Touring with the Mets

[Willets Point]

Each season I try to make at least one trip to see the Mets play on the road so I can visit Major League ballparks as well as see different parts of this great land of ours. This year I will be visiting a ballpark, city, and state I've never been too: Milwaukee! Probably not the top tourist destination but It looks like a fun place to spend a weekend watching baseball and drinking beer, and maybe TransMonk's band will be playing a gig.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Milwaukee is actually a very nice town - it's extremely pleasant, and the baseball fans are very knowledgeable. We had a very nice time there in 2002 - I recommend it.


Edited - I meant to say baseball fans, not baseball plans.

[Farmer Ted]

The Farmer Teds make an annual pilgrimmage to Milwaukee for the Mets series. Monk even went to the same game as we did last year, but didn't find out until afterward.
Miller Park is nice. Good views and the fans aren't hard asses. The tailgating is top notch so show up early and grill some Brats and dogs. TGIFriday's opens early and is located in left field. You can watch the home team BP before heading down to watch the Mets BP.
As for Milwaukee, the good news is you can get there in 90 minutes from Chicago! Maybe a brewery tour of some sort can fill some time.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Is there still post-postseason exhibition baseball in Japan in November? I remember years ago MLB would send players to Japan to play against Japanese players. It was kind of like a barnstorming tour. (The Mets went in 1974.)

Anybody know?

[soupcan]

That's fine but why friggin' Milwaukee?

Ya got:

San Diego - Balmy, pleasent and sunny 75 degrees all the time!
Phoenix - Hot and dry
Miami - South Beach and Cuban sandwiches
Houston - Mosquitos as big as helicopters I'm told
Los Angeles - The City of Angels and Hollywood starlets, not to mention palm trees in the outfield.
Denver - Rocky Mountain Oysters, Coors drafts and purple mountain majesty.
Chicago - Wrigley and steakhouses.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

The NL cities I most enjoy visiting are Chicago and San Francisco. But Southern California is awfully darn nice; you can't go wrong with L.A. or San Diego either.

I've never been to Milwaukee, but it might be very nice. Pittsburgh is nice, so Milwaukee might be nice.

[Frayed Knot]

"That's fine but why friggin' Milwaukee?"

BEER

[Willets Point]

Why not friggin' Milwaukee? There's beer for starters, plus it fit my schedule best.

San Diego - already using vacation time for something in April
Phoenix - prior obligation, don't like hot & dry
Miami -prior obligation for weekend series, vegetarian
Houston - almost did this but decided to save Labor Day for something else, don't like mosquitos
Los Angeles - games on weekdays
Denver - games on weekdays
Chicago - went to Chicago for my 2004 baseball trip (as Farmer Ted will verify)

These will have to wait for another season.

[Guest ABG]

Milwaukee's an allright town, but the stadium is pretty much just a parking lot off the highway--not the great walk-up sorta deal like in Pittsburgh or SF.

It is near a Miller brewery though.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Don't they have beer pretty much everywhere?

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

If you can stand the ezBoard popup ads, here's my report from Miller Park.

[Guest cooby]

Looks like ezboard is still "Ole Reliable". I'll try again later

[Farmer Ted]

I hope you get to see Beltran hit the canoe on the rightfield concourse. We did and it was spectacular.

[Willets Point]

"Hit the canoe" sounds like some kind of euphemism.

[Willets Point]

I see Transmonk online so I'll ask: What's a must-see in Milwaukee?

[TransMonk]

Well, the best thing to do in Milwaukee is Summerfest, which is a 10 day music festival in late June - early August. Walking around downtown is neat, there is some distinctive architecture and the Third Ward is interesting. They have a beautiful zoo and, of course there is the Miller Brewery and a bar every 2 blocks.

If you are for coming into town for a Mets game, I would recommend visting The Pfister Hotel in the morning. Not only is it an historic hotel right downtown, but it's also where the Mets stay and if you're into autographs you will see players departing for the game.

As previously mentioned, the park is a great place to watch a game, but not really near any of Milwaukee's landmarks or sites to see.

Let me know what game you're planning on attending. I plan on seeing one or all of them in Milwaukee and it would be great to meet another Forumite.

[Willets Point]

Thanks.

I'll be there for the Mets games in May. I've got tickets for Friday & Saturday and I might get tickets as a walk-up for the Sunday game.

[Elster88]

Miller Park is a nice place.