Day 3: Detroit – Toledo - Pittsburgh

Day 3: Detroit – Toledo - Pittsburgh

I am a deeply superficial person.

I wish I had an answer to that because I'm tired of answering that question.

We have another scintillating breakfast, except this time the Sheraton Four Points had (frozen) blueberries as a fruit topping for cheerios. DB opts for English muffin and peanut butter. With coffee, $7.

One addendum to Comerica Park: they had plush individual chair/seats on the lower level just under the overhang, well placed to be both out of the sun and rain. Priceless?

Pictures: Front and back views of the Priory Hotel and toilet in the room, Jun Kaneko bronze head in Toledo, views from and of the ballpark, including a close-up of one of the "racers" between innings.

On the way to Pittsburgh, we stop in Toledo to get a tour of the Glass Pavilion adjunct of the Toledo Art Museum. The Pavilion architects are the same ones that designed the 21st Century Museum in Kanazawa, which of course we had visited in April. The Toledo version has a selection of glass from the last few hundred years and a nice selection of contemporary glass. And, another Kaneko head, this time in bronze, sits at the entrance (see pic).

Our tour guide is a cousin of a walking group friend, and she and her husband have built a glass collection, as well as being very active in the museum. We get a tour of her house, which includes a large, 8 foot Chihuly installation which is quite impressive (and behind glass to protect the work).

Lunch in Toledo, at J Alexander, salads and Arnold Palmers, $40. Then finish the drive to Pittsburgh, with one stop for cookies, a total of around 4 hours 30 minutes from Detroit.

Check in to the Priory Hotel, which seems to be in a poor neighborhood. Well, it is a converted 1888 commune for Benedictine monks and priests. Aside from the quirkiness, best attribute: an easy walk to the PNC ballpark. Not so good: feeling a bit uneasy when walking back after the game.

No trouble finding the park, you can see the light standards from the hotel. We have arranged tickets through the hotel, and it includes a basket of ballpark goodies, and free Pirates hats.

Ballpark overview: a pretty generic “new style” park with the bullpens out in left centerfield, two decks, real bleachers, a view of the city out behind the outfield, lots of room in front of the concession stands. Unlike Detroit, they don’t have a “fancy” section of seats in the shade under the overhang in the lower deck.

We share a Manny’s (Sanguillen) pulled pork sandwich, above average, and the worst cheesesteak ever: no taste, soggy French fries inside, white bread and more of a patty than chopped meat; very good microbrew; something that comes in Swedish Fish flavor, I opt from mango – syrupy sweet almost icee. Total: $30.

Game overview: It’s very pleasant at the park, in the high 70s and not tooooo humid. Former A’s and Cal players dominate the game as Ted Lilly holds Pirates to one run threw 7+ innings and Xavier Nady has 4 hits including a homer. However, Lou leaves Ted in for a batter too many and some guy you’ve never heard of hits a two run homer (his first in the majors) in the bottom of the 8th and the Pirates close it out behind another ex-A, Octavio Dotel. Pirates have won 7 of 8 vs. Cubs this year, and are 15-30 vs. the rest of the league. 11,334 join us for the game, a good percentage disappointed (though not too disappointed, it IS the Cubbies) Cubs fans. Several other people from Priory are here tonight as well, they are part of the Cubbies faithful.