Tuesday Talk: Football and Travel - NFL Stadium Review
Today, I’m joining up with Ashley and Erika on their Tuesday Talk linkup which they do every third Tuesday of the month. They say, talk about anything and all the things. Well, today I’m talking football. In my house, football season ended the day my Seahawks did not advance into the post season. (Insert really sad crying face here.) I miss them already so to curb my football withdrawals, I’m making this a travel post about NFL stadiums I’ve visited so far.
A couple years ago, I set a goal to make it to every NFL stadium for a live game during my lifetime. I’ve been to 8 already and I’m loving accomplishing this goal! I collect a pennant flag from each stadium to commemorate crossing each stadium off the list. Today, I’m summarizing my reviews of each stadium that I've visited, then in the future I’ll blog each time I visit a new one.
St. Louis Rams - Edward Jones Dome
My first NFL game was actually a pre-season game when the Rams still belonged to St. Louis and they played the Green Bay Packers. Neither are my team and in fact, the Rams are a division rival to my Seahawks but I was pumped to have gotten free tickets. So I headed to see them and it was so fun seeing actual NFL players in person. This stadium kicked off my stadium tour around the country.
Location: 4 stars – I remember it being easy to get to via taxi. He had to drop us off several blocks away from the stadium and it was drizzling (that was kind of blah but not too bad). However, there were good restaurants along the way and we found a yummy pizza joint near the stadium. That got points with me.
Food: 2 stars – There was nothing spectacular about the food here, and I was really looking for something unique to St. Louis to eat. The only thing I could find was their butter cake and it was not that good in the stadium. Boring!
Overall Experience: 1 star - It was an old dome, nothing fancy or really that fun, and today, it doesn’t even exist so guess you don’t have to worry.
Seattle Seahawks – Centurylink Field
Location: 5 stars - Our stadium is smack in the middle of downtown Seattle and I love when a stadium allows you to feel the city and what it has to offer. You can literally see Puget Sound from the top of the stadium, and walk just blocks to Pike Place Market and other downtown Seattle landmarks. We drive to our tailgate spot, leave our car there, walk a few blocks to the stadium, and then a quick walk back at the end. That means free parking which is always a plus for me in my ratings!
Food: 4 stars – Minus one for being expensive, but I do love that you can get food unique to Seattle. In the stadium, you can grab Ivar’s fish and chips and that’s very Seattle. I upgrade to the garlic fries every time.
Overall Experience: 5 stars – I’m probably biased here because it’s my home stadium so of course, I have a blast whenever I’m at a game. The sound system is good, it’s the loudest stadium in all the NFL so it’s always hype, complete with live band (Blue Thunder), and the announcers keep the stadium really fun throughout the game. I did a whole Centurylink Stadium post that tells you more about why it's fun to watch a game in Seattle!
Washington Redskins – FedEx Field
Location: 1 star – It’s not even in Washington D.C., it’s in Maryland and it was a bit of a drive to the stadium. Then, without a parking pass, good grief, the traffic! And we had to park in an offsite lot for like $40 and frankly, we weren’t sure it was even legit but other people were doing it, so we did it too. Getting out of that dirt lot afterward, took hours.
Food: 1 star – Tommy Rockers was basically the only vendor. When we asked for a burger with no tomatoes, the lady actually said, “You can take your own tomatoes off. We don’t do special orders here.” Well, good thing we weren’t allergic to tomatoes touching our burgers. What the?! It’s the D.C. stadium, I fully expected them to be serving Ben’s Chili Bowl at least!
Overall Experience: 2 stars – I was so disappointed that in my favorite city, the nation’s capital no less, the stadium experience wasn’t great. I sat in the second row on the 45-yard line and the sound system was so bad, I couldn’t even understand the ref even though he was basically right in front of me. The stadium is just old and could use a pick me up! It does get 2 stars for the fact that you can even get, and afford, tickets that close to the field.
Arizona Cardinals – University of Phoenix Stadium
Location: 3 stars – The stadium is in Glendale, outside of Phoenix and there’s nothing around it however, they still got 3 stars because we had a blast hanging out in the stadium district before the game. There was nothing else to do but eat, drink and party in that immediate area outside the stadium, but it was worth doing that. You’re forced to park there since it’s nowhere near anything else, so be ready for expensive parking and long lines in and out, since you just don’t have a choice. Now, if you stay at a nearby hotel, you can just walk over. That would be ideal but the hotel prices were too high in the stadium district.
Food: 3 stars – Just ok, things like chicken sandwiches and burgers.
Overall Experience: 3 stars – honestly, I had a blast watching my Seahawks in Arizona because so many fellow 12s come down when we play the Cards. We partied with fellow Seahawks fans the day before and the morning of the game and it was a great time, so that added to the stadium experience. I would say if you’re a Seahawks fan, it’s worth going to an Away game here. That’s not a far flight from any west coast city and the 12s did it up really good in Arizona!
San Francisco 49ers – Levi Stadium
Location: 3 stars – this is in the boonies, way outside of San Francisco. Took us over an hour to Uber (and over $100) into San Francisco the night before the game we when were looking to enjoy the local scene. If you don’t care about feeling like you’re in the city whose team you’re watching, then you’ll be happy to stay at a hotel outside the stadium and just take the public transportation directly into the stadium. That’s where extra stars come to play. No parking, no far walks, no driving, but be prepared because also nothing to see or enjoy on that ride in.
Food: 4 stars – I enjoyed the food, from the shrimp rolls and shrimp nachos, to the hand scooped ice cream. I didn’t see any chowder in bread bowls (that would be a San Francisco delight) though. They should do that.
Overall Experience: 4 stars – I went the year the stadium opened. It was all shiny and new and modern. They have this one area that’s just a like a huge deck where you can stand around and eat or drink, while mingling, and still see the game. I thought that was a cool addition to a stadium. If you know other people watching the game, but you’re not seated together, you can meet up here and hang out. I ate ice cream up there.
Kansas City Chiefs – Arrowhead Stadium
Location: 3 stars – A lot of traffic driving into the stadium, but there was ample parking and I don’t remember paying an arm and a leg
Food: 3 stars – Just alright, nothing to write home about but not bad either
Overall Experience: 3 stars – Nothing much stood out, it was a good stadium. We went for an afternoon game though in October, and it was sweltering hot. It’s an open stadium so keep in mind the weather. Next time, if I were to return, I would buy seats on the Away side for an afternoon game because that ends up being the side that gets the shadow and the Home side got all the sun. The one thing I do remember is that on the ramp down to the exit, they had metal sidings all the way down and the fans would hit them to celebrate a win and it made this crazy loud, but cool, noise that amped up the crowd. I like fun stuff like that in a stadium that makes it stand out.
Atlanta Falcons – Mercedes Benz Stadium
Location: 5 stars – Right in the heart of downtown Atlanta, it was easy to get to and Uber basically dropped us off right at the gate. However, on the way back, Uber cannot get that close to pick you up because of all the exiting traffic, so we had to walk several blocks and got lucky and found a taxi in traffic. We stayed downtown and so the ride over from our hotel was short and there were tons of restaurants and bars downtown. We only traveled to Atlanta for the game, but I felt like if we wanted to sightsee, that would have been easy to do there too and still not be far from the stadium.
Food: 5 stars – Wow, Atlanta stunned me with this one… I went to the brand new stadium this year after it opened and learned that because the building of the stadium was made possible by so much public funds, the owners promised a “fan friendly” experience within the stadium which meant they kept food and drink prices low. Normally stadium food is outrageous. Well in Atlanta, I thought there was some sort of catch when nothing on the menu was more than $5. There were even unlimited soda refills for $2! What? No other stadium provides that, and I hope others will follow suit. The food was also tasty. I had a Portobello burger and I always appreciate vegetarian options. Atlanta got major points with me for their food situation.
Overall Experience: 5 stars – It’s the newest stadium in the NFL and it didn’t disappoint. The sound system was incredible. I was so impressed with their intro right before kickoff with Samuel Jackson getting the crowd hype. It worked! The huge screens above the field were truly fantastic and the seats and the view from even the high bowl were really good. Atlanta is winning (well their stadium anyway, not their team. They fold under pressure, but anyhoo, I digress).
Los Angeles Rams – USC Coliseum
Location: 3 stars – easy to get to via Uber but it’s not in a great part of town and you have to walk blocks through “difficult” neighborhoods to pick up an Uber on the way back, but still a location will always get good points with me if I don't have to pay to park
Food: 3 stars – standard stadium food and expensive but nothing bad; popcorn, hot dogs, burgers, etc.
Overall Experience: 3 stars – it’s old and it's a college stadium but it’s only the Rams’ temporary home. Even though it was old, and certainly not NFL caliber, it’s a legendary stadium, being the home of USC so somehow the college charm made it more acceptable. Also since it’s the former home of my favorite Coach Pete Carroll in his Trojan days prior to being hired in the NFL, I appreciated it. Even though the Rams are a division rival, it’s a wonder I’ve been to see them in two cities. It’s only because they played my Seahawks in LA that I went to watch, otherwise I would have moved on to a new NFL stadium in another city this season. However, traveling to LA is super easy (and cheap from most west coast locations), so this game was very easy to plan.
Well, that’s how I’m doing on my stadium goal so far. I would say not bad, over just a few years. I love this lifetime goal of mine and can’t wait to get to more stadiums next season. If you’re an NFL fan, I say get out to a live game, for the love of football! There’s nothing like it!
Happy travels everyone, and watch out for my Seahawks next season. We’ll be back! Go Hawks!
A couple years ago, I set a goal to make it to every NFL stadium for a live game during my lifetime. I’ve been to 8 already and I’m loving accomplishing this goal! I collect a pennant flag from each stadium to commemorate crossing each stadium off the list. Today, I’m summarizing my reviews of each stadium that I've visited, then in the future I’ll blog each time I visit a new one.
St. Louis Rams - Edward Jones Dome
Location: 4 stars – I remember it being easy to get to via taxi. He had to drop us off several blocks away from the stadium and it was drizzling (that was kind of blah but not too bad). However, there were good restaurants along the way and we found a yummy pizza joint near the stadium. That got points with me.
Food: 2 stars – There was nothing spectacular about the food here, and I was really looking for something unique to St. Louis to eat. The only thing I could find was their butter cake and it was not that good in the stadium. Boring!
Overall Experience: 1 star - It was an old dome, nothing fancy or really that fun, and today, it doesn’t even exist so guess you don’t have to worry.
Seattle Seahawks – Centurylink Field
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My first home game SEA vs. CHI, I sat 2nd row with my two football loving cousins who got me into football.
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Food: 4 stars – Minus one for being expensive, but I do love that you can get food unique to Seattle. In the stadium, you can grab Ivar’s fish and chips and that’s very Seattle. I upgrade to the garlic fries every time.
Overall Experience: 5 stars – I’m probably biased here because it’s my home stadium so of course, I have a blast whenever I’m at a game. The sound system is good, it’s the loudest stadium in all the NFL so it’s always hype, complete with live band (Blue Thunder), and the announcers keep the stadium really fun throughout the game. I did a whole Centurylink Stadium post that tells you more about why it's fun to watch a game in Seattle!
Washington Redskins – FedEx Field
Location: 1 star – It’s not even in Washington D.C., it’s in Maryland and it was a bit of a drive to the stadium. Then, without a parking pass, good grief, the traffic! And we had to park in an offsite lot for like $40 and frankly, we weren’t sure it was even legit but other people were doing it, so we did it too. Getting out of that dirt lot afterward, took hours.
Food: 1 star – Tommy Rockers was basically the only vendor. When we asked for a burger with no tomatoes, the lady actually said, “You can take your own tomatoes off. We don’t do special orders here.” Well, good thing we weren’t allergic to tomatoes touching our burgers. What the?! It’s the D.C. stadium, I fully expected them to be serving Ben’s Chili Bowl at least!
Overall Experience: 2 stars – I was so disappointed that in my favorite city, the nation’s capital no less, the stadium experience wasn’t great. I sat in the second row on the 45-yard line and the sound system was so bad, I couldn’t even understand the ref even though he was basically right in front of me. The stadium is just old and could use a pick me up! It does get 2 stars for the fact that you can even get, and afford, tickets that close to the field.
Arizona Cardinals – University of Phoenix Stadium
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| 12s in Arizona took over one of the major bars outside the stadium |
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| Apparently I was too busy having a reunion outside the stadium to take a picture inside! |
Location: 3 stars – The stadium is in Glendale, outside of Phoenix and there’s nothing around it however, they still got 3 stars because we had a blast hanging out in the stadium district before the game. There was nothing else to do but eat, drink and party in that immediate area outside the stadium, but it was worth doing that. You’re forced to park there since it’s nowhere near anything else, so be ready for expensive parking and long lines in and out, since you just don’t have a choice. Now, if you stay at a nearby hotel, you can just walk over. That would be ideal but the hotel prices were too high in the stadium district.
Food: 3 stars – Just ok, things like chicken sandwiches and burgers.
Overall Experience: 3 stars – honestly, I had a blast watching my Seahawks in Arizona because so many fellow 12s come down when we play the Cards. We partied with fellow Seahawks fans the day before and the morning of the game and it was a great time, so that added to the stadium experience. I would say if you’re a Seahawks fan, it’s worth going to an Away game here. That’s not a far flight from any west coast city and the 12s did it up really good in Arizona!
San Francisco 49ers – Levi Stadium
Location: 3 stars – this is in the boonies, way outside of San Francisco. Took us over an hour to Uber (and over $100) into San Francisco the night before the game we when were looking to enjoy the local scene. If you don’t care about feeling like you’re in the city whose team you’re watching, then you’ll be happy to stay at a hotel outside the stadium and just take the public transportation directly into the stadium. That’s where extra stars come to play. No parking, no far walks, no driving, but be prepared because also nothing to see or enjoy on that ride in.
Food: 4 stars – I enjoyed the food, from the shrimp rolls and shrimp nachos, to the hand scooped ice cream. I didn’t see any chowder in bread bowls (that would be a San Francisco delight) though. They should do that.
Overall Experience: 4 stars – I went the year the stadium opened. It was all shiny and new and modern. They have this one area that’s just a like a huge deck where you can stand around and eat or drink, while mingling, and still see the game. I thought that was a cool addition to a stadium. If you know other people watching the game, but you’re not seated together, you can meet up here and hang out. I ate ice cream up there.
Kansas City Chiefs – Arrowhead Stadium
Food: 3 stars – Just alright, nothing to write home about but not bad either
Overall Experience: 3 stars – Nothing much stood out, it was a good stadium. We went for an afternoon game though in October, and it was sweltering hot. It’s an open stadium so keep in mind the weather. Next time, if I were to return, I would buy seats on the Away side for an afternoon game because that ends up being the side that gets the shadow and the Home side got all the sun. The one thing I do remember is that on the ramp down to the exit, they had metal sidings all the way down and the fans would hit them to celebrate a win and it made this crazy loud, but cool, noise that amped up the crowd. I like fun stuff like that in a stadium that makes it stand out.
Atlanta Falcons – Mercedes Benz Stadium
Location: 5 stars – Right in the heart of downtown Atlanta, it was easy to get to and Uber basically dropped us off right at the gate. However, on the way back, Uber cannot get that close to pick you up because of all the exiting traffic, so we had to walk several blocks and got lucky and found a taxi in traffic. We stayed downtown and so the ride over from our hotel was short and there were tons of restaurants and bars downtown. We only traveled to Atlanta for the game, but I felt like if we wanted to sightsee, that would have been easy to do there too and still not be far from the stadium.
Food: 5 stars – Wow, Atlanta stunned me with this one… I went to the brand new stadium this year after it opened and learned that because the building of the stadium was made possible by so much public funds, the owners promised a “fan friendly” experience within the stadium which meant they kept food and drink prices low. Normally stadium food is outrageous. Well in Atlanta, I thought there was some sort of catch when nothing on the menu was more than $5. There were even unlimited soda refills for $2! What? No other stadium provides that, and I hope others will follow suit. The food was also tasty. I had a Portobello burger and I always appreciate vegetarian options. Atlanta got major points with me for their food situation.
Overall Experience: 5 stars – It’s the newest stadium in the NFL and it didn’t disappoint. The sound system was incredible. I was so impressed with their intro right before kickoff with Samuel Jackson getting the crowd hype. It worked! The huge screens above the field were truly fantastic and the seats and the view from even the high bowl were really good. Atlanta is winning (well their stadium anyway, not their team. They fold under pressure, but anyhoo, I digress).
Los Angeles Rams – USC Coliseum
Location: 3 stars – easy to get to via Uber but it’s not in a great part of town and you have to walk blocks through “difficult” neighborhoods to pick up an Uber on the way back, but still a location will always get good points with me if I don't have to pay to park
Food: 3 stars – standard stadium food and expensive but nothing bad; popcorn, hot dogs, burgers, etc.
Overall Experience: 3 stars – it’s old and it's a college stadium but it’s only the Rams’ temporary home. Even though it was old, and certainly not NFL caliber, it’s a legendary stadium, being the home of USC so somehow the college charm made it more acceptable. Also since it’s the former home of my favorite Coach Pete Carroll in his Trojan days prior to being hired in the NFL, I appreciated it. Even though the Rams are a division rival, it’s a wonder I’ve been to see them in two cities. It’s only because they played my Seahawks in LA that I went to watch, otherwise I would have moved on to a new NFL stadium in another city this season. However, traveling to LA is super easy (and cheap from most west coast locations), so this game was very easy to plan.
Well, that’s how I’m doing on my stadium goal so far. I would say not bad, over just a few years. I love this lifetime goal of mine and can’t wait to get to more stadiums next season. If you’re an NFL fan, I say get out to a live game, for the love of football! There’s nothing like it!
Happy travels everyone, and watch out for my Seahawks next season. We’ll be back! Go Hawks!
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