Baseball: Seattle Mariners vs New York Mets

The second Seattle Mariners game vs the New York Mets, at the Mariners’ ballpark, T-Mobile Field was originally going to be an afternoon game, but was pushed back a few hours as it was featured on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.

We were there very early, having done the ballpark tour beforehand, so had ample opportunity to sample more ballpark food:

Burgers and fries

Pizza

Julio Rodríguez exercising, having been on the injury list until this game:

Julio Rodríguez exercising

Marking the batting boxes:

Marking the batting boxes

Jenn with inflatable trident:

Jenn with inflatable trident

Pitching:

Pitching

Batting:

Batting

Cal on base:

On base

ESPN Sunday Night Baseball:

ESPN Sunday Night Baseball

Pitching:

Pitching

Run scores:

Run scores

Salmon Run:

Salmon Run

Salmon

Home run:

Home run

Two runs score:

Two runs score

Even though I’ve been in this ballpark more times than any other over the years, and had explored in the previous game, plus the guided tour, I still wanted to explore some more, to take pictures from other angles and places:

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Seattle

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

“Hotdogs from heaven”, a Mariners innovation where they drop hotdogs on little parachutes:

Hotdogs from heaven

Hotdogs from heaven

Hotdogs from heaven

The wave:

The wave

Cal Raleigh is nicknamed “Big Dumper” (because he has a big butt), and they played on that by having him read out messages to dump people:

Big Dumper

The M’s did rather well:

Scores

Mariners win:

Mariners win

Mariners winning dance

Sweep:

Sweep

Cal interview:

Cal interview

Mariners win

Baseball: Seattle Mariners vs New York Mets

While our coach was at home, we spent a couple of nights in a hotel in Seattle (across the road from the ballpark), to attend a couple of Seattle Mariners games vs the New York Mets, at the Mariners’ ballpark, T-Mobile Field (which I’ll always think of Safeco Field).

The first game was an evening one.

T-Mobile Park

We went in early via the bullpen gate, and grabbed some nachos from Edgar’s Cantina:

Edgar's Cantina

Nachos

The crowd out by the bullpens:

Crowd

Out-of-town scoreboard:

Out-of-town scoreboard

Retired numbers:

Retired numbers

Dave Niehaus, late voice of the Mariners:

Dave Niehaus

The Walk-Off Market, where you can just pick things up and walk out, via Amazon technology:

The Walk-Off Market

Root Sports TV set:

Root Sports set

Root Sports set

Welcome to T-Mobile Park:

Welcome to T-Mobile Park

Later we got some clam strips from Ivar’s Seafood & Chowder:

Ivar's Seafood & Chowder

Clam strips and fries

Cal heading to the bullpen:

Cal heading to the bullpen

Cal info:

Cal info

Heading back:

Heading back

Catching:

Catching

Catching

Batting

Batting

Baseball

Run scores:

Run scores

Pitching

Salmon run:

Fish race

Fish

Sweeping

Cameras

Exploring the ballpark:

Consessions

Consessions

Ballpark

Screen

Ballpark

Hydro Challenge

Seattle skyline:

Seattle skyline

Retractable roof over train tracks:

Retractable roof over train tracks

Hit It Here Cafe:

Hit It Here Cafe

Hit It Here Cafe

Ballpark

Moose:

Moose

Getting a lead

T-Mobile Park

Lights

Selfie

Pitching

Mariners win:

Mariners win

As soon as most people left, flocks of seagulls swooped in to scavage the waste food:

Seagulls scavaging the waste food

T-Mobile Park

We like it when the Mariners win.

Travel from Missoula, Montana to Quincy, Washington

We drove our coach 338 miles, about six hours of driving, from Missoula, Montana to Quincy, Washington.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading west:

Map route

An interactive map:

Clark Fork:

Clark Fork

45 MPH next 4 miles:

45 MPH next 4 miles

Rest area:

Rest area

Welcome to Idaho; Entering Pacific Time Zone:

Welcome to Idaho; Entering Pacific Time Zone

6% grade:

6& grade

Rest area:

Rest area

Welcome to Washington:

Welcome to Washington

Spokane:

Spokane

Bridges:

Bridges

Truck stop:

Truck stop

Iron Skillet for lunch:

Iron Skillet for lunch

Iron Skillet for lunch

Paladin on the dash:

Paladin on dash

Dust devil:

Dust devil

Rest area:

Rest area

Paladin in his dash bed while leaving the rest area:

Paladin in his dash bed

The farms along I-90 in Quincy had signs on their fences indicating what the crop was; we’ve sometimes not recognized a crop and wondered, so wish everyone would do this. Beans:

Beans

Potatoes:

Potatoes

Sweet corn:

Sweet corn

Timothy:

Timothy

Mural in Quincy:

Mural in Quincy

Heading down into the Columbia River gorge:

Columbia River

Our destination, Thousand Trails Crescent Bar:

Thousand Trails Crescent Bar

Our site:

Our site

Travel from Mitchell to Custer, South Dakota

We drove our coach 313 miles, about five hours of driving, from Mitchell, South Dakota to Custer, South Dakota.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading west:

Route map

An interactive map:

Heading west of I-90:

I-90 West

Rest area stop:

Rest area

Sunflower field:

Sunflowers

The Dignity of Earth and Sky sculpture:

Sculpture

A Tiffin Allegro Red motorhome passing us:

Tiffin Allegro Red motorhome

Lunch stop at Hutch’s Cafe:

Hutch's Cafe

Menu:

Menu

Hutch's Cafe

Hutch's Cafe

Back to our coach:

Back to our coach

Entering Mountain Time Zone:

Entering Mountain Time Zone

Passing Badlands National Park:

Badlands National Park

Another rest area:

Rest area

Paladin sat in his dash bed for a while:

Paladin sat in his dash bed for a while

Firehouse Brewery & Winery had several fire trucks along the freeway:

Firehouse Brewery & Winery had several fire trucks along the freeway

Paladin asleep on the floor:

Paladin asleep on the floor

Busts:

Busts

Entering Custer State Park, our favorite state park:

Custer State Park

Curvy road:

Curvy road

Whatever we do, don’t turn onto Needles Highway with our coach! Very narrow and short tunnels:

Needles Highway intersection

Legion Lake campground entrance:

Campground entrance

Our site, with a glimpse of the lake in the background:

Our site

Mall of America

We visited the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.

According to Wikipedia, it is the largest mall in the United States, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, and the twelfth largest shopping mall in the world.

Mall

We had dinner at Shake Shack (first time we’ve seen one since we visited New York years ago):

Shake Shack

Shake Shack

Mall

In addition to being a huge mall, the center is filled with an amusement park:

Amusement park

Amusement park

Amusement park

Amusement park

Amusement park

Minnesot-ah!:

Minnesot-ah!

Mall

Amusement park

It’s an impressive mall… but still just a mall.

Baseball: Minnesota Twins vs Philadelphia Phillies

We attended a baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and the Philadelphia Phillies, playing at the Twin’s ballpark,Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

A perfect day for a ballgame, but super annoying dudes behind and next to us. Twins starter Okert left early in the first inning—no idea why, which was odd so early in the game. Twins scored first with a solo home run in the 2nd, but the Phillies answered back and led for most of the game. Tied going into the bottom of the 9th, and the Twins came through with a walk-off single from Max Kepler. A walk-off win is always fun at home. A nice ballpark, and we had good seats behind home plate.

Target Field entrance:

Target Field entrance

Seating:

Seating

Selfie:

Selfie

Team store:

Team store

Cheddar brats and pretzel:

Hot dogs and pretzel

A citizenship ceremony:

Citizenship ceremony

Map:

Map

Ballpark from outfield:

Ballpark from outfield

Putting:

Putting

Winnebago camper van:

Winnebago camper van

More ballpark angles:

Ballpark

“Win! Twins!”:

Win! Twins!

Rotating ball and big screen:

Rotating ball and big screen

Concessions:

Concessions

Concessions

Mascot TC Bear, kid, “animal control” handler:

Mascot, kid, animal control

Ballpark

Ballpark

Lots of screens:

Lots of screens

Baseball

Mascot

Baseball

“Unapologetically Loud”:

Unapologetically Loud

Mascots:

Mascots

Dippin’ Dots:

Dippin' Dots

At one point the lineup screen showed the Mariners lineup?!

Screen showing Mariners lineup?!

Then the screens blanked out while they fixed that:

Screens blanked out

Baseball

Run scores:

Run scores

Twins win:

Twins win

Twins win

Final score and stats:

Score and stats

Travel from Oakdale, Wisconsin to Maple Grove, Minnesota

We drove our coach 198 miles, about three hours of driving, from Oakdale, Wisconsin to Maple Grove, Minnesota.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading northwest:

Route map

An interactive map:

Checklist:

Checklist

Lunch stop:

Lunch stop

Lunch stop

Lunch stop

Paladin on the dash while leaving the truck stop:

Paladin on dash

Roadworks:

Roadworks

Roadworks

Rest area:

Rest area

I-94:

I-94

Chimney:

Chimney

Minnesota Welcomes You:

Minnesota Welcomes You

Rest area:

Rest area

Crossover:

Crossover

Our destination, another KOA:

KOA

Guided to our site:

Guided to our site

Baseball: Cedar Rapids Kernels vs Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

We attended a game of the High-A minor league team Cedar Rapids Kernels, playing against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, at the Kernels’ Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Cedar Rapids Kernels

The concourse:

Concourse

Concourse

Menus:

Menus

Burger and fries:

Burger and fries

Our seats were in the front row, right behind the net:

Right behind the net

Selfie:

Selfie

Stands:

Stands

Stands

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Mascot:

Mascot

Other angles:

Another angle

Another angle

Lawn section

Another section

Spiderman:

Spiderman

Another angle

You can see where our seats were; look for Jenn with the teal hat and green shirt:

Our seats

Baseball

A run scores:

Run scores

Another run scores:

Run scores

Baseball

Pizza race:

Pizza race

3,756 attendance:

3,756 attendance

Kernels Win:

Kernels Win

Baseball: St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs

We attended a game of St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs, playing at the Cardinals’ ballpark, Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri.

Cubs won—hitting six home runs, but we only saw the first two. The temperature was 93, but the humidity was worse. Our seats were in the sun, so we only lasted a few innings. Tried standing at the top of the section with shade and a nice breeze, but it was still too uncomfortable. There were probably as many Cubs fans as Cardinals. A pretty ballpark—it would have been nice to hang out and enjoy the game, alas. The view of the Gateway Arch is a nice touch.

An interactive map:

Center field entrance:

Center field entrance

The ballpark:

Ballpark

Ballpark

Team store:

Team store

Birb:

Birb

Perficient Perch:

Perficient Perch

Chicken and fries:

Chicken and fries

View from our seats:

View from our seats

View from our seats

View from our seats

Mascot and cheerleaders:

Mascot and cheerleaders

Gateway Arch:

Gateway Arch

View from our seats

View from our seats

View from our seats

View from our seats

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

View from our seats

View from our seats

Gateway Arch

Views from elsewhere:

View from elsewhere

View from elsewhere

View from elsewhere

View from elsewhere

Our seats were in the sun on a really hot day, so we moved to stand in the concourse:

View from elsewhere

Then we left early. It was just too hot, and we didn’t particularly care about either of the teams playing.