Tucson 2001 - Spring Training
Spring Training 2001 was Steve & Karlin's first multi-day trip together. We both hoped each other could stand us for five days. A true relationship test. Steve was wondering if the stories Karlin had been telling about hating to fly and getting really nervous were true. Karlin was wondering if Steve could actually get away from work for five days without having e-mail withdrawal symptoms.
Turned out the flights were smooth and panic free. All was well until we hit the Dollar rental car counter. Our "car" wasn't ready yet so we had to wait by the counter for 10 minutes. Then it was out to the Dollar booth in the lot to wait another 20 minutes for our "car" to arrive. While the booth boy was berating the counter people over the phone, "Don't send them out here until you talk to me", we waited for our Sportage (a cheap Kia SUV) "car" to arrive. I guess the counter folk felt sorry for us as they upgraded us to a full-size Dodge Intrepid, a real car. Our wait was not without humor though as Karlin read the driving instructions to our hotel and proceeds to mention how it will only take us 3 seconds to go 1.6 miles. Actually 0:03 means 3 minutes she is informed.
Turns out the 3 seconds is more approximate as we no sooner exit the airport grounds and our Embassy Suites is right in front of us. Good thing there wasn't much traffic as Steve quickly maneuvers across lanes to barely make the last entrance. We notice something is not right at the hotel immediately upon entering the lobby as a large cloud of dust rises from where the pool is supposed to be. "The pool's closed for a month, renovation" we're informed. We can however use the La Quinta pool next door. How convenient.
After getting our door cards coded we proceed to our room, where Steve begins a trip-long hate affair with the door to our room. He has used these magnetic card keys before and is not a complete moron, but this door refuses to work on the first swipe the entire stay. Steve's frustration with and swearing at the door provides Karlin with much laughter.
Luckily we made the hotel in time for the free happy hour, so its down to the bar area for a couple of cool ones. "Corona" Steve orders. Nice try. Bud & Bud Light are the complementary choices.
We do some shopping prior to the first game and before parking at a mall near the ballfield we notice an older couple who are obviously Rockies fans. They've got the Rockies hats, jackets and seat cushions and are walking towards the ballpark. Not really knowing where it is or how far, we figure if this couple can walk, so can we. Turns out to be a good choice as the three block walk goes right next to the golf course where they're holding the LPGA tournament so we get to watch some of the players hit shots. We also get to watch quite an aerial show from the Air Force base in Tucson. Pairs of A-10 Warthogs are constantly flying overhead, circling around and landing. Our visit to the game becomes a parade of aircraft flying just beyond the park.
The Rockies play at Hi Corbett field, a nice, small, spring training field where you can actually get close enough to the field to see the players. The sun is baking on us so we order a couple of brewskis from a vendor who thinks its cute to clip a couple of peanuts on his ear lobes for earrings. After six innings we deem it time to get some tanning in, so we head back for our lone session of suntanning at the La Quinta.
Our golf day turns out to be the best weather day of the trip. We play at Fred Enke Golf Course, a municipal course in the southeast part of town. The trip there is quite entertaining as we pass right by the Donthan Air Force base and the aircraft storage facility where hundreds of retired aircraft are lined up on acres of land. Unfortunately there is a large berm of dirt surrounding the facility so Steve decides to stand on the roof of the rental car to get a photo, leaving two giant foot dents in the roof. Hope the rental folks don't notice. The golf course is a typical desert course with sand, cactus and scrub brush on both sides and many areas like it that need to be carried to get to the landing areas off the tee or the green. A man and his 10 year-old daughter join us on the first tee, and whoa, they're from Fort Collins too, down for spring break. Tom/Tim asks me how I chose this course to play. I tell him I just picked it at random from looking on the Internet. "You picked the toughest muni in town" he tells us. "Great!" Karlin says as she rifles another shot into the area inhabited by critters with no necks. We actually end up +1 in golf balls from when we started and hit enough good shots during the day to make it real pleasureable. Tom/Tim suggests a Mexican restaurant to eat at, Casa Molina, a family owned place that's been there for years. We're game, so we head there and find a meal that was among the best Mexican dinners we've ever had. The enchilada sauce was so tasty that each bite was a small bit of flavor heaven. We both wipe our plates clean it was so good.
The forecast
for our final day was rain, but the weather/baseball gods were easy on us and only gave
us a cool, partly cloudy day. Karlin's cousin, Korra, came up from Sierra Vista, an hour and a half away,
for the game, and we enjoyed another fine day at the ballpark.
That evening we finish our shopping at a small courtyard mall where Karlin learns a very valuable lesson: don't pet the cactus. Seeing a large cactus adjacent to the walkway that has been de-needled, Karlin decides to see what a needle hole feels like. Not knowing that cactus have many small, almost invisible, needles all over. The ensuing pain from an embedded cactus needle bothers her all through our expensive dinner at the fancy steakhouse, and is not abated till much later in the evening when Steve is finally able to extract it using the tweezers he thoughtfully brought along.
Our stay in Tucson comes to an unfortunate close and we have to return home where a snowstorm is blanketing Denver. Although it was wet and cold, our warm glow from a great vacation together lasts the driving trip back to the Fort.