The Big Jack & I hopped into my Equinox and took the 2 hour trip to Four Winds Field in South Bend, IN. Neither of us had been before while the commute was long but it seemed to fly by. We arrive, pick up our media passes and went straight to the press box which was very cool, considering how hot and humid it was at the start of the game. Fortunately, the press box wasn’t too crowded and Big Jack and I were able to set up in there.
After watching a couple of innings of play, I got up to take a trip around the park to see what it has to offer. Once you enter gates A or B, whichever corridor you choose has everything you’re looking for and what’s for sale at most sporting event concessions. When you first walk in there is a little stand to purchase team gear, if you don’t see anything you immediately love, wait and go to the gift shop. 
The Cubs Den team store is located in left field. Any and everything you could want is in this store. I of course zoomed right in on the New Era 5950 cap. I also had to get my self one and to say Happy Birthday to Big Jack, I grabbed one for him too. On my way to the Cubs Den I passed by the picnic area which I assume is a group outing area. You’re given a wrist band and it’s all you can eat, picnic food. Everything looked great. I don’t think you have to have the bracelet to sit in the picnic area.
Sitting directly in left field are bar style tables, there’s a few rows. Looks comfortable and the view is great. As you travel along to center field is where the lawn seats are. Bring a blanket, relax and enjoy the game but try to keep the kids there’s with all the action going on behind center field. There’s a bouncy houses and blow up slides. All I heard was screaming kids every where. The main gate to the stadium sits by center field and all this action is taking place but before the game started they had a classic car show, outside the gate. Now we missed that but had I known I may have checked it out.
As I strolled on the walkway behind the center field’s batter’s eye wall, had I not stopped to check out the last reminents of the Silverhawks logo, I could have been in position to catch the home run in that game that was actually caught by one of the guys in the press box, mom, on a bounce in her purse. Yes, you may have to go back and read that last sentence over slowly. I continued on to right field and I see this other building like the Cubs den but called the performance center, with a batting cage in it open to the public. It’s open to the public even when the players are in there. I was told that they’ll keep to the last two cages. There is an upstairs that is used for more group party rentals with a view overlooking the field. Just after you walk out of the performance center, are the right field lawn seats, complete with a splash park and a playground.
As Big Jack mentioned in his blog Take A Trip, there are a lot of activities to get the younger generation interested in the game of baseball. But not just that even a princess parade and as I mentioned earlier the classic car show. Even though it is a baseball game, there’s definitely something for the entire family and with all the group outtings there, also a great place for a company to take it’s employees. Great food, lots of fun, nothing really more you can ask for in the experience as a whole from the fans perspective. Every part of Four Winds that I walked through, everyone was having a good time and if you’re in the area or are looking to take a road trip, go see the South Bend Cubs in action and then your this historical town in Indiana.
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