San Francisco Giants: 4 Roadtrips In 2017 You MUST Make

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Sep 6, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco Giants fans with right fielder Hunter Pence (8) and catcher Buster Posey (28) (both not pictured) jerseys on before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

For those that have attended San Francisco Giants games abroad, you know just how exhilarating it is coming away with a win on someone else’s home-turf. Here are 4 Destinations on the Schedule that you MUST try and make.

The San Francisco Giants are well-known for their road contingent along the west coast. But in reality, a weekend trip to San Diego, Los Angeles, or even Arizona isn’t that far out-of-the-way. Have you been to Wrigley Field yet? Maybe even Atlanta?

If you are a Giants fan with an itch to travel, then this piece is for you. If you are still contemplating a summer road-trip, this piece is for you! If you go to college, or are geographically removed from the ability to attend AT&T Park, this piece is for you!

We’re going to take a look at four road-trips the Giants will be making, that you yourself need to make along with them. Some of them are rare road-trips, to opponents that don’t appear on the schedule every so often. Some are frankly because of a shiny new toy (if you don’t know who the only team in the league getting a new ball-park next year is, then you’ll just have to wait).

None of these are ranked in order of importance necessarily, they’re just place you need to go visit, and take in a Giants game.

We’ll look at sites to see in the city, the average cost of a game ticket, top food places to eat (affordable) and what the stadiums have to offer in the way of food and other attractions. Get out your budget book, or pull up a booking agent in another tab and get planning as we dive in to the road-trips you need to take this year!

Roadtrip Destination: Atlanta

San Francisco Giants vs. Braves: June 19th-June 22nd

The Braves are getting a new stadium, and that’s probably the most exciting part. It’s going to be pretty amazing. I’m a bit of a stadium nut, so I love it when new ones are built. Atlanta’s new stadium will cost them, and the city a pretty penny. However, the whole complex is expected to bring in plenty of revenue.

What The City Has to Offer

Atlanta is home to one of the best aquariums in the country. With over 120,000 animals, the Georgia Aquarium is rated the top attraction in Atlanta by TripAdvisor. On top of that, there is the Coca-Cola Museum, and the College Football Hall of Fame! Along with that there are plenty of parks and the Atlanta Botanical Garden is a nice, peaceful attraction.

Come Hungry

Atlanta is home to a lot of cultures, meaning a lot of good food from every cultural style. Southern comfort food is always something that you couldn’t go wrong with in Atlanta, but be sure to check out all the options. A melting pot like Atlanta is going to have fantastic food from everywhere. Unlike Chicago, or Kansas City, or even San Francisco, Atlanta doesn’t have a “signature dish.” It just has good food EVERYWHERE. As far as the ballpark goes, it’s a bit of a mystery what will be on their menu.

Ballpark Food

Turner Field had a “buffalo chicken and waffles” sandwich (holy calories) that sounded fantastic. So the ballpark will definitely have great food, we just don’t know exactly what yet. Be sure to look up options once those become set in concrete.

Overall, a trip to Atlanta would be worth your while. It’s a great city, and the Braves themselves could be really intriguing this year. It should be a good matchup for the Giants, and a fun one to watch. If Atlanta doesn’t work for you, the next few might be a tad bit closer.

Oct 6, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of Wrigley Field prior to workouts the day before game one of the NLDS between the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

Roadtrip Destination: Chicago

San Francisco Giants vs Cubs: May 22nd-25th and San Francisco Giants vs. White Sox: September 8th-10th

The San Francisco Giants actually take two trips to the windy city in 2017, courtesy of this year’s interleauge “league matchup” vs. the AL Central. The White Sox aren’t the only team on this list as far as AL Central goes, but that’s to come later. I actually lived in Chicagoland for a few years, and it’s probably in the top five of major cities I’ve been to. I have a lot more inside info here than Atlanta per say, so bear with me.

What Chicago Has To Offer

I love Chicago. I also loved going to games at Wrigley. It’s an incredible feel at the games, much better than the White Sox games. Atmosphere, food, experience, everything at Wrigley is better. A big thing Chicago has to offer right now, is the Cubs. That series is going to be, as the kids say, LIT.

The City of Chicago is a beautiful city, despite what you might hear about all the violence. Most of that is well south and southwest of the majority of the city anyways. If you venture out there, just be smart. As far as things to do, the Art Museum is amazing, as well as the Shedd Aquarium. Also, don’t hesitate to take a walk through the loop, and up the “Magnificent Mile.” The Lincoln Park Zoo is also a pretty cool place. Navy Pier is another big one. Complete with a beer garden, restaurants, theaters, and a few museums and exhibits, Navy Pier is like Pier 39 on steroids.

Come Hungry

Chicago is mainly known for deep dish pizza. Even though I lived in that area, I like New York style pizza much more than deep dish. However, you need to eat deep dish pizza in Chicago at least once while you’re there, just for the experience. Hit up Giordano’s or Ginos East for the two best deep dish options in the city.

As far as ballpark food goes, when you go to Wrigley you really shouldn’t get anything other than a Chicago Style Hot-Dog. It might be the best hot-dog you’ll ever eat, (still haven’t had one better anywhere). Wrigley has plenty of good options, but nothing really beats an original Chicago Dog. Same goes for U.S Cellular Field (or whatever the heck they’re calling the White Sox stadium these days).

Sep 7, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; A general view of Coors Field in the second inning of the game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Roadtrip Destination: Denver

San Francisco Giants vs. Rockies: April 21st-23rd; June 15th-18th; September 4th-6th

I love Denver, and Colorado. It’s absolutely beautiful. It doesn’t get too hot in Denver in June, but April and September won’t be too cold either. The Rockies actually look to be really competitive coming up in 2017. Here is a bit of an outlook on Denver for you:

What Denver Has To Offer

Green. Everywhere. Not just talking about legal weed, I’m talking about natural beauty. This is like the Sierra Nevada range on steroids. Colorado Springs isn’t more than two hours away either, so if you go for multiple days, you HAVE to take a trip down to “The Springs”. But do it early in the day, or on a day you aren’t planning on going to a game, because traffic on I-25 is absolutely horrible.

Denver has plenty to offer, but getting up to Boulder, maybe even getting back in towards Breckenridge and other places are absolutely worth a day-trip. The biggest attraction outside of Denver that I would say are a must, would be the Garden of the Gods in “The Springs”. Another spot in The Springs is the Air Force Academy. It is truly incredible.

There is a lot on Denver, compared to others, mainly because Denver is so unique. If you are planning to drive to Denver, I would encourage going the southern route through Las Vegas, then up into Utah. On that drive, once you enter Utah, you really should take every “lookout” point possible. It’s a beautiful drive, full of natural beauty. If you want to stop in Vegas on your way there, and back, I don’t blame you either.

Come Hungry

Denver food is a lot like San Francisco. There is no real signature dish for Denver, but there is plenty of culture, and a lot of “hipster” or healthier options. You could always check out the original Chipotle near the University of Denver campus. Don’t be afraid to try anything out there, it’s all fantastic. There are also PLENTY of breweries, both macro and micro, that have options for food and drink. The most notable would be Coors, but the Blue Moon main brewery is in Golden, and that’s not too far away.

For the ballpark, you can’t go wrong with any of the traditional options, but their most famous for their deep-fried “Rocky Mountain Oysters.” You can get more than your share of a bull’s pair at stand 144. Another signature dish is Todd Helton’s signature burger, which you can find at the No. 17 Shack. The burger is made out of brisket, shoulder, and sirloin, smothered in a “secret sauce” and american cheese.

Denver is a heck of a roadtrip, and a beautiful place overall. I would encourage a trip out there, especially in June. A small note, if you do go to Denver, and you want a view like the picture above, I highly encourage sitting in the top-level, down the right-field line. That will give you the best view of the field, with the mountains and sunset thrown in as well. The lower you sit, the more incapable you are of getting that fantastic view. Much like AT&T Park, the overall view is incredible from the upper deck.

The last road-trip you should make comes to the heart of the country, where you, and the Giants can re-visit iconic memories from 2014.

Oct 2, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of Kauffman Stadium in the fourth inning between the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians. The Indians won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /

Roadtrip Destination: Kansas City

San Francisco Giants vs. Royals: April 18th & 19th

Don’t drive there. It’s literally driving to Denver, then 10 hrs of driving through absolutely boring, flat, brown empty space. Imagine the drive down I-5 to Los Angeles, but subtract the mountains or any natural beauty along the way. Especially with the time of year (spring), probably not a great idea to drive through tornado country. Anyways, KANSAS CITY IS AWESOME. I live there. I didn’t leave it last for that reason though. Kansas City is a special place in the hearts of many of those in the Giants organization, especially with the final out of the 2014 World Series taking place there.

This is not a plea to come see me, or join me as the lone Giants fan in the region (kidding, I have connected with plenty, we’ll see you at “The K” in April). This is a plea to come visit what is truly a remarkable city. Be grateful the series isn’t in June or July though, because the humidity will likely deter you from having any fun in the summer, especially if you aren’t used to that. Alright, here is what KC has to offer!

What Kansas City has to Offer

Kansas City has plenty to offer by way of food and entertainment. The Giants are only here for two days though, so take a third or fourth day and explore what KC has to offer! Kansas City is home to the official World War One memorial in the United States. From the top of the monument, you are provided with a beautiful view of the Kansas City sprawl. Another fantastic area is the Crown Center and the Plaza. The Nelson-Atkins Art Museum is something that you should really check out as well. If you want a much more trendy take on downtown KC, you can head towards Westport or the River Market.

Come Really Hungry

More from Around the Foghorn

Kansas City is known for its BBQ, and boy does it live up to the hype. I would encourage going to the original Oklahoma Joes (now Joe’s KC), but none of the satellite locations. Arthur Bryants, and Gates BBQ are the two that I would go for as far as cheaper BBQ options are concerned. If you’re looking for high-class bbq, Fiorella’s Jack Stack on the Plaza is a must. The Royal Crown Ribs are possibly the best ribs I’ve ever had, but would encourage trying burnt ends at least once.

Ballpark food options in KC are full of BBQ options. You can’t go wrong with any of their brisket or burnt ends sandwhiches. Topsy’s Popcorn is also a cult favorite, but it’s just about as good of popcorn you’ll get in any other ballpark (I type this as my wife gives me a trumpian “WRONG” from across the room).

Next: Watch Barry Bonds Dunk Like Mike

Continue to check back in with Around the Foghorn as we build up towards the 2017 season!

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