So, I got to thinking best and worst of the 6 road trips this year. I'll lump tech, Clemson, and Hoover into as well, though those were just day trips (tech's stadium is walking distance from where I live anyway). I want to say that this is nothing to do with the team's performance explicitly, but that's not really true... winning or losing shapes my outlook on things for that day/ night and things are always viewed through that prism.
Best Hotel:
I've got to go with the Doubletree in Tallahassee. Though the parking deck was difficult to navigate, I liked staying downtown and having some places within walking distance. I had a great view of the city from my window as well. The room was well appointed and quiet. I'd stay there again.
Worst Hotel:
The Ramada Inn in Batesville MS. In fairness, it was graduation weekend in Oxford and practically the only thing I could find was 25 miles outside of town. I should have stayed at the Holiday Inn across the street. The Ramada was one of those deals where the room door just opens into the parking lot. The room itself was very small, the air conditioner sounded like it was installed during the Carter administration, and the towels were noticeably worn. It is what is, though. The place served its purpose, but I wouldn't go back.
Best Manhattan:
My cocktail of choice. I take it up. I'll go with the Tallahassee Doubletree here. It was very comfortable and relaxed bar/ lounge that was built into the side of the hotel. I remember that I'd had a long and stressful week and had also gotten my yearly bonus a few days before the Tallahassee trip. I'd been in a bad mood all day, but actually felt pretty good after the game, just for how we hung with Florida State. Anyway, this situation lead to several manhattans, which lead to a few more, which lead to a late morning on Saturday.
Worst Manhattan:
There are a few different twists that you can put on the drink, but there's still a RIGHT way and a WRONG way to make it and serve it. Bourbon with cherry juice from the marashino tray is NOT a manhattan and when I ask for it up, it needs to go in a martini glass, not a rocks glass. The hotel bar (which was really a separate bar and restaurant built onto the side of the hotel) at the Holiday Inn in Columbia MO failed pretty badly, but in their defense, they only charged me for about 1/4 of the drinks I had there that Saturday night. One attempt at a manhattan there caused me to order bottled beers the rest of the way.
Best Saturday Night Dinner:
Flat Branch Brewery in Columbia MO. Maybe it was because we won our first road series since 2011 earlier that day. Maybe it was because the weather was so nice. But mainly, the place just hit the spot. They had a HUGE menu there and there were several items that I would have been happy with. I wound up going with the smoked salmon pasta, which was absolutely immaculate.... One of those deals where I wished I could do it all over again as soon as I got done.
Worst Saturday Night Dinner:
Honestly, I didn't have a bad one anywhere. I'm not even going to pick one.
Best Place to Stay:
Baton Rouge. While Flat Branch delivered the best single meal, LSU was the best eating TRIP. Baton Rouge as a city has some ugly parts, but the area around LSU is great and the downtown area near campus is a lot of fun too. It's just got a good energy to it. Sammy's and Chimes were two outstanding restaurants, which I'd highly recommend. There is a huge lake near the Cook Hotel there (which fell just below The Doubletree on my list).... it was over 4 miles all the way around it.... walked around the whole thing on Saturday morning/ afternoon. Great place to visit. I'm all over the 2018 football trip, especially since we go back for football for a few more decades.
Worst Place to Stay:
Batesville by a mile. I wind up at a Chili's there on Friday night after the thumping we took. Last call was at 10:30p and there was this drunk 40 year old woman who was there with someone else and kept trying to start a conversation with me. And not that I would mind that, but at least have something to say. She started telling me this 8 minute long story about her niece who plays softball somewhere and is really good and had a game tomorrow, but didn't want to go because another niece was graduating and you only graduate once and it's important to know what's important and she IS a good softball player and the other niece IS a good student, hell they both are..... On and on like that. It was one of those moments where I really wanted to ask "why are you telling me any of this?" I try to buy some beers at a gas station on Saturday night, they tell me it's too late. I try again Sunday morning, they tell me it's too early. Watching Batesville disappear in my rear view mirror that Sunday morning did not break my heart one bit.
Coldest Night:
Friday night at Missouri. Although, tech was actually a close second. Missouri was just brutal, though. Driving in from St. Louis that day, I noticed how overcast and windy it was.... I mean, it just LOOKED cold. That was the only game all year I wore long johns too, though I should have a few other times. The temps were in the high 30s at first pitch with a stiff wind. As the night wore on, the wind subsided a bit, but the temp dropped. I think the wind chill actually got better as a result, but it was still bitterly cold. Then the damn thing goes into extras... I got up in between innings once and went to the bathroom, not because I had to use it, but just because I wanted to stand somewhere warm for a minute. My back hurt from shivering so much. But boy, when Jared Cheek got the strike out and ground out with bases loaded in the 12th, then Nichols had the hustle double in the top half and we went on to win.... it just wasn't THAT bad then.... I'd estimate that there were only 20 fans left in the stadium by that point. We were easily outnumbered 3-1 by the stadium staff, players, and coaches. It was a great win that night, though, and wound up being one of the most memorable days of the season.
Hottest Day:
Saturday in Oxford. No question about it. The sun was just POUNDING all day long, with very little breeze. It was one of those days where you feel like you've constantly got sweat pouring off of your face... you catch a shiver just walking into the bathroom or concourse, as it feels like the temperature dropped so much, so suddenly. It was humid that day too... And what a great ball game, between Tyler's mastery and our finally pushing that run across late. It was a fast game and the sun finally went behind the stadium by the middle of the 9th.
Best Seats:
Columbia MO, no question. We were on row one, right on top of our dugout. I prefer sitting down low and would have moved down there anyway, and even though I knew they didn't get great crowds at the place, I was surprised at how good the seats actually were.
Worst Seats:
Baton Rouge, but I knew that was coming from having been there in '12. You're basically parallel with the warning track in LF, just staring straight across the OF. I joked that we were in a different congressional district than home plate. What those seats do afford you, which I do enjoy, is a chance to really watch the outfielders work. Sitting down low in the OF, you get a real appreciation for how much ground those guys cover and how well they read the ball off the bat. That's definitely where the athletes play.
Best Ticket:
I can't believe how much I'm going with Missouri, but I'll go here again. They gave you a thick stock ticket with an actual picture on it (although the picture on the Friday night ticket was of an Illinois player, which I didn't understand at all). It was very legitimate, not that different from our football tickets (though not quite as wide).
Worst Ticket:
Florida State. I was on the pass list down there and after I signed in, the guy just gave me a square sheet of orange paper, no bigger than a towelette wrapper, that said "BASEBALL GUEST". I turned that into the guy at the gate and that was that. That "ticket" easily replaces Southern Cal's movie theater style "admit one" deal in 2011 as the worst I've seen.
Best Tailgating:
LSU.... There's just nothing like that. Those folks show up on Friday afternoon and it's a party into Sunday. People don't understand what a big deal it is to win in Baton Rouge until they've actually been there. Their fans aren't interested in being your friends in the stadium (and they'll tell you that too), but you can't walk by a tailgate before hand without being offered a cold beer and something to eat.
Worst Tailgating:
Florida. There is none. There's really none at Vanderbilt either, with the exception of a single group who congregated right across the road from the stadium in a parking lot. At Florida, the parking is scattered, and it sure appears that everyone just parks and goes into the stadium. As good as they've been over the past few years, I was again struck by the lack of atmosphere in and around the stadium there. It's just non-existent.
Best In-Game Entertainment:
LSU. The "Callin' Baton Rouge" video that they do is just great.... it mixes highlights of LSU baseball with cut ups of Baton Rouge, the LSU campus, Mike the Tiger, Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, etc. It used to be available on YouTube, but that is no longer the case (Garth Brooks apparently only wants his music to be available on CDs). The LSU fans get into it too... I really enjoy that.
Worst In-Game Entertainment:
Missouri. There really wasn't any that I recall. I think they may have thrown some t-shirts at one point, if you count that, and I don't. It's just not much of an "event" out there, especially for a brutally cold night and 11:00am Sunday morning start.
Best Hotel:
I've got to go with the Doubletree in Tallahassee. Though the parking deck was difficult to navigate, I liked staying downtown and having some places within walking distance. I had a great view of the city from my window as well. The room was well appointed and quiet. I'd stay there again.
Worst Hotel:
The Ramada Inn in Batesville MS. In fairness, it was graduation weekend in Oxford and practically the only thing I could find was 25 miles outside of town. I should have stayed at the Holiday Inn across the street. The Ramada was one of those deals where the room door just opens into the parking lot. The room itself was very small, the air conditioner sounded like it was installed during the Carter administration, and the towels were noticeably worn. It is what is, though. The place served its purpose, but I wouldn't go back.
Best Manhattan:
My cocktail of choice. I take it up. I'll go with the Tallahassee Doubletree here. It was very comfortable and relaxed bar/ lounge that was built into the side of the hotel. I remember that I'd had a long and stressful week and had also gotten my yearly bonus a few days before the Tallahassee trip. I'd been in a bad mood all day, but actually felt pretty good after the game, just for how we hung with Florida State. Anyway, this situation lead to several manhattans, which lead to a few more, which lead to a late morning on Saturday.
Worst Manhattan:
There are a few different twists that you can put on the drink, but there's still a RIGHT way and a WRONG way to make it and serve it. Bourbon with cherry juice from the marashino tray is NOT a manhattan and when I ask for it up, it needs to go in a martini glass, not a rocks glass. The hotel bar (which was really a separate bar and restaurant built onto the side of the hotel) at the Holiday Inn in Columbia MO failed pretty badly, but in their defense, they only charged me for about 1/4 of the drinks I had there that Saturday night. One attempt at a manhattan there caused me to order bottled beers the rest of the way.
Best Saturday Night Dinner:
Flat Branch Brewery in Columbia MO. Maybe it was because we won our first road series since 2011 earlier that day. Maybe it was because the weather was so nice. But mainly, the place just hit the spot. They had a HUGE menu there and there were several items that I would have been happy with. I wound up going with the smoked salmon pasta, which was absolutely immaculate.... One of those deals where I wished I could do it all over again as soon as I got done.
Worst Saturday Night Dinner:
Honestly, I didn't have a bad one anywhere. I'm not even going to pick one.
Best Place to Stay:
Baton Rouge. While Flat Branch delivered the best single meal, LSU was the best eating TRIP. Baton Rouge as a city has some ugly parts, but the area around LSU is great and the downtown area near campus is a lot of fun too. It's just got a good energy to it. Sammy's and Chimes were two outstanding restaurants, which I'd highly recommend. There is a huge lake near the Cook Hotel there (which fell just below The Doubletree on my list).... it was over 4 miles all the way around it.... walked around the whole thing on Saturday morning/ afternoon. Great place to visit. I'm all over the 2018 football trip, especially since we go back for football for a few more decades.
Worst Place to Stay:
Batesville by a mile. I wind up at a Chili's there on Friday night after the thumping we took. Last call was at 10:30p and there was this drunk 40 year old woman who was there with someone else and kept trying to start a conversation with me. And not that I would mind that, but at least have something to say. She started telling me this 8 minute long story about her niece who plays softball somewhere and is really good and had a game tomorrow, but didn't want to go because another niece was graduating and you only graduate once and it's important to know what's important and she IS a good softball player and the other niece IS a good student, hell they both are..... On and on like that. It was one of those moments where I really wanted to ask "why are you telling me any of this?" I try to buy some beers at a gas station on Saturday night, they tell me it's too late. I try again Sunday morning, they tell me it's too early. Watching Batesville disappear in my rear view mirror that Sunday morning did not break my heart one bit.
Coldest Night:
Friday night at Missouri. Although, tech was actually a close second. Missouri was just brutal, though. Driving in from St. Louis that day, I noticed how overcast and windy it was.... I mean, it just LOOKED cold. That was the only game all year I wore long johns too, though I should have a few other times. The temps were in the high 30s at first pitch with a stiff wind. As the night wore on, the wind subsided a bit, but the temp dropped. I think the wind chill actually got better as a result, but it was still bitterly cold. Then the damn thing goes into extras... I got up in between innings once and went to the bathroom, not because I had to use it, but just because I wanted to stand somewhere warm for a minute. My back hurt from shivering so much. But boy, when Jared Cheek got the strike out and ground out with bases loaded in the 12th, then Nichols had the hustle double in the top half and we went on to win.... it just wasn't THAT bad then.... I'd estimate that there were only 20 fans left in the stadium by that point. We were easily outnumbered 3-1 by the stadium staff, players, and coaches. It was a great win that night, though, and wound up being one of the most memorable days of the season.
Hottest Day:
Saturday in Oxford. No question about it. The sun was just POUNDING all day long, with very little breeze. It was one of those days where you feel like you've constantly got sweat pouring off of your face... you catch a shiver just walking into the bathroom or concourse, as it feels like the temperature dropped so much, so suddenly. It was humid that day too... And what a great ball game, between Tyler's mastery and our finally pushing that run across late. It was a fast game and the sun finally went behind the stadium by the middle of the 9th.
Best Seats:
Columbia MO, no question. We were on row one, right on top of our dugout. I prefer sitting down low and would have moved down there anyway, and even though I knew they didn't get great crowds at the place, I was surprised at how good the seats actually were.
Worst Seats:
Baton Rouge, but I knew that was coming from having been there in '12. You're basically parallel with the warning track in LF, just staring straight across the OF. I joked that we were in a different congressional district than home plate. What those seats do afford you, which I do enjoy, is a chance to really watch the outfielders work. Sitting down low in the OF, you get a real appreciation for how much ground those guys cover and how well they read the ball off the bat. That's definitely where the athletes play.
Best Ticket:
I can't believe how much I'm going with Missouri, but I'll go here again. They gave you a thick stock ticket with an actual picture on it (although the picture on the Friday night ticket was of an Illinois player, which I didn't understand at all). It was very legitimate, not that different from our football tickets (though not quite as wide).
Worst Ticket:
Florida State. I was on the pass list down there and after I signed in, the guy just gave me a square sheet of orange paper, no bigger than a towelette wrapper, that said "BASEBALL GUEST". I turned that into the guy at the gate and that was that. That "ticket" easily replaces Southern Cal's movie theater style "admit one" deal in 2011 as the worst I've seen.
Best Tailgating:
LSU.... There's just nothing like that. Those folks show up on Friday afternoon and it's a party into Sunday. People don't understand what a big deal it is to win in Baton Rouge until they've actually been there. Their fans aren't interested in being your friends in the stadium (and they'll tell you that too), but you can't walk by a tailgate before hand without being offered a cold beer and something to eat.
Worst Tailgating:
Florida. There is none. There's really none at Vanderbilt either, with the exception of a single group who congregated right across the road from the stadium in a parking lot. At Florida, the parking is scattered, and it sure appears that everyone just parks and goes into the stadium. As good as they've been over the past few years, I was again struck by the lack of atmosphere in and around the stadium there. It's just non-existent.
Best In-Game Entertainment:
LSU. The "Callin' Baton Rouge" video that they do is just great.... it mixes highlights of LSU baseball with cut ups of Baton Rouge, the LSU campus, Mike the Tiger, Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, etc. It used to be available on YouTube, but that is no longer the case (Garth Brooks apparently only wants his music to be available on CDs). The LSU fans get into it too... I really enjoy that.
Worst In-Game Entertainment:
Missouri. There really wasn't any that I recall. I think they may have thrown some t-shirts at one point, if you count that, and I don't. It's just not much of an "event" out there, especially for a brutally cold night and 11:00am Sunday morning start.
