Thursday, July 31st
The previous day in Boston really took a toll on both of us. We walked what seemed to be an eternity along the Freedom Trail, climbed up 294 steps to the top of Bunker Hill, and then caught another game that night. When we woke up this morning, it seemed to catch up with us.
Even so we had a noon game to catch in Pawtucket, RI, so off we went. This is the home of the PawSox, or Pawtucket Red Sox, their AAA affiliate. Also a very popular team as well judging by the turnout. Being a noon game of course meant kids...a LOT OF KIDS! I figured 80% of the attendance were kids 12 and under. That's cool - no problems. We found a great seat, got moved, then settled down in front of a a real New Englander - racist comments and all. Great stadium and great game too - the PawSox took it with a walk-off home run. Good times.
From here it was off to Providence since, well, that's what Sam has been waiting for most of this trip (?) Not sure why he loves this minor cities so much, but he does. We parked in the downtown area and made our way up to the Rhode Island Statehouse. Quite the edifice, and especially considering how small RI is to begin with. We took the best 10 minute tour possible - due to the fact it was closing. With a teen in tow that's really not a problem.
From there is was dinner at a local mall (which makes Indy's Circle Center look really small) and then a quick trip to Brown University. This would mark the first time either Sam and I would visit an Ivy League school. Now Brown isn't the top of the Ivy food chain mind you, but it did nicely for us. Tidy little campus with an interesting football stadium too.
Here's where things get interesting. My plan was to visit the oceanfront before sundown near Newport. I located a state park and off we went. Well, as we were getting nearer, we crossing over one humongous bridge, and I decided what the heck and crossed another into Newport proper to access a state park along the ocean. I saw signs pointing us to "Scenic Newport" and I thought...how quaint.
Well...that was an understatement. Sam and I landed in one heck of a tourist mecca which we were totally unprepared for. People swarmed all of the narrow shop-lined streets, dodging in and out of traffic. We did manage to squeeze through it, but were quite overwhelmed with the entire scene. We eventually made our way to Fort Adams State Park, where people were setting up for the Newport Jazz Festival. We weaved our way through the preparations and then the old fort to the oceanfront for a spectacular view. After some climbing around we made our way back to the Newport shopping area and took in some Ben and Jerry's.
However, we were not done yet. On the way in we saw the most charming baseball field where a game was going on. We found out it was a collegiate team, and stopped by on our way out of town. Since we showed up in the 7th inning, we just made our way up and enjoyed a fantastic two innings in a wonderful old ballpark. Refreshed we hit the road for our next destination in Connecticut - and another state to add to our first-time list.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Wicked Extreme New England Expedition 2014 days 3, 4 and 5
Monday, July 28th
Before heading out to our next game, we decided to take a brief trip to downtown Albany and visit the New York Statehouse. Great experience, and even linked up with a tour. The place is very different from many other statehouses based on the non-traditional design. Doesn't take away from the majestic quality however. We even spoke to the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House too - and started to experience true northeasterners and their accents.
We hit the road and traveled to our next stop in Portland, Maine. Very nice drive thru Massachusetts and New Hampshire on our way there. Very interested in seeing government-run liquor and lottery ticket stops off the turnpike in NH. Guess they are the "Drink Free or Die" state too ;)
We checked into our hotel then beat feet down to the stadium for the Portland Sea Dogs. Great place, and the outfield has a green monster wall just like Fenway - which makes sense since this is their AA affiliate. A rainstorm came through and interrupted us for over an hour, but they did get the game in. We stuck around since the Sea Dog's pitchers only faced a minimum of 27 batters - a pretty rare feat. After the game we drove around downtown a bit, then headed back.
Tuesday, July 29th
Alright, big day ahead of us since that night we were to visit Fenway Park. Ahead of that we started out on a bit of sightseeing in Portland along their amazing waterfront. The downtown sits on a peninsula and the waterfront is pretty much all public access. The views were simply stunning as well, and we took some time to walk an adjacent trail and trek across the rock outcroppings...gingerly. From there we headed south to Kennebunkport and checked out the fantastic beach scene there. The weather was clear and cool for a summer's day, but this didn't stop hoards from visiting the coast. We just stuck around to take in the beauty and move on. Oh yeah, amazing homes there as well - very upper crust.
Our travels continued down past Boston to a town called Attleboro, where our hotel was. From there we took a commuter train to the ballgame. I was more than a bit taken back by the cost - $39 round trip for both of us. Ugh. I was hoping to save money, so instead of linking up by subway, we got off at Back Bay Station and walked it about a mile to the ballpark. Along the way we encountered the finish line for the Boston Marathon, and the site of the 2013 bombings. Sad stuff.
Fenway didn't disappoint. It is certainly a cozy experience, made all the more by the cramped wooden seating we were in, and of course the lovely locals yelling in our ears. Wasn't that bad however, and I was impressed by the attitude of the fans - very much into the game. The Blue Jays ended up winning, but we left in the 8th to get back to the station in time. We arrived back in the wee hours, but still Jonesing for ice cream...which Mickey D's helped out with.
Wednesday, July 30th
Boston day. We left our hotel at about 10 am to find parking at a subway stop. Wasn't going to pay that crazy commuter rail fare again. Well - wasn't easy. The first three lots we stopped at were sold out, but we did find a bunch at a quaint station in the SE area. So quaint that they still rely on trolleys for the first few stops.
When we arrived in Boston, the place was buzzing. Of course getting there by noon assured us of a lunch crowd, but there were protests, and all types of activity in the Boston Common. We wound ourselves down to the Freedom Trail start and proceeded to walk this amazing system. The trail is about 2.5 miles long, and connects 16 significant locations to the Revolution. The entire route is connected by a brick banding in the pavement so you don't get lost either.
The experience was perfect for us since we were only going to spend a day there. We managed to take in the entire trail, and even climbed the 290+ stairs up the Bunker Hill Monument. I was literally a pile of sweat once I got on the top, but caught my breath and was able to take in and enjoy the phenomenal views afforded by the tower. Maybe I will return someday and do the tours, but with Sam being a teen, moving about was my best option.
We headed back to our station and proceeded south to catch a New England Revolution game at Gillette Stadium. What an impressive facility - and with a brand new mall adjacent to it as well. It was there where we grabbed a quick bite and then caught the game. It was won by NE 3-0 which provided plenty of excitement.
After leaving we then got back and took showers to clean off all the grime accumulated from the day.
Before heading out to our next game, we decided to take a brief trip to downtown Albany and visit the New York Statehouse. Great experience, and even linked up with a tour. The place is very different from many other statehouses based on the non-traditional design. Doesn't take away from the majestic quality however. We even spoke to the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House too - and started to experience true northeasterners and their accents.
We hit the road and traveled to our next stop in Portland, Maine. Very nice drive thru Massachusetts and New Hampshire on our way there. Very interested in seeing government-run liquor and lottery ticket stops off the turnpike in NH. Guess they are the "Drink Free or Die" state too ;)
We checked into our hotel then beat feet down to the stadium for the Portland Sea Dogs. Great place, and the outfield has a green monster wall just like Fenway - which makes sense since this is their AA affiliate. A rainstorm came through and interrupted us for over an hour, but they did get the game in. We stuck around since the Sea Dog's pitchers only faced a minimum of 27 batters - a pretty rare feat. After the game we drove around downtown a bit, then headed back.
Tuesday, July 29th
Alright, big day ahead of us since that night we were to visit Fenway Park. Ahead of that we started out on a bit of sightseeing in Portland along their amazing waterfront. The downtown sits on a peninsula and the waterfront is pretty much all public access. The views were simply stunning as well, and we took some time to walk an adjacent trail and trek across the rock outcroppings...gingerly. From there we headed south to Kennebunkport and checked out the fantastic beach scene there. The weather was clear and cool for a summer's day, but this didn't stop hoards from visiting the coast. We just stuck around to take in the beauty and move on. Oh yeah, amazing homes there as well - very upper crust.
Our travels continued down past Boston to a town called Attleboro, where our hotel was. From there we took a commuter train to the ballgame. I was more than a bit taken back by the cost - $39 round trip for both of us. Ugh. I was hoping to save money, so instead of linking up by subway, we got off at Back Bay Station and walked it about a mile to the ballpark. Along the way we encountered the finish line for the Boston Marathon, and the site of the 2013 bombings. Sad stuff.
Fenway didn't disappoint. It is certainly a cozy experience, made all the more by the cramped wooden seating we were in, and of course the lovely locals yelling in our ears. Wasn't that bad however, and I was impressed by the attitude of the fans - very much into the game. The Blue Jays ended up winning, but we left in the 8th to get back to the station in time. We arrived back in the wee hours, but still Jonesing for ice cream...which Mickey D's helped out with.
Wednesday, July 30th
Boston day. We left our hotel at about 10 am to find parking at a subway stop. Wasn't going to pay that crazy commuter rail fare again. Well - wasn't easy. The first three lots we stopped at were sold out, but we did find a bunch at a quaint station in the SE area. So quaint that they still rely on trolleys for the first few stops.
When we arrived in Boston, the place was buzzing. Of course getting there by noon assured us of a lunch crowd, but there were protests, and all types of activity in the Boston Common. We wound ourselves down to the Freedom Trail start and proceeded to walk this amazing system. The trail is about 2.5 miles long, and connects 16 significant locations to the Revolution. The entire route is connected by a brick banding in the pavement so you don't get lost either.
The experience was perfect for us since we were only going to spend a day there. We managed to take in the entire trail, and even climbed the 290+ stairs up the Bunker Hill Monument. I was literally a pile of sweat once I got on the top, but caught my breath and was able to take in and enjoy the phenomenal views afforded by the tower. Maybe I will return someday and do the tours, but with Sam being a teen, moving about was my best option.
We headed back to our station and proceeded south to catch a New England Revolution game at Gillette Stadium. What an impressive facility - and with a brand new mall adjacent to it as well. It was there where we grabbed a quick bite and then caught the game. It was won by NE 3-0 which provided plenty of excitement.
After leaving we then got back and took showers to clean off all the grime accumulated from the day.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Wicked Extreme New England Expedition 2014 days 1 & 2
Saturday, July 26th
Another great tradition continues for me and Sam and we set forth on what will be the longest-planned tour of our baseball vacations. This year we will be visiting a slew of teams in the New England states, including one soccer game. Call it World Cup fever, but it made sense. I am very proud of myself for actually leaving my house ONLY once! Usually I keep coming back because that's just me, but I was determined to make this a better start. Also made sure to be well ahead of the curve at work so that wouldn't throw me.
All said we set off clean about 10 am and headed to our first stop in Erie, PA. The trip was uneventful, but quite tasty thanks to a wonderful gift of candy and snacks from my love Kenna. I will also mention another Kenna gift - an audiobook by Hillary Clinton. It definitely kept my interest - and my eyes open! I'm a big fan of audiobooks on long drives.
We ended up arriving at our hotel, and to the game in plenty of time. Surprisingly the game was a sellout, and we figured out why - fireworks night! We didn't stay for that, but did enjoy a great game involving the Erie Seawolves, who are the double A affiliate of the Tigers. Great crowd to on a night dedicated to our military.
Sunday, July 27th
After a great night of sleep, and even better breakfast, we made our way to our next game in Utica, NY. I had originally planned to ride all the way to Portland, ME - but Sam was smart enough to point out this great location on the way.
Before we embarked we make a side trip to Presque Isle off the coast of Erie. This state park was simply gorgeous - miles of beaches and trails! We took a moment to visit a beach and enjoyed the great weather and cool breezes. Best part - it was free! Couldn't believe a state park of that caliber would be free.
From there we headed to Utica, where I found out I forgot the game start of 5pm. Once I found out I rushed over there, and enjoyed the central New York state geology while zooming by. When we did arrive, Sam and I found a small, nearly vacant park and wondered if we were at the right place. We certainly were, and basically has the stadium to ourselves - no more than 25 were in attendance (Sam counted). Even so, Sam and I did experience our first no-hitter, which made up for the small crowd.
Then things got interesting. This was a doubleheader, and in the 2nd inning of the second game, we were looking to leave and get to our next hotel. Well this young guy who worked for the away team wanted to know if I filmed the last out of the no-hitter. I actually did, and totally made this guy's day. He wanted it since ESPN wanted to know, so I was more than happy to help. Later on, and ESPN employee directly emailed me so he could get a clearer copy. Of course this made Sam about giddy, and made for a great story. Also made us feel good for sticking around to finish that first game :)
Once on the road we arrived in Albany for the night - and started to look for food. Not an easy task after 10pm, but we did find a Chinese joint in the downtown. The neighborhood wasn't all that good, and Sam and I witnessed some good old white trash drama in the waiting area - complete with a couple's meltdown in front of their kids. Good times.
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