My first Packer game = snowiest game in 5 years (and 5 layers on top, 3 on bottom)
Lambeau tree
Spot at the bar on game day- unheard of! (not if you get there 7 hours before the game though)
Every Sunday in this house, I hear the chant "Packer Sunday, Packer Sunday" from two excited guys in the house when they wake up and realize what day it is. Once the last guy can add more words to his vocabulary, it will become three chanters! Last weekend it was my turn to witness this excitement first hand at good ol' Lambeau Field.
Our original plan was to go to Joe's parents with the kids Saturday night, and get up in the morning and head to Green Bay. Since it was a Sunday night game, we figured we had plenty of time to get there as we'd only be three hours away. Mother Nature had different plans, so we hit the road Saturday night to the Green Bay area and left the kids to stay an extra night on their own with grandma and grandpa. It was a win-win situation, we beat driving in the storm (and got an extra night out) and grandma and grandpa got to have more quality time with the boys.
We stayed in Appleton, hitting some of the hot spots on the main college avenue in town for a night. Sunday we got down to Lambeau quite a bit early to beat the traffic. We lucked out and got a seat at the bar right across the street and got to take in some other Sunday afternoon games while the snow came down furiously outside. A couple hours before game time, we braved it and put the rest of our layers on and headed into the blustery night. The temperature was perfect for a winter night game in the Midwest- 35 degrees - however, the snow turned to water once it hit you so it got a little wet after a couple hours! I really wasn't cold until mid-third quarter when my feet got a little wet in the boots I had on. I was smart and had a padded jacket to put down on the medal bleacher seats to sit on. If you don't have warm feet, or a warm seat you are in big trouble! Anyway, I can't compare it to any other game- but the stadium was very cool at night brightly lit up and snowflakes coming down. The fans were nothing but energetic and fun. They packed 70,000 into the stadium that night. The outdoor tents were packed in the tailgating zone during pre-game time, comparable to St. Patty's Day here in St. Paul. It was not like any football game I have ever experienced. The weather did not turn anyone away, it made them even more excited! Brats, beer and of course cheese were everywhere! No joke.
We had a great time even with the crazy weather. The Pack won, we were stuck on the highway in bumper-to-bumper traffic getting back to our hotel not until 2am, so the day was a bit long....but it was all about the "full" experience. I don't have a "bucket list" officially. But, if I did a Packer game might be on it. Not sure if the snowiest game in 5 years would be on the list, ha, but needless to say it was a very fun experience and now I can totally understand what "Packer Sunday" officially means. It has a very different meaning in person than sitting at home watching it on T.V. If I go to another game, I may opt for a fall one- ha. One of the highlights was meeting a couple from San Diego that came back to a December game because the previous game they came to was 70 degrees and they were mad! They wante the true experience. I think they got it!
PS- I was forced to wear the beautiful jersey!
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