Game 6/30 – Hot Days in Phoenix, Incredible Desert Scenery, and Some Reflection

Coming to you live from “Eddie McStiff’s Restaurant” in downtown Moab Utah, the “Thirty before 30” tour is feeling at ease after an eventful few days with some of the most beautiful driving scenery, meeting some awesome people and experiencing game 6/10 played in an air conditioned dome in downtown Phoenix!

This section all began when I was welcomed into Phoenix (after a 7-hour drive from San Diego mostly along the Mexican border) by my host for the next two nights Nicole (who I had previously only met via a phone call and was linked with by my new friends from Seattle – shoutout Paige).

Nicole was an awesome host who went above and beyond providing me with my own room, bathroom, a full stocked fridge and chicken tacos that had been cooking “low ‘n slow” in the crockpot all day. I was extremely thankful for the hospitality, and with Nicole’s hilarious chat and outgoing personality I knew that the game the next day in Phoenix would be one to remember.

We started our morning how any good morning should start with a plethora of bloody mary’s washed down with a couple cold ones before making our way into downtown Phoenix using the light rail. The temperature was beginning to rise into the 40’s by about 11am, so hydration was key – hence why we ensured to pack a few extra coldies for the ride.

We arrived at the stadium where the bar directly across the way had a bunch of games including cornhole, Connect 4 and ping pong ready to go for everyone to get in the mood. I unfortunately lost a tight battle in cornhole, without getting the opportunity to school Nicole in Connect 4 or table tennis (I could smell the fear on her).

It was an awesome experience and something that I wish more stadiums would do to get their fans into good spirits (as opposed to Sydney’s train delays and cops protecting us from ourselves…..)

The stadium was my first proper indoor experience (a few years ago I was lucky enough to go to a game in Toronto – shoutout Simon Clarke – however the roof was opened that day).

It was really impressive how the closed roof combined with the air conditioning made for a vastly different contrast to the brutal temperatures outside, and clearly is beneficial to the players who probably wouldn’t make 9 innings if it were set up any other way.

The game itself was a cracker, with the in-form home team (Arizona Diamondbacks), racing out to an early 3-0 lead at the end of the first and putting another run on in the third to take a huge 4-0 lead.

This is where the party would stop for the hometown boys though, as the visiting Cinncinnatti Reds would hit a Grand Slam Home Run (a home run where there is already a runner on each base), to tie it up at 4-4, before adding 2 runs in the sixth, and another in the ninth to storm home winners 7-4.

However, whist it was an action packed, tense game, it was especially notable for two reasons:

The first: Nicole’s friend TJ was pitching and came into the game during the ninth inning (unfortunately giving up a run). It was really cool to see him wave to us from the bullpen and it’s safe to say TJ and I (despite not verbally communicating) are now best friends.

The second: I was able to snag my first ever ball used in a game (with a little help from Nicole)! I truly understand the joy my parents felt the day I was born, holding something so small and precious in their arms whilst instantly falling in love! I promise to love and care for this little guy the rest of my days!

Note: NOT purchased in the gift store @Mark Williams

Following the game, Nicole again used her local expertise to take me a few of the awesome bars downtown, including a rooftop with a pool which had incredible views at the mountains and desert in the distance – I wish I could remember the name of this place, because it was truly something special, Nicole please feel free to advise within the comments. We completed an awesome day by grabbing a bite to eat at the local and watching the end of the Stanley Cup (NHL Hockey) finals where Vegas would unfortunately lose to the Washington Capitals, before retiring to my room in preparation for an early start and a lot of driving the next day.

The next morning I woke up, packed the car and sincerely thanked Nicole for the unbelievable hospitality – seriously if you go to Phoenix look her up, she should be running a hotel and tours!

I then set off for Moab Utah, which would be my destination for the night before heading to Denver on Friday.

My friend Dave called me in the morning (he’s been following the road trip closely and providing some expert guidance), and advised that on my way to Moab I had the opportunity to check out a section of the Grand Canyon. After about 3 seconds of deliberation, I decided to take the detour and check out this amazing natural wonder.

Its difficult to describe the scenery and the actual Grand Canyon, so I’ll let the pictures below do the talking. One word that came to my mind was “fake” – as it seriously looks like some perfect painting and it really took my breath away (in a similar vein to getting the ball yesterday did).

Further to the experience, at the risk of falling into the trap of being too “introspective” on a blog where I (poorly) attempt to make people laugh, the land I was driving through and the Grand Canyon was considered Native American “Navajo” land.

Some of you may know that my Dad tragically passed away whilst cycling in these parts back in 2013, and being there by myself allowed me to reflect on his life and how at peace he would have been just enjoying the natural beauty and being on his bike – something he loved more than anything (well a close second after his family & friends).

I missed him a lot today, but rather than be sad about it all I know that he would be proud of what I’m trying to achieve and be stoked that I’m (somewhat) of a “chip off the old block” as they say when it comes to adventurous spirit.

As mentioned in the opening stanza, I’m now comfortably enjoying some free wifi, a bite to eat at “Eddie McStiff’s” (I went with the “Southwest Burger”) and penning this latest post – whilst also tuning into the NBA Finals Game 1 – when will all the sports end? (answer: never).

Thanks again for reading and following, I’m looking forward to more beautiful scenery as I made my way to Denver for game 7/10 on Saturday evening.

Until then, take it easy and please feel free to provide any feedback!