We had big plans to take the kids to Wrigley Field during our weekend in Chicago, and Beau splurged on some great seats to see all our favorite players a little closer than we typically get to when we sit in the notorious bleachers. So imagine our disappointment when the weather forecast was predicting a 60-percent chance to rain and storms during our game time! Beau and I went back and forth the week prior, and nearly put our tickets back on Stubhub hoping to get some of our money back. But after the Cubbies were on fire the week leading up to our trip, Beau decided we'd take our chances and hope for the best. Well...the weather and the Cubbies showed up Saturday and what we hoped for happened - we had the BEST day introducing our kids to all the goodness of Wrigley Field.
You absolutely can't do Chicago without riding the El! It's the cheapest way to get around the city and I love the energy of hopping on and off the train. Riding the red line to Clark and Addison is part of the Wrigleyville experience and it's so exciting to pop out from underground and see all the brownstone apartments that line the tracks before coming right up to the platform with the stadium nestled right in the middle of the neighborhood. You always know you're on the right train when you climb on and see it filled with red and blue fans with baseball gloves on their hands! The kids enjoyed the subway experience and proved they were indeed big city kids by using the rail and not sitting down the whole time.
There's just something about Wrigley. The stadium is so old that you immediately feel like you step back in time to the good old days. We did a lap with the kids, showed them the famous marquee and the big iron statues of the Hall of Famers, and soon came upon the updated West end of the stadium, Gallagher Way. And there was no reason to leave until game time!
The Cubs new ownership took over awhile ago and they've been slowly making changes that have reaped some big rewards for the team and the neighborhood. They've kept the old charm of what fans love about Wrigley, but have added some major improvements to make the game day experience that much more enjoyable for families of all ages. Wrigleyville has always been known for its party scene, but the addition of Gallagher Way has added an element that makes you want to bring the family and stay for the afternoon. It's what baseball is all about. And it's like Magnolia Market for baseball fans!
On game days, ticket holders can enter the big green space a few hours before the game. Food trucks line the space, an outdoor band plays pregame music, and stores and a viewing room of the World Series trophy are open for fans to admire. Parents can bring in food, yard games are set up all over, and lots of people simply play catch or chase their kids around. There is a huge screen that plays the game in case you need to take your kids out to run a few laps, and I love that the neighborhood can join in the atmosphere or pull up a lawn chair and watch a few innings, too. And when the Cubs aren't in town, Gallagher Way is used for concert series, outdoor movie nights, and private events.
We had so much fun pre-gaming here! Cruz and Beau played catch for an hour, we got to see the World Series trophy, and later ordered the kids hot dogs and had a little picnic before heading into the stadium. Feeding kids in a tight-spaced stadium seat is not my favorite way to eat a meal and this was such a better idea! We watched old Cubbie highlight videos while we enjoyed our first cold beer of the game and decided life couldn't get much better than this. We were just missing the apple pie. :)
And how about the weather?! Let's just say we are SO glad we didn't sell our tickets! It ended up being a picture perfect Saturday - warm enough for shorts and t-shirts, a good summer breeze, and clouds that provided shade but gave way to pockets of good sunshine throughout the afternoon. We had really lucked out.
We sat twelve rows on the third baseline, the best seats we've ever had at Wrigley. We got their early enough to see them warming up and it was so fun to see Cruz's eyes light up when he first spotted Kris Bryant and Javy Baez. He really wanted to catch a ball, but got over his disappointment quickly as soon as the first pitch was thrown and we ordered him a frozen lemonade. ;)
And while Beau and I have made many memories in the good ole Budweiser Bleachers, we could definitely get used to the good seats! We had a great day. The kids were better behaved than we expected, Mila spent about three innings drawing pictures for one of the beer guys who said he'd purchase her artwork from her, and the other six innings were well spent with snacks I'd packed and snacks we purchased! Who could blame her? There is nothing quite like a Chicago dog from Wrigley Field. ;)
There were fourteen runs scored between the two teams, it was tied up 6-6 which killed the typical lull after the 7th inning stretch, and the Cubbies came out ahead to win 8-6, their only win of that three-game series. We all got to celebrate with high fives and "Go Cubs Go", and left the stadium on a summertime high with 41,000 of our closest friends. ;)
After a long wait to catch an Uber back to our hotel, we ended our Saturday with showers, deep dish Chicago pizza, and the first Navy Pier fireworks of the season. And then we made an amateur mistake and hopped on a bike taxi to take us back to our hotel. Totally should have asked for his admission rate before we got to our hotel! $50 later, we were happy to be tucked in our beds - while visions of hot dogs and home runs danced in our heads...
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