San Diego Part 1

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It is hard to believe that it has been five months since I was in San Diego last. That kickoff trip for Baseball Extravaganza 2014 down to Fan Fest has certainly been a part of an incredible season. But, now, my return to San Diego is to see an actual game. San Diego Part 1 on Sunday promises to be an incredible experience and certainly worthy of the Baseball Road Trip annals.
In planning for this trip, I wanted to throw in some wrinkle to the "drive there, park, go to the game, drive home" itinerary that I did for Fan Fest. Then, it hit me: bring my bike. Introduce some of that awesome routine for Angels and Dodgers games here in San Diego. I've never ridden a bike in San Diego, and urban cycling in cities really has become one of my favorite hobbies. 
I'd like to get into San Diego around 10am. I'm going to park at the San Diego Chargers stadium in the north part of town and ride my bike through Balboa Park into Downtown San Diego. Google Maps lists it as 7.5 miles, and I know there are some hills involved with it, so it should be a decent ride. Once into downtown, I really just want to do some cruising down the streets and amongst the skyscrapers. At around 11:30a, I'll duck into a small coffee shop, just like in Orange, and grab myself a cup of 'jo before making my way to Petco.
Once I get to Petco, my first stop is just outside the main seating area to visit the Tony Gwynn statue. As I'm sure everyone in the baseball world knows, the late-great Padres, and Hall of Fame, outfielder passed away earlier this week after a bout with cancer. Tony Gwynn was one of my favorite players growing up, and I idolized his approach to the game. He evolved the art of hitting into a practical science, and his prowess with the bat was legendary. He always seemed to have a smile on his face, never got testy with the media, willing to stand around and autograph balls for the kids...just a genuinely stand-up guy that did a lot for the game. His statue has turned into a makeshift memorial for Padres fans, and general baseball fans too, to leave mementos and flowers. I'm not planing on leaving anything at the statue, but I'd like to go and pay my respects. 
The Padres are hosting their rivals this weekend, the Dodgers. While I have become quite the Dodgers fans, I will be by myself, so I'm not going to wear any Dodgers paraphernalia. I just don't want to be caught up in any rivalry antics that may come about. It just seems like the smart thing to do.
The Padres will roll out Eric Stults against the Dodgers Hyun-Jin Ryu. I'm anxious to see how Ryu pitches in such a pitcher-friendly park like Petco. He came very close to throwing a no-hitter earlier this season, so, who knows???
As always, keep up to speed on my travels via Twitter, Facebook, and FourSquare. While San Diego is only about 90 minutes from me, the experience I have planned will make it seem like a world apart. I'm excited to head back down there!
Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)