July 12, 2013
After a great experience in Detroit, we kept marching along on our road trip before arriving in Cleveland, Ohio. Unlike in Detroit, where we got to the game late, we drove into Cleveland with plenty of time before the game. This allowed us to eat at a restaurant right across the street from the stadium that had a great pregame atmosphere, which my dad and I especially loved. Even from here, you could tell the game tonight would be fun.
We finished eating and made our way to the “Rally Alley” in the street behind left field. This was a promotion the Indians held to get people excited for the game, and there were fun giveaways, some trivia and an all-around good time. It really did “rally” us for the game, and before we knew it, it was time to head on in to Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians.
Our seats in the upper deck on the first base side were in the perfect spot, as we had not only a great view of the game but also a fantastic view of downtown Cleveland and Quicken Loans Arena, the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers which is right across the street. To make things even better, it was $1 hot dog night! We weren’t going to let that pass us up, so we made a few trips to the concession stand for the ballpark classic. I had been to $1 hot dog nights before, but something unique here in Progressive Field was the counter they had on the scoreboard keeping track of how many hot dogs were sold. Now that’s fun!
Changing things up a bit, we ended up staying in our seats watching the game for the most part. I got my mini-bat and passport stamp, but apart from the walking before the game, we didn’t walk around all that much. It helped that the game itself was very entertaining, as it remained scoreless until the Indians broke through for three runs in the 7th to secure the victory. Hearing the iconic drum beating in left field was amazing to witness in person after so many years listening on TV, and it sure did get louder with an Indians victory.
A Friday night game also meant Friday night fireworks! Being in Cleveland, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it was fitting that the fireworks were set to rock and roll songs. My mom and I had made our way down to the lower level, and we hurried to get seats to watch the display. The show was breathtaking. It remains the best fireworks show I’ve ever seen to this day by far. The excitement and expectation created before the game eating and in the Rally Alley proved to be correct. While it’s not the most flashy stadium, Progressive Field provided us with an incredibly fun night!
