trains, buses, DODGERS

This past Sunday, we took a trip on the Metrolink to see a Dodger game. It was SO much fun, I knew the first moment I saw the cute little Rialto Depot that I'd blog about it. So then my picture taking went into blogger mode so I could document EVERYthing. It's how I roll.

(Note: we got on at the Rialto Depot because there was a train museum/steam train exhibit at the San Bernardino Station - I'm so glad we headed to Rialto, because that quaint little station in their downtown district is adorable. As we drove there, Sidney said "mom, this reminds me of the Sandlot era." It really did.)

Well this particular Sunday we decided to roll on the metrolink because they have a weekend deal for $29 fare for a family of four (kids five and under are free, so in a world where Jack now is a paying visitor at Disneyland and everywhere else that's fun, on the Metrolink, he's still a teeny tiny baby!!!) To see the Family 4 Pack click here. And to see the specifics on getting yourself to Dodger Stadium, click the picture below.

So, back to the $29 - this deal was found by Bobby, and he planned the whole thing, and invited his parents along. The ticket package included the ability to get on and off whenever/wherever we wanted all day long along the entire line the metrolink travels. But we didn't do that. We sat nicely in our seats and waited for our stop. Okay, we didn't do that either. There was some "sitting nicely" in seats, but mostly there was "walking about the double decker train as if we owned the place" and "Mom - I have to go to the bathroom again" which only means "I'm finished sitting nicely, can I go play in the bathroom again and walk around while the trian is in motion?"

After an hour and a half on the train, which was VERY clean and nice, and patrolled by LA Sheriff's Department, we showed up to the beautiful Union Station (which I've blogged about before here), hung out a while, and then hopped the FREE Dodgers Express shuttle bus from the rear of Union Station, rode it for about 5 minutes, and then there we were, dropped off right behind the scoreboard of Dodger Stadium. (this is a good time to mention, the Dodgers were playing the Cardinals, and had lost all previous games in the series, so I knew if they lost, we'd have the LONGEST bus/train ride home!)

Once at the stadium, we met up with Mikey and Ashly and found our seats - in the sun - and they'd be in the sun the entire game since it was a 1 p.m. game. So after grabbing the hot dogs and drinks that came with our ticket deals, the boys decided to swap seats at this VERY low attended game, and sit right behind the plate in the reserved level. It was wonderful. And shady. All that sunscreen we put on was just a waste.

Sidney and Alyssa actually WATCHED a ton of the game! I'd hear things like "man, that guy wasn't even TRYING" or "Whoa, that guy really ran fast toward that base" from Sidney, which is more than I've ever heard from her regarding a game. Usually I hear things like "mom, there are 12 birds over there flying near that sign," or "mom, did you see the ad for that new movie coming out?" or "mom, can I go and find the cotton candy guy?"

THE DODGERS WON. Thank you Dodgers. Not only did they win, they won with a WALK OFF HOME RUN by Matt Kemp. I was very happy with Matt Kemp and the rest of the Dodgers for providing such a fun way of winning for my kids to enjoy and scream and jump up and down about. Also, that made the entire ride home much more enjoyable! After the Dodgers won, we realized it was "kids can run the bases day" so we waited in a long line, which moved QUICKLY (so I recommend doing it), and let the kids run the bases down on the field..they loved it. Bobby somehow weaseled his way into running them, too, explaining to the guy that Jack was so young he needed his daddy to go with him. As he was arguing this point, Jack was nearly rounding first on his way to second....he really didn't NEED daddy to go, but I think daddy NEEDED to run those bases. So he did...as other parents were turned away right behind him with the words "kids only!" If there's a way, Bobby finds it.

So will I go to another game this way? Yes. I'm a big car girl - I love the freedom of my own car, but I LOVED GETTING TO LA this way! My KIDS loved it, the bathroom was clean, the price was right, my kids loved it, we brought lots of snacks, the people on the train were nice and pleasant, my kids loved it, my kids enjoyed seeing all the graffiti on the side of the walls bordering the train tracks, I liked the deputies on the train who checked our tickets, and my kids loved it.

Oh, and about Dodger Stadium and safety - YES security was beefed up, and I liked it. I, personally, love to see cops EVERYWHERE. I saw lots of pairings of a security guard and a LAPD officer. They were in the parking lot as we were getting on and off the bus, by the food as we were eating lots of food, and up and down the aisles. I always feel secure at Dodger Stadium, but I did like the beefing up.