While we had hoped to do a little sightseeing in Houston, we spent the day of the game running back and forth between Airstream of Houston and Russell & Smith Ford. The visit to the Ford dealership was a scheduled maintenance for our F250. The Airstream visit, which was about 40 miles from our campsite, was an effort to get our air conditioner and refrigerator repaired before heading to Minute Maid Park. Unfortunately, while the Ford appointment went smoothly, the Airstream appointment was limited to a diagnosis. After a day of exploration and $150 in fees, they told us the air conditioner needs to be replaced. Of course, they couldn’t do the repairs at the time. So, I started calling Airstream dealerships farther along our route.
On one of our back-and-forth trips, we stopped at one of the Texas icons: Buc’ees. This mammoth gas station features a huge store with a variety of snacks, gifts, clothing, and other items. This was one of the sites that Ryan particularly wanted to see!
Our Impressions of Minute Maid Park
This was the field that Brad and Ryan were most eager to visit. When I asked why, they simply said that it is “iconic.” It does have some pretty cool features. When the Astros hit a home run, a train loaded with oranges moves across an elevated set of tracks. The conductor is an enthusiastic fan in his own right, leading cheers and encouraging fan support of their home team. Also, Astros fans sing two songs during their seventh inning stretch. In addition to the traditional “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” fans also sing “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” In the outfield, there is a Phillips 66 gas pump that has tracked every home run since the field opened in 2000.
Our Seats: This time, we were in Section 128, Row 11, seats 9, 10, and 11, behind the Astros’ dugout. The seats were very good. However, the seats in front of us were empty, which made the even better!
The Food: Brad and Ryan got tired of looking for the items on my list, so they went for the standard loaded nachos. Too bad, so sad for them. I held out for Killen’s BBQ Nachos, which were well worth the search!!
Non-Alcoholic Beer Review: Minute Maid Park is another Budweiser Zero stadium. Once again, you could only find them in one place, the grab and go in the Market.
A Win for the Home Team – and for Wellspring Family Services!
The Astros beat the Guardians 7 to 3, and the game produced one more Home Run for Housing, bringing us to 7 home runs in 4 games! Thank you to everyone who has already pledged in support of our fundraising goal. If you haven’t, it isn’t too late! You donate on our Home Runs for Housing page.
Up Next: Globe Life Field and the Texas Rangers
Join me on tomorrow’s post to hear about our visit to Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas!
