Chase Field

Upper deck down the left field line

The Reds were in town, so I went to the game last night at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix. It's a massive structure with a retractable roof. The roof was closed tonight and the inside cooled to escape the 105º heat outside. I may have to go back in late September and watch a game when the roof is open.

The stadium, with it's hangar-type roof and windows along the top, has the feel of an old-style fieldhouse, but on a much larger scale. It has all the amenities of a modern stadium - giant center field scoreboard, concession stands everywhere, restaurants overlooking the outfield, etc.

The Reds won 11-7 after scoring 4 runs in the 8th to tie the game and 4 runs in the 9th to win it. I also found out I was part of history. This game had the smallest crowd in Diamondbacks history - 15,509 in attendance.

Just about ready to start

The field is ready to go

Looking across the diamond from the upper deck along the left field line

Edinson Volquez on the mound

The mongo scoreboard in center field

Leaving Chase Field

Downtown Phoenix

The Rising Phoenix

This afternoon, I took a stroll through downtown Phoenix to photograph the architecture of the various buildings. It's a mix of old and new, classic and modern, beautiful and ugly.

I parked in front of the County Courthouse and took off on foot. It was a robust 108º and soon I was sweating like Moses Malone. By the end of my walk, I was drained like a Larry Bird 3-pointer. If Gage and DeSoto had come upon me, they would have ordered IVs of D5W and Ringers Lactate. STAT!

Anyways, enjoy the pics!


New School -

Ugly and hive-like

U.S. Airways Center - Home of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury

Bank of America - a good looking building

Chase Field - Home of the Arizona Diamondbacks

The Phoenix Convention Center

Futuristic

The Arizona Center

Fountain at City Hall

Old School -

The Art Deco Luhrs Tower

Brick and stone

Classic hotel

The Westward Ho

More Art Deco

The Arab flair of the Orpheum Theater

Maricopa County Courthouse

Very Spartan

Churches -

St. Mary's Basilica

Imaculado Corizón de Maria

First Presbyterian Church

Bonus Section - Gutted Gothic: I came upon this by accident. It's the historic First Baptist Church, which is now overseen by the National Park Service as an Historic Building.

The First Baptist Church lies in disrepair

Sky through the stained glass frame

The gutted interior complete with eroding balcony pillar

Offices are closed!

View from the rear

Beat up belfry and roofless

Tombstone, AZ

Classic Star Trek episode

Downtown Tombstone - Tombstone is the epitome of the Wild West in America. Mining, gunfights, cattle, prostitution, etc. It's located in the high desert of SE Arizona. Tourism is the only thing of note I could see taking place here.

Looking south on Allen St.

I do believe there's gonna be a showdown

Is this the 3:10 to Yuma?

Supposedly, the Bird Cage Theater is haunted

Looking north on Allen St.

Big Nose Kate was Doc Holliday's girlfriend

Boot Hill Cemetery - I have to admit, I was expecting dirt, dust and sagebrush. Instead it was rocks and cacti. The old woman taking donations - who was only SLIGHTLY younger than Wyatt Earp - asked me to sign the register. Mine is the last name in the picture below and is a shoutout to Dave and Kathryn in Plano.

Funny epitaph

He was the supposed leader of a gang of robbers

Blunt

Casualties of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

Boot Hill

The Register

Random Pics -

Former county courthouse when Tombstone was county seat of Cochise County

Mine elevator cage

German music machine inside The Bird Cage

Entrance to the mines

City Hall on Fremont St.