Yesterday's adventure was no longer running from my fears and anxiety--I went right into it.
One of the MLB stadiums remaining on my list yet to visit is the Washington Nationals. It's an "outlier" in my travels, and I just couldn't figure a simple way to get there. The Universe set it all up for me. Yesterday, while I'm in the Philadelphia area, the Nationals had a home afternoon game, so that I could take the train there, go the the game, and return on the train all in one day. I planned this over a month ago, buying train and game tickets for this solo adventure. And so the angst began, with my magic magnifying mind thinking of all the possible pitfalls and dangers.
I was determined to let Spirit and my angels handle it. I had to stay connected to something bigger than me besides Google. Here's the play-by-play (pun intended):
The 30-mile drive from Collegeville to the Phila train station was fine. There was plenty of traffic, but I had allowed myself extra time during rush hour. The parking area where I thought I could park had a sign at the entrance which says "No Public Parking," so I had to drive around searching for parking. Those who saw my license plate were mostly kind to the dumb ass Kansas driver. (That saying a lot in Phila.) The constant beeping of my Google Maps changing directions nearly caused me to throw my phone out the window. I finally found a lot one block from the train station. I parked, paid the machine, took my receipt, and headed for the station.
I had time to spare, and the train was on time, leaving Phila just before 9:00 am. I am completely lulled by the swaying of a train, and had a little snooze on the way south. That relaxed me a lot. There was a mixed bag of industrial and natural scenery on the way. We arrived at Union Station just before 11:00 am. Wow, that place is HUGE and beautiful. I had thought to take the subway to the stadium, but found a bunch of taxis outside, so I took the easy and scenic way to Nationals Park. The bonus was seeing the Capitol, Supreme Court, Senate Office Building and other sites along the way.
It was two hours till game time, so I roamed the area around the stadium and found a brewpub where I could sit outside to enjoy an IPA and slice of pizza. It was the perfect day for baseball, 72 degrees with brilliant cloud-free sunny skies.
I made my way into the park and spent most of an hour exploring it, as is my habit on these baseball adventures. Covid had caused quite a few changes. Only the vendors on the main level were open. There were no cash transactions. You had to pre-order using a smart phone app. Capacity was limited so that the attendance count ended up at 8,710. Many seats were blocked off with zip-ties. There was no one seated within arms reach of me, but then I bought an upper deck seat to encourage that. It was a great seat, however, right above first base.
The Nats hit two two-run homers, and Patrick Corbin pitched a great game, so that was enough to sink the Phillies. It was joy indescribable to be back in the ballpark!
I had hoped to find another cab after the game, but that was not "in the cards." However, I was right next to a subway station so I decided to give it a shot. I asked some young men in front of me to help me purchase the pass. They were so kind and helpful, and I noted that the most helpful one called me "miss" rather than "ma'am." 😉😉 I was on the escalator down to the train when a man (angel!!!) next to me said, "How's it going?" I grimaced and grumbled, he asked what was wrong. I told him where I was going and that I didn't know which train direction to take. He pointed and said, "Take that one, and change to the red line at Gallery Place." Yep, that was it. I did that, and ended up right back at Union Station. I truly believe he was an angel in disguise.
I bought a light supper and ate while waiting for the train back to Phila. It was on time, and off we went, just after 6:00 pm. My only worry at that point--I looked at my parking receipt and it said to leave it on the dash of the car. Dang. Would my car still be there? Would they have mercy on the Kansas dumb ass? Once again, I turned it over to the angels, because really, at that point, there was nothing I could do. The train arrived at the station just before 8:00 pm. I hoofed it to the parking lot and there was my car, no nasty stickers or anything. I headed back to my nephew's house, exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. Reading this, you know I made it back safely. I slept like the dead.
What an adventure! I'm so glad I went!
24 down, 6 to go!!!
Leta
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| Nationals Park, May 13, 2021 |
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