Thursday July 02, 2009

Hitting the Road

Hitting the Road
Like many years, I hope to make it to all of the road games this season and encourage Tiger fans who can to do the same. There is something about road games that make them special. I love the camaraderie of the fans on the road. Some feel these are the biggest fans and there is a bond between those that go to the road games.

It might be too early to analyze the teams but we can start thinking about the trips. Like many of you, I have been to all five road venues and wanted to give a little information about each road trip this season.

September 10 Georgia Tech
This is a good road trip for many Clemson fans because of the short distance for many. Atlanta is a fun city even though the Tigers have not had a lot of success in Hotlanta as of late.

Thursday night is difficult for visiting fans but Clemson does have a pretty good base of fans among the 5.5 million people that live in the city.

Many Clemson fans are very familiar with the city because of its proximity and the frequent bowl trips to the Peach Bowl. For those that have not been in recent years, I would suggest the Georgia Aquarium. This is a great pre-game activity especially if you are bringing kids.

Food is a positive for the trip as Atlanta boasts some of the best restaurants in the South but if I had to suggest one it would be the Brazilian steakhouse, Fogo de Chao. Bring your appetite and leave the vegetarians at home.

As far as the game itself, parking is always an issue at Tech. The tailgating is not a positive either. Bobby Dodd Stadium has been renovated in recent years but is still about average for the league. The atmosphere is also about average for the ACC.

On a side note, the perfect trip for this September weekend would be a Thursday drive to Atlanta for the Clemson-Tech game, a day for site seeing in the city on Friday and a short drive to Athens on Saturday for the Georgia-South Carolina game.

October 3 Maryland
Clemson fans have enjoyed some terrific wins in College Park but have been put through some tough times with less than hospitable fans also.

College Park is not the nicest campus in the ACC. Byrd Stadium has also seen some recent renovations but is nothing special.

This is a trip is another good one for the kids because of the great lessons found in our nations’ capital. The last time I went to College Park for the game I stayed though Monday and got a chance to see all of D.C. No city on our country has as many must see tourist sites as Washington, D.C.

I have not found great food on this trip yet but am available for suggestions.

October 24 Miami
How can a trip to Miami be bad? Great weather and one of the best nightlife cities in the world are found here. South Beach is interesting to say the least. The food in South Florida is also among the best with a great blend of Latin food and sea food.

The old trips to the Orange Bowl were a little dangerous due to a bad neighborhood but the old building had character. Miami now plays in Pro Players Field, a.k.a. Dolphin Stadium, a.k.a. Joe Robbie Stadium, a.k.a. Landshark Stadium. Anyway, it is located in the middle of a bunch if parking lots in Ft. Lauderdale. I have been to the stadium but it was for a Marlins game so I cannot attest to the football atmosphere. However, I don’t think it will have the same intimacy of the Orange Bowl.

November 12 N.C. State
Like many Tiger fans, I have been to Raleigh almost every other year for many years. This is a day trip in most cases so I cannot suggest any food or hotels here.

Carter-Finley Stadium has had significant upgrades over the years and now can be considered one of the top stadiums in the league. The atmosphere is pretty good for ACC football.

Raleigh does not have the draw of Atlanta, Miami or D.C. but it is a fair city. I would suggest this trip for many Tiger fans that cannot make the more distant trips to College Park or Miami. This is an easy drive for many fans.

November 28 South Carolina
I lived in the Columbia area off and on for about 18 years so I can say there few cities this size with so little to offer.

Columbia has a good zoo but that is just about it.

Many Tiger fans make this trip and are very familiar with the venue and the surrounding areas. This trip is more about the game and the rivalry and less about the food or tourist attractions.

In all this is a pretty good road schedule. You get a little bit of the big city with Atlanta trip, the educational trip to D.C., the great beaches of South Florida and two drivable trips to Raleigh and Columbia in November.

In 2010 the Tigers have an excellent road schedule highlighted by trips to North Carolina, Florida State, Boston College and Auburn.

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Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
*If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
*If you would like to add someone to the list please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*If you want the reason for the prayer to be added to the name please specify in your e-mails.
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list

Those who need our prayers include:
Finn Brookover, Mrs. Kathleen Bowers, Larry in Naples, FL, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Frank Taylor, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Christine Hepfer, Daniel Rosborough, Amy Murphey, Jack Huffman, Nancy Winkler, Dr. Nancy Strom Morgan, John Reeve, Eileen Woodrum, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Jean-Pierre Bailey, Kaitlyn L, William Perry, Delores Weaver, Eric Boessneck, John Bowers, Jimmy Ness, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, John Petrey.