15. Target Field - August 5, 2018

This was the start to the one and only baseball trip I made this year. I was joined by my friends Damian and Evan. Our other friend Chris couldn't make it.

We started by flying into Minnesota, driving down to Milwaukee and then over to Chicago before going home. Minnesota has a decent downtown but it's not a major city like a Los Angeles or New York.

We stayed in an inn just outside the city, in Roseville. Wasn't the best area but it was cheap, which is all I care about. The stadium was easy to get to. Just a couple of turns and onto the highway. There wasn't a lot of traffic for a gameday. Then again, the game was on a Sunday afternoon.

There were a lot of parking garages and for cheap, considering how close we were to the stadium. The garage we parked at was, I believe, $13 for 10 hours. Not that bad. It was also connected to the SkyWalk.

The Minnesota skyline

The SkyWalk is a cross-city elevated walkway that allows you to get to most of the major attractions without having to be outside. And, for it being August, this was a welcome treat to us. You could walk to US Bank Stadium, home to the Vikings, or Target Field and Target Center, where the Timberwolves (NBA) and Wild (NHL) play.

The negative about the area was that there weren't a lot of places to eat. Again, it could be because it was early Sunday, but we had to settle for Starbucks before the game. If you go see a night game, there are a few pubs and restaurants to eat at beforehand.

As for the stadium, I was very surprised. I was expecting a basic stadium, like Nationals Park. However, this was my second favorite of the trip.

There is a huge team store in the stadium. A nice open area near the right-field gate with benches and a bar to watch the game. An interactive area for kids.

I took my obligatory picture of the skyline from the upper levels behind home plate. It was a decent skyline with the downtown in the background. The seats were a little steeper compared to the other parks I've visited. There was a big scoreboard in left field and an extra level of bleachers in right.

The view from my actual seat was good. We sat down the third base line, a few sections after the away team's dugout. Seats weren't angled so you had to turn your body to see the infield. MLB did a good job keeping fans protected as the nets extended past the dugouts.

The game featured the matchup of Danny Duffy (KC) against Ervin Santana (MIN). Duffy lasted six innings despite giving up six runs on eight hits and a walk. Santana was pulled after 4.1 innings and three runs.

The view from our seats

The Royals scored first with a two-run home run by Lucas Duda. The Twins came back and took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the second from a Jake Cave grand slam, the first of two we saw on this trip. The Twins scored two more in the fourth.

The Royals slowly crept back and added a run in the fifth and two more in the seventh after a Whit Merrifield home run.

Fernando Rodney, the relief pitcher that always seems to find a job, came in in the ninth and gave up two hits before locking it down and recording the save. For two bad teams, this was an entertaining game.

After the game, we drove to the Mall of America. This place is HUGE! We actually went back the next day to do some things we missed. There are four Lids stores, two mini-golf courses, an indoor go-kart and arcade place and much more.

And now time for the award-winning Hot Dog review. The dog I ate had a nice crunch, a lot of chopped onions. Had to use yellow mustard instead of brown. It was really good.

Overall, I enjoyed this stadium. It's very open. The concourse is nice. Good views up top. The lower level seats are angled towards the infield, making it easier to see the action. Definitely one to check out soon.