From Boston to Houston - Part 5, the finale

July 21, 2012 (Day 5-6, Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri)

It’s Saturday evening and J. Rho and I have reached our destination – Houston, Texas.  But before I tell you about Saturday’s drive, let me fill you in on Friday’s adventures. 

J. Rho and I woke up around 7am on Friday morning, refreshed from the eight hours of comfortable sleep we had received.  After an amazing breakfast (eggs, bacon, biscuit, homefries, and fruit) we were off for our fifth and final baseball game in St. Louis.  We arrived in St. Louis around noon and met our high school friend, Marlow, who currently lives in St. Louis.  Marlow showed us around his neighborhood including a delicious pizza place named “Pi,” that served one of the most amazing deep dish pizzas I had ever eaten. 

After the three of us had lunch it was time for …….. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES!!!!  I will spare you my critique and detailed opinions of the movie because I assume: 1. You don’t want to hear them and 2. You don’t want me to spoil the movie.  However, all in all, the movie was amazing.  Although, there were a few things that differentiated from the comic that didn’t please me, the finale to the batman series was a success.  Additionally, Christopher Nolan pulled another rabbit out of his hat casting Anne Hathaway as Catwoman.  She wasn’t obviously as good as Nolan’s first surprise casting, Heath Ledger, but she still played a credible Selina Kyle. 

The movie ended at 6pm and, therefore, it was time to make our way to Busch Stadium (Cardinals home).

Stadium:  This pains me to say…. actually, since I am in Astros fan, so it really doesn’t - Busch Stadium is a stadium and to be completely honest, I was expecting much more.  For starters, I hate baseball stadiums where you have to go through a tunnel to get into your seats.  In my opinion, there should never be a divider between walking around and picking up food and the actual baseball game.  Second, although the stadium is clean and nice, it’s a bit unimaginative and just seemed like a carbon copy of other baseball venues.  Third and last, Cardinals fans suck.  The End.

Food:  Another huge disappointment.  The only good thing at this place was the nachos, which were actually pretty good.  Besides that, Busch Stadium had nothing to offer more than mediocre hot dogs and Hardees.

The Cardinals played the Cubs, which was great to see because they are big rivals.  The Cardinals ended up winning 4-1 with most of the runs being scored in the first couple of innings. 

J. Rho and I had a 14 hour drive from St. Louis to Houston on Saturday where our parents threw a small party for J. Rho’s return to Houston.  This means we had to be on the road by 5am to hopefully arrive in time for the scheduled party time of 7pm.  This could have proved quite impossible, especially because our friend Marlow took us out to see the St. Louis night life.  Did we get up in time?

NO! We didn’t.  Marlow took us out and we ended up socializing until 3am.  J. Rho and I did, however, mange to get up at 6am and hit the road around 6:30am to arrive in Houston by 8:30pm. The end.

If you have been following my posts, I truly appreciate it.  If you haven’t……I have nothing to say to you.  

From Boston to Houston - Part 4

July 19, 2012 (Day 4 – Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri)

As the sun sets over Cincinnati, J. Rho and I come alive.  Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s time for NIGHT DRIVING!!  After the Reds game, J. Rho and I saddled up for the 10 hour drive to Kansas City.  I know what you’re thinking, “why not just stay in Cincinnati for the night and get your spaghetti topped with chili in the late morning before embarking to Kansas City?”  I wish it were that easy folks.  A comfortable bed with the thought of that spectacular Cincinnati treat would have sounded delightful, however, the Royals have a day game tomorrow and this is a baseball trip. 

J. Rho took the first leg, driving through Kentucky, which borders Cincinnati, before going into Indiana through the city of Louisville.  J. Rho was able to take her into Illinois before we switched around 2am.  By 2:30am (We had gained an hour crossing into central time) we had reached St. Louis and I was getting pretty tired.  Not to mention St. Louis was our destination the following day so I was upset to pass it (St. Louis did not have a game Thursday so we bypassed it to get to Kansas City).  Although I was tired, it was still amazing to go over the Mississippi River and see the St. Louis arch lit up.  For anyone who hasn’t seen it, the St. Louis Arch is a beautiful monument and happens to be the tallest man made monument in America and tallest accessible building in Missouri. 

At 4:00 am J. Rho couldn’t take it anymore and was famished, so we stopped into Missouri’s favorite, HARDEES!  People….I love Hardees.  In my opinion it’s amazing.  I stepped up to the register comfortably and confidently and ordered a chicken biscuit meal with a side of gravy.  To say the least and to spare you the juicy details, it was amazing.  Afterwards, we were back on the road on our way to Kansas City for a 1:10pm Royals game.  At 6am, J. Rho and I were too tired to carry on, and we decided to stop 5 miles from the stadium to get a hotel and get some much needed sleep.  I should fill you in, Carlos was packed to the gills so that J. Rho’s front passenger seat could not recline even an inch, making it hard to get some Z’s.  We found ourselves a nice Hilton and slept until 11:30am. 

Stadium: Kauffman Stadium is probably the most unique baseball stadium I have ever had the pleasure of visiting.  For starters, the stadium is a true park.  There are no true grandstands in the outfield, everything is open, and there isn’t a bad seat in the house.  Additionally, the waterfalls and fountain systems in the outfield make this place truly fantastic. 

For those of you who do not know baseball well, the Royals do not draw a huge crowd.  Furthermore, as it was a weekday day game, the crowd was even smaller which gave us an opportunity to purchase the cheapest tickets and sit anywhere we wanted. 

Food:  This is where it gets good.  I have been to plenty of baseball games and stadiums.  I have eaten all kinds of baseball food and one of a kind hotdogs, however, the hotdog I ate at Kauffman Stadium was the best I have ever had.  Let me set this up for you.  Kauffman stadium has a specialty hot dog place in their right and left field respectively.  They have about five specialty dogs, ranging from the classic Chicago Dog to the Texas Dog.  When I saw the Texas dog (chili and cheese) I knew that’s what we were going to get.  I stepped up, ordered the Texas Dog, and the guy taking my order said the greatest thing I had heard thus far on that road trip: “Not many people are coming today so I will let you get whatever you want for no additional charge.”  OH DAMN!  I replied, “If you insist, I will have the foot long hotdog with chili, cheese, pulled pork, spicy brown mustard, onions and jalapenos.”  Delicious. 

After the game, J. Rho and I went to a Casino outside of Kansas City.  All I will say is I didn’t do as well as I hoped to do.  Although I had that humungous hotdog earlier, around 7pm J. Rho and I were getting hungry again so we decided to eat……..what else but some Kansas City BBQ. 

Tangent: As a born Texan, I love barbecue.  I will spare you the definitional differences between real barbecue and what northerners call hamburgers and hotdogs and simply say there are 4 capitals of barbecue in America.  The first and the greatest is obviously Texas, which does everything beef.  The second, Memphis, prides themselves on their exquisite dry rub and pork ribs.  The third, North Carolina, perfected the pulled pork sandwich and the vinegar based barbecue sauce.  And the Fourth, KANSAS CITY, packs an all around barbecue punch with supposedly GREAT sauce. 

J. Rho and I went to Gates, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.  J. Rho and I each got a monster chopped beef sandwich and split a side of smoked sausage which we smothered in barbecue sauce.  The barbecue sauce was so good that I even bought two bottles to bring home.  The meat was fantastic too, however, not as good as the brisket in Texas. 

After our stomachs were once again full, it was back to the hotel for some more sleep.  A short drive to St. Louis tomorrow, stay tuned.  

From Boston to Houston - Part 3

July 18, 2012 (Day 3 – Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, OH)

Cincy! Cincy! Here I come.  J. Rho and I awoke on a beautiful Tuesday morning, showered, got coffee and embarked for our next destination, Cincinnati.   J. Rho took the first leg while I took Carlos into downtown Cincy to complete a very mountain filled 8.5 hour drive.  As a Texan, I hate driving through the mountains.   I just don’t understand why people enjoy it.  I mean, it’s quite beautiful here and there, however, it’s painfully inefficient.  Up and down, swerve left, swerve right; it’s quite exhausting.   In Texas, highways go straight so what really should be a three hour drive doesn’t take five hours. 

To recap the ride, J. Rho and I went through Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania before finally getting to the great Buckeye State of Ohio.  After stopping at the Ohio border for Taco Bell at noon (don’t hate on the BELL), J. Rho and I arrived in beautiful Cincinnati at 4:30pm.  We parked Carlos in a lot and made our way to Great American Ballpark (Reds home).   Sadly, right as we bought our ticket, it started pouring, however, the stadium opened early and Jeff and I were able to wait it out.    

Stadium: Ladies and Gentlemen, Great American Ballpark is a park.  The energy of the crowd was fantastic and the turf and outline of the infield was beautiful.  Although we sat predominately in the outfield, the view was still great.  There was, however, one touchy usher who wouldn’t let J. Rho and I sit by the third base dugout even though no one else was sitting there.  I tried to dodge him but obviously wasn’t as shifty as I needed to be and we ended up getting kicked out of the section. Oh well, our outfield seats were still great!

The coolest part of the game: After every Red’s pitcher to throw a strike out, the fire work stacks in center field would roar with a flame that resembled a dragon’s nostrils.  It was awesome, especially since it was sprinkling and about 65 degrees the whole time. 

Food: NOOOO!!!! Skyline in the ballpark does NOT have the famous Cincinnati spaghetti and chili.  This deeply upset J. Rho and I as we planned to eat the iconic Cincinnati meal when we first mapped out this trip.  To make matters worse, Skyline’s coneys were painfully PITIFUL.  They ended up being small little terd hot dogs with too much cheese and not enough chili.  Although Skyline was disappointing, the sausage I had in the sixth inning was splendid and sort of made up for my disappointing earlier meal. 

The Reds played the Diamondbacks and ended up getting killed 1-7, way to go Mat Latos (Pitcher on my Fantasy Team).  Next stop, Kansas City.  

From Boston to Houston - Part 2

July 17, 2012 (Day 2 - Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.)

To me, this is the true beginning to our road trip.  Boston to NYC is simply driving home, NYC to D.C., now we’re talking.  Personally, this is also a special drive.  At the ages of 5-10, I lived in the D.C. area and frequently visited my grandparents who live in Hackensack N.J., a town a short 10 minutes away from the G.W. Bridge.  As I watched my parents make the drive from D.C. to Hackensack many times, it was especially meaningful to make the drive myself as an adult.

J. Rho and I awoke early Tuesday morning and decided to take a quick trip to my gym to burn some calories.  Since we are going to be eating plenty of hotdogs and fast food over the next four days, this seemed like a bright idea.  After visiting my grandparents in Hackensack, we were back on the road.  The drive was amazing.  We passed the iconic (iconic for me at least) Delaware Bridge, went through Baltimore and its tunnels, and saw the huge Mormon Church in Northern Virginia before arriving at our destination in Falls Church, VA, our lodging for the night. 

One hour later, we were on the Orange Line to D.C. for our second baseball game of our journey.  The ride was uncomfortable to say the least.  It was 100 degrees outside and we unluckily chose the only car without air conditioning.  Besides the lack of air conditioning, the D.C. Metro is fantastic.  It’s fast and efficient and I love how each station looks the same.  The tunnels also have a futuristic look that makes me feel like I am in the Matrix (Yes, I know perfectly well “in the Matrix” doesn’t make any sense but the tunnels reminded me of the movie).

Stadium:  Nationals Park is a true park.  The stadium is very open and the main entrance is very inviting.  As an added bonus, the fans were very into the game and the stadium was packed.  I, however, credit this enthusiasm to the winning record the Nationals currently have.  My father and I visited this same stadium three years ago (when the Nationals were awful) and barely ten thousand fans were present. 

Food: The locals eat Ben’s Chili Bowl so, naturally, that’s what we ate.  We ordered a “Half Smoked,” which consisted of a sausage in a hot dog bun topped with chili, cheese, onions, and jalepanos. It was amazing. 

The Nationals played the Mets and ended up winning in extra innings on a wild pitch.  Tomorrow Cincinnati, stay tuned. 

J. Rho - day 2:

I haven’t worn a regular t-shirt in two days because it’s hot everywhere. It’s hot in Carlos, it’s hot on public transportation, and it’s hot at the baseball games. We saw the Washington Nationals host the Mets. We ate an hour before the game so I wasn’t hungry.  I was just going to get a regular dog in the 6th, but we saw the half smoke on the menu and asked a local what it was. She said it was great and that if you are visiting, you had to try it.  What gave it away that I was a visitor? Was it my wifebeat? My moustache? My Mexican complexion? So I ate it. We slept over at Joel’s house, a college buddy of mine, and had a quick beer to catch up. Thanks for letting us crash at your place.  I’ll see you at my place in TX, meet half way in Nola, and/or your place in FL.

From Boston to Houston - Part 1

Howie has been interested in writing some guest posts for a while now. He has decided the time has come to dazzle you with tales of his journey on a baseball oriented road trip across the country. Enjoy!

July 16, 2012 (Day 1 - Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY)

The day has come; day 1 of a road trip I will undoubtedly remember forever.  But before I go into specifics about our adventure, let me give you some background into the significance of this trip. 

To make a long story short, J. Rho has been my brother since I was 15.  Coming from a high school where most people stayed in state (Texas) to attend college, it made the transition to the northeast a lot easier knowing J. Rho was going to Boston.  Since then, I have visited Boston countless times; going to Fenway and taking every opportunity to hang out with my best friend.  So when J. Rho decided to make the move back to Texas and proposed a baseball road trip down, it was a no brainer I would join. 

We packed up Carlos (J. Rho’s 2000 Ford Explorer) and left South Boston at the scheduled time of 11am, taking a minor detour to the Prudential Center’s food court for one last clam chowder.  After that “Boston last meal” we were truly on our way.  The drive to the greater NYC area, the location of my residence, was a quick three hours - the shortest of our scheduled drives.  We hung in my apartment for a couple of hours before heading to Yankee Stadium, our first of five baseball games. 

The Yankees were playing the Blue Jays and I was excited to see Edwin Encarnacion (misspelled) and Jose Bautista, who sadly got injured during the game.  Tied up in the 8^th inning, Ibanez hit a grand slam and the Yankees ended up winning 6-3.

Stadium:  For those who haven’t been to Yankee Stadium, it sucks.  As a baseball purist, I separate baseball stadiums from baseball parks.  Stadiums are gaudy concrete structures that feel more like a corporate event than a true baseball game and in comparison; parks have that nice simple baseball feel.  In my opinion, Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium, a huge slab of concrete that doesn’t fit well with the Bronx neighborhood.

Food: For this trip, J. Rho and I decided we were going to sample the unique food each specific stadium had to offer.  In New York, unique means one thing, Nathan’s hot dogs.  J. Rho and I both ate three of these (original casing) before also polishing off a nice hot sausage and peppers, another NY staple. 

As I live in New York, there is not much else to say.  Tomorrow we go to Washington D.C. Stay tuned.

J. Rho:

Before embarking on the road trip, I took Carlos to the Ford dealership for a check-up.  Everything checked out okay and systems were a go; except for the driver side passenger door that does not open anymore.  If Carlos makes it to Texas, he gets a bath, oil change, and that left wing fixed. For my last meal I had clam chowder. It was good, but I prefer “five alarm chili” instead.  Take care MA.