sunset – Joining Jordan

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My husband and I are on a mission to watch the Atlanta Braves play in every major league baseball park. We set out on a road trip to Ohio in order to catch back-to-back games against the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds.

Cleveland was first on the itinerary, so we planned to attend the Friday night game. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate. A storm came through with heavy rain, lots of fog, and cold temperatures. This led to the first game getting postponed to Saturday at 3pm- resulting in a double header. Our money was refunded and we bought new tickets for Saturday. Luckily, we didn’t have solid plans for Saturday night, so it worked out in our favor. We got to watch two games for the price of one!

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Traffic was pretty bad as Eric Church was touring in town that weekend, but our Lyft driver was able to drop us off a block away from the stadium. We arrived early when the gates opened so we could check out the park and find our seats before the action started.

The park was nice and easy to navigate. The extra large broadcasting screen was flanked with buildings from downtown creating a nice view of the outfield.

The food options were great! I had wanted to go eat at Momocho, a popular Mexican restaurant in town, and lucky me- they were serving food at the stadium! It was too cold to take a picture of my food.. Sorry (lol) but it was yummy!

Every baseball game has that ONE obnoxious fan. We were right behind the Braves dugout, and this guy chose to get his seats there so the players could hear him. His jokes were over the line and getting personal. He would even turn and mock the Braves fans! I know this sounds terrible, BUT I am saying all this to say that the Progressive Field staff handled it like champs! They very discreetly talked to the man and then to us Braves fans. The usher told us they were watching him and if he said anything to us again, they would remove him from the park. They checked back in with us a few times as the games continued to make sure we felt comfortable. Three cheers to the staff! I have never encountered such attentive and thoughtful security at a game.

No one can control the weather or the people around you, so we certainly didn’t let those elements ruin our experience. We had a great time and really enjoyed being at the park! Incase you were wondering, the Braves lost the first game but won the second game. I’ll take it!

Planning to take a day trip through the southern rim of the Grand Canyon? I’ve got a few tips and tricks for the perfect day!

Even the Southern rim of the Grand Canyon is worth spending multiple days, but if you only have one day to explore this majestic wonder, here is a guide to hit all the high points! Tip: Some people get a week pass to the national park but don’t use all the days. Your hotel concierge might have extra passes you can use.

When staying in Sedona or Flagstaff, take US-89 to AZ-64 through Cameron. This route takes you through the Navajo Indian Reserve. (Side note: Fill your tank up with gas before you leave, because there is no station in the reserve.) The land is dry, bare, and red but it is definitely a cool sight to experience. You get a little taste of canyon views with a few remote look-out points along the way. We pulled off at Marble Canyon of the Little Colorado River Gorge, which really psyched us up for our day of site seeing. The walk is only about 100 yards from the parking area on a gravel road, so it is accessible for everyone.

As you continue driving towards the Grand Canyon, you’ll enter on the eastern side of the South Rim. After going through the national park gate, your first stop is the Desert View Watchtower, also known as Navajo Point. This is where you can stamp your national park book, climb up steps into a watchtower to get an even higher view of the canyons, and scope out the landscape details with their telescopes. It is a very popular, touristy point so be ready for a large crowd. We went on Easter Sunday expecting a lower number of tourist, but we were wrong, lol! Luckily, the other stops were not as busy as this first one.

Next, you’ll drive 22 miles west to the Visitor Center. On that drive, they have about three points where you can stop to take a look. Lipan, Moran and Grandview are the main points. For time sake, pick one or two. The view is fairly similar to the watchtower at these points, but they are way less crowded!

We had a cooler of waters in our car, but if you need to grab drinks or snacks, you can stop at the Park Store in the Visitor Center. They not only have a grocery store, but also a deli with sandwiches and pizza. I’m not the type to pass up pizza, so we got it to go and took it with us to the main area, aka the Village, for a picnic. This is where the hotels and restaurants are located and it is only a 2 mile drive from the Visitor Center. There were not many places to picnic in the Village, so we ventured to the edge and sat on a stone ledge. Many people passed by us saying we were brave for sitting there, but how many people get to say they ate lunch literally on the edge of the Grand Canyon?? That was by far our most spontaneous part of the day- I highly recommend it! They have restaurants where you can eat if that is more your style.

After lunch, we found a parking spot in a lot near the bus stop. The buses are free and rotate between nine different look-out points. You can hop on and off the buses as they pass. Again, you don’t have to go to all of them but pick about four to get off and venture. We stopped at Trailview Overlook, Hopi Point, the Abyss, and Hermits Rest. Hermits Rest is as far west as you can go on the South Rim. It is the only stop that has a bathroom or snack food option. The snack bar at Hermits rest closes an hour before sunset, so make sure you get there in time to grab some coffee. It will keep you busy and warm you up as you wait for the sun to set! Watching the sun set over the canyon was a dream of mine, and I soaked up every second. It was a once in a lifetime experience seeing the sky change colors- No filter needed! Catch the last bus back to the parking lot and head home.

As you leave, take a different route home by exiting through the South Entrance Station down AZ-64. You’ll come to the city of Tusayan, which is right outside of the national park. We stopped for dinner at Big E Steakhouse & Saloon and it was good eatin’! It is a western themed steakhouse whose serving sizes are like the Grand Canyon.. large. After all that hiking, you’ll want to refuel for the drive back.

We spent our one year anniversary day-tripping the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was April 1st, so the weather was hot during the day but cold out on the points and while watching the sun set. Be sure to bring a warm, yet light-weight jacket. I personally recommend this one!