Los Angeles Dodgers

Photo © Frederick Dennstedt.

Road Trip to Dodger Stadium

Chavez Ravine, as Dodger Stadium is also known, nestled in the hills near Hollywood, is a place of storied history. Dodger dogs, Vin Scully, Dodger Blue, under sunny or smoggy skies, arriving late (because of traffic) and leaving early (to avoid traffic, but with Vin on the radio, it's okay) - it's all part of the tradition. O'Malley fled with the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles, and many in baseball haven't forgiven him since. Then he managed to work a sweetheart deal to get the land for the ballpark. But put that behind you, and enjoy the game. If you can spend the extra money to get a better seat, do so. There's some 50,000 seats in Dodger Stadium, and a lot of them are somewhat distant, but some reviewers find the upper decks a great bargain. I found the beer disappointing, but I didn't look too hard. Dodger Dogs are a classic among the ballpark hot dogs. The management is a bit odd in terms of hospitality. They have a long list of things you can't do that are givens elsewhere: no banners, signs, flags, musical instruments, umbrellas, beachballs (yeah, right). They've remodeled here and there, upped the volume on the sound system, kept the color-by-section seats. Gold line train commuting to the park, but for a Los Angeles venue, expect to do walking to get from the parking lot to your seat. All in all though, it's a great ballpark, and a true baseball experience.