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| - Surprise is a great stadium if you live out in the far West Valley. For the rest of us, it is a bit of a nightmare. While the stadium is great, its location hurts it the most. It is a must-see during a Cactus League trip but for locals, it is probably not worth the drive unless you're a fan of the teams that play there.
Situated just south of Bell Road and just past one of the worst intersections in the Valley, Suprise Stadium stands out. It sits in the middle of a relatively empty complex which is part of the problem. There isn't anything to do around the stadium before or after the game making it hard to make this stadium a destination. It is best to take Grand Ave to Thunderbird and then go north on Bullard.
Once you reach the stadium, parking is free, which is nice, but is sometimes confined to dirt lots. The stadium is beautiful and reminiscent of the Rangers' big league in Arlington. There are nice grass seats and newer wide seats behind home plate. The seats down both lines are drenched in sun, however. Shade can be found on the concourse under the press box but it is a narrow passage that gets crowded on hot days. The upper level seats are quite nice and, like Peoria, offer shade and a wait staff.
The food options at Surprise are somewhat limited. There isn't much in the way of independent vendors which leaves you to the standard ballpark fare.
Surprise is a beautiful park. It stands out in architecture from every other park in the league. It is like a Major League park that has been shrunken down. While this is nice, it does not cater to the fans in the way that some other parks do. It's a nice place, but I'm glad my team place elsewhere.
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