Part 9: Smith's Ballpark - May 30, 2017

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2017 Utah, Idaho & Wyoming Tour Home

​As the Utah, Idaho & Wyoming Tour was officially over, most everyone had an early morning flight the next day to head back
home. I on the other hand didn't depart back for home until later into the evening, so that left me with a free day. While trying to find something to do, I saw a billboard advertising that the local Triple-A baseball team, the Salt Lake Bees, had an afternoon home game that day, and thus my afternoon was decided! The game for the day would be played between the local Salt Lake Bees and the Tacoma Rainiers. It was a fun coincidence that the Bees were hosting the Rainiers as they are the Triple-A affiliate of my favorite team, the Seattle Mariners.

This is my fourth different Triple-A baseball stadium after old Cooper Stadium in Columbus, OH; Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, WA; and Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, NC.

The Bees are the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. Throughout the ball park, the Bees pay tribute to their former players who have made it to the major leagues, and they also feature Angels memorabilia along with their own in their souvenir shop. They also have items with the names and logo of their former team identities, such as when the Bees were known as the Salt Lake Buzz.

The stadium itself was opened in 1994, and features fairly wide open concourses that serve both decks of the stadium. This would be great in the event of attending a busier game where you could still keep an eye on it while waiting in line for the concession stand. Speaking of which, their food stands feature all the hallmarks of a ballpark, including beer, peanuts, hot dogs and others.

The ballpark features two decks, helping to make it among the larger stadiums in the minor leagues with over 14,000 seats. Along the outfield fence is a grassy knoll that allows for fans to enjoy the game in a more informal setting as you could lay down a blanket and have a seat.

The outfield area also features several unique activities for the kids such as a wiffleball field, a playground and a miniature train that runs on the upper sidewalk of the outfield. There is also a large picnic area for those who are hosting group outings at Smith's Ballpark.​

As it got closer to the first pitch, it was time to try some of the food at the park. With my ticket for the game, they had a promotion where $15 would get you a seat for the game, as well as a barbecue dish of your choice with a soft drink. I decided to go with the pull pork sandwich, and it would be a good choice as it was better than your run-of-the-mill stadium fare. The watermelon on the side was also delightful for this warm day. Grab a Blue Moon before heading to my seat and we're ready for a nice afternoon at the old ball game!

Being that it was a Tuesday afternoon, the crowd was on the lighter side, so this gave me the chance to try out a few locations for watching the game. I started off on the lower deck on the 1st base side, then switched to the upper level, and finally moved over towards the 3rd base side. The upper level seats not only give you more of an overview of the field, but it also allows you to really enjoy the view you have from the stadium of the Watsach Mountains in the distance. They did an excellent job in placing this stadium to take advantage of the local scenery!​

As for the game itself, the Rainiers would win it 4-0, making me a happy camper as I got to see my team win.

And that will end this visit to Smith's Ballpark, a place that offers a great location to enjoy some of the future stars of Major League Baseball near a city that I have come to enjoy visiting a lot!

And that concludes this trip report of Coasting with Culture's 2017 Utah, Idaho and Wyoming Tour. I hope you enjoyed this look back on the tour, and if it happens again, that you may join us for one of our tours in the future!

-Take Care and Safe Travels!

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Previous: Part 8
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Coasting with Culture's
​2017 Utah, Idaho & Wyoming Tour Home