The Springs

The final day of the Rocky Mountain trip is almost over. Sitting here in the Denver Airport waiting for the plane is giving me the opportunity to recap today's events. It was a very long day with lots of bus riding, walking, and waiting.

I went to bed last night in a little bit of a conundrum. While I certainly talked big about going down to Colorado Springs, I was doing some research and found some problems. First, the ballpark was really far away from any transportation centers meaning I would have to take a cab. Second, the roundtrip bus fare on FREX, SkyRide out to the airport, and the anticipated cab fare was probably going to be upward of $60. I have splurged a little while here in Denver, and the thought of dropping that much cash before I even bought a ticket didn't thrill me. I knew that if I went through with this part of Rocky Mountain, I would literally be broke 1,000 miles from home. It was a prospect that I was not excited about.

But baseball road trips have a funny way of becoming adventurous. After sleeping on it, I decided to go forward with heading down to Colorado Springs as planned, but I wanted to somehow avoid the cab fare because I thought that would be the most expensive piece of this puzzle. Enter my favorite mode of transportation during baseball road trips: public transportation. I looked online to buses in Colorado Springs and found a line that got me within about three miles of the park. It only cost $1.25 to ride, so I decided that I would buck up and hike the three miles to see a new park.

I got on the FREX bus in Denver around 8am and started to head south. After getting out of Denver, I was amazed at how gorgeous the scenery became with rocky cliffs and towering mountains dominating the landscape. Looming ever large over Colorado Springs is the massive Pikes Peak, which, at 14, 115 feet, is the tallest mountain in the state of Colorado.

Getting into downtown Colorado Springs, I was immediately awed by the beauty of the city. With the backdrop of the mountains and the sweeping vistas of the eastern plains, Colorado Springs was gorgeous. Their downtown was very walkable and easy to get around in, and it seemed like there was quite a lot happening around there. I would venture to say that Colorado Springs ranks amongst the prettiest cities I have been to.

After about an hour bus ride, my hike began. It took me about 45 minutes to walk from the end of the bus line to Security Service Field. The quaint downtown feeling I got when I first boarded the bus now devolved into sprawling suburbia. Isolated subdivisions, lack of walking and biking infrastructure, and distance from major transportation thoroughfares were ever present upon my walk. Colorado Springs may be a beautiful city, but it has become so suburbanized.

I made it to Security Service Field about ten minutes before first pitch. I was planning on meeting an old friend of mine from the Peace Corps at the park, but since she was running late, I had some time by myself to take in the park.

Set amongst the suburban landscape, Security Service Field isn't half bad. It is pretty small for a Triple-A venue as it reminded me a lot of Bowie, MD. The seating is split with GA seats above fancier chairbacks closer to the field. On the 1st base side is a large building that houses a special barbecue deck and restaurant, similar to what they have in Tacoma.

The Colorado Springs Sky Sox got two runs in the sixth inning to outlast the Tucson Padres 2-0. From my count, nearly a dozen former Eugene Emeralds and Portland Beavers played for the Padres. It makes me wonder when that team will settle down and find a permanent home as the parent organization has said, on numerous occasions, that they will not be staying in Tucson. To be honest, it seemed weird seeing all of those guys in Tucson jerseys rather than Portland.

To be honest, I really didn't watch the game as intently as usual. My friend from the Peace Corps showed up around the third inning, and we just became so engaged in conversation that I stopped keeping score. I hadn't seen her in two years, and she was my only real friend I made while in the Peace Corps service. Just chatting with her about the Peace Corps, the drama that unfolded after I left, and the trying conditions the volunteers in Guyana are under. The more she kept talking, the more I was reassured that in the two years since I came back, I am better off and have a brighter future.

My friend's sister was gracious enough to drive back up to Denver, thus saving me another $11 on the FREX line. She dropped me off at the Arapahoe Pike and Ride where I got the bus in the morning. I then got on another bus out here to the airport where I am waiting to leave in about two hours.

I am very, very tired and worn out. I know that I have pushed my body to the limit with little sleep, questionable nutrition, and adjustments to the altitude. I am excited to be going home and sleeping in my own bed and counting down to the next road trip. I will pen a 'final thoughts' entry sometime tomorrow.

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)