Monday, August 12, 2013. Houston Astros v. Texas Rangers. Minute Maid Park.
This was such an exciting day for these baseball-loving Bell Boys!!
As we walked along the sidewalk toward the Union Station entrance, we paused to read the names of many amazing Astros of the past!
As soon as Peyton stepped foot in the building, he spotted The Shed, the Official Astros Team Store! He was over-the-moon excited to come out with his very own Astros jersey!!
After Peyton's shopping stop, we joined the pregame ballpark tour group. The tour began in the historical, 45-foot-high, ever impressive Union Station lobby. The tour guide explained how this beautiful entrance to the ballpark, located at the corner of Texas Avenue and Crawford Street, was home to the railroad that created Houston in the early 1900s. We entered the stadium and headed to the uppermost concourse for an "eagle eye view" of the field!
The Astros' home field moved from the landmark Astrodome to Minute Maid Park in the year 2000. One notable difference is that Minute Maid Park allows the Astros to have a real grass playing field instead of the AstroTurf field that was in The Dome. The uniquely designed retractable roof and world's largest sliding glass door (50,000 square feet) are not only exceptional elements, they are also hurricane resistant! The Astros are the first major sports team in Houston to offer high-definition video screens, and the scoreboard video screens are among the largest in the Major Leagues!! Other unique features at the ballpark are the hill and flagpole in centerfield, and the 19th century replica locomotive that runs along a track atop the left field wall each time the Astros celebrate a home run or a win! It hasn't been the Astros best season, but we are hoping to see the train run at least one time at today's game!!
We made our way down to the Club Level where we enjoyed seeing the Astros Wall of Honor, holding a team photo from every year since the teams' inception as Colt 45s through current day! We were also able to take a silent tour through the Press Box as the media prepared for the day's Texas Showdown!!
On the level below, we walked through a suite and enjoyed a view of the field from the "suite seats."
Our favorite stop was our last! The Diamond Club was the most spectacular dining and seating area in the ballpark. It was pretty amazing to see how the big spenders take in a ballgame!
As the Texas Rangers took batting practice, we were able to catch a view of the field from the first row, directly behind home plate.... VERY COOL!
While we enjoyed our front row view, Daddy and Mommy sat in the exact seats that President George Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush used to sit in to enjoy the Astros games!
It was such great fun having an up close and personal view of the players as they prepared for the game!!
Time to leave the luxurious Diamond Club and head to our seats!
Orbit was smiling and waving as we got to our seats... second row behind the Astros dugout!!
We were thrilled that the Japanese pitching sensation Yu Darvish was pitching for the Rangers! It was pretty amazing to see his stretch on the mound as he fired strike after strike over the plate!!
Darvish pitched a phenomenal game, reaching a career-high 15 strikeouts, and delivering a no-hitter into the 8th inning. The only hit against Darvish was a home run by Carlos Corporan.
Despite Darvish's amazing performance, it was a tight ballgame into the 9th inning!
The rally caps in the final inning must have pulled the Rangers through! The Rangers ended the game ahead of our Houston Astros, 2 to 1.
Watching the game was quite exhausting... these two took a short siesta on the way to our dinner destination!
We enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner at The Aquarium Restaurant
After dinner, we made our way through the Aquarium Adventure Exhibit where we saw such a variety of marine life... alligators native to the Louisiana Swamp, colorful fish of the Rainforest, fish native of the Gulf of Mexico, and there was even a spotted stingray!
So many beautiful, and some not-so-beautiful, sea creatures!
At the end of the adventure was a white tiger.
Here us ROAR!!
We were a little unsure as we entered the Stingray Reef, but after watching a few brave souls around us, we decided to dip our hands in and touch the sea creatures!
After that, we hopped on a train and took a ride around The Aquarium grounds...
...and right through the center of a 200,000 gallon shark tank! EEK!!
We made it through the Shark Voyage safe-and-sound, and apparently that wasn't enough of a thrill for Dylan and Wilson... those guys jumped onto the Lighthouse Dive for a high-ride up and then a quick drop down!
Peyton and I had just as much fun taking a load off and watching the daredevils take the plunge!
The view of the Downtown Houston skyline is breathtaking!
Peyton and Wilson took a ride on the Aquatic Carousel before we turned in for the night!
The next morning, we woke up and visited The Children's Museum of Houston. It was the Summer of Epic Adventure at the museum, and Wilson wasn't shy to go on stage and dance with the Superheroes after their "training exercises."
Dylan even made his way onto the stage to meet and greet the superheroes of summer!
We did lots of climbing, riding, playing, and exploring as we made our way through the museum. We even worked as policemen and paper boys in Kidtropolis, USA
We enjoyed playing outside in the FlowWorks exhibit. Lots of water, waves, and splashes to enjoy!
After our visit to the Children's Museum, Mommy and Daddy took Dylan to Texas Children's Urology Clinic for his annual ultrasound and checkup. Everything checked out wonderfully and Mom and Dad took Dylan to one of his favorite places to celebrate... Hard Rock Café for the Bell Family Rock Star!!
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