Dynamo: LA, KC, & Columbus

Wow, it has been quite a while since I've updated this blog. I apologize, as with all my work travels, my life has been crazy. To give you an idea, I was last in the office on 29Apr2013, and I didn't return to the office until 24Jun2013! I was pretty much on daily travel, including weekends and away Dynamo games!

The match against LA the first Saturday in May was good. We had about 30 people in our Dynamo away section. It should be noted that since this was a MLS regular season game, our section was pretty chill. For example, we sat the whole time because there were people behind us. One of my friends noted the atmosphere was quite different, as it was her first time at a non-playoff game. It started sprinkling during the game, and I've never seen a crowd leave so quickly, as if they'd melt. I'd definitely consider LA full of fair weather fans. I should also mention Angel City Brigade, a few sections over, allowed us to tailgate with them; we also tend to sing similar chants.

I should note the night before the game we decided to go to Laguna Beach. We met with the American Outlaws national Chapter Chairman/Travel Manager, Brian. We went to Club Bounce and had a good time. Laguna Beach is about an hour with no traffic from Torrance, CA (where the stadium is located), so I can see why he doesn't attend LA MLS games. We also hopped around the strip, and it was a good time. It was a bit chilly, and one of the restaurants gave us blankets while on the rooftop. The view was spectacular.

Logistically, this trip was cheap for me. Work paid for my flights and rental car (since I had to be in Torrance for work the Friday before the game anyway, then Sacramento the following Tuesday). I used hotel points at the Hampton Inn off of Albertoni street. It's not the Ritz Carlton, but it's a cheap hotel (12,500 points/night vs. the usual 25,000) that is RIGHT off of the freeway. I have learned that this is a must, especially in LA when you're constantly driving. Some friends were staying at the Marriott Torrance (where the team stayed), but the Marriott was about 20 minutes from the freeway. LA sprawls, so it's best to minimize the amount of driving time when possible by staying closer to the freeway. I've always had great service at this Hampton Inn (stayed three times now) despite the fact it's run by Asians. There's free breakfast, wi-fi, and parking.

Within the same month, I went to Kansas City during Memorial Weekend for the Dynamo game. This time I road-tripped it with KH & MF. It's about a 12-hour drive (including stops). We rode in MF's SUV, and we probably filled up for gas about 3 times during the trip. Each tank cost about $40-$50, but it's still cheaper than flying if you consider the aggregate total we would've spent on flights. The most memorable part of the drive was driving through Moore, OK where the tornados had recently hit. The amount of destruction can't be explained well using words. It was strange that an entire subdivision was demolished, but a subdivision next door was fine. It's definitely a sight you won't forget.

We stayed at the Best Western - Kansas City Inn for a total of $210.44 for two nights. I had reserved the room back in January when the MLS schedule was first released. I think others may have paid more as the date approached. We had stayed at this Best Western last year, and they provided shuttle service to the power and light district. This year, they did not provide shuttle service due to new management. Therefore, I no longer recommend staying at this hotel.

Saturday night (before game day) we hung out with a few Cauldron people at Johnny's Tavern (also the American Outlaws KC chapter's bar). If you've never been to Johnny's, you should go. Service and prices are decent. It's also located in a courtyard of bars called "KC Live," which is a great setup. The courtyard, surrounded by bars, has couches, a fountain, and a big screen tv. It's where events are shown, e.g. the World Cup or NCAA final four tournament. There is no cover past 8pm or 9pm. Often, if you enter the front door of Johnny's (no cover), you can exit through the back, get your hand stamped, and enter the courtyard. You can also bring your drink from bar to bar, as long as it's not in a glass container. [Johnny's will provide plastic cups upon exit.]

I have to admit the game isn't very memorable to me because I was drumming. Whenever I drum for the games, I don't really get to watch. I was the only drummer (had a bass drum). Logistically, things went smoothly. It's funny how security gently shook the drum to ensure I wasn't sneaking anything in. Frankly, I wouldn't have even thought of opening the drum to put contraband!

After the game, we went to the members bar, which is very cool. It is the one thing I wish BBVA Compass Stadium has, but that's okay because we have air conditioned bathrooms (a must in Houston!). Apparently during games, prices at the members bar in Sporting KC's stadium are very cheap. I've heard you can get $3 hamburgers, etc., but I can promise you the hard liquor drinks are very pricey! From the members bar, we went to Johnny's again, and had a good time. The drive back from KC was nothing memorable, which in some ways is a blessing, considering last year's fiasco.

Within the same week, I followed the Dynamo to Columbus on 01Jun2013. Since I had to be in Columbus for work the following Monday, I might as well go to the game! Columbus has been the hardest stadium to obtain a ticket, in my opinion. I had my eye on Columbus for a few months prior to the game. You can't buy a single game ticket online, and when you use the automated system, you get re-directed to a ticket master agent who won't know anything about the stadium. I lied through the automated prompts, finally got someone who works for Crew, and he was able to give me a great seat for less than $30 - four rows up from the field, right next to where the Dynamo warm up. Emailing does not work, as there is no general email address for ticket sales; individual reps' email addresses are listed online. So, you have to call.

Since I went solo, I was surrounded by Crew fans (not supporters) who were mostly families, so I didn't have any trouble. There were a handful of Dynamo guys one section over, but I didn't know who they were. We tied the game, and we were both lucky. Crew had lost their greatest player due to injury; the Dynamo only had 2-3 of their usual starters due to injury. It's just that time in the season when players' bodies are wearing out, understandably.

The next morning I went to the reserves game. We won 1-0. For the most part, I stood at the top, hiding in the shade (I'm a wuss, what can I say), but for the last 15 minutes, I managed to gather some courage and sit with the Dynamo players. I'm typically not a shy person, but I always am around players because I don't want to invade their personal space. I'm glad I went.

From the reserves game, I went to the Fourth Street Bar & Grill to watch the USMNT vs Germany friendly in DC with fellow American Outlaws. Oddly, the bar was not packed at all, and I was surprised. I was there last year during the Jamaican WCQ, so I've been shoulder to shoulder there. I still had a good time. I've learned whenever you buy beer for people, people greet you with open arms.

Columbus was cheap for me because I'd just flown from Evansville, IN. It was $600 cheaper for me to flying directly from IN (including another night's hotel and car rental) versus going home from IN and flying back up to OH. I stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn near OSU. It was my first time staying in this area (have stayed downtown, near the airport, and who knows where else), and I liked it. The service was great, and there was coin laundry (a must for me, as I had been on the road for a while). The OSU area is a great, cheaper alternative to staying downtown. It's only about 10 minutes from the stadium and about 10 minutes from the AO bar. It's also easier to run errands, e.g. grocery shop or go to the liquor store, versus downtown because you don't have to worry about street or paid parking.

So, those are the last three Dynamo away games I've been to. I will write about the June USMNT home WCQs next!

Houston Dynamo Away Trips

Now that I've got two caps under my belt this year for Dynamo away games (Charleston and Dallas, although the latter is arguably really a home game), it's time to start looking ahead at the MLS schedule more closely. Every year when the MLS reschedule is released, I sit and plan. Admittedly, I am focusing more on USMNT this year versus Dynamo mainly because the USMNT don't play much every year, so might as well take advantage this year. I've also pretty much depleted all my free United miles on world cup qualifiers and Gold Cup (spent 97,500 miles), so this means I'll need to penny-pinch like a normal person (for once) when it comes to club games.

May 5th in LA - This will be my next Dynamo game, as I was able to schedule a site visit in Torrance, CA. [Conveniently, I have a site near Home Depot Center!] Thus, my flights and car rental are paid. However, I did have to scrounge for two nights of hotel (since understandably work will not pay for the extra nights I want to stay), so I used points for a free room at the Hampton right next to the stadium. It's the same hotel we used during MLS cup. Hamptons are probably on the lowest on the totem pole of the Hilton chain, but they have free breakfast and wifi. This particular hotel also only costs 12,500 points/night as opposed to the usual 25K, which helps immensely. I'll be hanging out with KH & MF; David will also drive from San Diego as well.

May 26th in KC - I am driving with MF and KH; it's about a 10-12hr drive from Houston. Could I have flown? Yes, but I didn't want to. Had I tried to schedule flights around a site visit I would've technically been working on a Saturday and a holiday, which I didn't want to do. I can ask for compensation time everytime I work weekends, but asking for too much compensation time raises management's eyes, so it's best that I don't. I also think it will be a fun trip this year with people who are easy to travel with. This is key when taking a road trip. If something goes wrong (God forbid), you need to have adaptable companions with pleasant demeanors. To give an idea of how long ago I planned ahead, I reserved a Best Western  that provides shuttle service to the power and light district on 12Jan2013 (about $105/night including taxes). I should note there's a difference between "reserving" and "booking" a room in my mind. The former means you pay at check-out, and the latter means you've paid in advance. I typically choose the former, as it's not that much more expensive to do.

Sept 1st in Chicago - On Tuesday, I found a United round trip IAH to ORD flight for $258.30 (travel on Saturday, return on Monday, so no vacation time used), which is a great deal. Some have advocated the use of Spirit Airlines ($220 round trip), but by the time you add the $35 carry-on luggage fee each way and pay for an assigned seat, it's about the same price as United (even if you paid a check-in luggage fee on United). I have flown Spirit once and will never again unless forced. They're quite unorganized; one passenger was moved seats five times (so don't choose a random seat)! I reserved a Best Western near Michigan Mile on 08Jan2013 for $166.57/night (including taxes). I doubt I'll have enough hotel points to even try to get a free room by then, but we'll see. I can always cancel the hotel. Chicago is one of the few cities where I will not book a rental car, as they have an excellent public transportation system that will take you easily to the airport and Toyota Park. I always chuckle because you take the orange line to Toyota Park.

Those are the only Dynamo trips I have set in stone so far. I really wanted to go to Columbus and NY in June, but at this point, I don't know what site visits I can schedule. I am 80% certain I can schedule site visits so that I can attend the Philly and Boston games in September, as well as the DC game in October. That would make a total of 8 regular season caps, which isn't bad. I believe this was my total number of Dynamo away games last year (although I don't really keep count). Hopefully we'll make MLS playoffs; of course I will attend as many of those games as possible.

If you're a Houston Dynamo fan, feel free to contact me if you'd like to meet on the road!

It's Been A While

I've totally neglected this blog, and I accept full responsibility. Work keeps me quite busy, as I'm now traveling 5-6 days per week. The life on the road can be tiring at times, but my alternative is to sit at a desk in a cubicle. So, I choose the life on the road. This also means I am racking up miles, car rental points, and hotel rewards. My company will also fly me anywhere on a weekend, as long as it's cheaper than coming home - score!

Since my last entry, I've attended the following games:

October 27, 2012 - Houston Dynamo vs. Crapids was in Denver for our last regular MLS season game. We lost, but we played our entire reserve team, since we already knew at the time that we were going to the playoffs. It was cold, but not as chilly as you would think. We stayed in a studio apartment right off of 16th Street Mall thanks to a co-worker; his complex keeps an extra apartment for rent ($40 first day, $20 each subsequent night). The highlight of the game was when the Houston Dynamo academy players joined the Texian Army section and immediately started, "Oooooohhhh puuuuttooooo!" We were flabbergasted that the young-ins were using such language, but they had a great time.

November 11, 2012 - Houston Dynamo vs DC United for the Eastern Conference Final in DC. We won, so it was a great game. We stayed with some friends who are Screaming Eagles, but we met through American Outlaws (they're country over club). It was cold, but not bad. RFK sold hot cocoa and funnel cakes; no matter what anyone criticizes about the stadium, selling those two items at the same booth gets an A+ in my book. Because our friends lived in Aldie, VA it was cheaper for us to rent a car through Thifty for $60 versus taking another form of ground transportation to/from the airport (no public transportation available).

December 1, 2012 - Houston Dynamo vs LA Galaxy for MLS Cup in LA. I was with David, so it was a good time. We stayed at the Hampton Inn near the Home Depot Center, since it was a free room. He drove from San Diego, so no rental car was needed. We had our second date at a nearby Italian restaurant, which was pretty good, thanks to Yelp. The night before party was at Naja's on a harbor, which was okay. They only serve beer, had one cider, and that was it. It's also a small place, so we didn't stay long. The game was the next day; we managed to see Amy and Robert from AO Detroit. Although they were wearing LA Galaxy gear, they admitted they were posers (country over club). Houston Dynamo lost, but we still had a good time. I left immediately after the game to come back home to Houston. Since kickoff was at 3:30PM, catching a 7-8PM flight was perfect timing and also a cheap flight on Southwest.

January 29, 2013 - USMNT vs Canada friendly in Houston. As of November or December of last year, I am Vice President of the American Outlaws Houston Chapter. This was our first USA game under new chapter leadership, and we had a blast. A lot of planning was involved, but well worth it. We tied this game, but that's okay, since it didn't really matter. I drummed the whole game, which I enjoyed.

February 23, 2013 - Houston Dynamo vs Charleston Battery for the Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston, SC. Work sent me to SC this particular weekend, so I decided to swing by Charleston, especially since I had a free rental car and hotel room. Due to flight delays, I barely managed to make it at halftime. Of all away games, the Charleston Battery by far is the most difficult to obtain a ticket. I went back and forth intermittently from December to February to determine where the away supporters section is or where the Dynamo bench would be. So, plan early if you want to go to a game. We lost, but it was good to see the men in orange on the field again. Apparently I was on television as the orange backpack.

March 17, 2013 - Houston Dynamo vs FC Dallas for a regular MLS season game in Dallas. I have to admit, I came back to this post just to edit, since I completely forgot about this game, especially since it's like a home game (Houston supporters are always louder). The powers that be wanted me to be in Dallas this weekend since a former college roommate was getting married. As a result, I was able to get the wedding room rate of $89/night at the Marriott near the Dallas Galleria (including parking) for Texian Army, huzzah! Work paid for my rental car because it was cheaper to fly me from Atlanta to Dallas + rental car vs flying home. We lost, but it was still a fun time. The highlight of the trip was making an In-N-Out run for those who took the bus. I ordered 10 cheeseburgers, and of course In-N-Out was pleased. It should be noted the location in Frisco opens at 10AM, not 10:30AM as the website says.

March 22, 2013 - USMNT vs Costa Rica in Denver for a WCQ. I was with David, and we stayed at the co-worker's apartment again. This time the price was $60 for the first night, and $10 each subsequent night. It's still very cheap for staying right off of 16th Street Mall. Of all games I have attended, this was the coldest game ever! The referees nearly called the game - that's how much snow was accumulating. Words cannot really describe the experience, but it's definitely a game I will never forget!

And so, that brings us to the end of March. Stay tuned for other travel plans this year!