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As Dodger Stadium before it, my trip to San Diego was a part of a bigger visit to Southern California where I bunked for a few days with my best friend from college, Lucas, who remains to this day wholly uninterested in baseball and professional sports as a whole. However, for the week I was around, I managed to take him to three baseball games and I seemed to go 3-for-3 in terms of his enjoyment.

Petco Park was my most anticipated stadium of the trip to California and one of the ballparks I was most excited to visit from the start of the chase. It manages to float near the top of every list containing phrases like 'Best Baseball Stadium' and 'Favorite Ballpark to Visit', so it's been on my radar of a great place to visit for quite some time. In terms of the Padres themselves, I've always had an impression of them that ranged from neutral to positive. I was excited to see Juan Soto play in person, having watched the Nationals' World Series run with great interest some years ago.

I had taken this day off of work, and drove down the hour and change towards San Diego ahead of the game. The area around Petco Park was a breath of fresh air after navigating through the traffic minefield that was the trip to Dodger Stadium, with the park being well-integrated into the city and lots of great-looking restaurants around the stadium. We had settled on a place just beyond the left field wall called City Tacos, which remain some of the best tacos I've had to date. I'm not usually a taco person, as I tend to go for bulkier meals such as burritos or simply a plate of food, but I found myself enjoying these a ton. The bulk of the storefronts in the area were Padres-themed or had something going on for the day of the game, which made coming here feel truly special.

Once we'd stepped foot through the gates, I was blown away by how expansive the park was. It felt bigger than other stadiums I'd visited up to this point, with there being seemingly more to do -- especially with the newly constructed Gallagher Square. I did not plan this ahead of buying these tickets, but this particular Padres game was a "Bark in the Park" day. With this park being sponsored by Petco, they had plenty of dog-based amenities and we had walked past some adorable little guys as we headed towards our seats. I typically try to get seats in upper decks behind home plate, and I missed the mark a bit as we were a bit past first base. However, as a result of getting a nosebleed Lucas and I walked around nearly the entire stadium to get to our seats which is where my appreciation for Petco Park grew. The blend of tan paint used and the seemingly real plants and vines that hung from the rafters and gripped some of the walls made the park feel lush and welcoming. Once I left the concourse, I was greeted by a breathtaking backdrop of the San Diego skyline and a great view of the field. We claimed our seats and I moved back to get some food that wound up being decidedly average in terms of ballpark-specific food (which was the only weakness, if you could even call it that, of Petco). The garlic fries I bought hit the spot well, but I couldn't find anything amazing.

The actual game between the mediocre Padres and a worse Royals team was pretty forgettable, and I find myself remembering the experience of the stadium more than the actual on-field product. One of my favorite pitchers and test subjects of my mathematical model, Seth Lugo, took the start for the Padres. He cruised to a 1-2-3 first inning, and then managed to give up five runs in the second inning alone to a middling Royals offense and got pulled from the game. Oops! The Padres got on base a fair bit throughout the game, with the Juan Soto I was excited to see notch two hits, but were unfortunately never able to fully catch back up to the 5-run inning the Royals put up (including going 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position). The most memorable part of the game were seeing the dogs the broadcast team would occasionally throw on the scoreboard -- perhaps a commentary on the 2023 Padres.

Overall, Petco Park is my second favorite ballpark I've visited to date and, at the time of actually visiting it, was my favorite. The stunning backdrop, Gallagher Square, the small details like the foliage in the stadium and a concourse that felt open, and even the surrounding area makes Petco Park a truly lovely visit and one that I will eventually want to hit again if I ever find myself in San Diego during the baseball season. Maybe the Padres will wind up fielding a team that goes the distance?