My husband and I are constantly on the lookout for weekend day trip ideas. Our weekends are spent filled with the awareness of all the useful things that we’re supposed to be doing around the house, yet we are severely lacking the willpower to do those things. One Saturday afternoon not too long ago, our desperate escape from the horror of chores took us in the direction of Scottsdale, and the Arts District.

The Old Town area of Scottsdale is a treat for window shopping enthusiasts, and a mecca for Southwestern oriented artwork and decor. Parking can sometimes be a challenge, though it’s easier during the day than at night, when Those Who Wish To See and Be Seen come out to play.

Art galleries mingle seamlessly with souvenir stores and restaurants. Every Thursday the art galleries host an evening Art Walk from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., displaying their artwork and crafts along the walkways and sidewalks. Come for the art, stay for the free wine!

It’s easy to spend hours looking through the hundreds of shops in the area. My husband and I broke up the day with regular stops for refreshment, first at the Rusty Spur Saloon:

Then at the Sugar Bowl:

There is absolutely no way to forget that you are in the heart of the Southwest.

Nothing says Arizona like a good old fashioned cow skull:

Scottsdale is family and pet friendly – though they discourage pets coming into the stores and restaurants themselves. To get there from Loop 101, exit on Indian School Road and travel west to Scottsdale Road. If you’re taking the 202, exit on Scottsdale Road and travel north to arrive in the Old Town area. The heart of the Arts district is on Scottsdale Road and Fifth Avenue.

The Old Town area of Scottsdale – just like the rest of the city – is an excellent place to spend very little money and enjoy the sites; alternately, you can spend a WHOLE LOT of money and indulge in some truly unique arts and crafts.

America's Favorite Pastime

I’m not really a baseball fan, never have been.  I played just about every sport you could imagine while growing up.  (Well, except for hockey.  I grew up in Louisiana where ice is something used for tea not a venue for athletic competition.)  Anyway, I played most sports growing up but never really got into baseball.  Maybe it was my horrible lack of hand-eye coordination or the fact that dirt clods were easier to throw than baseballs.  Maybe I don’t really care for Cracker Jacks.

Turns out, you don’t necessarily need to love the game of baseball or Cracker Jacks in order to have a fun-filled family outing at the ball park.

The Columbus Clippers, the AAA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, christened their sparkly new stadium just over 2 weeks ago on April 18.  Huntington Park, located in the Arena District of downtown Columbus at the corners of Neil Avenue and Nationwide still smells new.  Or maybe that was the wings from Rooster’s.  Of course it could have been the smoked kielbasa or grilled panini sandwiches.

Huntington Park Home of the Columbus Clippers

Yep, they’ve hired an executive chef to oversee food preparations and the menu is superb.  It’s not your standard ballpark fare.  Other menu items include veggie subs, hummus platters and veggie wraps for non-meat eaters; carved sandwiches for meat lovers; and peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and applesauce for young children.¹ There are also favorite local restaurants and food vendors operating kiosks throughout the stadium.  (City Barbeque, Elevator Brewing Company, Tim Horton’s, Donato’s Pizza and Bob Evans to name a few.)  Oh and the Rooster’s I mentioned earlier…part of the 3 story left field tower with roof-top bleacher seating.  Very Wrigley Field-esque.  (I’m told it’s there, I didn’t go up myself as I have this issue with heights.)

Don’t let all this talk of gourmet food and local restaurants worry you.  There’s still plenty of popcorn, peanuts and yes even Cracker Jacks to be found.  Oh, and Dime a Dog nights will still be held on selected Mondays throughout the season.  Make sure to check the promotions schedule.

Huntington Park and the Columbus Clippers

What really makes an outing to Huntington Park such a great experience though, is the price.  Box seating is available for $12 in advance ($15 day of), Reserved seats $10 adults and $7 seniors and children 12 and under, and Assigned Bleacher Seating or General Admission Lawn seating is available for $6 adults and $3 seniors and children.  Even with the exorbitant fees and handling charges by TicketMaster I was able to take myself and all five kids to a game for $30 bucks.  Now that’s a deal anywhere!

Parking is available almost anywhere downtown and within a 10 minute walk of Huntington Park.  Most of the parking garages will charge $3 to park unless there are other downtown events occurring concurrently.  (Say that three times fast!)  We actually parked directly across the street from the ballpark and paid just $10–still a bargain.

The next time you happen to be vacationing Columbus and need to fill an evening, or two, make sure to check the Clippers’ schedule.  The food is great and smells just as good as the shiny new stadium.   A Clippers game at the new Huntington Park makes for an ideal family outing–even more so when your team wins!

Clippers Win! Clippers Win!

¹Quoted text from Tracy Turner of the Columbus Dispatch.  All photos by Ed Lamaze.