Day 3 - March 7, 2013 - Spring Training

Day three is in the books and we have some more great fun to share.  All good days start with a good breakfast and our great hosts did a great job again this morning, joe was still talking about it at the ballpark.  

Biscuits and gravey will always please this boy!  

Today's travel was to Mesa where the beloved Cubs call Spring Training home. They have a new stadium that resembles Wrigley Field, which turns 100 years old this year. It doesn't have the Ivy though, they say it won't grow in this temp but one would think they could at least try or go to Hobby Lobby any buy some plastic ones!  The sign is here and you can get your name in lights on the signs.

Yes grandpa is the only one in Cubs attitre!

Joe had a successful day in the ball department shagging home run runs balls with a few other die hard fans.  

Grandpa also got into the action almost running another kid over to get a ball. 

I didn't chase anything down but had one roll up to me while I was filming and so the video is blurry and all over the place but I GOT THE BALL!

Joe was successful in his collections of baseballs, totally five during the batting practice for a total of six during the trip.

Today Joe wanted to sit on the outfield lawn today so we along with a few hundred of our friends enjoyed the game from right field.  We were close to a home run and a ball hit the wall right in front of us!  

The lawn seating was great for our tans!  

Food at the ballparks is somewhat related to the team's home town.  Today's fair was Chicago style.  Grandpa and I tried this sausage and roast beef with peppers and onions, we'll paynformthis later I am sure.

Joe went with a more traditional affair, a hamburger the size of this head.  

The field also has a great place for kids to play wiffle ball on a field that is made to look like Wrigley.  He showed off his made defensive skills by robbing a home run in center field!

Joe and grandpa have been talking about a funnel cake since day one in Peoria, today they got their cake.

After the game we got to experience the worst rush hour traffic we have seen yet leaving the park, even with the Indians win the crowd hung out for awhile and traffic on the roads combined with other rush hour traffic. 

After the game we headed further over in Mesa to see the Reynolds family.  We had to go to Arizonia to see these Nebraskans.  They live in a nice community that had TSA security, but we made it through!  Here's a picture of the whole gang thanks to the neighbor for taking the picture!

 

The neighbors also had a neat little orchard in the yard with about five trees with lemons, oranges, and grapefruit.  We were able to pick a few of each to bring back to the Moore's!

We joined them for dinner at Peter Pipper's Pizza which was good food.  I went healthy of course and ate the veggies proof of which is provided here.

Finally for today here are some photos with Ben's Ginny pig.

On the lawn at Cubs Field.

With Joe's baseballs on the counter.

On the railing in section 119 at Cubs Field.

The tan is nice the traffic is not.  I won't complain about the traffic issues on West 5th for a few weeks when we get back!