An Arizona Adventure (Part 4)

The story of how a dream vacation quickly became a reality

By Carl Trudel

Friday June 22:

Today our plans included a little bit of home, in that we were scheduled to attend an Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles later that night. Considering the fact that this would be our last full day in Arizona, it seemed like a fitting way to end our memorable week. Our agenda called for us to take the tour of Chase Field in downtown Phoenix, home of the D’backs, after which we would do some sightseeing, and finally topping off the day at the evening game.

Our stadium tour was scheduled for 11:00 AM. We gathered at the main entrance to Chase Field, along with about a half dozen other people. One group of four was wearing miscellaneous Baltimore Oriole gear. We struck up a conversation with them and soon learned that they were from Ellicott City, Maryland, literally down the road from our home town. One woman stated that she taught high school at Long Reach High School, which happens to be Matt’s high school; though he did not recognize her.

The tour started right on time, and we were met by our tour guide, an elderly retired gentleman named Walt. He was extremely knowledgeable and very thorough throughout the guided tour. In the stadium entryway there were two display cases which featured World Series memorabilia from the Diamondbacks one and only championship. The walls of the multi-leveled entry area were tiled with Arizona desert scenery, the floor was a tiled map of the state of Arizona.

As we entered the main stadium area the retractable roof was open and various maintenance crews were busy at work throughout the stadium. Walt began escorting the group around the park, starting with the left field area and continuing in a clockwise direction. The building has the incredible ability to present a ’very open’ appearance when the roof is retracted. The center field area also features eight giant panels that, when open, provide ventilation as well as a view of the Phoenix skyline.

On game days, when the team plays in the evening, the roof and center field panels are closed around 3 PM and the massive air conditioning system is turned on. About 15 minutes before game time, the roof and panels are opened so that the game can take advantage of an outdoor setting. Afternoon games, however, are played in a completely enclosed environment to escape the stifling desert heat.

If you were attending a game at Chase, one of your options would be the ability to dine right from a center field balcony at the TGI Fridays located there. For about $30.00 plus the cost of food, they featured tables for up to four people from where one could watch the game.

Moving on to the right of the center field area, we came across what I thought was the most unique part of this ball park; a swimming pool available for rental to groups of 35 during games. The exact rental fee is about six thousand dollars for the group, but it includes food. We were told that when home runs are hit into the pool, fountains around it put on a show of their own.

Our visit included the press box area, where we got a reporters view of the playing area, including their lavish dining room. A private luxury suite was our next stop, so we could see what some fans did to ‘rough it’ during games. We also were taken into the visitor’s locker room, and my personal favorite area; the home team dugout. What an amazing experience to be able to see the stadium from field level like the players do. All in all, the tour was a most instructive and interesting one, with Walt constantly keeping us informed around every turn.

With the stadium tour behind us, lunch time beckoned, so we decided to head towards Arizona Center, a downtown mall area, where we would have lunch at Hooter’s. After lunch, we spent the afternoon sightseeing and visiting some of the shops at the Center. We then wanted to search out the Mystery Castle, which is located just on the outskirts of the city.

Mystery Castle was built by Boyce Gulley in the 1930s for his daughter Mary Lou. He left Seattle and his family in 1930 after having been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Like so many victims of this deadly disease did at that time, he moved to Phoenix and its’ dry climate. Boyce laid claim on a large piece of property in the foothills just outside of the city, and lived there until his death in 1945. He would never see his family again. During his time there, he built an 18 room three story sprawling structure for the daughter he had left behind. He used a variety of recycled and discarded materials such as car parts, rails from mines, telephone poles, stone and others, held together with mortar, cement, calcium, and goat milk.

Mary Lou eventually moved into the house, where she still resides today. Over the years she was known to give tours of the house personally, however her age and health today do not permit her to continue. It would have been an interesting experience to visit Mystery Castle, but unfortunately it was closed. Hopefully I can return to Phoenix some day when I can visit this fascinating attraction.

As we arrived at the parking garage near Chase Field, we noticed a car with Arizona tags filled with Baltimore Oriole fans. After thinking about it I finally realized how not so strange that really is, being that I follow the Red Sox despite living near Baltimore. After entering the park, we decided to walk around and check it out from a night time perspective. The roof was fully closed and the air conditioning was keeping the inside at a very comfortable temperature.

We made our way to the upper level and as we were rounding the left field corner area, we noticed that the roof was beginning to open. We quickly grabbed our cameras, and an attendant, who was an elderly retired gentleman, opened up a roped off area and told us we could go to the railing and get a better view. Like Walt earlier that day, this guy was a great people person. From the center field area we noticed that the pool was in full swing and the TGI Friday’s special tables were all occupied. The center field panels had also been opened, and the park was now taking on an outdoor flavor. The temperature would eventually rise during the course of the game, but not significant enough to be uncomfortable, as the now turned off air conditioning had cooled off the inside substantially and was able to offset any heat coming in from outside the park. Having made a full circle around the park, we eventually reached our seats, which were located directly behind home plate in the upper deck. The view was perfect and to top off the night, the Orioles won the game. As it turns out, it would be their only win in the three game weekend series. After the game we visited Majerle’s for dinner before making our way back to the condo to face the haunting reality that this would be our last night here.

Saturday June 23:

As usual, the weather would greet us with a bright sun accompanied by very hot temperatures. Seemed hard to believe that just last Saturday at this time we were preparing to depart Baltimore for Arizona. To say that time flew by would be a huge understatement. Our flight today was scheduled to take off at 1:40 PM MT and arrive in Baltimore at 9:05 EST.

We arrived at Sky Harbor a little early, and once we were checked in and cleared security, we decided to grab something to eat before boarding. We then headed to our boarding gate and, as usual, played the waiting game along with hundreds of other travelers. I always was fascinated with airports, and all the people coming and going. One can’t help but wonder from where they’re coming or where they’re going. Also with them they bring such mixed emotions….laughter, crying, anxiety; it’s all so mesmerizing.

Finally, the announcement to board and with a little melancholy on all our parts, I’m sure, we got on the aircraft. Just as on our flight out here, we were unable to sit together, but that didn’t seem to bother any of us. Once we started moving, it wasn’t too long before we were airborne, and at around 2:00 PM we caught our last glimpse of Phoenix, Arizona from the air.

With frightful similarity, the flight home seemed no different than the one out eight days earlier; at least on the surface. But I feel quite certain that deep down inside, we all were experiencing that post vacation blues feeling one gets when the time to return to reality arrives. A little after 9PM we finally landed at BWI, and once again the race for the baggage claim area was on. Sharon was due to pick us up just outside the claim area, and after retrieving our luggage we kept waiting for the golf clubs to arrive. After a few minutes I discovered a sign pointing to a special cargo area, so I decided to check it out for the heck of it. I wasn’t disappointed as all three golf bags were the only ones lying on that belt. And with that, we met Sharon out front for the trip home.

When we think back on our life experiences, they will probably be measured in many ways. For me, this trip will always carry fond memories of how much enjoyment we all got out of it. Whether it was the food, the sites, the heat, the city, Walt, or even the golf, for that matter; I’m sure it’s safe to say that we all enjoyed ourselves immensely.