USMNT Gold Cup: After Portland thru Salt Lake City

After returning from Portland last week on Wednesday, I went to Minute Clinic in the Pacific Beach area of San Diego. I had what I thought was a severe hives outbreak, but it turns out it was a case of scabies. Gross!!! The outbreak had started the first morning I woke up in San Diego (after Independence Day) and continually had become worse. Even with the best of hygiene, one can get scabies, I learned. Those who travel are more prone to scabies, and there’s nothing you can do to prevent it. I guess I got lucky! Thank goodness for nationwide insurance and doc-in-the-boxes! 

As a result, I have learned while traveling that prescription or over-the-counter medications do not have to be included in the one-Ziplock bag with the rest of your toiletries while going through security at airports. Furthermore, a doctor’s note is not necessarily needed either (though I had the clinic visit summary, just in case). Medications do not have to comply with the three-ounce rule, as the both the scabies cream and calamine lotion are over three ounces. These are things to know while traveling, as you never know what kind of situation you may have. Luckily I brought an extra box of Ziplock bags (great cell phone covers when it rains), although a number of airports will provide them (especially the smaller airports). 

So, in a nutshell, that’s why I currently look like I have leprosy, but the outbreak has subsided as of two days ago, thank goodness. Now I’m in the process of healing the wounds. A nightly bath with epsom salt is helpful, although if you happen to travel with four pounds (that’s all Ralph’s had in San Diego), TSA will search your luggage. They most likely think it’s fertilizer or some kind of bomb contribution. 

On Thursday in San Diego, we went to the zoo. I have never wanted to go to another city’s zoo, except San Diego. I now know why it’s the best in the USA. Not only is there a lot of research, but the layout is vibrant compared to Houston’s zoo. There are lots of steep trails, so get ready for some walking and light hiking! Our $44 ticket also included unlimited bus and aerial cable car rides. It was definitely worth the money!

Friday early morning, we departed for Salt Lake City on Southwest Airlines (SAN-PHX-SLC for $140 one-way). We were a bit early arriving (around noon), and the hotel wouldn’t have a room for us until 1:30PM. This is something to keep in mind when scheduling flights. Hotels, especially on weekends, may not be able to accommodate very early check-ins. Nevertheless, we went grocery shopping and had lunch at a wonderful place called Tony Caputo’s. It’s an intimate, non-corporate (important to me while traveling!) deli. They serve entrees, salads, soups, etc. (all made freshly) and also sell meats and cheeses. I had linguini with clam sauce (came with a salad and bread roll) for less than $10. Most impressive of all, a signed Beckerman USMNT jersey is used as decoration. It’s a welcome sight for those of us who are traveling for the team! Next door is a small bakery, and the bite-size fruit tart did not make it past the cash register because I ate it all. :-)

We checked into the hotel, Homewood Suites downtown. I used points, so it was only $40/night. Homewood Suites isn’t a well-known hotel because there’s typically only one location in a city, if that. They’re one step above Hampton Inns on the Hilton totem pole because you get an entire suite - kitchen, living room, dining area, bedroom, and bathroom. They’re kind of like Marriott’s Residence Inns, but cheaper. Homewood Suites provides free wifi, free breakfast daily, usually free parking, a light free dinner Monday-Thursday evenings, and if state law allows, free beer or wine in the evenings as well. In Memphis, they put out a tub of ice and Budweiser/Bud Light cans, and you just drink whatever you want. In Jacksonville, they put out 3-4 bottles of wine, and you just pour and help yourself. Works for me! 

I should note we rented a car from Hertz. I used points so the base price was free, but the taxes and surcharges were about $60 for about three days. That’s not bad! I was upgraded to a Ford Edge (SUV), which I really liked. The vehicle came with all the bells and whistles (completely touch-screen). In fact, there was no auxillary hole, so I had to use Bluetooth the entire time. The only downside is that the average miles per gallon is less than 22. I get 35 MPG on average in my Toyota Corolla.

The night before party was at Bourbon House, a familiar bar since we were in Salt Lake City last month for the world cup qualifier. I have to admit it was pretty dull for a Friday night. There were only about two tables of the American Outlaws (AOs) Salt Lake City chapter, and I think we were the only two out-of-towners (aside from two people from AO national). I introduced myself to Grant Wahl, as I have been tweeting him quite a bit, and he’s a really nice, down-to-earth guy. He’s very easy to talk to, and we found out Salt Lake was his 88^th cap. He also has a sister-in-law from Houston, so we found some common ground. We left after the Gold Cup game ended.

Saturday morning we woke up to go to the tailgate, which began around 10:30AM. It’s probably the best morning tailgate I’ve ever attended. There was a full roasted pig, breakfast tacos, a hash brown kind of casserole made with cream of chicken soup (must find recipe!), mimosas, and much more! There weren’t many people, but still had a good time.

We went into the section when the gates opened for section set up. It should be noted for Gold Cup, CONCACAF really makes things difficult for us by not noting general admission on the ticket. So, everyone had to be in their assigned seats. As a result, this also meant we didn’t have a dedicated section of American Outlaws and were mixed in with normal people. We were all in the endline sections, but the bottom three sections maybe had 1-3 rows of AOs each. My tickets, along with some others, were in the upper center section behind the goal, which was a great view! We could really see the field!

During the second half, an AO Salt Lake City member came over to us to accuse us of not supporting the single row of AOs in one of the lower sections. I should note at this point, the two AO national leaders had moved to the front row to join us, and they unfortunately were the victims of her wrath. They were at the end of the row, and I was in the middle. I could hear her bitching from the center of the row, and she continued to bitch for about 10 minutes, which was highly unattractive and detracted from the game. 

There is absolutely nothing we can do when we can’t hear the lower sections, and we’re all split amongst newbies. There is absolutely nothing we can do when the chapter doesn’t have a drum or capos. There is absolutely nothing we can do when chant sheets aren’t passed out or taped to the chairs to incorporate the normal US fans. I tweeted last week and asked AO Salt Lake City if they had a spare bass drum/mallets I could use, and there was no response. It was the same scenario as the world cup qualifier, so I don’t understand why this female was throwing a hissy fit. If the chapter chooses or doesn’t have the resources to provide a drum/capo, then so be it, but don’t bitch about it to AO national. There’s nothing that can be done about it during the game.

Anyway, after winning the game against Cuba, we went back to Bourbon House to meet Chris and Dale. It finally felt like a proper AO event. Chris the previous night had spent decided to spend the night in the mountains, and Dale flew in on game day. Both are AO NYC chapter members, but it should be noted Chris is from Alaska, and Dale is from Phoenix (switched chapter memberships this month due to moving). Along with David (AO San Diego president), we’re the only four American Outlaws to attend ALL USMNT Gold Cup games, which is quite a feat! Somehow someone came up with the idea of us being the four horsemen, and so each one of us is Conquest, Death, Famine, and War. We had a great time, lured some strangers onto the couches with us, and cheered on Real Salt Lake (RSL), as they were playing Dallas (yay for beating Dallas!). It was a fun time, and there were quite a bit of lively RSL supporters and fans there as well. What a change from the previous night!

Yesterday we decided to visit Temple Square. We quickly learned almost everything closes on Sundays, including the Salt Lake Temple in the square (was surprised!). Macy’s, Ann Taylor, H&M, etc. were all closed! Since I had never been, we went to the Great Salt Lake. It was QUITE smelly at the marina, and I don’t know why people would even want to swim there. However, we did find an off-road (thanks to seeing another car drive), and we decided to follow. Thank goodness I had a SUV! It was worth it though, as the off-roading part of the lake was not as smelly, prettier, and the waves were calmer. The lake’s a great place to surf kayak, if you have your own kayak.

It’s interesting how there is nothing built around the lake (at least, the portion where we were), and we learned why. We stopped at a souvenir store, and the shopkeeper gave us a quick history of the lake. There used to be a MASSIVE complex next to the lake before it burned in 1925. Later, it was re-built, abandoned, squatted, and then burned down in the 1960s. Since then, nothing has been successful, e.g. a go-cart facility. There’s a myth that there’s a Salt Lake curse, so businesses are unwilling to build. Right now the biggest thing is the Saltair Pavillion, where weekly concerts are held. When I saw the huge room and stage, I immediately thought of dubstepping (my favorite kind of clubbing music). The shopkeeper confirmed big named artists, such as DeadMau5, have performed there, which is awesome. [Disclaimer: This history bit is from memory; go Wiki it if you really want. =P]

Last night we went to Chanon Thai, which was pretty good and family-owned. Grandma was taking a break and walking the baby when we left, so you know the food is legit. You’ll need to drive there from downtown (bit of a far walk, for me at least, lol), but at least it’s open on Sunday nights. We had tom yum soup (one of my favorites), egg rolls, chicken pad Thai, and green beef curry. For those unfamiliar with Thai food, the last two items are hallmarks of the cuisine. If the pad Thai or the green curry is not good, then it is not a good Thai place.

I should note of all cities, Salt Lake City has had the most amount of commoners (as I call them lol) discuss soccer with us. We went to dinner at a Belgian place on Friday night that serves lamb sausage and the best french fries in Utah (Bruges Waffles & Frites). The guy at first thought we were representing Chicago Fire and said he “would’ve thrown you out” (LOL!!!), but on second thought realized RSL didn’t have a game that night. We had a lively 20-minute discussion, and it was good. On Saturday, during our walk to Bourbon House, we were stopped by a police officer who also wished to discuss soccer. We learned the SLC police were at the Cuban hotel babysitting, in case a Cuban defected. I am not sure what the legalities are (because if you’re asking for asylum, don’t Americans have to oblige?), but it was interesting. We probably talked for about 20-30 minutes. It’s nice to visit a city who is educated about soccer.

This morning David and I split because Southwest Airlines was cheaper for him from Salt Lake City to Hartfort, CT (connect through Baltimore-BWI) versus United. I used 25,000 miles today to fly into BDL, which was nice. One of the perks of traveling SO MUCH for work is keeping all my car rental points, hotel rewards, and airline miles.

So, I am off to join AO Hartford at their night before party. I am really looking forward to it, as the chapter as done an EXCELLENT job of tweeting/Facebooking information and (most important) replying! Ciao for now!

USMNT Gold Cup: Portland

Since my last post, I had a terrible experience with Virgin America on Monday night. I was all set and packed, ready to go, when I received a WorldMate flight delay notification. I was flying from SAN-SFO-PDX. My SAN-SFO flight was delayed over an hour so that I'd miss my SFO-PDX flight. I called Virgin America, and it turns out there is only one daily flight from SFO-PDX. The airline refused to book on another airline or provide a hotel in SFO for the night, so the only choice was to re-book the next day (on game day).

I mulled over this for an hour and thought, "What if I don't make it on game day either?" Then I'd be REALLY screwed. Furthermore, arriving on game day meant a 5PM arrival time into Portland, which was cutting it close to kickoff. I decided right then and there to book a Southwest Airlines flight from SAN-LAS-PDX, which meant I departed SAN around 5PM and arrived in PDX around 10PM. Booking a new flight cost an extra $236, which isn't bad considering I booked the flight four hours prior to departure.  In hindsight, I'm glad I did it because I would've been even more stressed leaving on game day. I have learned my lesson and WILL NEVER book Virgin America again, especially since they refused to give a refund. They blamed the delay on the Asiana Airlines accident, but if that was the case, why wasn't my SFO-PDX flight delayed too?

Changing flights suddenly involves more than just the flights. I had to book a new shuttle from Pacific Beach to the airport, and I had to figure out how to get from PDX to the hotel. Originally I had planned to take public transportation in Portland, but being a single female, it's generally unsafe to use public transportation that late at night. So, I booked a Hertz rental car. I thought it would cost me $45 (thanks to rental car points) according to the preliminary figure given online. Upon checkout, the rental car cost less than $4 from Monday night to Wednesday morning! What a steal!

I missed the official night before party in Portland because the bar closed at 11PM (early!!!), and Hertz unfortunately took an hour to get a car when I arrived at the airport (obviously overbooked). I made it to the after-party at Kells Irish Pub, but the bar had stopped serving. Someone suggested going to a strip club called Mary's, and desperate for at least one drink, I agreed. It was the smallest strip club I've ever been in with the most bored stripper ever. I noticed even the guys were just on their phones or talking to each other, not paying attention to her. I downed my long island, and we left. That was my participation in the night before activities in Portland.

We weren't sure about the parking situation at the stadium, so we decided to take public transportation the next day. The Doubletree hotel downtown ($65/night & 32,000 points) was RIGHT next to the train station, which was very convenient! Since the game was fairly late, we decided to explore Chinatown. WORST idea ever! I've decided Portland Chinese people are not ambitious at all, as all the restaurants were closed on a Tuesday late morning/near lunch time. I didn't see any bakeries or grocery stores. There was a homeless tent city RIGHT next to the Chinatown gate, which was awful. I am not sure why homeless people set up in Chinatown though, since Chinese people tend to be unsympathetic to the homeless. If you want to see the ghetto of Portland, go to Chinatown. I would rather run away next time!

The game day bar in Portland was the Cheerful Bullpen. I liked the set up because the back patio was underneath HUGE trees! I tried a Stella Hard Cider for the first time, and it was pretty good. Unfortunately, the bar only had about 6 of them and sold out quickly. Hard cider by a local brewery was on tap, but it wasn't as good. Oh well.

Being seasoned travelers, the only other people we initially recognized was from AO national. Gold Cup games tend to have more local people versus world cup qualifiers. Later, Chris from Alaska showed, as well as some AO Phoenix members. It was good seeing a few familiar faces.

We went into the stadium when the gates open. We chose the seats that would get the shade first (smart thinking on Chris' part). The first game (Cuba versus Costa Rica) was nothing to write home about. Our game, was interesting, as we creamed Belize by 5 goals. The section was loud and rocking, but my biggest criticism is that we pretty much did all Timbers Army chants. We did two capo-led American Outlaws chants in the first half, and two in the second half. Any other chants that were done were started by people in the section because we were there for the USA/American Outlaws, not Timbers FC.

Timbers Army gets away with a LOT of stuff, more than other supporters groups in MLS, and I am not sure why. They have a great relationship with their front office, so they let off smoke bombs galore, but MLS never seems to come down on them. For example, "Let's go fucking mental!" is a standard chant for Timbers Army, but Real Salt Lake isn't allowed to say, "You suck asshole!" It irks me very much that MLS has a double standard. Either make demands on EVERY team in the league or none at all. It is quite unfair for MLS to single out one team, in my opinion.

Anyway, back to the game. Post-game, David and I have started a tradition of going to a restaurant for a solid meal. Although we like the bar scene, often returning to the night before party bar has become a bit repetitive. That, and post-game, we really want a good meal (which most bars cannot provide). I found a restaurant along the train called Luc Lac Restaurant, and it was delicious. I highly recommend the spot, which also has a full bar.

The next day was uneventful, as we headed back to San Diego. I am not used to flying Southwest Airlines (decided to take the same flights as David, since it's easier), but I can see why people like them. They're pretty much on time, boards and takes off quickly, and provides friendly service. My biggest issue is that you have to board with your boarding group to get a good seat (since unassigned), and for work, I am sometimes barely making it to a flight.

So, that's Portland...I'll write about Salt Lake City tomorrow!

USMNT Gold Cup Plans

Many have asked, "Why do Gold Cup? It doesn't count this year." My response: "Why not? I can afford it." Gold Cup is a tricky tournament for the traveler, with four games across the USA, a semi-final (for which we have to qualify), and a final (for which we have to qualify). I'll be traveling with David (American Outlaws San Diego President); having someone to share the bills definitely makes it easier, although I am lucky I can also schedule work in between as well!

July 9th Portland: I have scheduled a couple of site visits in Washington already, so I am fortunate in that work will pay for my inbound and outbound flights, as well as the rental car (cheaper to fly me to Portland and pay for rental car versus coming home). I still need to book a hotel, although I have my eye on a Doubletree hotel downtown. Once I get about 900 more Hilton points, I'll be able to book. [Trying to get those last few points is always the hardest!] There's currently a Living Social deal available today only - $99/night is not a bad rate, and the hotel's less than 2 miles from the stadium. You could always take a cab and party downtown; I'm sure it'd be cheaper than parking at the stadium.

July 13th Salt Lake City: It's funny how I've never been to Salt Lake City in my life, but within a month's time span, I will visit twice. I am not sure what SLC did to get two USMNT games, but they were sure lucky (not that I am jealous or anything LOL). A rental car was booked using points, my inbound flight's paid for by work, and my outbound flight was paid using miles. I've booked a Homewood Suites downtown; for some hotels, Hilton lets you book a partial rate and points, so our rate is $40/night. For those who are unfamiliar with Homewood Suites, they're pretty decent. You get free breakfast, free light dinner and alcohol Monday through Thursdays (pending state law), a fully equipped kitchen, big fridge, dishwasher, and most importantly for us - coin laundry. Since we'll be on the road for 16 days (according to Worldmate - wonderful travel app!), easily accessible laundry is a must. Homewood Suites tend to be reasonably priced. Had I paid, the cheapest rate available is $84/night - not bad at all! This hotel also puts us about 5 blocks from the AO bar.

July 16th Hartford: From Salt Lake we go to Hartford. Thankfully I had miles to use or else the United airfare would have cost around $500! We made the decision to stay in Salt Lake City longer and leave for Hartford on July 15th (instead of flying into Hartford on the 14th) mainly because the hotel was cheaper in Salt Lake. Ten minutes walking distance from the AO bar, the Hartford Homewood Suites downtown is about $300 (thank goodness for points)!

At this point in the trip, the question is, what do you do? The next game, the quarterfinal, is in Baltimore on July 21st, almost a week later. It seems silly while on the east coast, to go home to Houston or for my San Diego companion, all the way back to the west coast. So what did I do? Schedule a site visit in Boston. Boston is less than a two hour drive from Hartford. This means work will pay for the rental car in Hartford, hotel/meals/ground transportation in Boston, and my flight from Boston to DC. :-)

July 21st DC - From Boston to DC, it's pretty cheap to travel. A one-way, 1.5 hour flight on US airways is $81 between the two cities. You can take the train, but the train is only $10 cheaper and an eight hour journey. In addition, the rental car (paid by work) has been booked for pickup at DCA; rarely do train stations have rental car companies on site. The Baltimore stadium is about 45 minutes away from DC. One may ask why I decided to fly into DCA instead of BWI, and the simple answer is that we are staying with a friend. Thankfully she has agreed to put up with us for a weekend, as I'm out of hotel points at this stage. She'll also have a washer/dryer in her apartment, which is definitely a plus. We'll arrive on a Friday and leave on the Monday after game day; I look forward to exploring DC. It's actually one of my favorite cities with lots of cheap, free things to do (thanks to my tax dollars!). I used miles to book my flight to Houston, my home.

For David, things are a bit trickier living on the west coast. He'll book his flight after the quarterfinal in Baltimore. If the USA wins, he'll book a flight to Houston so he can stay with me for free. If the USA loses, he'll book a flight home to San Diego. While this may seem like we are cursing the USA or have little faith, keep in mind, we were at the Olympics' semi-final and final in KC last year when the USA did not qualify.

Should the USA qualify for the semi-final on July 24th, it's an easy drive to Dallas from Houston (about 4-5 hours). At this time, I have not decided if I myself will drive and stay overnight at a friend's place. I am also working on a charter bus trip for the AO Houston chapter, so this is another option as well.

The final is in Chicago on July 28th. I am currently awaiting work, but most likely I will be able to schedule a visit on July 29th (which means work would pay for hotel, flights, etc). I would fly early into Chicago on game day mainly because there is a Houston Dynamo game on July 27th. Ironically, the Dynamo play Chicago Fire in Houston on the 27th. Too bad the game isn't in Chicago or else we could've had a potential double-header (reminiscent of Chicago 2009 when there was a Dynamo game on a Friday night & USMNT WCQ game on a Saturday night). Often, I am asked if I am club over country or country over club, and the answer is that I am equally both. I am a season ticket holder for Houston Dynamo, and I attended all USA domestic home games last year except one (Brazil friendly in DC). My actions speak for themselves.

In a nutshell, those are my gold cup plans. I look forward to seeing you at the games!