and generous they tapped me out and got on my nerves.

Al's Beef has a great water sign in their place

Westward Ho!

It's been an whirlwind week so lets get right to it.

Sunday the 13th
First let me fill you in on a dream I had the previous night. I was on my trip and out of nowhere my sister showed up with her daughter, Kylie. My sister was adamant to not let me proceed with the rest of the road trip for some reason that was not remembered. So, she took my car and backed it into a canal. I ran into the canal and drove my flooded car out and was furious. We had a huge fight in which Kylie took my side and so Kylie and I decided to runaway from my sister before she could cause any more problems. The rest of the dream is irrelevant. I told my sister about the dream. End of Part One of the dream.

Drove to the Phish show and got to the lot at 2:30pm for a 7pm show. I did not have a ticket but was determined not to pay full price for a show that was not sold out. When I arrived at the venue I was the only car in the lot and something seemed wrong. After about a half hour of no cars I found out I was at the wrong venue at Hershey Park and had to continue a half mile down the road. To my delight I was not the only early arriver and the parking lot scene was jumping. At first I was skeptical about selling booze because there was a lot of police and it was a different venue than I was used to, but as the lot filled it made things easier. In fact, throughout the night I went through a handle of Jack, a half liter of vodka and the two cases of beer that I had brought.

I met a lot a very nice folks in the lot as you tend to do at these shows. In the row over was a group from New York that set up four square and I dominated. I was having a blast in the parking lot, so still without a ticket, I caught the first set from the lot. In this particular venue you can see and hear just fine from the lot. So after the first set I walked towards the entrance to buy a ticket and was informed by the staff at the venue that they were not letting anyone in anymore. First, I'm glad I had not already purchased a ticket. Second, I was floored by the fact that even if you did have a ticket, they were stopping you from entering the show. So, I watched the rest of the ridiculous set from the lot and I wasn't all that disappointed.

Monday the 14th

Monday was mostly a travel day. I hit the road for Cleveland at 10am in hopes of getting there by 3pm. My only plans for the day was to hit the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. The drive to Cleveland was fairly uneventful, but I noticed a lot of towns in Ohio are named after cities in Europe- Toledo, Belfast, Moscow, Malta. I passed a town named Ravenna, which was cool to me because I was almost a year to the day that I was in the former capital of Italy by the same name.

As I was driving I got a call for my sister. She told me about a dream she had the previous night. We were with a group of family friends on a frozen lake in the winter. We were all walking on the lake when I fell through. She said that they dove in to get me and I had hypothermia and almost died. So, I figured after both of our dreams, I needed to avoid water or proceed with caution. But, ironically the hotel I was staying in Cleveland was one block off of Lake Erie. End of Part Two.

I had arrived in Cleveland on time-by 3pm- only to find the hours for the Hall of Fame are from 10am-5:30pm. So I went and got a necessary oil change at a shop the next property over from the hotel I was staying in and decided I would go to the Hall the next day when it opened before picking up my father from the airport at 1:30. Oh yeah, this part of the trip my father came and joined me on.

That night I explored Lakewood, OH- suburb in which I was staying and was pleasantly surprised. The area was middle-class, clean and CHEAP. I went out to get some food and found a sports bar called Pacers doing 35 cent wings and 24oz domestic drafts for $3. I had a solid night for $27. Also a really good local beer there was Crooked River's Black Forest Lager.

Tuesday the 15th

As planned I woke up and plugged the address for the Hall into my GPS. When I looked down for the directions, I noticed that it had my current position in the middle of the lake similar to my sister's dream(seriously, I can't make this stuff up). Being that I wasn't sinking I knew it was wrong and took off for the Hall and arrived before the doors opened to maximize my time. Twice during the drive my route had me driving through the water. I would later discover that this was the beginning of the end for this particular GPS.

However, I arrived safe and dry. For those who have never been there before, it is a all glass pyramid right on the docks of the Port of Cleveland. It is not all that big and the three and half hours I spent was enough to get a good overview while also exploring a few displays in detail. They had a very cool exhibit highlighting Bruce Springstein all the way back from his days playing in a band in high school to today. Some other highlights were the exhibit on Austin City Limits 35th Anniversary, and the early founders of American "rock and roll". I put it in quotes because a many of these founders were Blues and Gospel guitars and songwriters. Which leads me to my next point that it should not be called the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame but rather the Music Hall of Fame. Many of the artifacts and inductees fall under other categories such as R&B, Country, Hip Hop, Motown and Pop. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it immensely and then it was off to the airport. And for the second time in the same day the GPS acted up again, this time re-routing me, while sitting at red lights, three times.

A few hours later, my father and I, were parking for free at and abandoned gas station across the street from Progressive Field where the Indians were to host the the Mets. When we went to get tickets, I asked the guy what was the best value we could get for tickets. We settled on second level, behind home plate for $24. After we got in I looked at the free program and noticed today they had a Budweiser 2 for Tuesday special. It was two bleacher seats and a $20 concession voucher for $32. I was a little pissed at the time and it was mere moments later that I got poopied on by a freaking seagull. Got me right on the head and on the shirt. However, I did not let these events ruin my experience. Progressive Field is beautiful. The outside has statues of franchise greats like so many have now as well as a monument garden inside with Cleveland greats like Cy Young who played for two different Cleveland franchises- Spiders 1890-98 and Naps 1909-11). The inside had a classic feel to it. It has a cozy and friendly feel to the small confines and great vantage points from all angles and levels. The seats were rather comfortable and the aisles were noticeably wider offering added leg room-not that you had to worry about the person next to you seeing that just short of 13,000 showed up for the game. As for the game, it was the second time in as many starts I saw Johan Santana. He got rattled early including a Travis Hafner 374' laser to right, but settled down and with the help of a monster go ahead two run shot (405') by rookie Ike Davis, the Mets overcame a 4-1 deficit to beat the Tribe 7-6 on an overcast day. I was excited to see Indians catcher Carlos Santana in just his fourth game, but he went 0-3.

Wednesday the 16th

Next stop Detroit. I was a leisurely 2 and a half hour drive around the lake to get to Detroit. My father and I had never been to the city so on the way in we went to the visitor center for tips on killing a few hours before the 7pm game. We settled on Greektown, a small section in downtown that is of, yep you guessed it Greek influence and they have a casino. Parking at the casino is free and it is only about 6-8 blocks from Comerica Park, so it definitely made good sense to park there. We had a huge and delicious lunch at a restaurant called Pegasus Taverna just next to the casino. As we ate my father commented that my eyes lit up as we walked by the craps tables. So far I have done a good job avoiding the casinos during my travels to try to keep on budget, but I have had the itch to roll some dice. He said he would spot me $100 if I wanted to go play, one of the many perks of having my father travel with me. An hour and a half later I walked away up $135, better than most days selling beers in the lots. Then it was off to Comerica.

From the outside I was impressed with Comerica. Like many stadiums in the downtown area it was right off the street surrounded by bars. I had a quick beer at Cheli's, named and owned after the Red Wing's fan favorite Chris Chelios. After buying our tickets we made our way inside to check out some attractions inside the gates. The have some cool, unique things like the the Big Cat Court, which is a food court surrounding a carousel that has tigers instead of horses. There is also a baseball themed ferris wheel, a Monument Garden in the outfield, and structures throughout the concourse highlighting each decade of Tiger's baseball.

The ballpark was a simplistic two tiered structure that had the retro feel to it with a fountain in the outfield that would spray after homeruns. However for a newer stadium I was let down by several features. The seats were narrow, uncomfortable and not angled properly to watch a game from most sections. The scoreboard already needs to be upgraded to have better visual appeal and crisper picture.

The starting pitchers were Livan Hernandez for the visiting Nationals and Justin Verlander for the home team so I was expecting somewhat of a pitchers duel. Verlander struggled early giving up two solo HR's. Adam Dunn's in the first was an upper deck tape measure shot (436'). But then he settled down striking out a season high 11 in 8 inning giving up just one more run. Hernandez got shelled, giving up 8 runs (his previous season high was 4) including a bomb to Tiger's rookie slugger Brennan Boesch. Verlander moved to 11-1 in interleague play and the Tigers won 8-3.

After the game we took to the road to head to Cincinnati for a 12:30 game the next day. About 1am I almost hit a deer that was standing in the middle of the lane of the highway. But I felt cheated because the deer never looked up and I was robbed of a true "deer in highlights" experience. We got about 40 miles outside of Cincy before it was 2am and stopped for the night. 450 miles throughout the course of one day was enough for me.

Thursday the 17th

The next morning I putting the address to my college buddy's address into the GPS as it finally gave up on me. The GPS froze and would not work any longer. Eventually we got to Lee's place and then off to Great American Ball Park for a 12:35 game against the Dodgers-the only non interleague matchup. Like many of the Midwest ballparks it was a smaller park with limited, but good, outfield seats. There is a Steamboat party deck in the outfield which is unique. We sat down the first baseline, the shade thankfully, and watched as Bronson Arroyo would shut down the Dodgers, limiting them to 5 hits in 7 innings and also hit a 3 run HR (5th career) in the second inning. Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips added HRs as well in a 7-1 Reds win- we left after the seventh to drop my father off at the airport. But before we left I was told I had to try a Skyline Chili Dog and I was not dissapointed. It was really good and the chili had a hint of cinnamon to it. Also I got on the Jumbo-tron with my sign for the first time.

After the game Lee and I put together a grill, an adventure that took a little longer than it should have since two college degrees couldn't tell the diffence between left and right. That night he took me to a bar down the street from his place, a cool little suburb just NE of downtown. For the record, I kicked his ass in pool just like I used to do in college.

Friday the 18th

The next morning I woke up on Lee's incredibly comfy couch and took off to St. Louis at 9am. It was a good 6-7 hour drive and I did not want to sit in traffic. But first I needed to buy a new GPS so I went to Target and got a TomTom 330. I also decided to take the southern route through Louisville as opposed through Indianapolis because I had done that drive before and had never been to Kentucky. The drive was boring for the first few hours. The only excitement was seeing where Santa Claus spends his off-season in Santa Claus, IN which happens to have a Holiday World. There weren't many people on the road and eventually there was a stretch where it was just me and a Indiana State Trooper for a few miles. I followed behind the trooper for several miles as he was going 65 in a 70 in the left lane. Seeing that I still had a few hours to go I got over in the right lane and put in on cruise control and 70mph. The second I passed the cop, he got behind me and turned on his lights. He approached my car and this is how the conversation went:

Trooper: "License and registration son. What the hell were you thinking?"

Me: "Excuse me, sir?"

Trooper: "I don't know how you drive in Florida, but here in Indiana we do not pass State Troopers".

Me: "I'm sorry sir, but I am on a road trip heading to St. Louis, so I put the cruise control on the speed limit."

Trooper: "Well I'm not going to right you a ticket, but in the future you should never pass a policeman".

NOT GOING TO WRITE ME A TICKET! For what. I wasn't speeding or doing anything illegal, nor possesed anything illegal. In fact, the cop had no right to pull me over in the first place and was just on a power trip. For those of you who know my views on our civil servants in blue, this just futher justifies my views.

The rest of the drive was fairly uneventful and I got to the lots at Busch Stadium at 4pm, or so I thought. I totally forgot about the time change and it was only 3pm. This would have been fine if this was a tailgating scene, but it wasn't, so I took and nice hour and half nap.

Busch Stadium is only a few years old and I had high expectations for it. However, they fell short. Among the things that bothered my most was that you could not see the field as you walk through the promenade and the PA system was low and muffled. However I was able to hear that Ryan Ludwick's batting song was "Brass Monkey", which I thought was an excellent choice.

The game featured 2009 Comeback Player of the Year and 05 Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter facing the Oakland A's. Matt Holliday started things off with a 2 run HR in the first, but Oakland would answer and lead 4-2 in the second. St Louis would claw back and escape with a 6-4 win with Lou Brock in attendance on his 71st birthday. And for the second straight day I made an appearance on the big screen.

After the game I got in the car and started a five hour drive towards Chicago where I was to catch a Cubs game at noon the next day. And, just like everytime I have driven at night, it poured about 150 miles away from Chicago. So I spent the night in Pontiac, IL about 100 miles south of Chicago.

Saturday the 19th

I was up and out by 9am figuring I had plenty of time to get to Wrigley. However, I did not account for the absurd amount of traffic in Chicago. There was stand still bumper to bumper traffic at 10am on Saturday morning. And like in Toronto I was not only baffled by furios as well. To make things worse, as soon as I got into city limits the GPS could not find a signal and was useless. So, I was stuck in traffic and clueless as to where I was and how far from Wrigley Field. I got off the highway, since it was going anywhere anyway, and asked for directions at a gas station. I was only about twenty minutes away, but the side streets had just as much traffic and it took me about an hour and a half.

I arrived at Wrigley right around noon, parked in someone's alley for $20 and scalped a GA bleacher seat for $20. When I got through the gates the Cubs were already down 1-0 and there day only got worse. They gave up 4 in the first and finished the day with as many errors as hits (2) in a terrible 12-0 loss to the Angels. The loss was the worst the Cubs have suffered since being shutout 12-0 by the Montreal Expos in 1992 and Chicago's worst loss at Wrigley since a 17-0 loss to the Reds in 1988. The game really seemed to drag on and knowing my car would be blocked in I still stayed the entire game. It was also the hottest day I have had so far and there way no shade in the bleachers.

Wrigley is the second oldest park to Fenway so I was excited to see how it stacked up. It definity had a small, old time feel with and does not house a video board-which stopped my consecutive appearance streak on the big screen at 2. The ivy was just as green as the field and the beers were the cheapest I have seen so far-$6.75. One very unique thing about Wrigley is there ability to capitalize on the nearby buildings. Over the years more and more of the surrounding buildings have added bleachers to their rooftops. Definitly a cool way to see a game and I might have to try that the next time I catch a Cubs game. The view from the bleachers was great and I was right by "Bartman Corner" in which I had to take a picture.

After the game my car was indeed still blocked in and the GPS was still useless and frozen so called the Super 8 I was staying at to get directions. It was in a north suburb called Prospect Heights about 20 miles away. On the way I passed a Target and went to exchange my GPS. Freaky thing though, I pulled into the parking lot and and the GPS unfroze and received a signal. Still determined to get a functioning piece of technology, I went in to find out that they were out of this particular model. Seeing that the GPS was working again, I decided to give it another try and got back on the traffic infested roads. After an hour and half my GPS informed me I had reached my destination only to discover it was taken me to a graveyard. After called the place again, I was on the right road about 5 miles away.

The rest of the night was pretty mellow including a load of laundry and Prospect Heights "best bar" only two blocks away from the hotel. It waspretty cool but did not pick up until well after midnight, but last call was at 4am.

Sunday the 20th

This was the first day in almost three weeks I did not have a game or traveling to do to get to a game. I decided to make the most of a relaxing fathers day. It has been over a year since I saw a movie in the theaters and decided to end that streak. I went and saw Iron Man 2 followed by Karate Kid. Both were pretty good but I think I was more impressed with The Karate Kid because I did not think a good remake could be done. Also Jayden Smith is a pretty good actor, but he needs tokeep those cornrows because if he ever shaves his head it will become painfully appearant he has his father's big ears.

After the movie I went to find a Target beacuse at this point the GPS, when recieving a signal and not frozen, would literally take me in circles to the starting point. So I decided to splurge and get a more expensive GPS and definitly a different brand. So far this on works much better.

For the next few nights I am staying at a Hostel in Chicago about 2 blocks from UIC. Its a pretty cool place with a great location in Greektown. My next game isn't until Tuesday so I have a couple of relaxing days ahead of me to explore Chicago. I will be taking the train to avoid traffic since I also found a great free spot on the street a block away from the hostel.

That was a lot of catching up and now my eyes hurt. So until next time. . .

Shoutouts:

My father for joining me on this part of the trip and all the assistance he provided. I hope you had a good Father's Day.

All the other fathers out there including Mike Elbert on his first Father's Day.

Lee Skierkiewicz (hope I spelled that right) for the couch to crash on in Cincy and providing a good time and steak.

Ed Mitchell and Duke Realty for the tickets to the Reds game.

Cliff Jenkins, photog at Reds game, for getting me on the Big screen

Stacey for being my drinking partner on Saturday night

Manute Bol, who died this week, for being such a good humanitarian

Florida and Florida State for putting up piss poor performances in the CWS.

Randoms:

Everything that happened this week oculd fall under this section so I will not elaborate more.

1523 miles, 400+ songs

Songs of the week: Social Distortion "Story of My Life", The Redwalls "Build a Bridge", David Bowie "Changes", A Garcia and Saunders tune I do not know the name, John Cougar Mellencamp "Ain't that America", Xavier Rudd "Native Eye", Sister Hazel "Just Remember", Pearl Jam "Wishlist", Jay-Z "Lucifer", Cage the Elephant "In One Ear".

Computers should have a function that you can highlight sentences that you accidentaly capitalized and automatically lowercase them, so you do not have to retype them.

People in St. Louis were not very friendly and looked at me like I had three heads and a monkey growing out of my chest.

Cleveland had a hot dog race-like so many parks do now- with three competitors. Ketchup won by a squirt.

Dude in weinie suit outside Wrigley advertising for a place said "eat me" on the back.

Camden Yards, Citi Field, Fenway, Yankee Stadium

The Wednesday in Baltimore was a chilly and rainy one, so I did not do much exploring of the city before the game. However, since the weather was dreary I found it appropriate to visit Edgar Allan Poe's grave. It was in the courtyard of a church with a few other affluent Baltimore dwellers. Before I got tired of the rain I also saw the "world famous" Lexington Market, which appeared to be an indoor flea market (the cheapest food in all of the Northeast) and Harborplace on the Inner Shore which is just and upscale row of shops and restaurants on the water very similar to Bayside in Miami. Then it was back to my car, parked in some seedy neighborhood nearby and off the the parking lot scene at Camden. However, there was not parking lot scene and at the time I pulled into the lot, around 4:30, I was the only car in the lot. Then, as I was setting up shop, a few people starting filing in. And as I was pouring my first shots for a couple of mothers as their kids played with beer caps, I had security rushing up at me. It turns out the Orioles banned drinking in their lots because of liability issues. Apparently, last year during a high school promotion game, some of the kids got drunk and a huge brawl broke out. Funny thing is, for Ravens games in which the same lots are used, anything goes according to the lot attendants. The Ravens aren't as worried about liability and allow grilling, drinking and maybe even promote fighting. Fortunately, there is a row of bars right outside the entrance to the ballpark. I was expecting them to charge an arm and a leg since they basically had a monopoly on the situation, but I was pleasantly surprised. They were selling $3 beers and certain ones 2 for $5. I discovered a nice stout called Peg Leg made by Heavy Seas Beers in Baltimore. Oriole's fans were out numbered about 4 to 1 by Yankee fans and after a few beers it was off to the game.

Outside of the entrance is a statue of Baltimore native Babe Ruth and the inside was just as timeless. Camden Yards is a great place to see a game. Every seat has a great vantage point of the game and most give a nice view of the surrounding scenery. The all brick exterior gives is a warm and old time feeling in a place that is only about 20 years old. The rain had cleared up in time for the game and did not affect the game with only the occasional shower falling intermittently. The O's blew and early 2-0 lead and fell to C.C. Sabathia and the Evil Empire 4-2.

Since I was catching a game in Citi Field the next day at one, I drove to NYC following the game. I will preface my experience with the fact that I am not a fan of New York, but since I had not been there in nearly 15 years I was determined to keep an open mind during my limited time there. My drive took about 3 and a half hours and I got to the place I was staying around 2:30am to discover they lost my reservation. After about an hour and a half, matters were finally squared away but I had to find a legitimate parking spot for my car because I was seven feet from a fire hydrant. There was no spots on the street so I decided to find a garage nearby. For the 6 hours I would be there they wanted $31. I thought this was absurd so after another 30 minutes of circling the streets I finally found a spot. Then off to sleep. However, I sleep like shit because I kept worrying about my car that was packed like I'm living out of it (which I am), with Florida plates on a side street in New York.

A few hours later it was time to go to catch the Mets and Padres at Citi Field and as I turned the corner to my car, I was surprised to find out that. . . .it was still there (yeah!).

It was a quick trip to the ballpark and by 11:30 I was set up and ready to go. But, I could tell by the lack of garbage cans and port-a-potties that the Mets fanbase was not the ideal pregame party goers. However, that was not going to stop me and a few people joined in my festivities. After scalping an outfield ticket for $20 it was time to go and see what Citi Field was all about. If I knew more about the stadium and where the ticket was, I would have never bought it. Turns out it was the very top tier in left field. Normally, not a terrible spot, but the way Citi Field is poorly designed, this level is as steep as a Black Diamond on a ski slope. And to add to further infuriate me, from this vantage point you could not see the outfield from the pole in left field all the way to center. In the second inning, Henry Blanco hit a two run bomb that I couldn't tell left the park, nor could I see the big apple raise up in center- a Mets home staple. I did get to see the apple from Shea which sits in front of the gates. The rest of the game I wandered around the grounds and caught the rest of the action from better views. However, that homerun was only one of two hits for the Mets as Mat Latos outdueled Johan Santana for a 4-2 Padres win.

Some positives about Citi Field: the seats were comfortable and the rows were spacious. There was plenty of concession stands, however they needed more registers. And those nose bleed seats were in the shade, but I think that's because the were above the sun.

Next stop, Fenway. The problem with 1pm games during the week is that by the time they end, and you get out off the stadium traffic, you get stuck in rush hour traffic. Thursday was no different. After taking 45 minutes to leave the lots of Citi Field, it took me another hour and half to get 30 miles into Connecticut. I pulled over at the first rest stop and took a 45 minute nap waiting for traffic to clear and by 7pm it had eased up-relatively. Finally at 9:45, I arrived at my cousin's house in Newton in time to catch the second half of the Celtics win in game four.

The next morning I wandered around Boston. I had been to Boston previously, a little over a decade ago, and had done the whole Freedom Trail thing. But since it was fall the last time I was there, I decided to see the Harbor and the North End of the city. I never knew the North side was so Italian and not Irish. I really liked it. Around 3:30 I came across the statue of Sam Adams and decided it was time for a drink before the game. This was the only game I did not drive to because parking is expensive($35) and nobody tailgates anyway, they just go the the countless bars surrounding the stadium. So I boarded the subway and quenched my thirst.

A few hours later my cousin, Allan, and I were sitting maybe 55 feet from home plate for the Sox hosting the Phillies. The whole experience was amazing. I don't think there is a bad seat in the house, minus the few obstructed views due to support columns. Fenway Park is truly hollow ground and one cannot help but feel that they are back in time while taking in a game there. It is the anti-commercialization of professional sports inside the grounds that are literally on top of the city streets. It was serene-none of the bullshit between innings, the so and so kiss cam, or the whoever trivia question of the game- no potato guns shooting tee shirts every 30 minutes and no commercials while watching a game live (the opposite of Citi Field). As far as the game action goes, the Red Sox ate AARP member Jamie Moyer alive for 9 runs before he could get an out in the second inning. The Nation scored 12 in the first three innings, hit 8 doubles and rolled over the Phillies 12-2 on a beautiful and clear 64 degree night. The next morning it was up at 7am to head back to New York for a 1pm game at Yankee Stadium against the Astros.

From the outside the New Yankee Stadium is a classic throwback to historic parks like Polo Grounds. Inside is the same as well, down to the nearly symmetrical outfield fence- no random corners or angles like so many stadiums have. I was disappointed to see that the grass was not kept in good shape and there where huge brown spots. Before the game, I walked around the Yankee Museum, which houses artifacts of Yankees history including their World Series Trophies. My seats, like Citi Field was on the top tier, but unlike Citi they where down the first base side and I could see the whole field. However I found it funny, that on every seat up there in the clouds, there was a warning to be aware of foul balls and bats. Now the possibility of a ball is very slim, but a bat-that's just absurd, we were higher than the foul poles. Derek Jeter led off the game with a homerun, his 24th career lead-off tying him with Ricky Henderson for the franchise record. After that it was all downhill for the Astros. Jeter, added his second homerun of the game, a 3 run bomb and Jorge Posada hit a Grand Slam, his first since 7/26/04. That HR put him on a list with only four other catchers to hit 350 doubles and 250 HRs in their career. The game mercifully ended with a 9-3 Yankees win.

Curently I am in Carlisle, PA about 30 miles west of Hershey where I will catch a Phish show tomorrow. If you will be there hit me up 954-552-3057. Then it's off to Cleveland on Monday where my father is joining me for a few games.

The bar next to the place I'm staying is like Andy's times 1000. I couldn't even stay in long enough to have more than one beer, but during that I time I struck up a conversation between a couple of truckers and a guy who scrapes off road kill. He informed me he had "taken care of a couple of bambi's today".

Shoutouts:

Allan and Cyndi for the hospitality and of course their washer and dryer. Sorry for such a short visit.

Wayne Bloom and Commonwealth Financial Network for tickets.

John Henry and The Henry Foundation for tickets

The Celtics for getting another game closer to beating Kobe and the Lakers.

The car full of girls that I gave a jump to when there battery died at Yankee Stadium, then proceeded to be confused at the fact that I was not a Yankee fan at a Yankee game.

A person I won't name ponted out that i have made sevral splling and gramatical mistake. That sentence is you you James.

Randoms:

I met a lady that works for MLB.com in the Yankee Stadium lot. She took a picture of my sign and posted it on twitter.

Miguel Tejada's batting song is to country music

There is a high school directly across the street from Fenway-how sweet would that be.

Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" at Fenway is a really fun ballpark experience

People with ski racks need to take them off in the summer. It makes every car look like a cop.

You are an asshole if you wear Yankee gear to a Mets/Padres game. Just suck it up and shell out the extra money to see the Yanks play.

The speed limit on I-95 in Rhode Island is 45 and 55. ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS

After the National Anthem at Citi Field I though there was a flyover. . .turns out it was just a plane taking off from LaGuardia.

837 miles traveled, lost track of how many songs but lots of great ones

Best tunes of the last couple days: Jay Z "Roc Boys, The Wombats "Dr. Suzanne Maddox Loves Me", Kings of Leon "Slow Noght, So Long", She Wants Revenge "Tear You Apart", Puddle of Mudd "She Hates Me", Dr Dre/Snoop "Nuthin But A G Thang", Grateful Dead "Dire Wolf", Nas "Virgo", Slighlty Stoopid "Open Road".