#1 Lambeau Field#2 Takes 4 guys to put their heads together to maintain the grass!!!
#3 THE Tunnel!!!!
#4 Through the goal posts!
#5 A few accolades posted on the stadium walls.
#6 One of many fan directives posted at the entrances to the seats.
#7 Sitting in the end zone!
#8 The $40 burger offer
#9 The menu at Curly's Pub in the atrium of the stadium
Well, Jerry wanted to get and early start so we did….would you believe we were on the road by 7:30? I can’t believe I was out of bed by then, but I had not looked at the clock until we were ready to leave….did get a good night’s sleep though. Wound up driving all the way into Green Bay before we stopped for breakfast (about 9 s.m), then to Petco to get dog food and Wal Mart for a few groceries before heading to Lambeau Field for a tour. Got there in time for 10:45 a.m tour. It was GREAT!!! We had an awesome tour and learned a lot…the latest renovation to Lambeau was in 2003 and they really did it right…it is set up like a convention center and they use it all the time for special events, etc. Our guide was well versed in the history and tradition of the stadium and the Packers. We were able to go into a sky box which was really nice and then we went downstairs and got to walk out the tunnel that the team enters the stadium through for each game.
We were not allowed on the field which is 97% natural grass…the other 3 % is individually placed tufts of artificial grass that go deeper into the ground and the natural grass roots grow around them and this supposedly helps to keep the field from getting so torn up during muddy/wet games. There were 4 groundskeepers that were going over the field with a fine tooth comb (almost literally) - at one point all 4 of them were on their hands and knees with their heads together examining something on the field.
When we were in the tunnel the dressing room was off to the right, but we could not go in there b/c the players use it year round. He told us that there were classrooms in there for each position on the team, weight rooms, game rooms, a barber shop, study rooms, film rooms, a player’s cafeteria…..they are really pampered!!! At the end of the tunnel was a big garage type door…at one spot in the tunnel the players are standing on 3 large concrete and brick sections that were part of the original stadium.
The Packers are an unusual franchise in that they do not have one owner…they have stockholders and occasionally they offer more stock for sale….no benefits except to say you are part owner of the Green Bay Packers! It is a wonderful stadium and well worth the visit even if you are not a football fan.
The Packer Hall of Fame is a 25,000 sq ft. facility in the lower level. Unfortunately we did not have time to visit it b/c I spent too much time shopping for a particularly rabid Packer fan that I know who also happens to be family!!! Hope to return here someday.
After shopping completed went to Curly’s for lunch. Jerry and I split a very good hamburger w/ sauerkraut and a link sausage on it. Note: there was a $40 hamburger on the menu....2 1/2 lbs of meat!! WOW!!! However in reading the fine print, it does come with 4 plates and 4 drinks! It was a good lunch, but took a long time to get our food.
Leaving there we headed west and stayed the night at Chippewa Falls, home of the Leinenkugel Brewery.
We went into town for ice cream and stopped at Olsen’s - voted #1 in Eau Claire/Chippewa Falls area. Good ice cream and LOTS of it…Jerry could not finish his, but of course I managed mine…however he did have more in his cup than I did.
Back to RV park and time to turn in! Long day and late stop.
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