We saved a bundle by getting married in March and it allowed our relatives to relieve their East Coast cabin fever, but it makes celebrating our anniversary a bit of a problem. Since we live in Los Angeles, having left our wintry childhood homes decades ago, our travel options are quite slim, especially since we don't usually have the time or inclination to schlep to Hawaii or Florida for the same weather. Living next door to Arizona and being baseball freaks has recently helped solve this vacation dilemma.
The Phoenix/Scottsdale area is home to the Cactus League, the Spring Training grounds of our beloved Chicago Cubs and, as of this year, our hometown Dodgers. So, for the past few years, instead of scouring the Internet for an interesting place in Southern California to while away a weekend, we’ve just jumped in our car and headed East. The drive is brutally dull and longer than you'd imagine considering flying to Phoenix only takes an hour, but our excitement and the MLB channel on XM kept our spirits up.
The great thing about attending games during Spring Training is the intimacy...and for most fans coming in from colder parts of the country, the weather. 82 and sunny is pretty much par for the course. You can pick out the out-of-towners quite easily by their sunburns. No local would be caught dead without a hat and sunscreen...or a shirt. Most of the facilities only hold around 10,000 fans, so there’s really no bad seat in the house.
The sun is shining, everyone’s happy because they’re not at work and the food is artery-clogging good - like the Mesa Macho Nacho Dog, which is a mixture of fritos, chili, melted cheese and jalapenos on top of an oversized hotdog with bun. This was a unique concoction found at the the Cubs old stadium Hohokam Park. They are in a new facility while that one is being remodeled. Not sure if it made onto the new menu...
Because the games don’t actually count, the energy is high and the fans full of hope that “this year” could actually be the one where their team could go all the way. Where forking over $11 for a beer is not an issue, since you're drinking during the day and thankfully not at work. Each park has their own traditions with the Milwaukee Brewers Sausage race being the most creative and entertaining. That people are able to run in those giant costumes is mindboggling. Betting on which "dog" will win is all part of the fun.
Once the sun goes down, downtown Scottsdale heats up. According to friends, this little city just to the northeast of Phoenix proper is THE place to party. We’d have to agree. There’s a plethora of new bars, restaurants and high-end retail stores that are attempting to raise the reputation of this tiny western town and move it away from its’ cowboy past and into a chic new future.
Some a few of our favorite places nearby Scottsdale Stadium - home of the San Francisco Giants - are Citizen Public House, The Herb Box, Cowboy Ciao and my personal mecca Kazimierz World Wine Bar. These are only the tip of the food iceberg. There is something for every taste bud and more bars in the 10 block radius than one would bellieve is feasibly successful for all of them. Yet, they were all packed. One can thank the return of baseball converging with Spring Break for that.
Lisa Dinsmore is a writer, web programmer, baseball and wine lover. She is also the Managing Editor of One for the Table.