Comment

Comment by Dustin Beers (30/9) on May 4, 2015 at 8:13pm

Eric, I was thinking about you and your trip this past weekend.  Glad to hear you had a great time.  Thanks for the info on the drive from Houston to Dallas.  Have a great summer and I hope you get to another park this year.

Comment by Eric Sather (25/31) on May 4, 2015 at 12:21pm

Wanted to post a follow-up now that I have completed my trip!

Dustin Beers - you asked about the Drive.  My friend and I left Houston around 5:30 AM Saturday morning, 5/2.  The drive back to Dallas was a bit long, with not much to see, with fairly spaced out towns between.  It was about 4 hours including stopping for an early lunch.  At that time we had almost no traffic, and we crossed Houston (we were staying near the SE corner of the 610 loop).  Although traffic was stopped Southbound 45 on the NW side of Houston, looked like major construction.  Houston traffic overall is pretty bad. 

Most chasers won't go to Austin, but we had AWESOME bbq at the Salt Lick, which has been featured on "Man vs Food".  We did a lot of driving, this was our final schedule:

4/29 Rangers game vs Mariners, stayed near Arlington. Globe Life has some excellent foot choices.  Missed out on the "Kaboom Kabobs".  They looked overwhelming at first, and when we went back, they were out. 

4/30 Drove to Austin (3 hrs), sightseeing, and saw ZZ Top concert with Jeff Beck.  Stayed in Cedar Park, near the concert venue. Awesome BBQ at the Salt Lick! 

5/1 Drove to Houston (3 hrs), sightseeing, Astros game vs Mariners, stayed in SE Houston. I was not impressed with the food at Minute Maid Park.  Maybe I didn't look hard enough, as the Chaser Guide lists some options I missed. 

5/2 Drove to Dallas (4 hrs) to fly home (Couid have flown home from Houston, but the rental car drop-off charge was a little high).

 

Had a great trip, and it was great to meet fellow chaser Paul Nieuwland at the conference AND the Rangers game!  I would do this trip again in a heartbeat, had a fantastic time! 

Comment by Eric Sather (25/31) on April 16, 2015 at 10:15am

Hey Paul,

Yes, I am going to SAS Global Forum.  Are you presenting, or just attending?  I am doing an "E-poster".  Sounds good to connect there, maybe inbetween sessions or catch lunch or something?  I will send you connection info separately. 

My plans are still the same for the Rangers game on 4/29.  I have asked my friend who purchased the tickets to lookup the seat location.  Still waiting for his response.  I will share those once he responds.  There again, we could at least say "hello" between innings or something! 

Getting excited as the trip is getting closer!

 

Comment by Paul Nieuwland (30/37) on April 8, 2015 at 2:16pm

Eric - are you going to SAS Global forum in Dallas?  I am doing a similar trip.  Conference to Wed, then in the afternoon, going on a tour of AT&T Stadium, and then the Rangers game on Wed night (Apr 29).  Driving to Houston on Thursday, and catching the Astros Thursday night.  Driving back to Dallas on Friday and flying home Friday night.  If you are at SGF, let me know and we should at least compare notes.

I have my ticket for the games already.  Where are you sitting on the 29th for the Rangers games?

Comment by gary faucon (21) on March 5, 2015 at 1:57pm

i too am doing texas at the end of april. i fly to dew on 4/30/15, and arrive late afternoon, depending on my barbecue need and traffic/fatigue, i may drive all the way to the houston area, as that gives me time to visit the nasa center friday morning, i check into the westin that afternoon for a 7:05 game across the street at minute maid, saturday morning it's back on the road to arlington for an evening game at global life, then fly home to ny on sunday. a lot of my trips have been 2 parks in 3 days type, and texas schedule worked out really good for me this year, now way do i go to texas after june 1st, i am not a hot weather person at all

Comment by Eric Sather (25/31) on March 2, 2015 at 1:38pm

Thanks Craig, Scott and Dustin, for the input! I have linked up with a friend who is going to meet me in Dallas, and we have a new plan, which involves even more driving, and a little less baseball, but it should still be fun:

Wed 4/29 - Rangers game vs Mariners, overnight in Dallas.
Thus 4/30 - Drive 190 miles to Cedar Park (Austin) for sightseeing and
ZZ Top Concert, overnight in Austin.
Fri 5/1 - Drive 170 miles to Houston, sightseeing, and watch Astros vs Mariners, overnight in Houston.
Sat 5/2 - Drive 260 miles back to Dallas, and fly home that day.

It's still 2 stadiums, and ZZ Top in Texas sounds pretty cool to me! Just cuts out a second game at one of the stadiums. My friend is picking up the tickets, we know about the on-sale dates, but thanks for mentioning that. Hopefully he already has the tix by now!

Dustin - I will let you know how the drive goes from Houston to Dallas, hope your trip is a good one too!

Comment by Dustin Beers (30/9) on February 27, 2015 at 5:21pm

I am hitting both of these ballparks in June, but going to Atlanta first on the trip, all "new" ballparks for me as well. Tickets went on sale for the Rangers today and the Astros Monday. I got a presale code for the Astros, its "hustle", so you can get your Astros tickets today as well if you would like. I am also driving from Dallas to Houston for a game and then back to Dallas the next day for a Rnagers game. The Chaser Guide says the drive should be about 4 hours, but from what Scott says below I am now a little worried. If you remember, can you let me know how the drive was when you get back. My Rangers game is at 3:05 on the day I have to drive back from Houston and I would like to have a gameplan before I head down. have a great trip Eric. PS, I would head back to Dallas to see an extra game, that ballpark has always been one of my favorites, at least on TV. They should have left the name alone. :)

Comment by Craig (17) on February 24, 2015 at 2:43pm

We love when a work trip can be combined with seeing a new ballpark. Have fun Eric!