Spring Training Trip - Day 58

It was our last baseball game today.  The Phillies were playing the Toronto Blue Jays and several roster spots were on the line for both teams.  The game started under high heat and humidity and cloudy skies with a 30% chance of rain showers.  Sure enough, at the beginning of the 3^rd inning the skies darkened and the rain started.  It was accompanied by a lot of wind but no thunder or lightning.  The game was stopped and after a 37 minute rain delay was restarted.  It continued to rain lightly for another 45 minutes, but after that the sun came out and the temperature dropped to a comfortable 70 degrees from a pre-rain 85 degrees.  We got wet but quickly dried off after the rain stopped.

Alas, the Phillies didn’t send their spring training fans away very happy, losing to the Blue Jays, 8-5.  The spring training games were an unforgettable experience, the ball park is great, great concessions, and you are right on top of the action.  We also talked to a lot of nice people, many from the Philadelphia area also here to experience the scene and see the Phillies up close before the real games begin.  The Phillies could have cooperated a little better by winning more games this spring however.

It is hard to measure how well a team is going to do during the major league season by just watching spring training games.  Many players trying to make the team as well as a lot of rookies play a lot in the spring and usually most of the regulars are out of the games by the 6^th inning.  Nevertheless, there seems to be a general feeling of unease down here about how the Phillies are going to do this year.  The fans’ expectations are very high since the Phillies have done so well in the past 5 years. So, we’ll see how it goes when the season starts for real next Thursday.

After the game we hooked up the VW to the RV to help facilitate an early start tomorrow morning.  The RV park also had a free camper appreciation dinner this evening.  They have been roasting a pig for the last few days and served roast pork along with beans, coleslaw, bread and dessert.  The dinner was good and marks the end of the unofficial “snowbird” season down here.  At least 30 RVs in the park are leaving in the morning and heading back north to places like Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Ontario and Quebec.  I am sure the scene will be the same all around the state as people head home.

We are shooting for a 7:00 am departure tomorrow morning as we head north, then west across the Florida Panhandle to the Destin, FL area.  The drive should take about 7 hours.  The weather looks good and we are keeping our fingers crossed for dry roads and no wind on the way home.

Day 58 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 57

We worked around the RV today getting it ready for the trip home.  We cleaned everything outside, packed it up and stowed it away in the outside bins.  We also unhooked the RV, got the propane tank filled up, got gas, and shopped for a few groceries for the trip.

After we got back to the RV and hooked up again we were tired but decided to go out to eat.  We wanted to try the BBQ at Leroy Selmon’s restaurant about 20 minutes away.  Leroy Selmon was a famous football player at the University of Oklahoma and went on to gain fame as a pro football player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The food at the restaurant was excellent and we got back late to the RV and remembered we didn’t do the blog.  So, we are a day late on yesterday.

No pictures today.

Spring Training Trip - Day 56

The Phillies played the Tamp Bay Rays today. This was, I believe, the only time during this Spring Training they played each other. There were a lot of Tampa Bay fans at the game and it was another sell-out crowd of over 10,500 people. It was a close game and the Phillies won 2-1 with a winning run in the 9th inning.

In association with this game, as with many others we have seen this spring, there was a local Little League team in attendance. The players were introduced individually, mentioning their positions on the team; they then took the field with the Phillies players for the playing of the National Anthem. It is a very touching ceremony every time we see it and it is a great sign that the future of baseball is assured.

After the game, we decided to go over to Sand Key, just south of Clearwater Beach, for dinner at the Columbia Restaurant. We had lunch at the original Columbia in Ybor City last week and wanted to try one of the other 5 Columbia restaurants in Florida. We had another great meal in a nice setting on the bay between Sand Key and the mainland. We had gazpacho soup again, a salad and two different tapas (appetizers). The key lime pie for dessert was also excellent.

Tomorrow we start getting the RV ready for an early departure on Sunday morning.


Day 56 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 55

We decided to go over to Clearwater Beach today to visit the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.  It is small but its claim to fame is that it was the location for the filming of a recent movie called Dolphin Tale. The movie is based on a true story about a dolphin that lost its tail after being caught in a crab trap.  The aquarium nursed the dolphin back to health; it is now at the aquarium with an artificial tail that was developed by the Hanger Company, a maker of artificial limbs.

Virtually everything at the aquarium is based on filming of the movie.  There are not too many other aquarium attractions other than a few fish, an otter, two turtles, some rays, and one or two sharks.  Despite its limitations, it is a popular tourist attraction and was very well attended by a lot of families with small children while we were there.  There was also a dolphin show and a ray feeding and presentation.  There is also an aquarium annex in Clearwater at the east end of the causeway connecting Clearwater Beach with the mainland.  They had a free shuttle between the two locations, but we decided not to go to the other location.

                                                                            

After the aquarium, we went to lunch at Frenchy’s Rockway Grill at the beach.  We had an excellent lunch again and returned to the RV by mid-afternoon.  Judy did another load of laundry and Pat worked on the computer trying to solve a technical problem with a photo processing program (still not resolved).  Dinner was steaks cooked out on the grill with macaroni salad and sautéed snow peas with mushrooms.


Day 55 Pictures 

Spring Training Trip - Day 54

We went to Lenny’s for breakfast before the game today. As previously mentioned, it is the place to go if you are a Phillies fan. It is always crowded and during spring training most people have on some sort of Phillies garb. The restaurant is also heavily decorated with Phillies memorabilia. The food is good, served in Philadelphia “diner style” – lots of selections and huge portions. We had a big breakfast (which was also lunch) after a 30 minute wait for seats. We bought two additional “Danish Baskets” to take back to the RV. Lenny’s Danish Basket is a selection of small pastries (about 6 of them) – they get to pick what kind and all are very good. 


The Phillies won today against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cliff Lee, one of the Phillies best pitchers, pitched 6 strong innings. The relief pitchers then gave up 4 runs, allowing the Pirates to tie the game in the 8th inning. However, the Phillies finally won the game in the 9th inning with a home run. 

Dinner was nachos, shrimp salad and garlic bread in the RV. We have two baseball games to go.

Day 54 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 53

We didn’t do much today other than hanging around the RV and getting caught-up on paying the bills and doing paperwork that never goes away, even though you are on vacation.  It was a relaxing day overall and we even did a few things to get ready for breaking camp.

The weather continues to be excellent right now, temperatures in the mid-70s, relatively low humidity, and a little breeze.  It cools down even more as the sun goes down, making for comfortable sleeping conditions.

Dinner in the RV was spaghetti and Italian sausage.

No pictures today  

Spring Training Trip - Day 52

A “cold’ front came through last night, brought a few showers with it and cooled it off a little while we slept. 

It was back to baseball today, so we travelled over to Clearwater to see the Phillies play the Baltimore Orioles. We had seats in the sun again but it was a little cooler (76 degrees) with somewhat lower humidity. It was a “split squad” game – the Phillies also sent players to an away game in Lakeland, Fl against the Detroit Tigers. So a few of the starting players were not playing in Clearwater today and a number of low minor leaguers were brought in for the day to act as substitutes in the late innings. The size of the major league team roster has also been reduced as the start of the season approaches. There are still extra players trying to make the team however, and the final cuts should be made this week as the opening day roster is decided upon. The game ended in a 10 inning tie, 3-3 (they seldom play more than 10 innings in a spring training game).


We stopped on the way back to the RV and got a pizza for dinner. It is a pleasant evening in the RV park with a nice breeze, much lower humidity, and cooler. There are three more games to go -Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday; we head for home next Sunday.

Day 52 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 51

We headed over to Clearwater Beach this morning for a luncheon cruise on Clearwater Bay.  The ship, the StarLite Magesty, does lunch and dinner cruises lasting two and three hours around Clearwater Bay.  When we arrived on the ship, we placed our order for lunch and ordered a drink.  Lunch was served about a half hour later; while waiting to eat we toured the ship and watched the sights as the ship sailed around the bay. Lunch was O.K. and the cruise was interesting.  It wasn’t the Wan Fu sunset cruise in Hong Kong Harbor, the boat ride to Corregidor, or even the harbor tours of San Diego and Seattle, but it was a nice boat ride, lunch and harbor tour.

After lunch, we drove a little ways south of Clearwater Beach to visit the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, an avian hospital and sanctuary for injured seabirds.  It is a fairly small facility right on the Gulf of Mexico, but home to a large number of recovering birds, in cages and an aviary as well as many birds who are flying free and making nests in the trees.  It is a non-profit organization dedicated to avian recovery.  Admission to the sanctuary is free but donations are welcomed.  Eileen suggested visiting the site as she had done so in the past and found it very interesting.  The organization is doing good work and the large number and type of birds there is amazing.

We had dinner at the RV, flank steak, baked potatoes green beans with sautéed mushrooms and a salad, with ice cream for dessert.

Day 51 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 50

We had to go back over to Camping World today and get a refund for the deposit on the old RV batteries we replaced. It was worth the trip because the deposit (core charge) refunded by returning the old batteries was $30.00. So we drove over there in mid-morning then decided to go to lunch at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City we saw earlier this week. It is just off of I-4 not too far away from Camping World.

We had about a 10 minute wait for table and the place was very busy. There are several dining areas in the restaurant and three meeting rooms. The bar area also has a fairly large dining area. As previously mentioned, their menu is Spanish cuisine, with a wide selection of different types of food and drinks. We each had a cup of gazpacho (cold tomato soup with chopped onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes, green peppers, topped with croutons), Judy had a shrimp Tapas selection and Pat had a Cuban sandwich. We split a piece of Key Lime pie for dessert. Judy had pink lemonade to drink and Pat had a glass of Sangria. The meal was excellent and the décor of the restaurant was very nice, in the Spanish Colonial style.

On the way back, we stopped at McDill AFB for one more visit to the BX and Commissary before we break camp and head for home next week. Dinner was in the RV – Chicken Masala.

One observation about the gas prices down here: We have the watched the price of gas rise about $.25 a gallon since we arrived in late February. The price around town is now about $3.85 a gallon. We’re hoping for a tailwind on the way home but have little hope for any positive change in gas prices.

Day 50 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 49

Today was our last game of three at the Toronto Blue Jays stadium in Dunedin.  It was another hot day and the forecast was for more afternoon/evening thunderstorms.  There was no rain at the game however.

 Our critique of the Blue Jays stadium starts with “old and cramped”.  I guess we may be spoiled by spending most of our time at the Phillies complex in Clearwater, but the Blue Jays stadium has a sort of down home charm that is typical of most of the older Florida spring training venues.  So, despite the uncomfortable seats, narrow aisles, and limited concessions, you are close to the field with great views and it was part of our spring training experience.

It was another low scoring game for the Phillies with little or no offense evident.  They were shut out 2-0, although Cliff Lee pitched 6 strong innings. The lack of overall offense for the Phillies in spring training so far is troubling and doesn’t bode well for a fast start to the season.  With two of their main offensive players, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, out indefinitely with injuries, it doesn’t look they have anyone ready to step-up and help offset their lack of offensive production.  The good news, I guess, is the pitching looks strong and will have to carry the team this year if they are to do well.  There is an uneasy feeling down here with just about every Phillies fan we talked to about how the Phillies are going to do this year.  We will see how it plays out.

We made a few stops on the way back to the RV (Staples, Home Depot, and Walgreens) and Pat cooked hamburgers for dinner at the RV.  No rain here yet but we did see a rainbow on the horizon.  

Day 49 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 48

Today we stayed “home,” did laundry (Judy) and washed the outside of the RV (Pat).  Dinner was barbequed pork ribs and all the trimmings.  This was a “no picture” day.   A thunderstorm is threatening as the day comes to a close.

Baseball tomorrow 

Spring Training Trip - Day 47

No game today so we planned a trip to Camping World to get new coach batteries for the RV and a few other things we needed.  Camping World is a little east of Tampa in a large travel complex at the intersection of I-75 and I-4, major Florida north-south & east-west freeways.  The complex includes Camping World, A Lazy Days RV dealership and RV Park, a Cracker Barrel Restaurant and a large Flying J Travel Plaza/Truck Stop.  The place is very busy and lots of RVs and large trucks are coming and going all the time.  It is about a 30-45 minute drive from our RV Park, so we got a fairly early start and had breakfast at the Cracker Barrel next to Camping World.

After getting what we needed at Camping World, we decided to do a little sightseeing in Tampa, visiting Ybor City, a National Historic District in Tampa.  The city was founded by a Spaniard, Vicente Martinez-Ybor, a successful cigar maker who moved his cigar manufacturing business from Cuba to Key West and subsequently to the Tampa Bay area.  He purchased 40 acres of Palmetto and scrub pine flats northeast of the then tiny town of Tampa, built a company town and used imported Cuban tobacco and skilled cigar makers to establish Tampa as the center of the hand-rolled cigar industry in the United States.  He attracted Spanish, Cuban, Italian, and Jewish immigrants to the area by offering fairly high wages, low cost opportunities for owning houses (Casitas), and generally good working conditions.  Making cigars by hand required not only a high skill level but also a lot of labor intensity and a large workforce to produce the high volume of quality cigars that were in demand at the time.

The various ethnic groups that came to Ybor City stayed mostly together as separate communities and their lives centered around social clubs that provided health care, community services, and a wide range of other mutual aid and social activities.  The Jewish community became the merchant class and established many businesses that provided goods and services to the city.

As the hand-rolled cigar industry declined, the cigar factories that been established closed. Many city residents then moved away and the area began to decay.  In the 1970’s, community efforts were instrumental in preserving the heritage of Ybor City as the “Cigar Capital of the World”.  A National Historic District has been established and many of the old buildings and social clubs have been saved.  Redevelopment efforts have also turned the “Centro Ybor” area along 7^th St. in town into a social and entertainment district that includes clubs, restaurants, stores, and other attractions.  A trolley line also connects Ybor City with downtown Tampa along the Bay waterfront.

We visited the visitors center and a small but excellent Ybor City Museum State Park in the center of town.  The exhibits are very good and gave a good overview of the history and cultural heritage of the area.  As part of the museum visit we also toured one of the restored Casitas on the grounds. We then had a late dinner/lunch at Carmines a local favorite that was very good.  After lunch while walking around town, we discovered the Columbia Restaurant, established in 1905 and billed as the oldest Spanish restaurant in the U.S.  It looked familiar and we found out they have restaurants in several other locations, including one in St. Augustine, FL where we ate on our Florida trip in 2009.  We are going to try and go back there for dinner if we have time.  We also want to visit the downtown Tampa waterfront area and may combine a return visit with a trolley ride and dinner at the Columbia.

After fighting the rush hour traffic through Tampa on the way home we were tired and went to bed early.  Judy is taking her medicine and is starting to feel a little better. Tomorrow is a “work around the RV” day.  I am going to change out the coach batteries and wash the RV, Judy is doing laundry and some interior cleaning. 

Day 47 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 46

Judy’s sinuses wasn’t feeling much better this morning so she decided to go to the local urgent care center to get checked-out and see if an antibiotic was needed to head off a more serious sinus infection.  She did get a prescription for an antibiotic and Sudafed which is now a controlled non-prescriptive medication.

We still went to the game and saw the Phillies beat the Detroit Tigers in a close game, 4-3.  Our seats were in the sun again and we had to occasionally go back on the concourse in the shade for awhile.  Judy held up real well and was starting to feel better as the game progressed.

After the game, we stopped at the local Costco for a few things.  It was really weird.  The Costco here is the only one we have ever been to that wasn’t busy.  There were very few shoppers in the store and there were open checkout lines with no one waiting to checkout.  The selection and quantity of goods for sale also seemed limited.  We're thinking that perhaps with the large senior population down here there isn't a big market for three-packs of TV sets and 10 gallon jugs of artichoke hearts.


We had take-out pizza for dinner and early to bed.  Since there are no games for us the next two days, we are going to Camping World tomorrow and do some sightseeing in downtown Tampa.  This is assuming that Judy continues to improve and is feeling better.

Day 46 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 45

We drove over to Dunedin again today, this time to watch the Phillies play the Toronto Blue Jays in their stadium.  There was nary a trace left today of yesterday's St. Patrick’s Day festivities in the town square and surrounding area.  Hopefully, everyone made it home O.K. and had a good time before the party was over.

The stadium is about ½ mile south of the center of town surrounded by residential and small roadside businesses. The best we can tell, the stadium doesn’t have a public parking lot, only one for players and staff. If you drive to the game you have to park in one of many entrepreneurial parking lots along the streets leading to the park.  These parking lots include driveways, private businesses parking lots, fields, lawns, etc.  They all have people along the street with signs advertising their parking spaces and encouraging you to park there.  The price increases from $5.00 to $10.00 the closer you get to the stadium and one place even offers you a free beer if you park in their lot.

We ate lunch in the “Canadian Grill” area of the stadium again and had an enjoyable time talking to a couple of old Phillies fans while eating lunch at one of the communal picnic tables in the food tent. 

Our seats for the game were in the shade surrounded by Blue Jay fans, mostly Canadian “snowbirds”.  The people behind us were from Winnipeg, Canada and were somewhat amazed that a couple of Americans from California who once lived just down the road in Grand Forks, North Dakota were in Florida, sitting in front of them and rooting for the Phillies. They were further amazed when they found out that Judy also graduated from the University of North Dakota, the guy from Winnipeg’s alma mater.

The game itself was a stinker for Phillies fans.  They lost 10-2 and didn’t pitch, field, or hit very well today.  The Blue Jays’ fans were very nice about it however, just little smirks, and a few “better luck next time” comments.  Our favorite beer vendor was there.  He has sold beer at most of the games we have attended there, and is very funny in his approach to people and his job.  At the Blue Jays’ stadium, he also leads the 7^th Inning Stretch song, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” for all the games. 

During the game, we enjoyed watching some Ospreys nesting in the high light poles around the stadium.  Even though there are no bodies of water immediately around the ballpark, there must be some water close enough, because we saw an Osprey flying back to the nest with a fish in its talons.

After the game, we had an early dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Dunedin.  The food was O.K. but you get spoiled after a regular diet of good Mexican food in California and the American Southwest.  Judy is fighting a cold coming on, so it was back to the RV and early to bed.


Day 45 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 44

We left for Dunedin about 11:00 am to attend the St. Patrick’s Day activities in the town square.  The event is sponsored by Flanagans Irish Pub and the city of Dunedin.  The city block in front of Flanagans was closed and food booths, beer trucks and other vendors had things for sale.  There were two entertainment stages, one in the city park at one end of the venue and the other at the other end near Flanagans.  The entertainment was different groups playing mostly Irish music and the town bagpipe club was there upholding the town’s Celtic (Scottish) heritage.  There were also booths for kids with things like face painting and balloon art. A weekend farmer’s market was additionally in full operation today at the west end of the park near the shops and restaurants in the center of town.

The event was well attended and had a family orientation, at least in the afternoon.  There were a lot of older people sitting in the park listening to the music and enjoying the activities, although people of all ages were evident. Almost everyone there was wearing some sort of green and a lot of people had very elaborate Irish-theme ensembles.  We listened to was a group singing traditional Irish folk ditties and watched a female dance group doing Irish step dances.

We ate lunch from one of the food booths and walked around the grounds and the farmers market.  Judy found a lawn pig made out of a recycled propane tank that she had to have and we bought some homemade rum cake. We also had an ice cream cone for dessert at the excellent ice cream store down the street from the town square.  After listening to the music for awhile, we headed back to the RV and were off the roads by 4:00 pm.  We suspect the party in Dunedin would get a little more lively in the evening when the retirees return to their condos and the younger set comes out to party (or perhaps more accurately, continue to party).  Dunedin is not a spring break destination, but the event had all the makings of an active St. Patrick’s Day party site and I had a feeling the place would be jumping before the venue closed at 11:00 pm.  I suspect Flannigan’s Pub stayed open much longer than that.

Dinner was leftovers in the RV.  It was not a very exciting finish to one of the more popular party days of the year, but we are older and wiser now and will unquestionably feel much better tomorrow morning than a lot of people in town. 

Day 44 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 43

We drove back over to Honeymoon Island State Park for a guided nature walk on the Osprey Trail in the north end of the park.  The trail is a 2 mile loop through slash pines, cedars and mangrove underbrush with palmetto pines, various native plants and lots of poison ivy (east coast cousin of poison oak).  The area is prime habitat for ospreys, bald eagles, and great horned owls that make their nests in or near the tops of barren pine snags.  There is lots of food for them as the area is also home to a wide variety of animals including gopher tortoises, raccoons, and eastern diamondback rattlesnakes.  There is also an abundance of fish in the surrounding shallow waters.

Our walking group was made up of other tourists, Canadian residents who live here for the winter and a class of biology students from St. Petersburg College on a field trip.  Our group leader was a park naturalist who works in the administrative offices of the Florida State Park system.  He prefers to work in the field, instead of the office, and his enthusiasm for his subject was very entertaining for the walkers.  Pat got lots of pictures of the various birds and their nests as well as the pine/palmetto habitat we were walking through.  We visited Pelican Cove on the way back to the trailhead, which gave us a glimpse of the beautiful warm Gulf water, some fishermen, several egrets, jumping fish, a sand-spit on the other side of the bay and one actual pelican.  Honeymoon Island itself is a barrier island a short distance off the Florida coast that was formed by mangrove trees.  The trees, a mixture of red, black and white mangroves, live on or near the water’s edge and hold the sand and mud together so that the other greenery, including the large pine and cedar trees, can take hold and grow.

After the late morning walk we ate lunch at Lenny’s, a Philadelphia-style restaurant filled with Phillies baseball memorabilia.  The food was excellent, hoagies and a great relish tray, as well as a sampler from the “Danish basket” for dessert.  Lenny’s is located about a mile or so from Bright House Field, but there was no home game today.

Dinner will be in the RV, steak fajitas and refried beans.

Day 43 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 42

It was another hot day today and our seats were along the third base line in the sun.  So, we loaded up on SPF 70XX sunscreen and headed off for the Phillies stadium. 

The game today was with the Atlanta Braves, the only NL East Division rival the Phillies play in spring training.  The Braves brought most of their first string players with them and perhaps their best pitcher was starting the game.  The Phillies also started their first team with most of their best players in the game.  It was a good game and the Phillies won 6-4.  The sun was indeed intense as anticipated and we each had to get up occasionally and stand in the shade for awhile.

Before the game we discovered a small infield right next to the stadium.  I don’t know why we never noticed it before, but is a full size baseball infield with a fence about 6 feet beyond the infield.  It is used for infield practice and today a Phillies coach was hitting ground balls to Jim Thome who at 40 years old is practicing playing first base again in addition to his role this year as a pinch hitter.

Judy did laundry after we got back and we had take-out Chinese food for dinner at the “Takee Outee” Chinese restaurant just down the road (honest, that really is the name of the place).  The food was good and we ate between the washing and drying.

Our next game is at Dunedin on Sunday when the Phillies play the Toronto Blue Jays.  Tomorrow we are taking a nature hike at Honeymoon State Park where we are hoping to see a Bald Eagles nest, an Osprey’s nest and a Great Horned Owl’s nest, all with babies.  We will see if they all appear as advertised.  Saturday is St. Patrick’s Day – we will attend St. Pat’s street fair and related festivities in Dunedin.

Day 42 Pictures 

Spring Training Trip - Day 41

It was back to baseball today.  We arrived at the park a little later than normal because we slept an extra half hour.  We still had time to walk around the park before the game and have an early lunch.

The Phillies played the Minnesota Twins today and Roy Halladay, the Phillies best pitcher was on the mound.  Alas, he was working on tuning up his change-up pitch today and it wasn’t working very well.  He was out of the game after pitching 3 innings and giving up 5 runs.  The Phillies ended up losing the game 6-4.  The weather however, was excellent.  The temperature was 79 degrees and sunny with a few puffy clouds here and there and no wind or humidity.  On the way back to the car, we spotted a small alligator and two bronze ibis birds.

Dinner was spaghetti in the RV.

Day 41 Pictures

Here is a good article that describes the spring training experience in Clearwater:

Spring Training Article

Spring Training Trip - Day 40

Today was another “off” day.  No ball game today and nothing else scheduled to do. So, we slept in and took our time eating breakfast and getting ready for the day.

We decided to go over to McDill AFB to do a little shopping.  Pat also needed a haircut so he held his breath and went into the base barbershop to get it trimmed it up a little.  While waiting, it appeared most of the people waiting for a haircut looked liked they had just gotten one, based on most civilian standards.  Pat decided against a “high and tight” cut and went for the “medium cut”.  The barbers were very efficient and he was in-and-out in about 10 minutes.  Judy says the haircut is “fine” and the good news is that it has about a month to grow out before recovery operations can be attempted after we get home.  Also, the haircut only costs $9.80 (a strange price, but a bargain).

We also stopped at a sports store on the way home and bought a couple of stadium seat cushions.  We have two games at the Blue Jays stadium next week where the seats are not very comfortable.

Dinner in the RV was filet mignon, baked potatoes and asparagus, cooked outside. We’re back on the baseball schedule tomorrow with a game against the Minnesota Twins.  No pictures today. We were tempted to film a video of Pat’s haircut, but thought the better of it. 

Spring Training Trip - Day 39

No game today. The Phillies were playing an away game (Bradenton) so we decided to go to the beach.

There is a state park just north of Dunedin called Honeymoon Island State Park.  The park is on a barrier island (Honeymoon Island) that was cut into two islands by a powerful hurricane in 1921.  The other island is now called Caladesi Island and it has been preserved in its natural state as part of the state park. 

The only way to get to Caladesi Island, which has three miles of spectacular public beaches, is by boat.  The state park operates a ferry service to the island (run by a concessionaire) that transports people to and from the island.  You can stay on the island for 4½ hours and then you must return by ferry.  The ferry runs every half hour and you can return early if there is space.  There is also a large marina for private boats, which are allowed to stay for 6 hours at a time. 

There are also hiking trails on the island, a snack bar, and a small ranger station. There are also picnic tables spread around the grounds.  The main attraction of the island for us, however, is the beach, known for its calm water and lots of sea shells.  You can take as many shells as you want, except for live creatures still living in the shells.  We now have another bag of sea shells to add to our collection.  We are not sure what to do with them all, but you never know when you are going to need more sea shells.  Maybe we can work them into some sort of display with our many Mardi Gras beads.  We’ll see how it all works out.

The island is a destination for female sea turtles which come ashore to lay eggs each year.  Growing up as a sea turtle is not easy. Due to a large number of predators further up on the food chain, only one out of every 1,000 turtles born each year make it to maturity.  Maybe this is good in the scheme of things as we might be overrun by turtles if a natural balance is not preserved. There are also a lot of Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes on the island living in the brush (not on the beach).  We didn’t see any of those, which is good.

After returning from Caladesi Island we looked around the rest of Honeymoon Island.  There is a 2 mile long beach on the island that was crowded today, a Monday.  There is also an excellent nature center in the park, showing the history of the island as well as explaining the abundance and diversity of plant and animal life in the area.

It is an interesting story how Honeymoon Island was named.  There was a real estate boom in Florida in the 1940s-1950’s and a developer came up with an idea to promote the area by establishing a “honeymoon resort” on the island.  Small thatched-roof cottages were built and a contest through Life magazine was initiated that would award two-week all expense paid vacations to honeymooners.  Consequently, the island was so named and it stuck.

After returning to the RV, we had leftovers for dinner and went to bed early after a busy day.  Our next baseball game is on Wednesday, so tomorrow we will go to McDill AFB again for a BX and Commissary run.

Day 39 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 38

Not too much to report today.  We slept in and got up an hour later due to Daylight Savings Time.  The next thing we knew it was almost noon. So, we decided to not do any sightseeing today and just kick back and hang around the RV.  We did put up our new screen house.  The “no-see-ums” bugs were starting to assert their dominance of the Tampa Bay evening sitting outside experience, so we decided to get a screen house.  We ordered it from Amazon and they delivered it to the RV Park in minimum time.  It was advertised to assemble in 49 seconds, but somehow we couldn’t meet that exacting standard.  We had it up in 15 minutes or so and actually sat inside it this evening before cooking out.

We also went to WalMart to get a few supplies and returned to the RV for dinner – hamburgers cooked outside on the grill.  After watching a DVD in the RV, in was early to bed.

Tomorrow is a beach day.  We are taking a boat over to a nearby State Park barrier island, Caladessi Island State Park.  It looks like the weather is settling into a consistent pattern for the next ten days here – low to mid 80’s and sunny with a few afternoon clouds and relatively high humidity.


No pictures today.

Spring Training Trip - Day 37

The day started out cloudy with a forecast of possible thunderstorms this afternoon.  We were hoping for cloudy since our tickets for today’s game with the Baltimore Orioles were on the third base side of the field in the sun.  The clouds held until early in the game and then the sun came out and it warmed up considerably. By the end of the game we were fully cooked (well done).  The thunderstorms never did appear and the temperature held at 79 degrees but the direct sunlight made it seem much hotter.

We had a special treat before the start of the game when two US Army Green Beret Special Forces paratroopers from the Special Operations Joint Command, headquartered at McDill AFB, landed near the Phillies dugout.  One carried a huge American Flag and the other had a Phillies banner.  Everyone in the stadium was very impressed with the show, including the Phillies players.

After the game we decided to drive over to Dunedin and check out an Irish Pub we heard about and have dinner at a restaurant where we ate on our trip last year (Kelly’s Chick-A-Boom).  Dunedin is having a St. Patrick’s Day celebration and street party next Saturday with music, parades, food, and the usual beverages that accompany most St. Patrick’s Day parties.  It will be an all-day affair (11:00 am to 11:00 pm) and we may attend if we feel in the party mood. 

After a drink and an appetizer at the pub and a short walk around town and down to the wharf, we had dinner at the Chick-A-Boom and an ice cream cone for dessert across the street.  We then headed back to the RV.  Since the clocks will be moved forward an hour tonight for Daylight Saving Time, we had to go to bed an hour early so we wouldn’t lose any sleep.

Our next game isn’t until next Wednesday, so we have a few days to do some sightseeing in the area and get in some beach time. 

Day 37 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 36

Today was laundry day (Judy) and taxes day (Pat).  After that fascinating morning, we got the VW washed, after which it started to rain as soon as we drove out of the car wash.  We then went shopping for walking shoes at the local mall, owned by the Westfield Corporation, the same company that owns the mall in Rocklin, CA.  The mall here is a beautiful place with an indoor ice skating rink and many other amenities.  We had dinner at the RV again and went to bed early.

Spring Training Trip - Day 35

It was a lot warmer today, more humid, and less windy. Nevertheless, it was another great day to watch a baseball game. 

We arrived at the park a little early so we decided to watch batting practice at the practice fields for awhile.  Normally, the players not starting the game have batting practice there.  The rookies also practice daily at the two other adjoining practice fields.

We then did a couple of laps around the concourse at Brighthouse Field before the crowd started to arrive in greater numbers.  We had another early lunch, meatball subs today that were very good.  They make them from scratch.  You order them and they say come back in 5 minutes to pick them up (They offered to bring them to our seats if we wanted them to do that).  This is not your typical ballpark food experience.  The food in the park is excellent, with a wide variety of choices.  Most of the people working in the concession stands and the rest of the park are older retirees who either live here full time or come down for the season.  They only pay them minimum wage but many would work for nothing just to enjoy the experience.  Most of the people working at the park are from the Northeast, particularly the Philadelphia area.  The audience at the games is also mostly elderly retirees or couples who have come down for a week or so just to watch a few games.  We have talked to a number of people while eating lunch at the stand-up tables – all Phillies fans here to enjoy the sun and support the Phillies.

The first pitches were thrown by two former Phillies  of note, Dick Allen  and Dave Cash.  The pitches were thrown to another former Phillie, Hall Of Famer Mike Schmidt.

It was a good game; the Phillies won on a homerun in the 10^th inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  At this stage of spring training you get to see a lot of players.  Some of the regulars and a few veteran players usually start the game with an assortment of other players trying to make the team included in the starting line-up.  The starting pitchers usually only pitch an inning or two early in the spring, although Cole Hamels, one of the Phillies best pitchers pitched 4 innings today.  By the 6^th inning, the rookies and other non-roster players trying to make the team have replaced the starters and you are essentially seeing many players you are not really familiar with or have previously seen in past years.  As spring training progresses, the regulars play more and by the end you are watching the team that will start the season.

After the game, we put the AC in the RV on for awhile, had dinner, watched another pretty sunset and went to bed.  No game tomorrow for us.  We have a day off from baseball and an opportunity to do a few other things.

Day 35 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 34

It was a great day to watch a baseball game.  The weather was sunny, 81 degrees and a slight breeze.  The game, however, was not so good.  The Phillies pitchers got off to a bad start and the hitters weren’t hitting.  They lost 10-3 and looked flat in every part of the game.

We arrived early again, getting there around 10:30 am when the gates opened.  It is a good time to arrive as it is not yet crowded and we like to walk around the concourse to observe batting and fielding practice as well as the people who are there to do the same.  Also, three times around the concourse adds up to a mile of walking which gives us a little bit of exercise before the game.  It also allows us to have an early lunch before the lines get too long.  We usually eat at one of the standup tables along the concourse.  The food is good in the park and we are trying something different each day.  Today it was Bratwurst and Italian Sausage sandwiches with hand-squeezed lemonade to drink.  Later in the afternoon it was a beer with peanuts.

Dinner was take-out Greek food with a beautiful sunset in the distance. The Philllies play the Pittsburgh Pirates tomorrow.

Day 34 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 33

We left for our first game at the Toronto Blue Jays field (Florida Auto Exchange Stadium) around 11:00 am.  The park, the atmosphere, and the overall experience are much different from the Phillies complex at Brighthouse Field.

The park is only a few blocks from downtown Dunedin, a nice small town just north of Clearwater.  The town is a retiree haven right on the beach with an attractive downtown area including shops, restaurants, and a park in the city square in the center of town.  Parking for the game is essentially entrepreneurial, with virtually every location along the street to the park offering parking.  One place was also offering a free beer if you parked there.

After entering the park and looking around a little, we had lunch at the Canadian Grill, a picnic tent sort of food area inside the park.  The food was typical ballpark fare and nothing particularly exciting. 

The park is much smaller than Brighthouse Field and a lot older.  The seats and rows are closer together, fairly uncomfortable and hard to get in and out of.  Nevertheless, the game was good (the Phillies won), the weather was pleasant, and the crowd was friendly.  We sat near a lot of Blue Jay fans (mostly Canadians) but there were also a lot of Phillies fans in attendance who appeared to be on their best behavior.  It was a good Spring Training baseball experience and we look forward to the two other Phillies games there later in the month.

We go back to Brighthouse Field tomorrow to watch the Phillies play the Houston Astros.

Day 33 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 32

The Phillies played the Yankees again today for the third straight game.  We parked in the same area as we did the other day and walked along the water control area levee towards the park.  We saw the pair of Ospreys again on the high perch overlooking the pond area.  We also saw a heron and an egret along with red wing blackbirds enjoying the habitat.

The weather today was clear skies, cool temperatures, and a little breezy. We sat along the first base line, surrounded mostly by Phillies fans who either lived here seasonally or have come down from the Philadelphia area to see a few games.  As we were sitting in the shade, it was actually a little cool with the temperature in the high 60s but windy.  Nevertheless, it was a good game and the Phillies won 9-3.

We stopped for a few groceries after the game and ate dinner in the RV.  We are visiting the Toronto Blue Jays' stadium tomorrow in Dunedin, FL for the first of three games with the Phillies while we are here.  The stadium is close to the Phillies stadium but is much older and smaller (the beer is also cheaper).  The Toronto fan base in Spring Training is mostly Canadian “snowbirds” and their games don’t attract nearly as many fans who just come down for a few games.  We expect to see as many Phillies fans in the stands as Blue Jay fans tomorrow.


Day 32 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 31

We had the south end of the huge cold front that did so much damage in the midwest and south come through the Tampa Bay area early this morning.  We didn’t have any severe weather but we had strong winds and a little rain.  The front passed through quickly and the skies were clear when we got up but it was very windy all day.  It was also much colder with the temperature never getting any higher than the low 60’s. It was quite a change from the 80’s of last week.

We didn’t go to a game today – the Phillies were playing the Yankees again, but at their home field in Tampa.  We (Judy) did laundry instead and I finished up some first-of-the month desk work.  We did listen to the game on the radio and alas, they lost again.

We had a take-out pizza for dinner and watched a DVD afterwards.  Tomorrow, it’s the Yankees again at the Phillies ballpark.

No pictures today.

Spring Training Trip - Day 30

Today was the official home opening game of Spring Training for the Phillies.  The game was the first of three straight games with the Yankees.  The game tomorrow will be at the Yankee’s home field in Tampa and the game with them on Monday will be in Clearwater.

We decided to try another parking area for then game today.  There is a county park a short walk away from the park along a bike path.  Although the park is open to the public, a pay-to-park arrangement has been set-up during ball games at the stadium. The local disc-golf club (there is a disc golf course in the park) runs the parking area, keeps a small portion of the $5.00 parking fee and, with the city’s approval, gives the rest to the Phillies for distribution to local charities.

Along the path to the ballpark we passed a flood control area used to control high storm water run-off in the natural basin in the area.  It is a series of connected ponds surrounded by a wide levee and several gates that can be opened to control water as it reaches different levels.  The result is an attractive location for wildlife habitat and an effective flood control system that protects the houses in the surrounding community. While walking by we noticed a high tower that has been built to attract Ospreys.  In fact, we spotted two of them sitting on the perch.  We plan to walk around the levee before one of the upcoming games.

Before the game, we checked out the adjoining Phillies training complex.  The whole design of the ballpark and the three training fields is well done.  The public is welcome to watch the team and rookies practice each day, and as Spring Training progresses, watch team scrimmages and practice games.  While we were there today, rookies were being instructed in various fundamentals and practicing different skill drills.

Since it was opening day and the Phillies were playing the Yankees, the game was a sell-out (10,500 attendees).  There was a ceremony before the game and a surprise visit from the Phillie Phanatic, the team mascot.  He appeared to be in mid-season form, but I guess even team mascots need a little spring training.

Alas, the Phillies didn’t win the game but most of the regulars on both teams didn’t play.  Early spring training games usually include a lot of rookies, and non-roster players trying to make the team.  Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable game in a great venue.

Our next game is Monday, so tomorrow is laundry day and more relaxing.  A cold front is expected to bring a little rain and wind in the morning but clearing by noon with cooler temperatures.  

Day 30 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 29

Today was spent here around the RV and walking around the RV park.  Pat did desk work, I read a lot and reorganized my closet.  (Every once in a while, you just have to do that.)  A few shore birds wandered by and we got pictures of them.   The blue heron flew by, too fast for a picture.  It was warm and humid again today, but we are not complaining.  I love it when the local weatherman (or woman) says things like “It’s really cool out this morning – 71 degrees!”  We who have spent many February and March in the upper middle west love it when 71 is called a “cool” winter temperature.

Day 29 Pictures

Spring Training Trip - Day 28

This morning we hung around the RV, then left for McDill AFB right before noon to pick up Pat’s prescription at the pharmacy there.  We decided to go to Frenchy’s On The Beach for a late lunch today – we had eaten there when we were here last year.  It is a lively place and a favorite spot to watch the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico in the evening.

After lunch, we did some shopping at the local Costco and came back to the RV.  We took a short walk around the resort at dusk, catching sight of a Great Blue Heron fishing in the bayou.  Tonight we are having a late light dinner because of our late heavy lunch.

Day 28 Pictures