Yesterday marked Opening Day for baseball fans (and let's face it--during baseball season, we're all fans!), while tomorrow marks the 25th anniversary of Camden Yards serving the Baltimore community for all things baseball. It's been a busy week! Let's take a minute to appreciate all the things we love about going to Orioles games at our favorite stadium.

                                           (Image via Baltimore Orioles MLB site)

We've got a seriously cool stadium--and the outsiders agree. This is the third year in a row that Stadium Journey ranked Camden Yards the top stadium in the country. (Sorry, every other city in the US, guess you're just not cool enough to hang with us.) We're trendsetters, what can we say? Even when you're parked in the nosebleeds, you've got a worthwhile view of the field.

 
Traditions aplenty! Stadium Journey also remarked on the way we teach our kids the traditions of every game, and we're guilty as charged. We love tradition! From our very particular singing of the Star-Spangled Banner to the down-home sounds of Joh  Denver singing "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" to the requisite screaming cheers of condiments during the hot dog race, Orioles fans just love knowing their favorite game day institutions will always be there for them. 

Location, location, location. The stadium's in the heart of the city, which means there are plenty of places to grab lunch or dinner, or make a day of things by heading to the aquarium or science center. And because it's located right on a light rail stop, folks from the county can ride right in without worrying about finding parking (a task no one wants to worry about). 

                                      (Image via Wikipedia)

A unique feathered mascot. Sure, lions, tigers and bears are great, but nobody else has an oriole--that's our thing! According to the official Orioles site, our favorite bird (well, besides the Ravens) hatched from a big egg 38 years ago tomorrow (April 6, 1979) and has been entertaining fans ever since. We love you, Oriole bird!

Hungry? Thirsty? No problem. If you're in the mood for typical stadium fare like hot dogs and nachos, you're going to find it everywhere. If you'd rather munch on, say, BBQ, Camden Yards has you covered there, too, at Boog's. You can also eat up burgers and crab dip at Dempsey's--our mouths are already watering. Here's a map of all the food spots around the stadium.