Last month marked the second time I had been lucky enough to travel to the East Coast to take in a game at Fenway Park, but it was the first time I was able to travel to watch the Mariners play on the road. It was a picturesque weekend in Boston, 75 and sunny all three days and a perfect weekend for baseball.

We left Friday the 17th, 9am Seattle time, to fly across the country to the sports + history mecca that is Boston, Massachusetts. We touched down in Boston Logan International right around 6, with about an hour until first pitch. My grandparents had pulled the miracles of all miracles and booked a hotel that was a quick two-block walk to the Gate-A Entrance at Fenway. Bad news was attempting to get to this hotel through regular Friday night commuter traffic and game traffic. We ended up making it (but missed the first inning!), and our hotel was the Residence Inn at Back Bay/Fenway. It’s pricey, but worth every penny. There were also a ton of Mariners fans at the hotel with us. This was the view from 8th floor Terrace Bar on our hotel:

Saturday was the big day. I finally got to watch the Mariners play in Fenway. Earlier in the day, my grandparents and I ventured out to Copley Square and the surrounding areas. Had lunch at a pizza place on Boylston called Uno. After lunch we walked back to our hotel, and got ready for the game.

Upon entering Fenway, the historical significance of the place almost slaps you in the face. The old red chairs, the pesky pole, the smallness of a ballpark built before any type of modern design was thought of. When it came to the variety of food/beverage options, Fenway seemed pretty limited. Outside of the park we went to Cask ‘n Flagon and Boston Beer Works, both came recommended from many people we had spoken to in the area.

Thanks to my apparent lack of knowledge about the stadium, I almost picked seats that were behind the pesky pole. We lucked out and got to sit a few rows down that did not cause that much of restricted view:

Adrian Sampson made his first and only complete start of the season in place of the injured Wade Miley a.k.a when the starting pitching wheels started to fall off and roll right down from the steepest hill in Seattle. Sampson did okay enough in this start, giving up four runs to a very offensively inclined Boston lineup. MiMo came on in relief and gave up two runs of his own, and the Mariners ended up losing 6-2. However I did see a Adam Lind home run, which is always a treat.

I also got on TV, so not all was lost.

 

Aside from Seattle, Boston might be my favorite city in America. There are a ton of similarities between the two cities, and if I had to move, I would pack my bags and head straight to beantown. I did get to see more historical things (via tours/exploring) this trip, but of course the main focus was baseball. Boston did not disappoint.

Go Mariners.