Yankee Stadium, July 15th

Day 69 and not only a great number, but a great day. Have to checkout Yankee Stadium as long as in town and what’dya know, the Chicago White Sox’s are also in town that I might as well go and visit them…might make me feel a little at home since another Midwest group is around. Well, spent the morning getting caught up on my blog so didn’t get as early a start as I would’ve liked, but the game wasn’t until 1:15 that should be able to see most of it - am also dependent on the train schedule, which on the weekends not as many running and from Allendale and the transfer, takes a while before getting down town. Once at Penn Station still have to find a subway to get me to Yankee Stadium, but all you have to do is ask, sure someone around here knows how to get there and sure enough, the first person I ask gives me great directions to the sub…oh, and on a hot humid day like today, you can imagine how warm the subways are – cookers. Made it to the game and hell, their only in the second inning that if I can just get in, will see most of it. Asked the first security guard at a gate how I can get in and hey pointed me to the other side of the stadium to buy a ticket, which is where I headed. After getting half way to the outfield bleachers figured I should’ve seen a ticket counter already that asked the security guard where to get a ticket only to have him tell me the games sold out. Ok, so before I even start the spiel about my travels, he pulls a ticket out of his pocket and gives it to me…great, a free ticket to see the Yankees and White Sox’s in Yankee Stadium itself, how great can that be.

Ok, it can get better, but first since at a ball game, have to have a ball frank and guess what kind they have, yep, Nathan’s original - that’ll work for me. Once in the stands found what I thought was my row only for the guy sitting next to me to tell me someone else is already sitting there, but hey, no problem I’ll move, but where is my row, further up or what? Yep, keep going and it was a good thing I did cuz to my luck, got to sit next to a bunch of White Sox Fans. Yep, the ladies; Jackie, Karrie, Deb, Liz, Denise and Laura left the husbands back in Chicago and came to New York for the weekend and a ball game…now how cool is that. Hey guys, thanks for setting the women loose in New York, had a great time talking with them and felt a little more at home talking with someone with a familiar accent…they definitely have an accent out here and they’re always picking up mine being from the Midwest. The other thing I realized was while telling them about my travels, just how different the people are from back in the Midwest compared to many of the other places I’ve been. They seem to be genuinely interested listening about my travels where there are some that don’t find it that interesting…well, I guess the first time that happened was the other night in a downtown NY bar while waiting for Dale, was talking to a chick about my travels…but she didn’t have any interest at all, it couldn’t be me, could it? Back to the game and Liz had a good one for me after listening to my good fortune on this trip, it was that I have good karma…now why didn’t I think of that – kinda like Earl on ‘My Name is Earl’ right? Well, told them a number of stories and had to tell them about the best bar in NY which you never know, I just might make another trip down there – McSorley’s. The ladies didn’t stick around since the Sox’s were getting killed, but did talk to a Yankee fan next to me, Joe and guess where he’s from, Hartford and for those who don’t know, that’s where Travelers insurance comes from, you know, the other half of St Paul Travelers? Well, if it weren’t for them I wouldn’t be as fortunate as I am to be doing what I am, traveling the country and seeing what I’m seeing and just how good most people are.

After the game, and it was definitely a blowout, 14 – 3, checked out the rest of the Stadium and had to check out the bars around it. Well, their much like those back home except for the fact that someone did tell me you probably don’t want to be hanging around here when the sun goes down…no problem, wasn’t planning on being here much longer cuz there’s still more of New York for me to see, next stop, Grand Central Station. Almost forgot about that until got on the subway back to Manhattan only to find out that Grand Central was one of the stops. Ok, gotta get pictures of that place and it is pretty impressive, not only big, but you can see much of the décor which you may have seen in old films is still in tact…and don’t tell me you’ve never seen an old film, like a Hitchcock or another favorite of mine, Carry Grant movies…don’t ask me why, just like’em.

After Grand Central I am still in search of a good authentic NY style pizza and someone points me in the direction of Little Italy. Saw a Ray’s pizza and remembered that from Food TV that it must be it. Nope, wrong one that a lady told me about another one in Greenwich that ok, I’ll take the walk. Did find out that one isn’t the original either, guess there are too many Ray’s pizzas in town, but hey for the Greenwich original, that’s good enough for me and it was a couple of really good slices of pizza…a little different than what we have back home, but not much. And check it out, my third night in a row back at McSorley’s and that’s because it just happened to be in the area and I just happened to stumble across it again…ok, kind of planned on that, but like I said yesterday, my favorite NY bar and the same bartender, Gregory who has served me all three nights…don’t you ever have a night off? Had a great time talking to a number of locals and they figured me to be from Wisconsin right off the bat…the shirt must’ve given me away, right? well, according to Marcus it was my accent. Tonight’s not gonna be a late night anyway cuz have to get some laundry done before hitting the road and tonight’s the night. Got great directions from the locals on what subway to take and made it to the train station just in time for the first train to the transfer station only to find out it’ll be another hour before the one to the final destination comes along. Well, there is one that stops one stop short, that according to the train attendant is less than a mile by track, but you can’t walk the track. Ok, should be able to find a road running along the track to get me where I need to be that I’m going for it. Well, after a long train ride, remember there are a lot of stops along the way, finally make it as far as they’ll take me and talked to a taxi about a ride and where to go only to find out I gotta call my own, taxi that is. Ok, the walk didn’t sound too bad and one of the guys at the stop overheard me and said the next train was coming along in 15 minutes. Not according to my schedule so we checked it out and sure enough we’d be waiting over an hour for the next one that we might as well hoof it. Paul is from around here that he walks the track all the time so guess what I did, yep, walked the track and it’s a little tough to do with flip flops, but did make pretty good time. That had me thinking how comfortable these have been, the flip flops that is and how I just bought’em 5 months ago for my Cozumel trip…what a great trip that was, but man how things can change in such a short period of time, some know what I’m talking about. Anyway, lets see where the road takes us tomorrow, shall we? Stadium Pictures.