Hockey at Seaworld??? Amazingly yes…thanks to Bud.
Well it was fun while it lasted….last nite we drove back up the hill to home. Our dog who missed us for those four long days…greeted us by not letting us out of his sights for the night. San Diego was a great place to visit….however to find our hockey games, we had to do a little digging. This is where it got interesting. As always, first priority was my wife’s Ducks. After all, if any husband knows where his bread is buttered….always keep the wife happy at all costs.
So Thursday evening, once we got settled at the hotel…our quest was simple….find hockey at a sports bar. Our search led us deep in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter (San Diego’s historic district) which is full of restaurants and nightlife. The House of Blues was very sweet and prices were reasonable. However for our sports viewing, Hennessey’s was quite the awesome place. The owner just happened to be a Ducks fan…and had Center Ice in the bar…very nice indeed. The pints flowed aplenty…and the hockey was good….including a Devils game 1 win Thursday followed by a Game 2 win by the Ducks Friday nite. The tv’s were huge and in HD…..which made for a viewing experience that was top flight in every way.
Dawn and I popped on the internet real fast at an Internet Cafe Saturday morning just to check everything….get some more hockey info, and we were off again. we did all the normal touristy things in San Diego, took pictures, went to all these places…etc…etc. But the best thing was there was hockey to be found….and surprisingly hockey talk. The local sports radio station even did a whole show from the Pond Friday nite and again last nite.
The biggest surprise came Sunday morning when we headed down to Harbor Island for a champagne brunch with a nice view of the Bay. Low and behold, the people sitting at the next table were diehard hockey fans. What started as a low keyed brunch turned into a passionate long discussion over free flowing champagne about the state of hockey and the playoffs in general. Who should win the Hart? Who is going to win the Cup? All these questions and more were asked. For all the laughs and fun I learned a lot….and that is the essence of The NHL Arena….the free flowing exchange from fans of all backgrounds. It keeps everything lively and fresh…well without the champagne. It was a nice ending to a great vacation….and now its back to hockey…and well…hockey.
