Petco Park

I totally got all out of my normal workflow order to process the San Diego photos. I wanted to make sure the marathon photos were done before I headed out of town again & then I just finished up with the rest of our trip- which happened to be a Padres game at Petco Park so hubby could check off another stadium on his list.

We actually checked out the park (from the outside only) first thing on Saturday.  We awoke on Central time & were hungry, so we headed downtown to get some grub before the expo began.  I love hos connected and integrated the park is to the surrounding city.  There is an awesome palm tree open lounge area inside the park & a cool walkway to adjacent buildings.

The outside is a mix of modern sandstone & contemporary design all decorated with beautiful flowers.  We weren’t exactly sure how the race would go & I told him I’d try really hard to get to the game after running my 26 miles on Sunday.

These are just a few of the gorgeous flowers that decorated the outside & inside of the ball park- I’ve never seen another one so beautifully landscaped!

I arrived back at the hotel around 1PM & was already late for checkout.  I jumped in the shower & packed up my bags so we could get to the park where I needed food & a drink- stat!  We were originally planning on staying Sunday night & heading home Monday, but hubby heeded to be back at work on Monday at the very last minute.  Game start time was 3:35 and our flight took off at 5:10, so we got to the park way early & were going to stay until the first pitch was thrown out.  We stopped at the first bar where I enjoyed a post-marathon martini & quickly grabbed some dogs before we could a nice shady spot to sit on the hill.  There were all sorts of activities and games for the kids going on before the game & the weather was so AH-MA-ZING!  Bright sunshine, cool breeze, soft grass & a happy couple!

There was a mini-field where the kids played ball before their “exercises” with the Friar (um,yea- I had never made the connection that the Padres were a Spanish name for Father).  Lots of bars & restaurants all around the stadium filled up with visitors & we enjoyed walking around the stadium to see the many great view & beautiful flowers.  A few of the players came out to take photos & sign autographs and we rested our tired little feet for a few drinks.

This whole area in the outfield is amazing- a big grassy hill with a giant screen where you could even sit out on the lawn and watch the game.

(Click on Photo to see enlarged panorama)

We ran into lots of Houston fans (they were playing the Astros!) and everybody at the park (workers & guests) were so friendly.  It’s one of H’s top parks & we are so glad we crammed it into our busy day before returning home.

One of the perks of running the marathon was the Padres offered a free ticket to all racers & discounts on additional tickets.  We grabbed some cheap seats & sat in them to watch batting practice before the game.

I love how the stadium fits into downtown- surrounded by shiny new skyscrapers & merged with out brick buildings.  On our way to our seats, we passed the sushi bar & knew the hotdogs wouldn’t tide us over for very long.

Many of the surrounding buildings have stunning rooftop lounges.  First stadium with a tequila bar!

We quickly got hungry & thirsty again, so we headed into the sushi bar to enjoy some of the best sushi we’ve ever had- the view was pretty stunning too!

They had a very large group of Marines there- maybe in basic training?  The drill sergeants took the field during the national anthem & then the players ran out to shake their hand once the song was over- it was all super cool!

We watched a few pitches before we needed to rush to the airport- I don’t mind missing the Astros get whopped up on (AGAIN).

I caught one last glimpse of beautiful Petco Park as we headed home.

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Saturday made for finishing up SD photos, swimming with puppies, planning our fall/winter getaways & Pictionary with friends tonight.