With baseball season in full swing, it's time to take in an Angels game. Instead of sitting in traffic, eating a mediocre hot dog or hanging out at some dive bar after the game -- here are some tips and tricks to make the trip to Anaheim an awesome experience.
Photo by Gina Hall
How to go:
Anaheim is not in Los Angeles, it's in Orange County, a solid hour drive without traffic. With traffic? It's a nightmare commute. For $30 round trip, you can take an Amtrak from Union Station in downtown L.A. and arrive at Angel Stadium in less than an hour. Read or work on the way down and feel good about having an extra beer at the game.
Uber is also surprisingly affordable if you split the tab with friends. When I priced it, it broke down to around $110 round trip. Share the ride with three friends and you're looking an affordable way to cruise right up to the stadium.
If you do choose to drive your own vehicle, parking is incredibly easy and ridiculously cheap. You can pull right off the freeway and into the lot and for just $10.
What to eat:
Hot dogs, peanuts and popcorn -- baseball food. At least, it was for a century. In recent years, stadiums have begun offering tastier and certainly healthier options. And, of course, Southern California has been on the forefront of that trend. Angel Stadium of Anaheim is taking that idea even further with two great additions: Muscle Maker Grill and Fresca's Mexican Grill.
Muscle Maker Grill makes healthier versions of classic dishes. They use only grass-fed beef and all-natural chicken, and offer vegetarian, low-carb and gluten-free options. A personal favorite is the Arizona, a chicken breast and turkey bacon served over brown rice with tomatoes and scallions, served with its zero-carb signature sauce, and can also be made as a wrap. For chillier night games, there's the turkey chili, made with lean ground turkey, red beans, reduced-fat cheddar, salsa and fat-free sour cream served over brown rice.
Fresca's Mexican Grill, meanwhile, occupies the same space in the terrace level of the Right Field Pavilion area. It's authentic open-kitchen Mexican street food in generous portions. Menu highlights include a trio of street tacos -- steak or chicken -- topped with cilantro, onions and salsa. The Killer B burrito -- again, steak or chicken -- filled with rice, black beans, sour cream, guacamole and salsa fresca. And a baseball classic: nachos. The Muchos Nachos is a pile of fresh-made corn chips covered in melted cheese and topped with your choice of items from jalapenos to guacamole to sour cream, salsa, steak, chicken, black beans -- the works.
The Muchos Nachos - Photo by Gina Hall
After the game:
Ready to celebrate an Angels victory or find something to take your mind off a loss? Head to nearby Downtown Disney for a little nightlife, with plenty of bars, restaurants, and of course, shopping. I can highly recommend the Jazz Kitchen, where there's a great view of the Disneyland fireworks show, typically around 9:30 p.m. The ballpark also hosts a fireworks program on most Saturdays.