Baseball: Anaheim Angels vs Seattle Mariners

We attended a game of the Anaheim Angels vs our Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium in Orange, California.

Jenn’s game summary:

Opening day in Anaheim stumbled out of the gate, with the anthem singer mugging for time due to a botched flyover by vintage fighter planes. The crowd booed the outgoing president of baseball ops and remained agitated throughout the game. Fans seemed more into the party than the game itself. Bryan Woo was electric for the M’s, but our bats were quiet until the 10th when Cole Young tripled to score the ghost runner, and Josh Naylor hit Julio and Cole in. The Angels got one back with a sac fly in the bottom of the 10th, but too little too late. Overall, a subpar experience at a subpar park, but the Mariners won, so a net positive.

An interactive map of the ballpark:

Angel Stadium

Angel Stadium

Angel Stadium

Pressed penny:

Pressed penny

Looking for a pin for our board:

Looking for a pin for our board

Chicken burger and fries:

Chicken burger and fries

Batting practice:

Batting practice

Earthquake instructions:

Earthquake instructions

Waterfall:

Waterfall

Dessert waffles:

Dessert waffles

Mariners vs Angels:

Mariners vs Angels

Welcome to Opening Week:

Welcome to Opening Week

Players lining up:

Players lining up

Angels arriving:

Angels arriving

Big flag:

Big flag

Late flyover:

Late flyover

Play ball:

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Beachball:

Beachball

Baseball

Churro:

Churro

Baseball

Exploring the ballpark:

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Challenge:

Challenge

Pacman race:

Pacman race

Hat game:

Hat game

Hat game

Replay:

Replay

Challenge:

Challenge

Cheerleaders:

Cheerleaders

Baseball

Conference

Baseball

Baseball

Big hats:

Big hats

Disney Springs and Paseo

We went to Downtown Disney in California, and the Paseo restaurant, to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

An interactive map:

Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney

Paseo, a fancy Mexican-themed restaurant:

Paseo

Paseo

Paseo

Paseo

Paseo

Paseo

“QUESO FUNDIDO; gruyère fondue, roasted wild mushrooms, salsa macha, chorizo verde, shallots, charred masa bread”:

Paseo

“CARNE ASADA; goat cheese fondue, oven-roasted tomatoes, roasted shishito, fingerling potatoes g f 12 oz ny steak”:

Paseo

“SHORT RIBS; braised short ribs, oven-roasted tomato, charred avocado, pinto beans, blend of guajillo & ancho chiles, salsa verde, flour tortillas”:

Paseo

Paseo

“PAVLOVA; classic meringue, fresh orange pee purée, guava pâte de fruit, horchata foam” (a tasty variation on the Kiwi classic):

Paseo

Paseo

We stopped in the Star Wars Trading Post on the way out:

Star Wars Trading Post

Star Wars Trading Post

Star Wars Trading Post

Star Wars Trading Post

Star Wars Trading Post

Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney

Baseball: San Diego Padres vs San Francisco Giants

We attended a game of the San Diego Padres vs San Francisco Giants at Petco Park in San Diego, California.

Jenn’s game summary:

The Padres beat the Giants 7-1, with an excellent start from Nick Pivetta, who limited the Giants’ offense. Adrian Houser allowed a couple of early runs and was hobbled by sloppy defense. The game stayed fairly quiet until the 8th when the Padres scored 5 runs, including a home run to break it open. The Giants managed just one run late and never really threatened. Petco Park is absolutely beautiful with decently priced seats and excellent food options, including tri-tip nachos and banana pudding (in a helmet). Friendly staff and perfect weather for a ballgame.

An interactive map of the ballpark:

Petco Park

Petco Park

Hall of Fame:

Hall of Fame

Team store:

Team store

Museum:

Museum

Museum

Museum

Seaside Market:

Seaside Market

Seaside Market

Seaside Market

Seaside Market

Tri-tip nachos:

Tri-tip nachos

Banana pudding:

Banana pudding

View from our seats; section 101, row 17, seats 19 & 20:

View from our seats; section 101, row 17, seats 19 & 20

Seat selfie

Fun Padres mascot:

Fun Padres mascot

Umpire assignments:

Umpire assignments

Petco Park:

Petco Park

Play ball:

Play ball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

ABS challenge:

ABS challenge

Baseball

Out at home:

Baseball

Exploring the ballpark:

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Pretzel:

Pretzel

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Simplifying posts

I’ve decided to simplify my blog posts a bit. You may have noticed that I’m not following the schedule I used to use (Modification Mondays, Travel Tuesdays, etc); I’m now just posting each weekday.

Since the most useful and interesting posts (to certain audiences) are RV modifications and things we do, I will continue those posts much as I have been. The modifcation posts are useful for other Tiffin motorhome owners; I regularly link to them in Facebook groups to help others with similar issues. For other people, those posts are easy to skip. The exploring posts are more interesting to family and friends (and future us!), to see the interesting attractions we’ve experienced.

But travel and campground posts aren’t all that useful, and all the data recorded for campgrounds was a lot of work, so I’m going to merge those two, much as I did for the New Zealand series. The new format will be like the travel posts, with photos from the journey, but end with a few campground pictures, and omit all the data. So each post will document some interesting sights during our travel from one campground to the next, for anyone interested in that. They will continue to include maps with potential stops marked, which are useful for others traveling this route (including our future selves).

I will continue the travel timelapse videos, at least until after Alaska, since that will no doubt be very scenic. Those are a lot of work too, so I may discontinue them in the future, but we’ll see.

I know that the audience for this blog is very small; mostly just family and friends, and a few others who have seen the blog on Facebook on seen our motorhome on the road (via the QR code). In large part, it’s just a hobby travel diary for my own satisfaction. And that’s enough.

Baseball: Arizona Diamondbacks vs Detroit Tigers

We attended a game of the Arizona Diamondbacks vs Detroit Tigers at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

Jenn’s game summary:

At Chase Field, the roof was open to a warm desert evening as Opening Day unfolded—pregame ceremonies, a military flyover, and a packed crowd setting the tone. The D’backs built an early lead (Corbin Carroll had a triple and a home run) and held off the Tigers 9-6 to secure their first win of the season. Michael Soroka set the tone in dominant form, including an immaculate inning, before turning things over to the bullpen, which promptly imploded, giving up 6 runs in the 7th inning. The home crowd booed their own squad before the D’backs got another homer in the bottom of the inning to get things back on track for Paul Sewald to close it out. The churro dog was interesting, but it was no Disneyland churro.

An interactive map of the ballpark:

Chase Field

Chase Field

Team store:

Team store

Chase Field

Dessert first: Churro Dog, a hotdog-like form factor made of a cake donut, churro, and ice cream; not the best churro, but pretty tasty:

Churro Dog

Churro Dog

View from our seats: Section 319, Row 14, Seats 1 & 2:

View from our seats: Section 319, Row 14, Seats 1 - 2

Roof opening:

Roof opening

Roof opening

Roof opening

Got a couple of burgers from a mini Chick-fil-A:

Chick-fil-A

Legends mascots:

Legends mascots

Opening Day ceremonies:

Opening Day ceremonies

Opening Day ceremonies

Opening Day ceremonies

Play ball:

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Dillon Dingler is a very baseball name:

Dillon Dingler is a very baseball name

Home run:

Home run

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark:

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Bigger Chick-fil-A on another level:

Bigger Chick-fil-A

I went to Streets of New York for some garlic cheesy bread:

Streets of New York for garlic cheesy bread

Garlic cheesy bread

Play review:

Play review

New pitcher:

New pitcher

Legends race:

Legends race

Home run:

Home run

Baseball

Another home run:

Home run

Hat game:

Hat game

More hats:

More hats

Organist:

Organist

Baseball Spring Training: Seattle Mariners vs Chicago Cubs

The last spring training game we attended was our Seattle Mariners vs the Chicago Cubs, playing at the Peoria Sports Complex.

Peoria Sports Complex

The field:

View from our seats

We splurged on club seats for this last game:

Club seats

Club seats

Club area with free beverages and popcorn:

Club area with free beverages and popcorn

Club area with free beverages and popcorn

Club area with free beverages and popcorn

Sammy’s On Third:

Sammy's On Third

Sammy's On Third

Not pictured, hot dog:

Sammy's On Third

Selfie:

Selfie

The temperature was 105° F, so the sun on our backs was not welcome:

Sun

We used damp cooling towels to shield our necks and help cool down a bit:

Selfie

Cal arriving:

Cal arriving

Starting lineups:

Starting lineups

Cubs vs Mariners:

Cubs vs Mariners

Umps:

Umps

Play ball!:

Play ball!

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Sunset:

Sunset

Baseball

Baseball

ABS challenge:

ABS challenge

ABS challenge

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

ABS challenge:

ABS challenge

Free cookie:

Free cookie

Art:

Art

Art

Art

Art

Baseball

Retired numbers:

Retired numbers

Goodbye Peoria Sports Complex:

Peoria Sports Complex

Apache Trail scenic drive

We did a six-hour drive from Phoenix, including along the scenic Apache Trail Historic Road, a narrow dirt road that started as a stagecoach trail through the Superstition Mountains.

An interactive map of our route, heading counter-clockwise:

Superstition Mountains:

Superstition Mountains

Superstition Mountains

Cowboy in front of Superstition Mountains

Canyon Lake:

Canyon Lake

One lane bridge:

One lane bridge

Another one lane bridge:

Another one lane bridge

Approaching Tortilla Flat:

Approaching Tortilla Flat

Tortilla Flat:

Tortilla Flat

Tortilla Flat

 

Tortilla Flat

Cacti

Pavement ends:

Pavement ends

No vehicles over 40 feet:

No vehicles over 40 feet

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Apache Trail

Salt River:

Salt River

Roosevelt Dam:

Roosevelt Dam

Roosevelt Dam

Roosevelt Dam

Roosevelt Dam

Roosevelt Dam

AZ-188 bridge:

AZ-188 bridge

AZ-188 bridge

Boondockers along Theodore Roosevelt Lake:

Boondockers along Theodore Roosevelt Lake

Baseball Spring Training: Seattle Mariners vs San Diego Padres

Perhaps the main reason for staying in Phoenix over winter was to attend baseball spring training games.

The first one we attended was our Seattle Mariners vs the San Diego Padres, playing at the spring training facility that they both share, the Peoria Sports Complex, for the first game of their spring training.

Baseball

Baseball

Playground:

Playground

Greetings from Peoria, AZ:

Greetings from Peoria, AZ

The team store was crazy busy; we bailed on that, and went back later:

Team store was crazy busy

Baseball

Chicken and fries

Lineup:

Lineup

View from our seats:

View from our seats

View from our seats

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

ABS challenge:

ABS challenge

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

The ABS challenge system is coming to MLB this season:

ABS challenge

Baseball

Chirro

Mini Melts

Baseball

Baseball

Camera

Baseball

Attendance 9,956

Baseball

Mariners win!

Baseball

Peoria