When I think of childhood memories with my dad, I remember how he loved to take us to games at Met Stadium. I remember the friends we went with, wearing a sundress in the stands, and stopping for pizza afterward at Bilotti's in Rochester on the way home. I don't remember any family outings to the Metrodome. Maybe it just wasn't quite as fun indoors.
In more recent decades, Dad has preferred watching his favorite Minnesota teams in the comfort of his living room, relaxing on his recliner and enjoying the precision of his high definition television. He often mentions there is no better seat to watch the game. So he surprised me last summer when I asked him if he had a bucket list. He did! And it had two things on it: a Twins game at Target Field and a Vikings game at their new stadium once it is complete.
This weekend we crossed the first item off his list! With some advice from a friend who is a regular at Target Field, I found 7 tickets for great seats at an excellent price for the September 7th afternoon game against the Angels. So Sunday we all squeezed into the Sorento and headed north!
If there's anything my dad loves as much as sports, it is trains. So of course we took the light rail into downtown. The trip from Fort Snelling to Target Field was an adventure in itself!
Game day was sunny and warm with near cloudless skies and a gentle breeze. Weather like this is why outdoor stadiums can be so much more fun than the Metrodome!
Dad loved teaching his granddaughters a little about the game.
I had printed off the ballpark menu so everyone could pick their favorite eats for the game. Dad choose Walleye, Mom had a hotdog, and the kids loved their pizza and chicken strips! Jason and I enjoyed a Summit Pale Ale in the sunshine.
Those calories came in handy for trying to attract the "Flex Cam."
A few ice cream cones for dessert helped give the kids extra energy for one final thrill. Even though it was a work and school night for us all, we stayed late so the kids could run the bases after the game. It was worth the wait!
On the way home, Dad said he had a great day (even though the Twins lost 14-4 and the Vikings had a huge win over the Rams 34-6 at the very same time that he could have been watching!). We all had a great day together. The weather this week is expected to turn quite cold so I am very thankful for this late summer adventure on a perfect sunny day none of us will soon forget.
