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Pregame
Our first destination on this extravagant tour took us to Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. We took the Amtrak train to Denver. After some Fourth of July festivities, we made our way to the train station. The train itself was about an hour late, which we expected.
We arrived in Denver a little after 9:30 a.m. to find Union Station under construction. With just one taxi cab, which was reserved, in sight, we walked around until we found one. The weather was great, so it wasn't a terrible task, but we finally found a taxi and set ourselves up for a solid power nap before we head downtown.
As the first step in our journey, we knew there were going to be lessons we learned that would enhance our future adventures. Lesson No. 1: Make sure you know what time the game starts.
It was tough for us to get a lot of sleep on the train, so we made a plan to sleep until noon or 1 p.m., get some lunch, check out the downtown area and hit up some bars until 6 p.m. — which would have given us plenty of time to check out the stadium before our 7 o'clock game.
But the game didn't start at 7 p.m.; it started at 2:10 p.m. Thankfully, our special guest on this trip, Ashley, corrected our mistake and reminded us that we have to pay a little more attention to the details.
After a rushed shower, we tried calling for a cab. No luck. Evidently every taxi in Denver was busy. We finally had one company say they were going to rush one to our location. Seemingly a half hour later, we were on our way to Coors Field.
The game
The matchup itself was not set up for an instant classic, on paper at least. The Dodgers have been rolling as of late, while the Rockies had lost 16 of their last 18. Initially we were a little bummed because we missed out on the opportunity to see Clayton Kershaw pitch — he threw the night before in L.A.'s win over Colorado.
Nonetheless, we were excited to be there. Our cab dropped us off and we joined the swarming mass walking to the stadium. The beautiful brick structure was quite the site to see, even from a distance. There were vendors along the walkway right outside of the stadium, selling hats, food, drinks and necklaces, and there were a lot of people.
We met up with Ashley, and she quickly showed us Coors Field Tip No. 1 —the people at the stadium do not care if you are bringing in Gatorade, water or even a bag of peanuts. So take advantage of the cheap prices the vendors are offering on your way into the ballpark.
First thing's first: We stopped at the first beer stand we saw. The price was what we expected, expensive. A normal cup of beer costs $7.50, with the souvenir cup being less than a buck more. But, boy did that Coors Light taste better closer to the Rockie Mountains than anywhere else.
We sat in Section 120, Row 16, which was on the third base side. It was a great side as far as foul ball opportunities go, but as the game went on, it was also the side in the sun. And that sun was hot. The video board at the stadium said temperatures reached 92.
With the Rockies leading 8-2, the Dodgers scored five runs in the seventh to make it a game. But the home team withstood the rally, and sent the fans home happy.
On our way out, we picked up our souvenirs. We wanted something we could get from each stadium, so we elected on one of us getting a baseball and a mini bat with the team logo on it.
Postgame celebrations
The first place we went after the game was Jackson's, which was across the street from the stadium. They had some great specials on beer and mixed drinks, and the food was great. We even got ourselves some free Rockies koozies for drinking Coors Light.
The sun had taken a lot out of us, so after picking up a couple "Five Hour Energy"s we were set for the rest of the night.
We went to a bar called the Tavern, which gives you a buy one get one free on beers when you present your ticket. After getting our beers, we checked out the rooftop, which was where the party was at. The roof was packed with a seemingly fun, young crowd. Once the sun had dipped behind the buildings, the temperature was near perfect and the view of the stadium at night from the roof made for an enjoyable start to the evening festivities.
Around 9:30, we left the Tavern and headed for the piano bar, "Howl At The Moon." The drink prices went up compared to Jackson's, but weren't any different than a typical bar. The thing that made the bar the best of the trip was the entertainment.
The setup was perfect for the setting. There was a stage with two pianos, a drum set and a pair of guitars, with a dance floor in front of it. Patrons sat in a "U" shape at tables and bar stools, surrounding the dance floor, and there was a bar at either side of the establishment.
The music was amazing. There were two main piano players, but all five musicians rotated through the instruments. The songs came in by requests, accompanied by a tip (the higher the amount, the sooner your song was played). And these guys could play just about anything and everything. Oldies, pop, alternative, rap — they did it all. The night we went, Howl At The Moon" was apparently bachelorette party central, featuring about eight different groups celebrating their friend's retirement from single life.
In the midst of all of the entertainment, Ben (while displaying his unique
We started the next day with bottomless mimosas at Breakfast on the Edge, and after packing all of our stuff up, we headed to the Ale House at Amato's. We took advantage of several big screen TVs, the free WiFi, and the enormous beer selection.
We spent nearly five hours at the Ale House, and after eating dinner (a bison burger and fish and chips) we set out for the train station. The train was late, again, and after arriving home around 4 a.m., our vehicle would not start. It makes sense though — the weekend was so great, something had to eventually go wrong. Nonetheless, we made it home safely.
Standings
As this was our first stadium to rank, it takes the top spot with an overall rating of 7.1. When it comes to our rankings, we have two main categories (ballpark and nightlife), which are broken down into three more factors.
The ballpark received a 6.5 on our scale (1-10). Our three factors for the ballpark category are atmosphere, sex appeal (of the stadium) and food & beer. Two major factors led to a 6 for atmosphere — Rockies don't have a large amount of tradition, and the home fans booing their own team (We know it happens, but it's still somewhat disturbing to a level). The structure and looks of the stadium gave it a 7.5 on sex appeal. One of the cool parts of the ballpark was "The Rooftop" section, where fans can get a ticket for 15 bucks, and then they also get a $6 drink voucher. The view may not be as good as field level seats, but it sure sounds and looks like a good time. The food and beer were fairly average in both price and taste. *Disclaimer: We did not venture too far through the ballpark for food, which is something we will change as we go.*
The nightlife was great. We looked at the bars, the crowds and the transportation. The bars earned a solid 8. There was a large selection, and each of them looked like a great time. Nearly all of the bars had rooftops for people to sit outside and enjoy their beverages. The crowd soared in our ratings with a 9. At just about every bar, the people there were friendly and fun. It was mostly a young crowd, looking for a good time. The transportation received a 6 from us, mainly for the struggles we had of getting a cab during the day. Had we of only traveled by the Light Rail system, it may have been higher.
Next on the schedule
The next stadium we'll be visiting is Wrigley Field. We'll be going to the July 12th game between the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs. We're looking to find a good time in Wrigleyville, so feel free to leave us a comment about your favorite places to go. We'll also be spending a day exploring Chicago, so let us know some fun attractions. Also, if there is a part of Coors Field that we did not cover, let us know so we can provide you with a better analysis of our next stadium.
Thanks for following along with us. Be sure to check out our Twitter account @MLBjourneymen to keep up with us during the games.
"Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is."— Bob Feller
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