After another warm, humid night with the swamp cooler, we were done. We packed it up in its original packaging and stopped at a Home Depot on the way to Globe Life Field. Since I was having problems finding an Airstream dealer on our route who could accommodate even just the air conditioner replacement on short notice, we returned the cooler and bought a portable air conditioning unit.
The Great Escape: Overnighting in the Globe Life Field Parking Lot
When we arrived at the RV and Bus Parking Lot for the Rangers, there was just one other bus in a big lot within view of the stadium. We pulled in and paid for an overnight stay.
Globe Life Field is the only MLB stadium I found that allows recreational vehicles to stay overnight in their parking lots. For most stadiums, even tailgating is now prohibited, so this isn’t a big surprise. Of course, in some areas, spending the night in the parking lot wouldn’t be appealing. Stadiums are often in rather sketchy parts of town.
This wasn’t the case in Arlington. The parking lot seemed relatively safe through the night, was very quiet, and was in a relatively lovely location, for a parking lot! There was just one little problem. When we woke up, the gates were locked.
When you purchase the tickets to park overnight, the attendant reminds you about the rule that you must vacate the parking lot by 9:00 a.m., so you can imagine our surprise when we emerged from our (much cooler!) Airstream at 7:00 a.m. all set to leave for Kansas City, and were met with locked, steel cables across every exit!
After some deliberation, Ryan had a great observation. In one corner of the lot, there was a curb, a grass barrier, and a sidewalk with wheelchair accessible ramps to the street. With a little careful maneuvering, he thought we would be able to get our truck and trailer out to the street.
With some trepidation about the potential of additional broken cabinets, we gave it a try. We made it and were soon on our way to Kansas City!
Our Impressions of Globe Life Field
Unfortunately, I narrowly missed my opportunity to visit Chuck Martin, the voice of the Rangers. His announcer booth is a glass case filled with memorabilia, and he welcomes guests for tours.
Our Seats: Globe Life Field is one of the biggest stadiums in the MLB. With a capacity of over 49,000 and an immense field, bleacher seats almost require binoculars. While our seats were in the outfield, we still found them to be excellent seats. We were in the front row behind the Rangers bullpen (Section 132, Row 5, Seats 16, 17, and 18). Since Ryan is a pitcher, we all enjoyed watching the battery warm up, studying the way the pitchers threw the ball, and watching the players interact during the game.
The Food: Brad, Ryan and I shared a hot dog. Not just any hot dog. We shared a Broomstick Dog. This 24-inch-long sausage is topped with onions, cheese sauce, and jalapeno – and served with several forks and a knife!
Non-Alcoholic Beer Review: Globe Life is another Budweiser Zero stadium. The Grab and Go offers the only access to my favorite stadium beverage.
Another Win for the Home Team – and for Wellspring Family Services!
The Rangers beat the White Sox 2 to 0, and both runs were Home Runs for Housing! That brings our grand total to 9 home runs in 5 games. We are on track for our estimate of 54 home runs over the course of our trip. At our current pace of donations, we will raise about $22,000. Thank you to everyone who has made a pledge. If you haven’t done it yet, there is still time!
Up Next: Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals
Join me for my next post to hear about our travel north to Kansas City, Missouri, and our impressions of Kauffman Stadium!
