Land of 10000 lakes V

Railway Trip vs MLB


Talking about sports in the U.S., baseball has no way to be overlooked. Considered to be the baseball league with an unparalleled level, MLB opens its arms to top players around the world regardless of their nationality and ethnicity to write their own history in front of tens of millions of spectators. One might never be a fanatic fan for this legendary pitch-and-hit game but visiting a baseball game is definitely one of the unique experience that offers everyone a fresh taste of American culture.



















Crave for a live game, but hate to deal with the troublesome issues that might take place while driving cars towards the city center? Taking trains might be a convenient but scarce choice for most US residents. Have to realize that the quality and efficiency of the American railway system are notoriously inferior. Except for the Acela Express that travels through the populated cities across US northeast corridor, the rest of passenger rails not only lack ridership, the infrastructure is also mainly owned by freight companies.

Nevertheless, the Northstar Line is an outstanding exception, a commuter rail that runs 40 miles from the county of Saint Cloud to downtown Minneapolis* where there are two more light rails connecting to the southern part of the city. This line is the successor for the ancient North Star line, which was once operated between Chicago, Twin Cities, all the way north to Duluth. But recently, this line is one of the most convenient transportation to Target Field, home stadium of Minnesota Twins

The Northstar is a double-decker train








The station locates right beneath the stadium



















The first moment after I passed through the checking point, I was absolutely overwhelmed by what I saw and heard: The enormous filed stretched from the outfield to the bullpen with splashy green turfs; countless spectators snaked through aisles like moving waves; huge panels broadcasted the pre-game reports, players info, interviews, combined with the quintessential sound of sideline reporters lingering around the stadium through loudspeakers.

Baseball Stadium & The City: A view before the sun set
Feel the dynamic vibe from packed stadiums



















It seems that supporting the home team is one of the simplest reasons to watch a baseball game. What else? Well, it could also be a great choice for a young couple going out for their first date, for a wonderful father-son time on Saturday night, or for a hang-out between colleagues after a busy, exhausting week. Besides of that, don't forget to always keep your eyes on those awesome players and cheer for them when they perfectly hit away those fastballs and touched down bases with flawless slides.

Faced with cameras? Cheers!!!



















 KING SIZE nuggets for the intermission



















So what is the real point to visit a baseball field? For sure, we want to watch our favorite team showing their extraordinary skills and dominate the game; however, watching people playing air guitar, talking hilarious selfies, kissing each other on the kiss cam, not to mention other intriguing in-between inning activities, are also the main reasons why we enjoy live baseball games so much. One thing to keep in mind: everyone is indispensable to fulfill an epic game, no matter you are the one who stands on the pitcher mound or on your tiny spectator seat.

We Play/ We Smile/ We Play Fools

















Experience the charm of this legendary sport:



















*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northstar_Line#Route

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