9/30/11

College football rivalry - Georgia Tech vs Kansas


Fall is for football.

College football, that is. The rivalry between Georgia and Tennessee fans on our dock at the marina has given us many clues that football is a big part of the culture in the South. We got a taste of it a couple of weekends ago at the Bobby Dodd Stadium in Georgia Tech, Atlanta, our first football game ever. We had fantastic second row seats, right in front of the Georgia Tech team, so we could see everything that was going on with the team and its coach.

Our day started out meeting our friends at the MARTA Lenox Square station (a little more than two hours' drive for us) on the Gold Line, where we parked our cars. A short ride on the subway took us to North Avenue Station. From there, it was a short walk to the Georgia Tech campus. We stopped at the Barnes and Noble Starbucks for some much needed caffeine and donuts.

Recharged, we roamed around the campus. As we headed towards the stadium, we passed by rows of tailgate parties that were clearly in full swing. Tailgate parties are as much a part of the football experience as the game itself. This part, I dig, very well. The game, we're still learning about it.
Revelers tailgating before the game
at Yellow Jacket Alley, outside the Bobby Dodd Stadium
The Georgia Tech Marching Band and Yellow Jackets
Cheerleaders
The cheering Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets won big
It is definitely more exciting watching the game at the stadium than on TV. Following the ball, and seeing a player score a touchdown is so much more exciting! The fans, the cheerleaders, the camaraderie, the noise, the band and the music - these vibes in the stadium are unbelievably energetic, vibrant and fun. Will we go to a football, make that college football, game again? Definitely!

You might also like:
Picking pecans in the fall The most beautiful college campus in the South Hot hot hot in Atlanta

9/9/11

Savoring the last days of summer

Labor Day weekend is a busy holiday weekend in Boston, as college students descend upon the city to begin a new semester in their adopted home. The city pulsates as these people move in and out of apartments, and wandering around town to explore and discover what Boston has to offer. The Boston Harbor and the Charles River are no doubt packed with boaters taking advantage of the last few weekends of a glorious summer.
Boats on the Charles River, near MIT
MBTA station at Harvard Square
Newburyport, 45 minutes north of Boston
Out on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga (ok, 25 miles south of the city) last Saturday, there was nary a soul in sight. Not even the avid fisherman was out. Turns out that Labor Day weekend is the start of college football. Everyone was home, kicking back to watch the first game of the season.

We knew college football is big in the South, but didn't realize how big. Thanks to Jim and Beth, we'll be attending our first college football game at Georgia Tech in Atlanta next Saturday. We're looking forward to the camaraderie and excitement of a ballgame on campus. And to some finger-licking barbecue in Atlanta.

You might also like:
Falling for the South: Georgia on our minds Weekend Reflections: College Football and Hurricane Irma Anchoring on the Tennessee River: Little Cedar Mountain on Lake Nickajack