Cards / Twins in July

[IntoGloryRide]

Hey Twins fans,

I live down in Indianapolis and plan on bringing the family up for our first visit to Target Field for the Red Birds / Twins series in July. I crossed PNC Park and walking across the Roberto Clemente Bridge off my bucket list last year. Been to all the parks around us within a 5-6 hour driving distance (Wrigley / Busch / PNC / Miller Field / Great American) with the exception of US Cellular which I'm hitting in July. Had a few general questions about the ballpark and things to do in Minnesota.

The Thursday game is an early afternoon game and I was wondering what the best seats for shade are. We're bringing our 4 month old and don't want her baking in the sun. Also have my other 2 kids. I'm looking to spend up to $200 for 4 tickets for that game. Any direction is hugely appreciated.

Also, we plan on hitting the Mall Of America which doesn't excite me at all because I hate malls but they seem to have some cool stuff for kids (Nickelodean, Maze Of Mirrors, Aquarium, Lego, tc..). Is the Zoo up there pretty good? Anything else you'd recommend for 7-9 year olds?

Last but not least, I'm a big beer drinker and I'm pretty jacked about finally having some pints at Surly and Minneapolis Town Hall. Any other good breweries I should make it a point to stop at? I saw something about Hammerheart Brewing which looked a little out of the way but wasn't sure if it'd be worth the drive.

Sorry for all the questions. This just looked like a pretty informative forum and we're pumped for this trip.

Thanks ahead of time.

[aanderud]

Last year we were at a 1 pm game on 4th of july timeframe. Got tickets fairly late and not a lot of options left. Upper deck, directly behind home plate fairly high (like 6 rows from the top I'd say).

I slathered on a bunch of sunscreen before we got out of the truck, as I figured a full afternoon of july sun wasn't going to be good. Turns out we were high enough that we were under the awning / shade the entire game. Not the most ideal seats ever, but we were able to see fairly well and the shade would be a nice bonus for the 4 month old.

[pikestabber]

I don't know about seats specifically, but on the beer angle there are some pretty good options right in the stadium. The food is stellar, too. You pay for it, of course, as with any stadium, but make it a point to walk around the concourse and check everything out. It's a gorgeous ballpark.

As for the mall...I'm with you on that one. Hate that place, lol, but lots for kids to do.

[Juneau4]

Better check your schedule again, the Twins don't play the Cards in July. They play them the middle of June and there are only about 300 tickets left, less than that in your price range. Good luck and enjoy.

[nofishfisherman]

For reference here is a view of the stadium from above. You can get an idea of where the sun might be during the game if you keep in mind that it rises in the east and sets in the west. If the game is mid to late afternoon it should be a touch more to the west leaving the outfield seats as the least desirable seats.

I would suggest looking for seats near the top of the lower level. The top 10-15 rows are under an overhang that should provide plenty of shade. If you can get in the top of the lower level behind home plate or just to either side of home plate you should be in good shape.

You could also check on availability for the Club Level which is the next level up. Its the only section I haven't sat in yet but I've heard its really nice and cushy. It should also give good shade.

As for food at the stadium there are a lot of good options. For brats or polish sausage the best option is Kramarczuk's. They have a few stand alone booths around the lower concourse. $7 for a brat or polish sausage with or without onions and kraut.

My personal favorite is the Cuban sandwich from Tony O's. Its a pretty big sandwich and it comes with chips for $9-10. Probably the best overall value I've found so far.

For local beer you have A LOT to choose from. Surly is an obvious choice. You can get it at the stadium (you'll pay a premium) and you can also get some varieties at most local bars in the area. You can also head to their new brew pub in Minneapolis but its new and popular so you might be in for a wait. There are a ton of new brew pubs in Northeast Minneapolis but many only serve beer with no food and wouldn't be the best family joint. One option to look at is Day Block Brewery on Washington Ave not real far from the stadium. Its much more family friendly, the food is really good, as is the beer.

[DonBo]

Stick to anywhere behind home plate, or down the right field line to be sure you're out of the sun. You can purchase any tickets you want from scalpers for less than face value within a couple blocks of the stadium, that's what we'll be doing this year.

A day game during the week, parking will suck! If you're going to be at Mall of America anyway, plan on taking the Light Rail to the game. It's cheap and easy. It picks you up right at MOA and Target Field is the other end of the line.

And yes, MOA is great for kids and the Apple Valley zoo is very nice.

Enjoy your trip here, the stadium is really nice. We've been to I think 14 different Major League parks, and this is right up there with the best we've seen. Try to figure out how to get to Miller Park in Milwaukee on the way here or back if you haven't seen that yet, it's worth the extra effort.

[BLACKJACK]

I had the same sun concerns, we went in August and sat on the 1st base side about half way down, it was in the shade the whole game. Perfect.

[Bryce]

Splurge for Legends Club tickets. Lot of Twins history you can only see with these tickets. 1st base side for sun avoidance and you're never more than a handful or so rows from the a/c.

[Getanet]

Yes, anything down the 3B/LF side of the stadium will be in direct sunlight for afternoon games. My company had tickets there the first season and the first guy who used the tickets had to miss the next day of work because he got sunburned so bad (hey, we weren't used to outside baseball).

You probably already know this, but there is Light Rail that runs from Target Field to the Mall of America. Not sure where you're booking a hotel, but the Airport and MOA are in Bloomington. There is an indoor water-park a few blocks from the MOA that kids like. The Zoo is good for kids - that's south from Bloomington. There is a Children's Museum and Science Museum in downtown St. Paul that many kids like.

Have fun and Welcome!

[nofishfisherman]

If you want to check out a decent zoo and save some money check out the Como Zoo in St. Paul. Its smaller so it can be better if you have small kids with shorter attention spans and its free to get in. They also have a kids amusement park there with small rides. Its also adjacent to Como Park which is a really nice picnic spot with tables/playground/grills/etc. I live about 2 miles away so its a frequent stop for me any my daughter after I pick her up from daycare.

[bobbymalone]

They play them the middle of June and there are only about 300 tickets left

where are you guys seeing tickets for the cards series available? It doesn't look like they are available yet and I have doubts that the twins have almost sold out a baseball game that's 4 months away.

I will definitely be there to see the hometown team get crushed by my cardinals.

[DonBo]

They play them the middle of June and there are only about 300 tickets left

[mainbutter]

For brews:

Check out hammerheart. My inlaws live a 3 minute walk from there and I was a regular until I moved to D.C.. it's an awesome small business in a small-ish area. Hammerheart is way more my style than the mpls town hall brewery, and their beers are better. If you like unique brews, flavor, and kick, you'll like their products. You're not usually buying 4-5% ABV brews, but 7-10% ABV, make sure to plan a ride.

Also go check out sociable ciderwerks. My college acquaintance is a part owner, and it's a pretty happening place in minneapolis with a unique take on cider. I highly recommend spoke wrench/aka broken spoke if they have it on tap.

For twin stuff:

I like right field as close to the field as possible, and I've had luck finding tickets under $40 on stubhub. I haven't sat in a bad seat yet at T.field, but right field has been my favorite.

Caveat: I've only ever bought two side by side seats on stubhub, finding 4 sitting together might not be as easy.

[B. Amish]

Fulton is a good brewery just a short walk from target field.

haven't been to 612 brewery, but want to.

SUMMIT is a great stop over in st. paul

day block is a good choice

[IntoGloryRide]

Thanks for the shaded seats info. I'll be buying tickets more than likely on stubhub for somewhere behind homeplate. And I'll definitely be looking for that Cuban to try. I'll splurge a little on Surly beers at the game just because most parks have such crappy choices. I'd say Miller Park has had the best variety because of the New Glarus alone.

I definitely plan on still hitting their brewpub. They have a decent little menu that looks kid friendly. I'm guessing Darkness is long gone from shelves. I haven't had it in a few years and will probably end up trading for a bottle of the new one since its barrel aged. Minneapolis Town Hall intrigues me the most. I've heard so many good things about their Mango IPA and have my fingers crossed it's on tap in June.

Thanks for the heads up on that water park. The kids will love that. And I like the idea of taking the rail from the mall to the game.

So yeah, I appreciate all the insight. If anyone has anything else feel free to post it. I'm all ears. I'm hoping you guys call up Buxton and Sano so I can catch them in person. I'm loving their farm system.

[IntoGloryRide]

Oh yeah, forgot to ask: Has anyone been to the Minnesota Honey Company? I homebrew mead and was hoping to get some local honey up there and this place looked like a mecca. I haven't been able to find prices ranges and wasn't sure if any of you had some insight.

[nofishfisherman]

Not sure how much honey you want but if you want local honey you can get it at any of the local farmers markets. The one in downtown St. Paul has several small scale local vendors. They sell in a variety of sizes.