So when I decided to start these road trip profiles, I turned to my Puerto Rican friend, Ricardo, who is a Syracuse alum. Or as I am calling them The Ernge. That's Nola-speak for you newbies out there. Ernge like the color of our parking tickets.
I have been unable to properly thank Ricardo for introducing me to his wonderful island home of Puerto Rico which Coach Hullabaloo and I absolutely love LOVE to visit. And because of Ricardo's excellent taste in hometowns, and the fact that he bee-lines to Acme Oyster house when he comes to Nola, He was naturally the very first Ernge fan I consulted about my first ever trip to Syracuse.
I also consulted Syracuse Fan Mike who has a very extensive blog about Syracuse tailgating. He actually formally goes by Texan Mike. Well, Texan Mrs. Hullabaloo thanks you for your expert introduction to Syracuse!
So getting down to business....
Syracuse Road Trip: Mrs. Dr. Hullabaloo-style
About Syracuse:
It is located in what is called Central New York. The closest I have been to the area has been to Albany, Saratoga Springs and Buffalo, which I loved. So beautiful and the people are very friendly. So I am making an assumption that Syracuse will be nice to visit as well. Did you know Syracuse also has French and Acadian influence like Louisiana? Jesuit Priest Simon Lemoyne was an early settler.
A picture of the Carrier Dome where the Ernge play
How to get to Syracuse:
DELTA! Delta has flights through Atlanta and the prices seem to be around $300ish round trip. Although I have to warn that Hartsfield airport in 'lanta is such a nightmare, especially if there are delays, so you might want to consider alternatives. JetBlue also has flights that connect thru LaGuardia in NYC, but the prices were steeper.
Where I might stay:
Honestly, wherever Coach Hullabaloo is able to land a juiced in work-related deal. It is very handy to have connections in the hospitality industry, so yay for friends and family rates.
But my top recommendations based on internet research is the Sheraton University and the Hotel Skyler which seem to be the most convenient to the stadium, campus and downtown.
Where I will be stuffing my face:
Dinosaur BBQ
Ricardo emphatically sez to go to Dinosaur BBQ near Armory Square for the best ribs. Well. We shall see if these may be on par with The Shed in Ocean Springs or The Joint in Bywater, or the red shack on the side of the road in Memphis that Coach Hullabaloo waxes poetic about after a business trip he took 10 years ago, but which we can sadly never find when we go back. Can you believe we can't find it? I mean we are armed with this very detailed description and name ("red shack on the side of the road"). I don't understand how everybody he asks in Memphis can't automatically tell us where to find it. Or that Siri can't tell us where to go.
Anyways. The menu for Dinosaur BBQ sez they have fried green tomaters, collard greens and deviled eggs. So I will judge and report back to you about it's authenticity.
BC Armory Square
BC Armory Square looks to have an excellent menu. Watermelon and beets salad, followed by wild mushroom risotto with truffle oil? yes please!
Pastabilities
Ricardo also suggests Pastabilities, which I see is similar in concept to Semolina's in that you have different sauces you can match with your choice of noodles. Remember when Semolina's was awesome? Oh, the memories. Anyways, Pastabilities has duck bacon and that's all I need to know right there.
Sightseeing on and off campus:
Ricardo insists we must visit Crouse Hall and Hendricks chapel on campus.
And Ricardo also suggests that we should set aside time to hike in the Adirondacks, which I will gladly let Coach Hullabaloo do while I find some shopping to keep busy. There's also an Indian casino down the road from Syracuse if that's your thing.
Parking and Pre-Game Festivities
Texan Mike suggests Sharkeys, which appears to be a typical middle America-type suds joint. Sharkeys even has a drunk bus that deposits revelers within stumbling distance to the stadium. Much like the Rendon Inn shuttle bus. Remember that little shuttle? Ha!
For some reason, Syracuse does not encourage on campus revelry.
Perhaps at some time in the past it may have taken a turn for the worse like it recently has at UGA where they are outlawing tailgating on certain parts of campus.
So it seems that fans of the Ernge tailgate in and around the urban areas and parking lots close to the stadium.
Visitors without parking passes are encouraged to go to the Skytop Athletic Field which is about a mile and a half from campus near the Manley Field House.
Syracuse provides shuttles from Skytop and Manley Field House to the games.
Seating
Bring your seat cushions!
Texan Mike indicates that the carrier dome is mostly aluminum bench seating, as you can see in this pic.
Visiting fans are given Section 111, which is corner endzone. Texan Mike also suggests that is very easy to improve your seating zip code like how we are used to. So we should feel right at home. However, Ricardo feels that the intimate size of the stadium allows for all the seats to be good, so we may just be happy wherever they end up putting us.
College Grub
Ricardo also suggests that near University Hill is Varsity Pizza which might be good late night, or whenever the urge arises for a dose of greasy spoon. I can never turn down good New York pizza.
Shopping!
I'll be popping in to Modern Pop Culture fo' sho'. It looks to be like a neat vintage-ey shop with unique items on West Jefferson Street in the Armory Square area of downtown Syracuse, which seems to be where a lot of the other restaurants are. So that's where you'll find me.
One of my tailgating gals, whom I'll call Bubbles, actually went to Syracuse to watch the Wave play in the 1980s. And y'all: we won! She said it was a very exciting game and I hope to post an update about her experience at that game, because it sounds like she had a ball.
ok, next up is Monroe - and y'all I'm planning a road trip with some of my tailgating gals who have already done made hotel reservations. Can you believe we are actually getting pumped about hitting the road for Mon-row? ha!
