Since last month, I had planned to go to Philly this weekend because of work. I had purposely scheduled a site visit tomorrow to coincide with the Dynamo vs Philly game. Last Monday, while I was on vacation for the USA vs Mexico game, work decided that I could not go to Philly after all (due to complicated logistical reasons). I found out when I returned to work on Thursday, two days prior to departure.
I was faced with a predicament. What do I do? I had made plans to share a hotel room with Wilson, so I didn't want to bail, but the hotel was cheap. I could afford to eat the cost, but most of all, I REALLY wanted to go to PPL park. I had never been, and who knows if next year the game will jive with my schedule. For all I know, the one away Philly game will be on a weeknight next year, knowing my luck.
So, I started researching. Remember, it's Thursday, two days before departure, and flights aren't cheap. I had enough miles to get to Philly (12,500 on United, connected in Atlanta, and flew US airways for the second leg). Thankfully, unlike US airways, United does allow you to book one way flights. I didn't have enough miles on Delta for a round trip, which costs 40,000 miles (that's a lot!). Frontier Airlines has a CHEAP flight on Mondays, one way from Philly to Houston, for $60, but I can't afford to miss more work.
The return on Sunday was tricky. I started researching one-way flights, and it was EXPENSIVE. Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, United, and Delta were offering flights for about $500. One way. I looked at Kayak, and the cheapest was US airways, about $350. I still wasn't willing to pay that much for a one way flight. I looked at Priceline, but that site always worries me because I'm uncomfortable with giving my information, e.g. TSA known number, before knowing what I am booking. I've been severely burned by Hotwire in the past.
So, I sat and thought. I only needed another 4000 miles to make it home. Surprisingly, there was a direct United flight from Philly to Houston for only 12,500 miles, which is a steal. I bought 4000 miles (cost $150) and booked the round trip. Overall this means, if you consider the aggregate, I paid $150 for a round trip flight to/from Philly two days prior to departure. Not bad!
I landed in Philly yesterday around 5PM and made it to the hotel thanks to the free shuttle. We stayed at a Four Points by Sheraton near the airport. If you've ever been to Philly, you really don't want to stay further south of the airport because you'll end up in a questionable area of town. The airport is the safest and closest area you can stay near PPL park. I decided to use the cash + points option instead of a completely free night because I'm trying to reach SPG platinum status (cash+points stays count towards elite qualification), so I paid $35 for a night. Not bad! As I've written before, Four Points by Sheraton hotels are probably on the bottom rung of SPG hotels, but it was only one night, so the hotel was fine.
We went to a Philly cheesesteak place called Tony Luke's. It was okay. I prefer the Steak and Hoagie Factory in the Somerton area of Philly (northeast portion of the city). I really prefer a toasted baguette and grilled onions in my cheesesteak.
We then went to the game, which was good. We were the only two noticeable orange blobs in the section, which was an approved standing section. At one point a lady asked us to sit down, but we explained the people in front of us were also standing. She and her husband left. Another couple behind us admitted that we had every right to stand but didn't want to become involved in the argument. Apparently there have been altercations in the corner section over standing versus no standing.
Philly fans were interesting. They really don't like their coach, so they booed him during the starting line up announcement. They yell things like "Your team sucks" only when mistakes are made. If you score a goal, they suddenly yell and tell you to sit down. So, it seems they only dislike you when something does not happen in their favor. However, the couple behind us was really nice, and the family in front of us was also really nice. The father of the family thought it was impressive we came just for the game. A couple of fans, as we were leaving, also thought the same.
It's interesting because this was one of the few times we were actually surrounded by Philly fans in a designated away supporters section. While I understand we didn't bring the numbers, I am surprised at the lack of security. If there had been a fight, it would've been every man for himself. We waited until the stadium cleared before leaving for safety reasons. The fans were ANGRY at the referees (disallowed goal), and even though we had nothing to do with it, that anger can sometimes be directed towards the opposition. Nevertheless, we won, and that's what matters.
After the game, we went to Tir Na Nog (same name as the bar in Baltimore's Inner Harbor), chosen because it was downtown and on the official MLS pubs list. We thought we'd be able to watch some of the other MLS games. Instead, some kind of old geezer Irish club was gathering, and bagpipes were a part of the entertainment. We had a couple of drinks and called it a night - nothing wild - but definitely needed to have some post-game celebration drinks.
The plan this morning was to wake up early and head to Reading Terminal Market for breakfast, but that didn't happen. Since we'd gone to bed around 2AM, we slept in. I took a cab to the airport ($10) because I was impatient. I waited for the hotel shuttle (which also served a Sheraton and aloft, two other SPG hotels in the same complex) for about ten minutes. Oh well. It's not like I spend a lot of money anymore.
The entire Houston Dynamo team was on my flight. Coach Dom sat in first class, Ching sat in front of me, and countless others smiled/nodded towards me. I kept saying, "Good game" to them. Brad's reaction was classic as I got out of my seat for the middle person. "Why hello!!! You're all over the place, huh???" he exclaimed. He remembered me from the return flight to Houston from the USMNT match against Mexico. How funny!
So, that was my quick overnight trip. The alternative of staying home would've been boring, so I am glad I went. The trip was worth it especially since bringing home three points is so crucial at this time in the season. I'll write again at the end of this month after my trip to the revs' stadium!
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