Our first sports road trip, starting in Chicago for a game at Wrigley Field before driving to Green Bay to watch the Chargers play the Packers at Lambeau Field.
We were sitting in the San Diego airport last night waiting for our red-eye flight to Chicago when several announcements were made that the flight was overbooked. The airlines was offering first class on the next flight out to Chicago plus a free round trip ticket for a future flight. We thought about taking the offer, but that would mean missing our first game at Wrigley Field, and that just wasn't an option!
The sun was barely starting to rise as we flew into Chicago at 5 a.m. Since it was too early to check into our hotel, we picked up our rental car for an impromptu tour of the windy city. First stop...Wrigley Field. Hopeful Cubs fans were already lined up by the ticket window sleeping in lawn chairs for the chance to cheer on their beloved team in a fight for the Central. There were several sports bars lined up and down the streets next to the stadium.
Next stop was the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks. Then we drove to U.S. Cellular Field where the Chicago White Sox play. There was only one more stadium to see, Soldier Field, home of Da Bears. The Chargers just played the Bears and stopped a fourth and one drive with just under seven minutes left in the game. This would probably explain why someone felt obligated to throw a beer cap at Fernando (who was wearing a Chargers jersey).
A few hours later, we drove back to Wrigley and found parking to be a problem. We almost found a spot, however, when the parking attendant saw Fernando’s 1984 Padres hat, he shook his head no and turned us away. We finally found a spot in someone’s garage for $40.
Walking inside the friendly confines of Wrigley Field was amazing. It was like stepping back in time to the first days of baseball. Built in 1914, it is the ultimate place to watch a ballgame. From the ivy covered walls to the delicious Chicago Dogs, it was an afternoon we will never forget.
After the game, we continued sightseeing around Chicago. The beautiful skyline is one of the world's tallest with the massive Sears Tower.
In a 24 hour time period, we saw four major sporting venues, historic Navy Pier, Sears Tower, and had lunch at the famous Billy Goat Tavern.
Our our way out of Chicago, we stopped at Six Flags Magic Mountain where we used our annual passes to ride a couple of roller coasters before making our way to Green Bay to watch the Chargers take on the Packers at Lambeau Field.