Gettin’ Carried Away

I can’t believe it’s New Year’s Day 2010! When I think back to the year 2000, it feels like a lifetime ago.

In 2000…

• I attended high school.
• I learned how to drive.
• I wrote a monthly e-newsletter about the Backstreet Boys.
• I took pictures with disposable cameras.
• I flew on a plane for the first time in my life.

Ten years ago, I was just a kid enjoying life and beginning my journey as a writer and a traveler. In the years ahead, I would continue this journey…which is still far from seeing an end.

In 2001…

• I mourned for all those directly affected by 9/11.
• I played softball at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orland, Florida.
• I sent post card after post card to document my trip.

In 2002…

• I sang with my high school chorus in Buffalo, New York and Toronto, Canada.
• I attended a mass with Pope John Paul II at World Youth Day in Toronto, Canada.
• I stared, in awe, at Niagra Falls…twice.
• I participated in mock trials and the study of law two weeks at the Law & Advocacy session for the National Student Leadership Conference in New York, New York and Washington, D.C.
• I wrote myself emails detailing my travels, because I didn’t know any other form of “blogging.”
• I spent four months learning how to write a research paper…and I loved every minute of it.
• I loved reading The Great Gatsby and The Crucible and chose English as my favorite subject.

In 2003…

• I started college.
• I moved to the Northside of Chicago.
• I explored each neighborhood around every stop on the Red Line from Loyola to Roosevelt.
• I enjoyed school, but my favorite course was English 101.

In 2004…

• I moved back home to suburbia Chicago.
• I enjoyed a week of fun in Orange County and Los Angeles, California.
• I received my first digital camera: a SONY Cybershot.
• I signed up on Webshots.com so that I could share my travel photos with the world.
• I joined MySpace.com and began writing about my travels on my MySpace blog.
• I spent eight days in Rome, Italy.
• I took a day trip to Florence, Italy.

In 2005…

• I rang in the new year, celebrating at Campo di Fiori in Rome, Italy.
• I moved to New York.
• I explored every area of Manhattan.
• I moved back home to suburbia Chicago.
• I became the Features Editor of my college newspaper.

In 2006…

• I spent my first week of being a “legal” adult in Sin City aka Las Vegas, Nevada.
• I went back to New York for two weekend getaways.
• I studied a women’s lit course that required travel to Paris, France.
• I walked the gardens at the palace in Versailles.
• I moved to London.
• I saw breathtaking views of rolling green hills in Wales, UK.
• I walked the same streets as one of my favorite authors, Geoffrey Chaucer, in Canterbury, England.
• I drank Guinness, Bailey’s and Jameson at the original Brazen Head in Dublin, Ireland.
• I dealt with gypsys stealing my camera in Barcelona, Spain.
• I fell in love with Venice, Italy.
• I had a blast with new-found friends in Bath and Avebury in England.
• I saw the iconic Stonehenge.
• I purchased a second SONY Cybershot digital camera.
• I completed a travel writing course, documenting my trips, my thoughts on various pieces of travel literature and my exposure to new cultures.
• I moved back home to suburbia Chicago.

In 2007…

• I rang in the New Year at a cozy cottage in Michigan.
• I became the Editor of my college literary magazine.
• I ventured east again, skipped good ol’ New York and instead opted for New Jersey.
• I started hosting karaoke and DJing at night clubs.
• I went to Chicago White Sox Spring Training in Tucson, Arizona.
• I graduated from Saint Xavier University with a BA in English.
• I celebrated my graduation with a week in New York City…again.
• I landed a job as an Editorial Assistant at a national real estate marketing/advertising company.
• I met up with my favorite British boy in Kansas City, Kansas
• I spent time with my best friend in her hometown of Denver, Colorado.
• I visited London for the second time.

In 2008…

• I spent a relaxing weekend at a friend’s cottage in Michigan.
• I went to Las Vegas, Nevada with all the members of my karaoke company.
• I toured all of Boston, Massachusetts and fell in love with Fenway Franks at Fenway Park.
• I bought a domain and started Gettin’ Carried Away.
• I took a little day trip to Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to see the Brewers/Cubs game.
  
• I celebrated a friend/coworker’s birthday in New York City.
• Gettin’ Carried Away WON the Divine Caroline LOVE! This Site Award for 2008.

In 2009…

• I met several Chicago Blackhawks players in Nashville, Tennessee.
• I became a columnist for HipCompass Escapes Magazine.
• I visited London for the third time.
• I sang karaoke on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.
• I purchased a Canon Rebel EOS and an additional 70-300mm lens.
• I watched the Bison roam in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
• I beat the heat in Guadalajarra and Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.
• I spent a gorgeous, sunny day in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• I watched the Pirates vs. the Diamondbacks at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• I attended ALCS Game 1 at brand-new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York
• Gettin’ Carried Away WON the Divine Caroline LOVE! This Site Award for 2009.

My passions for writing and traveling are stronger than ever. I am so happy to spend another year doing what I love. Thank you for making the first 17 months of my travel blog a success. Happy travels and Happy New Year!

If you really want a true Rocky Mountain experience, then you probably shouldn’t spend all your time in Denver, Colorado. You deserve a better taste of the Rockies than a simple swig of an ice cold Coors Light. And that is why my good friend Lindsey took me up to the charming mountain town of Evergreen, which is only 40 minutes to an hour away from Denver’s city center.

The drive from Denver to Evergreen itself is well worth the trip. In other words, keep your camera handy. The somewhat tree-lined highway (I-70 West) passes by open fields where mass loads of buffalo graze like no one is watching. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself pulled over along with other carloads of people, taking post card-like pictures. And even as you continue into the mountains, you’ll be winding your way around gigantic mounds dotted with Evergreen trees.

Because I was only visiting for two days, we headed straight for the most popular spot, the “downtown” area along Main Street (aka Highway 74). Imagine walking into a log cabin. Now picture 20+ log cabins, all connected by covered porches. Essentially, that is what you will find along Highway 47 in the form of jewelers, art galleries, clothing stores, restaurants and cafes, all connected by a rustic, wooden boardwalk. Some of my favorite shops like Unique Boutique–providing quality goods made by local artisans–and The Green Merchant–offering eco-friendly gifts–have yet to develop an online presence. You are sure to find something special that people will only be able to obtain if they make the trip up to the mountains.

Of course, there’s more to Evergreen than shopping and dining. If you want to learn more about the town’s beginnings, take a free tour at the historical Hiwan Homestead Museum. Evergreen Lake offers boating in the summer and ice skating in the winter, in addition to fishing all. year. long. Numerous trails are spread all over the town for leisurely walks (around the lake) or rigorous hiking (in the mountains).

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!