A fond childhood memory was attending Seattle Mariners games with my dad and brother. During most summers, my dad would take Glen and me across the mountains to watch the M’s play a couple games over the course of a weekend.

As we started to make our way through high school and our summers became super busy with our own sports, these trips to T-Mobile Park ceased. However, 20+ years later, my dad invited the two of us to once again tag along for some baseball and bonding.

My dad pitched the idea of going to the west side on Saturday, enjoying the evening in Bellevue, attending the Mariners-Rangers game on Sunday afternoon, and arriving back in Spokane late that night. With the blessing from all three of our wives, we put the plan into motion. This is how it went down…

On Saturday (Aug. 2), my dad picked me up at my house around 9 a.m. We then picked up Glen and hit the road for Bellevue. The drive went by fast as we enjoyed the chance to catch up and talk sports.

We arrived in Bellevue and scouted out the area a bit. We then checked into our hotel and freshened up. From there, the three of us went to 5 p.m. Saturday vigil mass at St. Louise Catholic Church.

After returning to the hotel for a few minutes to watch some of the MLB Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds, we hit the town. And by “hit the town” I meant we visited an extremely low key, small, and dark establishment called Steve’s Bar & Grill for a couple hours. We ate dinner, had a couple drinks, and played pull-tabs.

By 9 p.m. we were back in our hotel room watching sports and making plans for the next day.

Sunday morning arrived and we took full advantage of the complimentary breakfast offered by our hotel. Among many other things, they had an oatmeal bar that included toppings such as brown sugar, pecans, chocolate chips, and more.

Once our food digested we packed up our room, checked out, and headed to Seattle. We parked in one of the garages near the stadium and then made the short walk to T-Mobile Park.

Before entering the stadium, we walked along Royal Brougham Way, the street near T-Mobile Park that is lined with food and souvenir vendors. This brought back a lot of nostalgia as we savored the energy you could feel and the grilled hot dogs you could smell.

Because Glen’s phone carrier is T-Mobile, we were allowed to enter the stadium early and hang out in the “T-Mobile ‘Pen” out in center field. We sipped some brews, met a sasquatch, and watched the Mariners’ pregame show.

From there we walked to our seats in section 131 right behind home plate (thanks, dad!). Our view was spectacular as we watched some of the on-field pregame festivities.

Before first pitch, Glen and I made a dash to the concourse to buy some ballpark food. After agonizing over what I wanted all week, I decided to get the katsu curry. It was unbelievably delicious but probably not worth the $22 given the rather small serving. 😋

With ballpark food secure in our laps, we watched the Mariners and Rangers play the final game of their four-game series. It was a perfect afternoon to watch baseball and apparently the pleasant weather led to favorable home run conditions. We saw a combined five dingers as the good guys won a crucial game, 5-4.

The result wasn’t the only good thing about the game. My brother caught a hot dog during the famous “Hot Dogs From Heaven” promotion. He promptly handed it over to my dad who enjoyed every bite!

After the game we hung in the stadium for a few minutes, snapped a selfie, and then headed to the parking garage where we patiently waited for things to clear out.

We stopped in Ellensburg at a restaurant called W.C. Roadhouse Grill for dinner. Over burgers and wraps we discussed the events of the day and geared up for the final three hours on the road.

Thankfully, those three hours went by fast. Funny how that tends to happen when you are in good company! Once we arrived in Spokane, we dropped my brother off at his home first before I said “goodbye” to my dad once we pulled up at my place.

Can’t say enough about what an awesome time I had. I owe a lot to my dad and brother for all the fun we enjoyed. Let’s not make it another 20 years before we do this again, guys! Don’t Blink.