If you don't know, I'm a huge Nationals fan and I LOVE going to baseball games in the summer. My dad had an extra ticket to the Nationals opening day game at the new Nationals Park and I just couldn't pass up such a great opportunity. I will share my initial thoughts on the new stadium, and then of course some pictures! First of all, I have to say I LOVED RFK. I loved RFK because you could tailgate before any game and it was no problem. I loved it because you could have a ticket up in the top row of the stadium, but could easily sit elsewhere. I loved it because it was so easy to get to, just a straight drive right into the parking lot. I loved it because you could decide last minute you wanted to go to a game, hop in your car, drive down, pay $12 for parking and head into the game...easy as pie! I loved it because it was all I knew to love really.

The new Nationals Park has it's ups and downs. (Keep in mind I am only commenting having visited on OPENING DAY of a BRAND NEW stadium.) It wasn't as easy to get to as RFK. There are traffic lights, closed lanes, police cars, and people who just have no idea where to go who get in the way. Not just anyone can park there, you have to have a parking pass or else bus over from RFK or Metro. The parking spots are teeny tiny and you cannot tailgate. You can have a drink or two, but no grilling or picnic like RFK. The food lines were hours long. But they have much better food choices...Ben's Chili Bowl, Five Guys, Hard Times, Boardwalk Fries, Cantina Marina, and lots and lots more! The standard food places where you'd get your chicken fingers, hot dogs, nachos, etc. are all named really cute names that relate either to baseball or Washington, DC, such as Dupont Dogs. The stadium itself is beautifully amazing (can you use those two words together??)! And the scoreboard...AWESOME!! The scoreboard is HUGE and HD and just plain amazing. Let's just get to the best part...the pictures!!


Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of my dad and I at the game :( I am looking forward to many more games this summer and hopefully all the kinks of being a new stadium will get worked out and food lines won't be so long, people won't walk around like a pack of sardines, and parking will be a little easier. Here's to a great season...GO NATS!