Omaha Road Trip: Day I
Okay, so now that I'm back and have had a chance to recover, I'll post about my trip in a few installments. They will be posted on the date closest to where they took place.
It all started back after the Beavers won their Regional in Virginia. After last year, I really wanted to go to Omaha and experience it, even if the Beavers lost. A lot of people were like "why aren't you there??!?" during last year's run so I got thinking the same thing. I should be there. Anyways, I casually mentioned going to my friend Stephen and he seemed up to it if they happened to make it.
So then come the Super Regionals. Beavers win against Michigan at home (I went to the second game) and they're off to Omaha. Their first game is on Saturday. Unfortunately, I have to move on Thursday and Friday so there was no way we make the first game.
After a final on early Thursday morning, Stephen and I got to talking. For a while we thought we'd go only if they made the Championship round. But we figured they wouldn't do that and who knows when they'd get to Omaha again. So we decided to go... assuming they won their first game against Cal State Fullerton on Saturday. Otherwise, if they lost and we went, if they lost again we'd only get to see one game of theirs. That would not be worth the trip.
So on Saturday I'm at my cousin Ashley's graduation party and the game is going on. I have no contact with a score. I call Kenny and ask him... he checks out and the Beavers are up 2-1 in the 6th inning. Okay, so now I'm really freaking antsy. Not only are the Beavers in a close game that I care about, I'm also 9 outs way from dropping everything and going to Omaha. Everything hung in the balance.
Anyways, so the party gets over and I head to my car. I early turn on the radio and the first thing I hear is "he hits it high and deeeeeeep... SO LONG! HOMERUN! BEAVERS LEAD IT THREE TO ONE!"
So now I'm officially freaking out. They are so close! And in order to get to Omaha in time, Stephen and I have to leave right after the game and drive through the night (it's like 7:00pm at this point). I drive home on the freeway and the Beavers give up a run its getting tense. I run inside the house to watch the final three outs. The Beavers make it interesting (I'm pacing, yelling, etc.) but win.
I call Stephen. We're going.
An hour later we're on the road headed towards Omaha. His dad let us use his car since neither of us trusted ours to go all the way to Nebraska.
Anyways, we go all the way to Ogallala, Nebraska in our first leg, 20 hours of driving. Leaving at 9:15pm, we didn't stop until about 9pm the next night Omaha time. We stopped in Twin Falls, Idaho for breakfast at IHOP and then at the Cheyenne, Wyoming Subway for lunch/dinner. We just drank lots of caffeine to stave off the tiredness. While I was tired, I never was close to falling asleep at the wheel, I think the excitement of going to Omaha prevented that!
I'll post some pictures below. The next post will be on our first day in Omaha and the Beavers game against Arizona State.
Good rest stop in Idaho. We had stopped at some crappy ones.
Sunrise in Idaho.
We had to figure out how to use a gas station. It isn't so hard.
Wyoming. Don't let the picture fool you, it was a whole lot of nothing.
Ugh, that's still really far.
Okay, so now that I'm back and have had a chance to recover, I'll post about my trip in a few installments. They will be posted on the date closest to where they took place.
It all started back after the Beavers won their Regional in Virginia. After last year, I really wanted to go to Omaha and experience it, even if the Beavers lost. A lot of people were like "why aren't you there??!?" during last year's run so I got thinking the same thing. I should be there. Anyways, I casually mentioned going to my friend Stephen and he seemed up to it if they happened to make it.
So then come the Super Regionals. Beavers win against Michigan at home (I went to the second game) and they're off to Omaha. Their first game is on Saturday. Unfortunately, I have to move on Thursday and Friday so there was no way we make the first game.
After a final on early Thursday morning, Stephen and I got to talking. For a while we thought we'd go only if they made the Championship round. But we figured they wouldn't do that and who knows when they'd get to Omaha again. So we decided to go... assuming they won their first game against Cal State Fullerton on Saturday. Otherwise, if they lost and we went, if they lost again we'd only get to see one game of theirs. That would not be worth the trip.
So on Saturday I'm at my cousin Ashley's graduation party and the game is going on. I have no contact with a score. I call Kenny and ask him... he checks out and the Beavers are up 2-1 in the 6th inning. Okay, so now I'm really freaking antsy. Not only are the Beavers in a close game that I care about, I'm also 9 outs way from dropping everything and going to Omaha. Everything hung in the balance.
Anyways, so the party gets over and I head to my car. I early turn on the radio and the first thing I hear is "he hits it high and deeeeeeep... SO LONG! HOMERUN! BEAVERS LEAD IT THREE TO ONE!"
So now I'm officially freaking out. They are so close! And in order to get to Omaha in time, Stephen and I have to leave right after the game and drive through the night (it's like 7:00pm at this point). I drive home on the freeway and the Beavers give up a run its getting tense. I run inside the house to watch the final three outs. The Beavers make it interesting (I'm pacing, yelling, etc.) but win.
I call Stephen. We're going.
An hour later we're on the road headed towards Omaha. His dad let us use his car since neither of us trusted ours to go all the way to Nebraska.
Anyways, we go all the way to Ogallala, Nebraska in our first leg, 20 hours of driving. Leaving at 9:15pm, we didn't stop until about 9pm the next night Omaha time. We stopped in Twin Falls, Idaho for breakfast at IHOP and then at the Cheyenne, Wyoming Subway for lunch/dinner. We just drank lots of caffeine to stave off the tiredness. While I was tired, I never was close to falling asleep at the wheel, I think the excitement of going to Omaha prevented that!
I'll post some pictures below. The next post will be on our first day in Omaha and the Beavers game against Arizona State.
Good rest stop in Idaho. We had stopped at some crappy ones.
Sunrise in Idaho.
We had to figure out how to use a gas station. It isn't so hard.
Wyoming. Don't let the picture fool you, it was a whole lot of nothing.
Ugh, that's still really far.
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