Travel often means something different for sports fans. For casual vacationers, they can head to the West Coast to soak up the sun, visit some beaches, maybe go to Seattle and Portland to see the markets, check out the urban landscapes, visit the museums. But for sports fans, there are the stadiums, there are the events, there are the players!
So, if you’re a sports fan, or you’re traveling with a sports fan, along the coast any time during a sports season, you’ll have to check out the following five teams for home games – the Padres, the 49ers, the Sounders, the Kings, and the Athletics.
The San Diego Padres
For baseball fans, when you’re traveling around the San Diego area during the season, visiting the Padres stadium for a game is an absolute must. They’re a relatively small market team, but the stadium is beautiful, the fans are great, the weather is spectacular nearly the whole season, and how else can you munch on hot dogs and sip on your beer while watching a game with literally no time constraints? It’s a win-win for everyone!
The San Francisco 49ers
And though not in their prime the last few seasons, watching the San Francisco 49ers is still a treat for football fans. And a trip to Levi’s Stadium is also a trip to where Super Bowl 50 was just played at, so it was a bit of history in the making just a short time ago. The Super Bowl itself was a curious battle between old and new, and the halftime show will be getting press for years to come!
The Seattle Sounders
Soccer fans don’t have a huge foothold in the U.S. sports world, but what better place to go than Seattle to hit up a Sounders game if that’s your thing on vacation. They have some of the loudest and biggest soccer crowds in the country, and a high-energy culture to go behind it.
The Los Angeles Kings
Down in Los Angeles, there are hockey games that you can go to with the hometown L.A. Kings, and depending on the year and the players, you can see some of the best action in the sport. Playoffs start in mid-April, so if you’re traveling after that time, find out if your team is in it to win it!
The Oakland Raiders
And one of the most maligned football teams in the country, but also one of the teams with the most interesting sets of fans and cultural norms, if you’re around for a home game of the Oakland Raiders, you’re in for a vacation treat. Just probably go with someone who knows the ropes!