In the midst of an incredible week, I have now found the time to sit down and pen out a Final Thoughts section for my most recent baseball road trip. Aside from how busy I have been, I needed some time to digest the whirlwind tour of both Boise and Spokane. This trip was unique in so many ways and I felt that this was a turning-point in Baseball Extravaganza 2012. After the disaster of the Puget Sound trip, coming back and doing a trip that was as successful and rewarding as this really reinstated my faith in my hobby. I did a lot of new things on this trip that I will definitely use for future trips.
The Puget Sound was a train wreck. I was embarrassed and ashamed of cutting short a road trip. I went back to the drawing board and asked myself, "What went wrong and what can I do better?" Taking the month of June off was the best decision I have ever made. I got a lot of loose ends taken care of, worked a whole lot and saved up some serious money, and used the time to really plan out the logistics of this trip. When I boarded that train up to Portland, I was supremely confident that nothing could go wrong with this trip.
I've really come to like Southwest Airlines. They are the only airline I have taken that doesn't seem to want to take advantage of me and my business. Their flights were on-time, the crews were friendly, and the schedules were perfect. It was a little disappointing to be on a flight with only 28 other people from Boise to Spokane, but it did allow me the opportunity to stretch out and really retrench my efforts for the marathon day that was Spokane.
I took so much public transportation those two days that I consider myself a seasoned bus rider in both Boise and Spokane. Not only was this option the cheapest way to move around, it really allowed me to see these two cities from a different perspective that I may miss when I confine myself to downtown ballparks. In addition to the community study, all the buses were clean and efficient and got me to where I needed to go with zero hassles. If there is only one wish I could have was for a later bus back from Avista Stadium. I had to cut short the Spokane game at the end of the ninth inning to catch the bus. That was the only downside to public transportation.
Boise is a city that intrigues me. I really liked the downtown setting and the neat activities going on there, but outside of the main downtown core, Boise seemed like a really depressing city. It was clearly obvious when I was traveling around the city that poverty is widespread and affects so many people in this area. And, considering the feeble attempt at public transportation, it seems like there aren't a lot of provisions available for low-income families and individuals.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Boise. The State Penitentiary was an absolute blast that ranks up there with one of the best pre-game activities I have ever done. Visiting the Smurf Turf was a gimmicky experience that afforded a novelty photo opportunity. It was worth it to see all of these sights in Boise and retain those memories.
Boise Memoriall Stadium, on the other hand, is a sight that I will not miss. This glorified high school stadium just failed to live up to the standard of NWL parks such as Nat Bailey in Vancouver or Avista in Spokane. I'm going to say that Boise Memorial Stadium is the worst NWL ballpark, even behind Salem-Keizer and Eugene. With all of the talk of Triple-A possibly moving to Boise, the need is clearly evident for a new ballpark. The facilities that they have right now are woefully inadequate, even for Single-A. Yet, in a way, I hope that Boise can land a Triple-A team, build a new downtown ballpark, and give this city a rejuvenation that it needs.
The only good thing I can say about Boise Memorial was that I got to see the game with a very old friend that I hadn't seen in years. I really enjoyed catching up with her and hearing about her life since we last saw each other in high school. It is pretty amazing, however, that I'm getting close to my ten-year high school reunion. It's been a long time, but keeping up those old connections is a great way to stay informed on some of the neat things my friends and colleagues from my youth are doing with their lives.
I'm through staying in hostels. I gave it another try after the Puget Sound, and I am down with them. Sure, the price is right, but is it worth it to be paranoid about strangers going through my stuff? Is it worth it to be jostled at 3am by a staggering drunk roommate who I have never met before? Is it worth it to not have a fresh towel for your morning shower, only to use your dirty t-shirt from the day before to dry off? Look, I think the social concept of a hostel is a novel idea. If I were staying in a location for more than just one night and I did not have activities, like baseball games and trips, planned in advance, maybe the hostel would be fun. But with the busy nature of baseball road trips and my constant activity from the word "GO" just doesn't make hostels feasible. I think it will be worth it to spend the extra twenty or thirty bucks to get an actual hotel with my own room, a clean towel, comfortable bed, and, maybe, a free breakfast.
I went into this trip a little distraught about Spokane. I thought that I was going to be heading into a city that was just plain awful. I had heard horrible things about Spokane, so I readied myself for an experience like San Bernardino or Fresno. I have to say, however, that I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked Spokane. The vibe in Downtown was pretty cool, and traveling around the city allowed me to see that it was a pretty modest. There was surprisingly a lot to do in the pre-game that was cheap and unique for baseball road trips. Out of all the cities I have been to, I would rank Spokane towards the top. It isn't on par with San Diego, San Francisco, or Vancouver, but I think it's better than Sacaramento, St. Louis, and Durham.
Since the baseball game only takes up about four hours of the day, I have to plan for some "pre-game side-trips" to occupy myself. Visiting the Smurf Turf and Penitentiary in Boise were examples of this. In Spokane, going to the YMCA, the theatre, and seeing a movie worked out perfectly. Going to the YMCA allowed me to take a fresh shower with a clean towel, for free, and gave me the opportunity to see a great facility. Going to the theatre was a great idea. Greater Tuna was hilarious and I kick myself for passing over theatre opportunities in other cities I have been to. Again, stuff to remember.
After my trip to Boise Municipal Stadium, seeing Avista Stadium was a treat. I had heard mixed reviews of the ballpark going in, but I was pleasantly surprised. If any city should be getting Triple-A, in my opinion, it should be Spokane. Avista Stadium is certainly large enough to support a Triple-A team, and the fans seem to be knowledgeable enough about the game that it wouldn't be too gimmicky. The Indians organization is doing a great job with their ballpark and I can only wish that some of the other NWL teams would take note.
What I really liked about Avista Stadium was the homage to their traditions. They had displays set up of Indians players who had made it to the big leagues. They had a really attractive boulder display of their hall of fame when you walked in. But what really stood out to me was the great display they had on the Spokane Indian tribes that the team is named after. Chronicling their history in the area and their traditions was very enlightening and interesting.
And then there is Amtrak. Amtrak, Amtrak, Amtrak...well, I got home, which is the most important thing. When planning this trip, I thought Amtrak was going to be the least of my problems. But, I think I showed amazing flexibility in that whole situation coming home from Spokane. I realized that there are things I can control and things I can't, and a mudslide by Pasco is something I can't. Taking a charter bus back from Spokane would not be considered the ideal bookend to a successful trip, but I made it home in one piece.
The NWL East is over, and I consider it a monumental success. I had a lot of fun and I am very glad I got to go.
Now it is time to move on to the next trip. At the beginning of August, I'll be taking a very short trip, just two days total, up to the Palm Springs of Washington and the city of Yakima. I'm flying up for the day, see the game, spend the night, and come home. It is very short and sweet, but I got a great fare on this SeaPort Airlines out of Portland, so we'll see how it goes.
Outside of baseball, the summer has gotten that much more interesting in the past week. On Monday, I declared my candidacy for Mayor. My time will be mostly devoted to that, but I will still be taking a few weekends from here until the end of summer to do some baseball road trips. The NWL East was a great way to reinvigorate Baseball Extravaganza 2012 for the future.
Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)
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