Well I am sure you can tell by the title that we had one heck of a time! I happened to be looking for tickets to see Eddie Vedder in Chicago and I came across a festival that had a lineup that took me way back and I knew I had to buy tickets immediately. The Innings Festival takes place in Tempe, Arizona each year. The 2019 lineup included some of my favorite artists including, Eddie Vedder, Cake, Matt Kearney, GROUPLOVE, and St. Paul & the Broken Bones. Incubus, Jimmy Eat World, Guster, and Sheryl Crow were among some of the other artists that attended. Nick and I reached out to a couple of friends to see if they wanted to join. To our surprise, it was taking place his birthday weekend AND he informed us it was also CUBS SPRING TRAINING!! I mean, hello?! We would be crazy not to catch a Cubs game while there. We arrived Thursday night and stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn by the airport. The hotel offers free transportation, but we waited almost 45 minutes after repeatedly calling them, so we grabbed an Uber. Apparently it is a "thing" in the Phoenix area for taxis and ride-shares to go the long way or act lost in order to rack up more money. Our driver circled around several times. Finally I asked him why we kept going the same way. He then states that he was not sure. That was confusing to me because when the map said to turn right, he turned left. Anyways, that did not spoil our trip. We were just getting started.
DAY 1: Our first morning, we decided to head over the Waffle House after reading they have gluten-free waffles! Being from the South, I felt like I HAD to go to the Waffle House and considering it was in the same parking lot as the hotel, reading they have GF Waffles, I figured it was a no-brainer. My dreams came crashing down as soon as the server said that they do not serve GF waffles at that location. Bummed is the understatement. I settled for some good southern grits, eggs over medium, and bacon. If you have never had runny eggs mixed with your grits, you are missing out! It is one of my favorites! I would have loved eating each and every bite of these if I had not found a HAIR about halfway through eating. Needless to say, my appetite was shattered, along with those waffle dreams.
We decided to pack up, grab an Uber (while following his move on the map of course), and head to Tempe. We dropped our things off at our Airbnb and headed downtown. The guys had scheduled golf, so we decided to grab some drinks and hang out before they hit the green. We stopped in at C.A.S.A. Tempe. We ordered round of drinks and asked them about their GF options. The server informed us that they did not really have any options....even the tacos with corn tortillas had gluten in the sauce for the meat. I was disappointed to say the least. She did confirm I could eat the rice and refried beans, so that is what I settled with. The flavor was extremely bland and they came out in Styrofoam which was extremely disappointing as well. The rice was stuck together in a clump, so that did not help the situation at all. Maybe I was just doomed to eat that day?! The margarita I started out with was pretty good, so that helped! They have a happy hour that goes all day until 6pm that offers half-off drafts. They offered a local cider called, Desert Dragon (ABV 6.9%), which had great flavor. The name made my taste buds curious, so I had to give it a try. I can attest that it was worth every sip and I would definitely drink another one...or ten! The server was completely uneducated on the beers, ciders, cocktails, and food. Besides that, we had great company and enjoyed our time outside with the warm weather and cold drinks. I did decide to have a mule before heading out. That was delicious. They have specialty cocktail mule, but due to the liquors they add, I was unable to give that one a shot and played it safe with Tito's.
Once the guys returned from golf, we all headed to Ike's Love & Sandwhiches. If you are ever in Tempe, PLEASE check them out! They have some of the best GF bread I have ever tasted. I chose the Barry B sandwich. It has bacon, turkey, and swiss. I added lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo. We also had some kettle chips alongside the scrumptious sandwich and that tied it all together. I was FINALLY FULL!!
DAY 2: We started the day off with some delicious brunch at Postino. How excited was I when I learned I could have GF bread? There is a local bakery that supplies a lot of the restaurants, so that was extremely refreshing. I had the Nine Iron Panini ($11). It consisted of smoked bacon, grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, and dijonnaise. The cost of GF bread is $2. If the flavor of the bread had not been so delicious and the bread tasted so fresh, I would have been upset for having to pay that up-charge. They also offered fantastic peach Bellini's according to my friends. While enjoying brunch outside on their wonderful patio, IT STARTED TO RAIN!!! Yep, in the desert, it started to rain! We ended up having to go back to the bnb to change into warmer clothes!
We ended up making it to the Cubs game a little late. The Cubs were playing the Brewers. That was pretty neat to see since they are rivals. Arizona spring training is known as the Cactus League. The Cubbies were playing at Sloan Park. The sun came out and boy oh boy did we start burning up. It was still chilly-ish, but that sun was hoooot. I can't say I really complained since we left freezing polar temps in Chicago. Although the Cubs didn't pull through with a "W", it was really nice watching them play at such a beautiful field. While at the game, I had some wonderful Italian ice from Angelo's Italian Ice. It was the perfect selection to help cool me off.
After leaving Sloan Park, we headed to Tempe Beach Park for some music! The park is along the water, so watching the sunset over the water and the string-lights along the bridge turn on as the sun set and moon was rising, it was the perfect atmosphere for some live music. Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers were playing as we walked in. I really loved their sound. For food, I had contacted the Innings Fest customer service ahead of time to make sure there would be some GF options and they assured me I would be fine, but gave me no details. I have to admit, I was slightly nervous. They did well! Not knowing what to expect, they definitely came through on their options...they had a TITO'S bar and CHIPOTLE! I scooted over to the Tito's area to snap a pic and grab a drink! I was able to see my friend, Josie who works for Tito's! It was very serendipitous!! She happened to be there for a Tito's shoot the following day and decided to swing by the fest for a day since she was already in AZ! She lives in Austin and we met when she was at Lollapalooza in Chicago last year. She had on the coolest Tito's shorts and of course I had to compliment them. The rest is history and we have kept in touch ever since. Seeing her at the fest was icing on the cake! After enjoying a cucumber and Tito's cocktail, we headed over to Chipotle for some grub.
The crew working the Chipotle line were AMAZING!!!!! I told them I was gluten-free and they changed out the utensils they used, washed their hands, and put on new gloves! They did not once make me feel like I was a bother or wasting their time. I ordered the rice bowl with a mix of both beans. I had it topped with tender steak, fajita veggies, lettuce, and cheese! I even received a cool clear swag bag from them that will be perfect for the Cubs and Bears games in Chicago this year! After striking gold with food and drinks, we found a spot and listened to some great tunes. We rocked out to Guster before heading to the other stage to listen to Blues Traveler. Holy harmonica is he talented!!!! After Blues Traveler, we grabbed another Tito's drink and headed to the other side to see GROUPLOVE. Their energy has always been something I love. They did a cover of Rage Against the Machine that was FANTASTIC!! They have SO much fun on stage. It really electrifies the crowd. We then headed to see CAKE. Have you ever heard the song, The Distance? It resonates in my ears and sparks memories from when I thought I was cool in the 8th grade when in fact, I was a giant nerd! I would try to memorize all of the lyrics in hopes that a cute boy in the arcade at the mall would think I was cool. Oh those were the days! Haha! After reliving 8th grade memories, we headed to another stage to catch a little bit of Sheryl Crow. I have never been a huge fan of her voice, but man....she seems like she would be so cool. She has a super "chill" factor about her that makes it seem as though she would be fun to have over for a cookout. While walking back to the other stage to catch the headliner, we stopped by the KIND popup and grabbed some mini KIND bars.
Those were a perfect little dessert snack. Incubus was the headliner for Saturday night. They put on a great live show. I really did not know what to expect. It was pretty awesome seeing people sing every single word to every single song. This fest was just so nostalgic to me, I am sure it sparked memories in most people around. After Incubus, we headed back to our bnb for some good rest and to get ready to do it all over again on Sunday!
DAY 3: The boys decided to tee off again and hit the green early on Sunday. I did not mind one bit, I wanted to sleep! Once they returned, we hit the ground running and decided to go to Daily Jam to give us some fuel for the day. I really wanted to try their bloody mary ($9), but they were out of Tito's. I settled for a Strawberry Mimosa ($8) instead. Nick ordered a 20oz. cold brew ($5). They were really slow on getting drinks out to guests. In fact, two bloody mary's sat on the counter for at least 15 minutes before they took them to the folks they belonged to. I would have been livid if I waited that long and ended up with a watered down bloody mary. For food, they have a lot of GF options. I ordered the chilaquiles ($9). They were DELICIOUS! They were not labeled GF, but I asked about the ingredients and they confirmed I was good to go. They consist of fresh corn tortillas, roasted ranchro sauce, cheese, and 2 fried eggs. I added chorizo to mine for an additional $2. They chorizo added an extra little kick of flavor. I would definitely order this again! A couple of the people working there said that the downtown Phoenix location is bigger and offers more beverages with a less likely chance of running out of things like the Tempe location. It could have been the festival crowd, but they did not seem prepared at all.
After stuffing our bellies, we headed back for the final day of live music. We set up shop to watch and groove to the smooth sound of G. Love & Special Sauce. Afterwards, we headed to the Tito's area and then Laura and Mike grabbed a margarita from the Milagro Tequila tent. We set up shop on a GIANT chair that was set up by Corona. There was a perfect breeze in the air that made everything that much sweeter. Our ears were tuned in to the refreshing voice of one of my favorites, Mat Kearney. I first hear Mat Kearney on The Rock Boat, a floating music festival that started in 2000. I have been on six of them. It is so fun to watch artists who are up and coming on the boat reach stardom and success. He is one of those. If you have not heard of him, check him out for sure. After listening to him, we headed over to the Stella Rosa tent. I wish we hadn't, but they had couches...comfy couches! There chardonnay was not good at all. It took a while to be able to finish one tiny cup of it.
The only thing that helped make that a good experience was listening to the soulful voice and sound of, St. Paul and the Broken Bones. Nick and I first saw them live at a really cool venue called, SPACE. It is located in Evanston, IL. The acoustics in this place are unmatched to any venue I have ever been to. If you are in the area and have a chance to catch a show there, do it! It will be something you won't regret. After listening to St. Paul, we headed to the other stage to listen to Shakey Graves. The sound folks really dropped the ball on this one. It was so hard to hear him. They were one of the bands I looked forward to seeing for the first time. We will make sure to catch him when he heads through Chicago. We headed over to Chipotle again for some more of their goodness. After leaving there, we grabbed a Tito's cocktail and headed over to watch Band of Horses. I have always enjoyed their music. I actually saw them at a free concert in Nashville back in 2010. They were so great back then, I knew we could not miss them this time around. We headed to listen to Jimmy Eat World! When I saw they were going to be at the festival, the song, The Middle, started playing on repeat in my head. I am extremely bummed that we were unable to hear them sing that.
We left right before they played it to get a good spot for EDDIE VEDDER!! I have been waiting more than two-thirds of my life to see him live, whether with Pearl Jam or solo. I grew up being a huge fan since I had a brother who was 13 years older than me. I thank my brother Robbie for introducing me to the music of Pearl Jam and Nirvana at the tender age of 11. It helped open my mind to amazing music. I had planned on seeing Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field in July of 2013, but the tickets sold out and the cheapest one I could find was almost $1000, so I hung out on a friends front porch and listened to as much as I could just wishing I could be inside to see them perform with my own eyes. Little did I know, Nick was at a bar less than a block away from me doing the exact same thing. That was our last night as single folks! Our paths crossed on the Red Line Train the following day and the rest is history! As soon as Eddie Vedder walked out, tears began to run down my cheeks. I was overcome with such joy and childhood wishes that were finally granted. The only other time I have cried when a singer came out was in Sydney, Australia when I saw, Adele. It is such joy and excitement that overcomes you and your body does not know how to handle the emotion, so tears of joy just run down your face. It is a surreal experience. I LOVE lyrics. Being a songwriter myself, I glide through a song listening to every word and story the writer is trying to tell. Eddie Vedder resonates with me, as does Adele, so maybe that is why those are the only two performers I have ever seen live and cried. I can only dream of seeing them live again. Dreams do come true now then! Want to know what topped the cake?! Joe Maddon, the coach of the Cubs, as well as, some of the Cubbies came out to perform with Eddie. That was so fun! It was a like a little party on stage. While still high off of a surreal experience, we headed to our bnb.
The festival offered a food court that offered GF options, however, it was hard to beat the price and service of Chipotle. I did try some beef tacos from, El Jefe, that were extremely flavorful, but the price was a little steep. Speaking of prices, this festival charges more for drinks, food, and merch than Lollapalooza does. The same company runs both events, but the price difference is astonishing. A $3 coozie at Lolla was $5 at Innings. A $9 beer at Lolla was $11-$14 at Innings. The Tito's drinks were $11 as well. We were a little shocked by the prices since it was Tempe vs. Chicago, but all in all the festival and lineup was FANTASTIC!!!! I look forward to possibly going again next year!
DAY 4: The journey home started early. Shew, I feel like my adrenaline was still pumping from the O.H.S.O located in PHX. Disappointed is the absolute understatement. The server wanted nothing to do with our table when I asked about gluten-free options. She said there was NOTHING I could have that was gluten-free. I asked about several options and she said she would ask the cook, but knew he would not be down to help with my "dietary restriction". Part of the disappointed is due to the fact that they advertise GF on their menus. She said it is because those were the "actual" restaurants and this is just an airport location. I drank my coffee, ate a KIND bar leftover from the festival and headed to our gate. Not the best way to end our trip, but the highs of this trip outweighed any of the negative....TENFOLD!
night before, so I was actually not as sleepy as I thought I would be. We headed to the airport and stopped at
STAY TUNED for my next trip is to Pittsburgh, PA and Lisbon, Portugal in April....I look forward to discovering what gluten-free goodness these cities hold near and dear!
Thank you so much for taking the time to relive these experiences with me! It means the world!
DAY 1: Our first morning, we decided to head over the Waffle House after reading they have gluten-free waffles! Being from the South, I felt like I HAD to go to the Waffle House and considering it was in the same parking lot as the hotel, reading they have GF Waffles, I figured it was a no-brainer. My dreams came crashing down as soon as the server said that they do not serve GF waffles at that location. Bummed is the understatement. I settled for some good southern grits, eggs over medium, and bacon. If you have never had runny eggs mixed with your grits, you are missing out! It is one of my favorites! I would have loved eating each and every bite of these if I had not found a HAIR about halfway through eating. Needless to say, my appetite was shattered, along with those waffle dreams.
We decided to pack up, grab an Uber (while following his move on the map of course), and head to Tempe. We dropped our things off at our Airbnb and headed downtown. The guys had scheduled golf, so we decided to grab some drinks and hang out before they hit the green. We stopped in at C.A.S.A. Tempe. We ordered round of drinks and asked them about their GF options. The server informed us that they did not really have any options....even the tacos with corn tortillas had gluten in the sauce for the meat. I was disappointed to say the least. She did confirm I could eat the rice and refried beans, so that is what I settled with. The flavor was extremely bland and they came out in Styrofoam which was extremely disappointing as well. The rice was stuck together in a clump, so that did not help the situation at all. Maybe I was just doomed to eat that day?! The margarita I started out with was pretty good, so that helped! They have a happy hour that goes all day until 6pm that offers half-off drafts. They offered a local cider called, Desert Dragon (ABV 6.9%), which had great flavor. The name made my taste buds curious, so I had to give it a try. I can attest that it was worth every sip and I would definitely drink another one...or ten! The server was completely uneducated on the beers, ciders, cocktails, and food. Besides that, we had great company and enjoyed our time outside with the warm weather and cold drinks. I did decide to have a mule before heading out. That was delicious. They have specialty cocktail mule, but due to the liquors they add, I was unable to give that one a shot and played it safe with Tito's.
Once the guys returned from golf, we all headed to Ike's Love & Sandwhiches. If you are ever in Tempe, PLEASE check them out! They have some of the best GF bread I have ever tasted. I chose the Barry B sandwich. It has bacon, turkey, and swiss. I added lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo. We also had some kettle chips alongside the scrumptious sandwich and that tied it all together. I was FINALLY FULL!!
DAY 2: We started the day off with some delicious brunch at Postino. How excited was I when I learned I could have GF bread? There is a local bakery that supplies a lot of the restaurants, so that was extremely refreshing. I had the Nine Iron Panini ($11). It consisted of smoked bacon, grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, and dijonnaise. The cost of GF bread is $2. If the flavor of the bread had not been so delicious and the bread tasted so fresh, I would have been upset for having to pay that up-charge. They also offered fantastic peach Bellini's according to my friends. While enjoying brunch outside on their wonderful patio, IT STARTED TO RAIN!!! Yep, in the desert, it started to rain! We ended up having to go back to the bnb to change into warmer clothes!
We ended up making it to the Cubs game a little late. The Cubs were playing the Brewers. That was pretty neat to see since they are rivals. Arizona spring training is known as the Cactus League. The Cubbies were playing at Sloan Park. The sun came out and boy oh boy did we start burning up. It was still chilly-ish, but that sun was hoooot. I can't say I really complained since we left freezing polar temps in Chicago. Although the Cubs didn't pull through with a "W", it was really nice watching them play at such a beautiful field. While at the game, I had some wonderful Italian ice from Angelo's Italian Ice. It was the perfect selection to help cool me off.
DAY 3: The boys decided to tee off again and hit the green early on Sunday. I did not mind one bit, I wanted to sleep! Once they returned, we hit the ground running and decided to go to Daily Jam to give us some fuel for the day. I really wanted to try their bloody mary ($9), but they were out of Tito's. I settled for a Strawberry Mimosa ($8) instead. Nick ordered a 20oz. cold brew ($5). They were really slow on getting drinks out to guests. In fact, two bloody mary's sat on the counter for at least 15 minutes before they took them to the folks they belonged to. I would have been livid if I waited that long and ended up with a watered down bloody mary. For food, they have a lot of GF options. I ordered the chilaquiles ($9). They were DELICIOUS! They were not labeled GF, but I asked about the ingredients and they confirmed I was good to go. They consist of fresh corn tortillas, roasted ranchro sauce, cheese, and 2 fried eggs. I added chorizo to mine for an additional $2. They chorizo added an extra little kick of flavor. I would definitely order this again! A couple of the people working there said that the downtown Phoenix location is bigger and offers more beverages with a less likely chance of running out of things like the Tempe location. It could have been the festival crowd, but they did not seem prepared at all.
Here is a little tribute to Tom Petty:
DAY 4: The journey home started early. Shew, I feel like my adrenaline was still pumping from the O.H.S.O located in PHX. Disappointed is the absolute understatement. The server wanted nothing to do with our table when I asked about gluten-free options. She said there was NOTHING I could have that was gluten-free. I asked about several options and she said she would ask the cook, but knew he would not be down to help with my "dietary restriction". Part of the disappointed is due to the fact that they advertise GF on their menus. She said it is because those were the "actual" restaurants and this is just an airport location. I drank my coffee, ate a KIND bar leftover from the festival and headed to our gate. Not the best way to end our trip, but the highs of this trip outweighed any of the negative....TENFOLD!
night before, so I was actually not as sleepy as I thought I would be. We headed to the airport and stopped at
STAY TUNED for my next trip is to Pittsburgh, PA and Lisbon, Portugal in April....I look forward to discovering what gluten-free goodness these cities hold near and dear!
Thank you so much for taking the time to relive these experiences with me! It means the world!
