Do they still play the blues in Chicago When baseball season rolls around? When the snow melts away, do the Cubbies still play In their ivy-covered burial ground? Steve Goodman - A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request I've always wanted to go to Wrigley Field and couldn't consider my baseball life complete without at least one visit. This summer was my chance. I was ten or so when I first learned of Wrigley Field. I saw a Sports Illustrated cover with a player and beautiful ivy walls behind him. How can a baseball stadium have ivy-covered walls, I wondered. What is this place that is so much different than others? Later, as a teenager, I lived in New York and saw many Mets games televised from Wrigley. This enchanting, quaint ballpark on Chicago's Northside was not like any other I'd seen. I loved that fans sat on roofs across the street to watch the games. Furthering my intrigue was the unfortunate team that played there. The Cubs hadn't won a World Series since 1918 and a pennant since 1945. He told his friends, "You know, the law of averages says Anything will happen that can" that's what it says "But the last time the Cubs won a National League pennant Was the year we dropped the bomb on Japan Steve Goodman - A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request Balls would fly out of the little stadium, especially when the wind was blowing out. When they did, fans would run after balls in the streets behind the outfield walls. Occasionally balls would hit houses across the street from the park, I especially remember one of those long balls by Dave Kingman vividly. Wrigley intrigued me for decades Missed Opportunities Occasionally I'd go to Chicago for business but could never find the opportunity to see Wrigley. My latest attempt prior to this year, was over the July 4th holiday in 2015. My nephew planned to drive up from Indianapolis and join Mrs. Nomad and me for the fun. Additionally, Mrs. Nomad and I were going to include our first visit to Citi Field in the trip. The plan was to see the Mets play the Cubs at Citi on Thursday afternoon. That night we'd fly to Chicago to see the Cubs play a day game on Friday at Wrigley. We planned to go to at least one of the weekend games as well. Unfortunately, my old friends, the Grateful Dead, got in the way. That weekend, the remaining members of the band scheduled concerts to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of their last gig with Jerry Garcia. Since the shows were planned for Chicago's Soldier Field, hotel rooms and flights were scarce and expensive. Thus we changed our plans and stayed in New York. That weekend we saw the game at Citi Field and then spent July 4th at Yankee Stadium. What can I say? I'd seen so many Dead shows when Jerry was alive and have hundreds of shows on my computer…

”it is perhaps America’s most hated sports stadium. Players and coaches deride it. The Oakland Raiders are fleeing it. The lights are breaking, mice are dying in the soda machines, and the sewage that sometimes floods the dugouts has its own Twitter account.” Jack Nicas, "The Beauty of America's Ugliest Ballpark" Over the weekend (September 14 and 15) I visited San Francisco’s Oracle Park. For those two days, I sat in awe of all that the ballpark had to offer. I enjoyed the view of the Bay Bridge, the bay, and the marina that sat behind a ballpark that celebrates all of baseball's glory. However, all good things must come to an end. On Monday afternoon, I walked to the Powell Street Bart Station and left San Francisco for places unknown. The train passed graffiti marred neighborhoods, run-down industrial areas, and troubled city streets. Of course, these sights are not unique to California's Bay Area. I saw similar sights from the elevated trains passing through Queens on the way to Citi Field and through the Bronx to Yankee Stadium. The difference is that, on those trips, there was a baseball oasis at the end of the ride. In contrast, this ride ended at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum. The Monochromatic Abyss The exterior of the stadium is all grey cement and chain link fencing. There is little to suggest that there are other colors in the world. The Coliseum is a monochrome abyss. While it is depressing to look at and has a bad reputation for its inferior amenities, the Oakland fans give the place a certain sense of wonder. It's like they are the survivors of a baseball apocalypse. In Oakland, the game has been reduced to its essential self, all else has been stripped away. The fans that remain, glory in the primitive experience. They are there because they want to watch baseball, little else is necessary. "And when the sand was gone and the time arrived In the naked dawn only a few survived And in attempts to understand a thing so simple and so huge Believed that they were meant to live after the delugeJackson Brown "Before The Deluge" Pre-Game Walking In A chain link covered bridge separates the train station and stadium. The bridge spans railroad tracks, graffiti-covered train cars, and storage shacks. As I cross the bridge, I pass a few locals who have randomly set up portable grills and are selling food. Approaching the stadium, I see two vertical banners on either side of an entrance. One of them represents the A's, the other the Raiders, Oakland's football team that is leaving for Las Vegas. The banners are the first colorful things I see. More chain-link fencing and large "No Reentry" signs surround the entrance I am supposed to use. I'm confused, is there a place to enter? As I walk closer, I see ticket takers and go in. Once inside, I enter a dark and almost empty passageway, with puddles scattered along…

California, preaching on the burning shore California, I'll be knocking on the golden door Like an angel, standing in a shaft of light Rising up to paradise, I know I'm gonna shine.Jihn Barlow & Robert Hall Weir Go West Young Man Part two of my “Go West Young Man” saga was my weekend trip to San Francisco and Oakland. My faithful readers will recall that this journey started with my short visit to Seattle on Friday, September 13th. When I left Rochester for Seattle the night before, I was in an indifferent mood. I didn't want to go, as I was tired of the travel. Decorated hearts in Union Square Moreover, I also doubted if the trip was a good idea in the first place. I mean, what was I thinking when I decided to make this ambitious, all consuming, thousands of miles trip? However, I had a great Friday in Seattle. My fun walks through the city, and a visit to T-Mobile Park helped me rediscover my traveling, baseball groove. In my groove, yes, but still searching for meaning. Why, why, why am I drifting around the country? What am I running from, and what am I running to? What's in my future? Oracle Park from the bridge over McCovey Cove I was on my way to San Francisco's Oracle Park, one of my favorites. Oracle is on the bay, and its scenic setting provides fans with beautiful views and a cool breeze off the water. I always enjoy going back there. After Oracle, my itinerary took me to Oakland Alameda Coliseum, the last of the ballparks I had never visited. After seeing the A's play on television so many times, I wanted to experience their home field in person. I was also traveling back to the city that had not always been kind. It was the last place I worked before my exile into baseball’s oblivion. Inconsistent San Francisco I didn’t just leave my heart in San Francisco. My First Visit to Oracle Park My first visit to the then-named Pac-Bell Park was around 2003. At the time, I worked with a sorry little consultancy based in Westlake, Ohio, just west of Cleveland. The company branded itself as consultants with advanced skills in analytics and focused on retail. To hear the owners talk, you would think we were "the smartest guys in the room." We weren't. Smart maybe, but the owners over promoted our skills. Oracle Park features famous baseball quotes on its walls. That summer, I was asked to replace a fired employee at two conferences where he had agreed to speak. Since one was in San Francisco, I was able to visit Pac-Bell (now Oracle) Park for the first time. I wasn't the first and certainly not the last to be amazed by the park with its beautiful setting on the water. I remember spending a glorious day in the sun. My Club Level seat was high enough, so I had a beautiful view of the…

Take off the parking brake Go coasting into a different state And I'm not looking forward to missing you But I must have something better to do I've got to tear my life apart And go west, young man And it feels like I've got something to prove But in some ways, it's just something to do My friends turn me around and say, ”You go west, young man."Liz Phair Thursday, September 12th - Rochester, NY Almost a year ago when planning my baseball trip of a lifetime, I couldn't imagine how I would be feeling in the final stretch. It's finally here - the final six ballparks. The schedule is tight. I know I'll survive but admittedly, I'm tired. I don't really want to travel anymore but I am committed to seeing all the 30 parks this season. Tropicana Field I've only been home a few days since I returned from my quick makeup trip to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Sunday. You may remember that I was supposed to go there in May. However, a sudden illness had forced me to cancel the drive from Miami to St. Petersburg. I had to go back. Before the trip to St. Petersburg I spent a weekend at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. Prior to this trip, I had been home for almost two weeks, and I enjoyed the extended time off. Also, I was pleased that I could catch up on my blogging, which I don't do when I travel. There is too much to do when I am on the road, I don't have time to write and edit photos. Little League World Series But wasn't my regret and uncertainty about the future the reason I committed to the trip? I wanted to challenge myself and make a clean break from my past. The goal was to find a fresh perspective to ease my state of mind and identify a new direction. Somehow, not wanting to leave home seems like a fundamental part of the experience. So I'm going. At 6:00 PM, I'm on a Delta flight to Seattle, connecting in Detroit. Friday, September 13th - Seattle, WA I'm tired. I was supposed to arrive in Seattle around 10:00 PM PST- but there were mechanical problems in Detroit, and we were delayed for two hours. Unfortunately, I got to my hotel near Pioneer Square around 1:30 AM and fell asleep around 3:00. I sleep for about four hours, wake at 7:00 AM, and can't sleep anymore. After all, my internal clock thinks I am still on the east coast and assumes its 10:00 AM. I'm tired but want to see the city. I've never really explored Seattle. My business travel to the Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, outside the city limits, is the closest I've been. Once, I was able to Uber downtown to Safeco Field (now T-Mobile Park) to see the Mariners. Today will be different. Breakfast - The “Biscuit Bitch” I check my phone…