OT - Recommendations for Big Ten Stadium Trips

Submitted by victoriaed90 on
My mom and I are planning a Big Ten stadium tour to visit all the stadiums in the Big Ten (plus Notre Dame) for Michigan games in the coming years and we're planing now since we're starting this seaon.
 
Our first trip will be to Purdue in September and maybe one other game this year (to Indiana, PSU, Maryland, or Wisconsin.) 
 
I was wondering if any of you have any recommendations for things to do, places to visit, resutrants/bars to hit up while we there (or at any of the other Big Ten schools)?

stephenrjking

May 28th, 2017 at 12:32 AM ^

Tell me about it. Mgofrownface.

EDIT: BTW, this is a clue that should tell you where else to go this year: Wisconsin. Maryland, PSU, and Indiana are all division games that Michigan visits every other season, but visits to cross-division opponents occur a lot less.

And Wisconsin might be the second-best road trip in the conference. If you can afford it, go there.

stephenrjking

May 28th, 2017 at 1:19 AM ^

This is where the B1G expansion is annoying. When it first expanded into divisions, Michigan was in a different division than Minnesota (were we a leader? A legend? I don't even remember anymore. What a fiasco that was) and didn't play up here for years. Then we switched into their division and were supposed to play here every other season, which was great for me, but only one of those games got played (2012) before divisions switched again. Michigan returned in 2015, and now is scheduled to next visit in 2020. 

What are the chances that the rotation system will have changed again by then? Very high. Hopefully we'll at least remain in the same conference.

stephenrjking

May 28th, 2017 at 12:30 AM ^

Rutgers: NYC is close. It has to be, as there is no other logical explanation for them being in the B1G.

Maryland: DC, see Rutgers.

Penn State: There is, periodically, a statue of a senile man who allowed a staff member to commit horrible atrocities.

Michigan State: Ann Arbor is only an hour away, go there.

Iowa: Fulfill your dream of recreating the cropduster sequence from North By Northwest.

Some sorta real suggestions:
 
Wisconsin: Actually lots of fun places to eat in Madison. I ate at a fantastic brat place near campus when I visited. The name? Well, I visited 15 years ago, so I can't remember. Brats were good, though.

Minnesota: Dinkytown has a lot of good food options and is vaguely in walking distance from the Stadium. MOA, as mentioned, is fun. It's a really, really, really big mall with cheesy rides in the middle. If the weather is good but you're going on the cheap, the Como Zoo is rather small, but it's free and has a decent number of quality animal exhibits.

 

JWG Wolverine

May 28th, 2017 at 12:58 AM ^

I honestly have not been, but enjoy listening to and telling the horror stories I hear from other Michigan fans who take the challenge. I don't think it's as bad anymore, but the rivalry has somewhat reawakened recently, so I'm guessing you're right that things may be more hostile once again.

Bando Calrissian

May 28th, 2017 at 2:42 AM ^

Penn State was terrific, and I'd totally do it again. The only downsides are it's in the middle of nowhere (i.e., long, boring drive) and it can be tough to lock down lodging when all of Pennsylvania descends. That being said, the stadium atmosphere (at least used to be) great, people are absurdly friendly, the tailgating scene is pretty terrific, and it's super easy to park and make a day of it. And the ice cream. My god, the ice cream.

Illinois was boring. Also see: Northwestern

Haven't been to a football game in Madison, but I went to the outdoor hockey game and have been there just for a long weekend, and it's amazing. Everything a college town should be.

scanner blue

May 28th, 2017 at 6:35 AM ^

Meeting In-Laws for the Purdue game. Rick Leach was my freshman QB, so it's been #38 yrs of being too frugal to just jump in the car and do the road trip thing. I've haven't missed a home game going on five years and my only expense has been two pregame MGoTailgates (ride my bike , get paid to watch most of the game, and the AD feeds me at Crisler). I really am cheap and should probably seek counseling. Was hoping to hit the road at 4am so as to forgo the nightlife in West Lafayette and the lodging crap but wifey says we have to meet up first. Maybe Indy the night before.

rob f

May 28th, 2017 at 9:27 AM ^

Games at Purdue have been incredibly cheap for me---Ive gone to at least half a dozen Michigan @ Purdue games and only once (when a group of about a dozen of us ordered tickets) have I paid more than $20. Tickets on the street there are plentiful, and cheap, too, if you know how to deal with the street vendors. Best deal I've ever gotten was a pair of freebies for me and my then 9-yr.-old son.

Walter Sobchak

May 28th, 2017 at 7:22 AM ^

My wife and I are on the same plan, but we plan on skipping Columbus.

We've been to ND, Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern, and Minnesota.

Madison is on the agenda this year.

GoBlueTom

May 28th, 2017 at 10:18 AM ^

My family and I are going to Wisconsin any advice where to go? Were gonna wait until Michigan sales road game tickets if not will hit seatgeek or stubhub. Anyone know what is Michigan sections at Camp Randall?

Yorzinlax

May 28th, 2017 at 10:43 AM ^

finds visitor seats in AA and LL. These are the corners of the upper deck. Also there are some down low in X, behind the visitor bench. Often visiting player families are there. Hope this helps some.

hammermw

May 28th, 2017 at 11:56 AM ^

If going to Purdue, you have to do The Breakfast Club. The bars on the main strip open at 7 AM and most of the students wear costumes. last time I was there nobody really tailgated. That was 10 years ago though.

Sleepy

May 28th, 2017 at 12:04 PM ^

Iowa City was far & away my favorite. Incredibly friendly fan base whose #1 goal on gameday is to cirrhosize their livers as thoroughly as possible.

fksljj

May 28th, 2017 at 12:10 PM ^

were pretty cool. At the airport a couple fans asked me how much we were going to win by. I told them I wouldn't be surprised if Iowa won. They all thought I was crazy. Pretty nice at the game as well. Good tailgate atmosphere.

WestQuad

May 29th, 2017 at 10:25 AM ^

Madison is a great town, but I have friends there so it biases it a bit. Probably the best B1G college town other than Ann Arbor.  Though the two lakes in the summer are great in Madison.

Penn State white out was incredible in 2007.  There is a night game white out this year.  Highly recommend. This was pre-JoePa/Sandusky, but the fans were really cool where we were at and gave us multiple free beers (several groups).  Fun little college town too.

Purdue--Haven't been since I was a kid, but it is a cool college town with not much around it.  You can however see the battlefield/graveyard where Tecumseh (the Indian chief whom William Tecumseh Sherman was named after) and the prophet battled with William Henry Harrison inspiring the campaign song "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too."  It's basically a big field, nature center and grave yard, but it is pretty cool if you're into history.

Northwestern--meh.  I went the year they wore the American flag uniforms.  It was rainy.  Chicago is cool. 

MSU--big open fields.  I'm sure there is something in East Lansing or Lansing but I'm not sure what.  (I lived in Lansing for 3 years.)

OSU--seemed like a cool town, but the students were scary. Horseshoe was cool. 

At one point I only had three to go, but they keep adding schools faster than I can go. My wish list in order.  

Iowa--haven't been for a game, but  I hear it is a great game day experience.   the town was fun when I was 18 and I had a one night stand. Not sure what your mom would do during that time.

Minnesota--definitely on my list.  Minneapolis/St. Paul is a very cool city.

Indiana--I hear Bloomington is a cool college town, but the game usually isn't that big of a draw.

Nebraska--I stopped in 1998 and urinated on their stadium on my way to California.  Looked like a cool little college town, but in the middle of nowhere.

Illinois--good engineering school.  Middle of nowhere.  Has to be something cool there.

Rutgers--???   NYC

Maryland-???   Crab cakes?

I'll probably go to Rutgers or Maryland sooner than Nebraska or Illinois due to distance from humanity.