Ever since I started going to games in Anaheim, I've been searching for the answer to the question of "how do I go to the beach AND go to the Angels game"? Its only taken me a season-and-a-half to finally figure out a logistically efficient way of incorporating the beach and the Angels' games. I give credit to ESPN and the fact that the game in question started in the evening as opposed to the early afternoon I am accustomed to. ESPN bumped the time of the game to a 5pm start to accommodate a national broadcast.
In the week leading up to the game, I planned the following: I would load my bike into the back of my car with all of beach stuff, drive down to Costa Mesa, park at this small park I had found, load my beach stuff on to my bike, ride down to Newport, spend the morning and early afternoon doing my thing on the beach, ride up to Newport Brew Co. for a drink and late lunch, ride back to the car, drive to the game. I felt like it was solid logistically, but there was some stuff I had to work on first.
Essentially drawing on the back of a napkin, I designed a rack on my bike to hold my bodyboard. Resembling two claws coming out of the side of my bike, it held my bodyboard in a way that meant I didn't have to sling it around my arm while riding. It worked perfect on the ride from Costa Mesa down to the beach, and while it did garner a few curious stares, it worked like a charm when I rode on the beach path and up to Newport Brew Co. Considering how well it worked, I might consider using the rack and my bodyboard for future trips, maybe when I ride down to Long Beach or in Santa Barbara in a few weeks.
May Grey certainly was in full-force the day I was down in Newport as it was cool and cloudy. The waves weren't the best, and when the water temperature is warmer than the ambient air temperature, it's easy to get cold. I was in the water for maybe a grand total of an hour, but my teeth were chattering incessantly, and no matter how many dry clothes I put on, I was just too cold for comfort. Here is where my bike came in real handy: I jumped on my bike and rode the length of the path from 36th Street Beach all the way past The Wedge just to get warm.
After a bite and a beer at Newport Brew Co., I drove up the 55 to the 57 and parked about a mile from the Big A at another small park and rode my bike in. I have become so cynical when it comes to paying for parking at ballgames that I find every excuse not to do it. I mean, with all the games that I go to in the course of the season, paying to park just isn't sustainable. Besides, if I don't pay to park, I'm more likely to buy food or drinks at the game instead. However, in the case of the Angels games, since everything is so expensive across the board, the cost of my season ticket package I think is compensatory enough. Also, I had done so much different that day that I had to keep at least one thing authentic, and riding my bike was it.
The Angels got a go-ahead rbi single in the bottom of the 8th-inning from Johnny Giavotella to finish off a four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers. The final score of the nationally-televised game was 4-2.
There's one more of these quasi-night games on Sunday on the Angels schedule that I am planning on going to. It's in mid-July when the Red Sox come to town. I am definitely doing this again, and I think that the beach will be infinitely better then. Now that I have found a way to adequately merge the bike, beach, and baseball together, I will look to do this type of trip on a more regular basis at some of the other destinations I go to.
As for this weekend, I'm driving down to Lake Elsinore for the 66ers Road Trip 2, which, as it turns out, is going to be a doubleheader. After a day of rest on Saturday, I'm driving out to Palm Springs for my once-annual summer trip. This time, however, will be a Baseball Road Trip first. I'll be climbing the 10,600 foot Mt. San Jacinto before the game. I have done hikes before on Baseball Road Trips, but nothing like the 11.5 mile trek I have planned beforehand. Obviously, after the hike, I'll be seeing the Collegiate Summer League team there at the old Palm Springs Stadium.
Keep an eye out on Twitter and Facebook for updates during the day as I'm sure that it will be a trip for the ages.
Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)
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