Our latest stadium adventure took us to Miami.
We had a little trouble with the parking garages at Marlins Park, and apparently so did the cars in front of us. Attendants wearing red are working pre-paid garage parking only. It was a little confusing since you were already in the turning lane and would discover you couldn't park in that garage. We accidentally discovered a great parking area on the east side of the stadium. By chance, we turned up a street directly across from the stadium to find the residents making great use of their front yards. For $10 you can park and not be blocked in. We liked it so much that we did it the second night we were there.
Walking in this entrance you will see these orange letters, a tribute to the Orange Bowl, which used to be on the plot of land where the Marlins' stadium is now. They are actually pretty cool. I'm glad I did a little research before I went to this park or I would be wondering, "what the heck...?"
For more on the Orange Bowl tribute check out this link.
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669549/a-new-welcome-sign-memorializes-the-famed-demolished-orange-bowl
There is a lot to like in this park. Because it is relatively new, it has all the modern amenities such as this charging station.
The area called "Taste of Miami" has a nice selection of local foods. If you don't speak Spanish, wait a second, the signs will change to English.
Not much of the food was vegetarian friendly, but these plantain chips met my food requirements for this trip. Vegetarian and deep fried!
Sushi anyone?
Marlins Park is a great place to go for those on a budget. We got great seats behind the visitor's dugout (row 1) for $35 each. Happy Hour beer for $4 and for those who eat hot dogs, I think a $1 dog is a pretty good deal.
 |
| We loved the bobblehead museum! |
The roof was open Saturday night.
A dome can be a wonderful thing to have, and an air-conditioned dome is even better. The Friday game we attended the dome was closed due to rain and Saturday night it was open. I'm sure there are those who do not like a covered stadium, but it is a relief to me when traveling that I do not have to constantly watch the weather to be sure we can get a game in. The dome was opened for fireworks after Friday's game. There is a beautiful skyline visible from the park. When the dome is closed the glass doors are closed. This picture shows the doors closed.
I liked the announcement of the starting lineup on these pillars.
Who wants to work out at the game?
Randy's team. Unfortunately, we did not a see a win for the Braves either night.
I usually wear the home team's shirt unless they are playing the Braves or Orioles. I realized on the plane that I forgot my Braves shirt. Red would just have to do.
In my humble opinion, this is the best scoreboard we've seen. It was huge! I love the addition of the scoring for each player. It gave me a chance to check my score book. It was clear, big enough to read, and I couldn't think of anything else you would need to know that wasn't on there!
Running presidents, pierogies, sausages - so why not some racing sea life? Speaking of sea life, there are fish tanks behind home plate. This was one of the few things I didn't like about the park. I'm not sure what the logic was, and since I do not believe in using animals for entertainment, I had trouble with this. You can't really see the tanks unless you are looking for them. I'm sure the sounds and lights in the stadium cannot be a healthy living environment. I couldn't get close enough to get a decent picture but here is information and a nice shot.
The cheerleaders and music added a lot of energy to the evening. However, someone should tell them that during the National Anthem is not the time to catch up on the days events. Please be respectful!
Anyone want to take a dip? This is just a weird quirk of the stadium. Who wants to swim during a game? I'm not sure, but to each his own.
We had a wonderful time in Miami. It is a beautiful, fun and energetic city. We found the people friendly and we will definitely return.
Thumbs up
Scoreboard!
Stadium
Air Conditioning
Dome
Free programs
Easy access in and out of the stadium area
Budget friendly
Energy in the stadium
Thumbs down
Disrespectful cheerleaders
Lackadaisical mascot
Fish tank
Vegetarian options- there is a glutten free food stand
Ushers weren't particularly helpful or knowledgeable. We did not see one person designated as guest relations. I will say the guest services desk was available and the people here were helpful
No comments:
Post a Comment