Gettin’ Carried Away

One of my travel goals is to visit all 30 Major League Baseball parks before I turn 30. I’ve been to Comiskey/U.S. Cellular Field (Chicago White Sox), Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs), Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees), Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox), Angel Stadium (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) and Miller Park (Milwaukee Brewers). Last week, I went to my seventh baseball stadium: PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Getting to PNC Park

We stayed a few miles from the city, so our hotel shuttle bus dropped us off right in front of the (6th Street) Roberto Clemente Bridge, which is shut down for a short time on game days to only allow for pedestrian traffic. Walking across the bridge almost seems like a right of passage… to see a great ballpark. If you’re not a baseball fan, you should know that the Pirates team is pretty much the saddest franchise in the MLB. Just watch the first half hour of the movie Major League (about a terrible Cleveland Indians team) to get an idea of just how bad the Pirates can play sometimes.

If you do drive to the game, you’ll have to cross one of the other two bridges on either side of 6th Street in order to get across the Allegheny River. However, I recommend walking (if you are close enough) or taking a taxi/hotel shuttle to the park.

Once we crossed the bridge, we decided to walk around the park before picking up our tickets from the Will Call window. Side note: since the team isn’t all that great, you could probably get tickets the day of the game. However, if the Pirates are playing the Cardinals, the Cubs, the Red Sox or the Yankees, the game might sell out, as fans of those teams travel to Pittsburgh to see the game. One of the first unique things I noticed about PNC Park was the ticket machines scattered around the perimeter. I’ve seen machines like this at movie theaters, but I’ve never seen one outside a baseball park. This seems pretty handy if the lines for the ticket windows are pretty long; however, you really don’t have to wait in much of a line these days.

Pre-game Inside PNC Park

After we picked up our $26 tickets, we shuffled into the ballpark (1.5 hours before game time), we made our way up to the 100-level and walked right in. I was surprised no one was there to check our tickets, so I can only assume that anyone can walk around on the 100-level concourse, regardless of where your seat is located. You can’t do that in other stadiums. When we found our section, however, there was an attendant there to check and make sure we were headed to the right seats.

After walking down what seemed like 50 stairs, we finally arrived to the lower box seats along the first baseline. Another attendant escorted us to our seats, and he even had a towel with him to wipe down both of them. I really didn’t expect that. I was caught a little off guard, so I didn’t get a chance to the tip the guy. I felt I like I should have after that kind of service. It’s amazing what $26 will get you when a team is playing so poorly. We were 10 rows up from the field and about 150 feet from home plate! We started taking pictures and people-watching when one of the mascots, the Parrot, came out and started riling up the crowd. He even played with some of the Arizona Diamonbacks players a little bit while they did their pregame warmups.

One thing I must give to the Pirates: for being the worst team in the MLB, they sure have the best opening. When you’re at PNC Park, you’ll see several opening videos with really cool graphics. This includes stereotypical, “arrgghh-me-matey” pirate talking about the battle ahead and a pirate ship battle to the tune of Carl Orff’s “O Fortuna” score from the Carmina Burana opera. Finally, a Superman opening announces that starting lineup.

Food and Drink at PNC Park

After about five innings, we decided to head back up to the concourse to look for a bite to eat. PNC has everything from hot dogs and pizzas to pierogi and kielbasa. I came across a Pop-A-Dukes stand in Pop’s Plaza (behind the third base side) that sold gyros, and since I’d never had a gyro at a sporting event before, that’s what I decided to eat. I opted for a Pepsi (I prefer Pepsi parks to Coca-Cola parks). My boyfriend chose a good ol’ fashion hot dog and a Yeungling, a locally brewed beer. As far as beer goes, you can really get anything: Miller, Bud, Coors, Iron City, Lebatt, etc. If you don’t want to spend money on food, PNC is one of the few parks that allows you to bring in outside food and unopened, non-alcoholic bottles of water or pop.

All in all, PNC Park is a great ball field. I think it’s worth it to make a trip out to Pittsburgh just for a game. And hey, Heinz Field is just up the street, so maybe you can catch a concert or a Steelers game while you’re there, too. 7 down, 23 to go!

This morning, as I began preparing for my little two-day trip to Pittsburgh, I realized that packing isn’t so much a preparation for me anymore as it is a second nature. I’ve traveled to places like New York, Las Vegas and Mexico with nothing but a tiny carry-on bag for a five-day vacation. However, there was a time when I used to be “that traveler” who packed her entire closet into the largest suitcase she could find for just a weekend getaway. But now, my stuff fits in half of a tiny suitcase, leaving the other half for my travel companion.

Unless you’re flying on Southwest, like I am doing tomorrow, you will probably have to pay a fee for a checked bag. Save yourself some money–and the hassle of waiting at the turnstyle–by packing only one carry-on bag for your trip. Before you say anything, I’m not crazy, Everything you need can fit inside a carry-on bag. To prove it, here are my Top 5 packing tips and tricks:

1. Pack your suitcase as you normally would, then take away half of everything you packed. There is absolutely no reason to pack five pairs of pants and five tops for the five days you will be on vacation. Unless you’re a sloppy eater or you plan on doing some serious off-roading, chances are that you won’t dirty up your clothes every single day. Sure, you don’t want to wear the same thing every day, but that’s why you can do a little mix-and-match. Bring two pairs of pants or shorts or skirts (bottoms) and three tops.
2. Pack for the trip itself. Ladies, I’m talking to you on this one. For example, I’m headed to Pittsburgh tomorrow to take in a baseball game at PNC Park. I’ll spend the next day sightseeing, and then it’s time to come home on the third day. I’m not going to any swanky restaurants or VIP clubs, so I’m not packing my LBD and a pair of heels. It’s a sporty/leisurely kind of trip, so I’ll be taking my sneakers, a pair of jeans and a few t-shirts.
3. Roll some of your clothes. If you feel you must pack a ton of clothes roll some of them. It’s the best way to make room in your suitcase, and it also helps you avoid wrinkles (if you roll the clothing tight enough). I suggest not rolling, but folding jeans and pants, as rolling them is kind of difficult. Also, rolling pants really just makes them a little more bulky than if you were to lay them flat, on the bottom of the suitcase.
4. Wear your PJs on the plane ride. I’m not saying you should arrive at the airport in your footie pajamas, holding a teddy bear and a blanket. I tend to sleep in a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt/hooded sweatshirt. The outfit is perfectly suitable for public viewing, as I’d probably wear it while working out or playing around in a nearby park. You want to be comfy when you fly, and this also saves you some space in your suitcase.
5. Forget the blow-dryer. It just takes up space in your suitcase. If your room doesn’t have a hair dryer, you can most likely get one from the front desk. As for other devices (straighteners, curling irons, etc), ladies, just forget about those, as well. Unless you are traveling for a big business meeting or an interview, you don’t have to get glammed up while you are on vacation. Traveling is about seeing the sights, not about people seeing you.

If you follow these tip/tricks, I guarantee you will be able to get by with just a carry-on bag. Remember to put your liquids (usually toiletries) in 3 oz containers inside a quart-sized plastic bag. And don’t forget, you are allowed to bring a smaller personal bag in addition to your larger carry-on. I highly recommend bringing this second bag for your electronics (camera, laptop, phone, chargers), your money and anything else that should be within easy reach to keep yourself occupied during the plane ride.

Can you believe it’s already August? Flowers are in full bloom, crayons and notebooks are hitting store shelves and baseball season is more than halfway over. But, more importantly, Gettin’ Carried Away is celebrating a birthday this month… its 1st Birthday, to be exact!

I can’t believe how far my travel blog has come in a year: it won an award; it landed me the Community Manager position at TBEX (giving me the opportunity to meet some of the most influential bloggers/writers in the travel industry); it launched my career as a travel writer; and it became the outlet I longed for, a place where I could share my travels with the world through a medium I dearly love, writing. None of this would have happened without your readership, so thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Birthdays are usually celebrated with the three P’s… parties, pastries and presents. I’m sad to say that I don’t have the resources to throw a huge party for all my followers. And I’m not the best baker in the world, as frosting tends to end up all over me instead of the cake.

However, I do have a travel gift for one lucky reader as a thank you for helping Gettin’ Carried Away get this far: a FREE weekend at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, courtesy of Edelman and the Illinois Bureau of Tourism.

In order to enter for your chance to receive a free hotel stay, leave a comment below describing your best Chicago experience.

• Do you have a favorite restaurant?
• Which attraction do you like the best?
• What is the best neighborhood?
• Even if you have never been to the Windy City, perhaps you tried Chicago-style food somewhere else in the world, or maybe you caught a White Sox/Cubs/Bulls/Bear/Blackhawks game in another city.

The winner will be chosen by a random number generator. Please limit yourself to only one comment, as readers who post more than one comment will be disqualified. The lucky person will be announced on Gettin’ Carried Away’s actual birthday, Sunday, August 16.