Saturday, October 08, 2016

Packers-Giants Weekend — Part I

 
We’re back in Green Bay after two weeks and a lot of busyness in the real world. On Thursday evening, we arrived to have a long football-themed weekend. Above is a sunset photo of the West side of Lambeau Field.

Work progresses on the Lodge Kohler hotel in the Titletown District, across Ridge Road from the stadium. 

Progress is also being made on the Hinterland Brewery (seen above). Ground was broken on Thursday for the new Bellin Health Sports Clinic facility, and all three are set to be open by the start of 2017 Training Camp. 

On Saturday afternoon in the Lambeau Field Atrium, former P Craig Hentrich (left) signs autographs along with TE Mark Chmura (right).

Packers’ company cars can be spotted by their “GBP####” license plates. 

Looking at the coaches and players parking lot from the deck above the entrance. 

The Don Hutson Center practice facility, where we could hear the air horns during Packers’ Saturday pre-game practice. 

The seasonal Tundra Tailgate facility will be replaced with a new permanent structure next year.

This is the way the players and coaches get into their lot, with the security gates in the foreground and Lombardi Avenue in the distance.
 
   
The East side of the stadium on a game weekend Saturday afternoon. 

The gates of the stadium await the fans tomorrow evening. 

This is where the Packers’ stay the night before home games. Yes, they stay in a local hotel for home games. The coaches and staff can sleep better knowing where their players are.

Game weekend Lambeau Atrium hours

Lots of people waiting to buy tickets for Lambeau Field tours and the Packers Hall of Fame

Fans enjoying lunch in the atrium. 

 A healthy business was being done at the 1919 Kitchen and Tap as well.

Two-thirds of the atrium was set up for a Saturday evening gathering of New York Giants fans. Really?

Above and below, we see the itinerary for Lambeau Field on the Saturday before the Packers-Giants game. 


Can too many photos be taken of the giant Lombardi Trophy

In case you didn’t know where you were. 

See above. 

The giant Lombardi Trophy from the outside. Hey, when you have four of them, you can do something like this. 

Lambeau Field on a beautiful early Fall day.

Formerly called “Highland Avenue” prior to 1968. Did you know that? 

Here’s a look at the fences along Lombardi Avenue, facing the Lambeau Field Atrium. This one is the original painted fence, done for years before these other people got the same idea.

The city of Green Bay has designated the original fence as a “Historic Site.”

And here are the others, walking West along Lombardi Avenue



Oh yeah... we also took photos of the “party houses” as the city called them. These, for decades, were normal family homes that happened to face Lambeau Field on their rear sides. Then, people with a lot of money started buying them and refurbishing them into game weekend party houses for rent. There are some folks still in their normal homes on the street, probably only until the right offer comes along.

You would think these owners would’ve timed their construction better to take advantage of football season. 

This one has also been around for a few years. 

It also has this original Lambeau Field turnstile that the guests walk through on the way to the game. 

The over-sized Lombardi Trophy is a nice touch. 

The local FOX affiliate, WLUK Channel 11, purchased this home and re-furbuished it in the last year. This seems a bit odd as all the others are private owners with lodgers on game weekends. Seems a bit over the top. There is no concept that corporations can’t ruin.

The FOX11 house. 

This might’ve been the first party house. But we might be wrong. 

Another fence getting closer to Ridge Road. 

Nice retro-logo decoration on this party house. 

The other end of the fence shown above. 

The three most important flags in the state of Wisconsin. 

The Don Hutson Center, with the Clarke Hinkle Field fences blocked off to guard against spying on practices during the season. 

The South end of the practice field. 

Yep, they were flying South. 

The West side of the practice field, along Oneida Street. 

Looks like the population was updated. 

In the neighborhoods South of Lambeau Field

The South end of the stadium, rarely seen in photographs.