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Aug 10, 2020, 1:28 PM | Updated: 1:30 pm
Week 15: Seattle at Washington Football Team, Dec. 20, 2020, 10 a.m. Pacific
SPONSORED – The second-to-last trip of the 2020 season is actually a flashback of sorts for me.
That’s because it’s where the Alaska Air Travelogue started way back in 2014 when Seattle was coming off its first championship season and Russell Wilson and his teammates were getting set to play on a Monday night and we officially buckled in to travel right along inside with our “On The Road” diaries.
And that weekend was a little bit out of the ordinary for a different reason, too. I flew to London for the weekend, which is pretty much as ridiculous as it sounds. I flew out on Friday, taking a red-eye flight that landed me at Heathrow International just about sunrise. I took a shower in a lounge at the airport, which makes you feel fabulous by the way, and boarded the subway, errrrr, sorry the tube and met my wife at Grosvenor Square in London.
It was part of our pledge to do ridiculous things. We had decided the year before we weren’t going to have children, for a variety of reasons, and one of the things we decided is that we would travel even if we weren’t going to be gone as long. I find that I’m energized by seeing something new. Experiencing differences whether it’s another region of our vast country or another continent entirely.
On that Saturday in London, we walked around town, shopped for handmade shoes and I also got a wet-shave from a barber, which made me feel like a crisp $5 bill. Wait. That’s not right. A crisp 5-pound note. The next day I went and watched a match in the English Premier League and realized that we’ve got nothing on the English when it comes to football fans.
And on Monday, I flew back from London, landed in Washington D.C. in time for lunch and covered Seattle’s game against Washington that night. I may not cover quite so many miles this time, but I still can’t wait to go.
Arrival: There are two options here: Dulles International and Reagan National. Dulles is the bigger airport. It’s also further of the two from Washington D.C. Reagan National is significantly closer, and Alaska Air has the distinction of non-stop flight from Sea-Tac to Reagan National. That’s one of the benefits of being the airline that flies the most non-stop destinations out of Seattle than any airline. Also, if you’re looking for a drive, you can fly into Baltimore and then head south.
Stadium: FedEx Field is actually located in Maryland, about 5 miles east of Washington D.C. It opened in 1997 as Jack Kent Cooke Stadium and from 2004 to 2010 it had the largest seating capacity of any NFL venue at more than 91,000. Current capacity is 82,000, and you’ll have to ask owner Dan Snyder why his franchise no longer needs those extra seats.
Last time here: Seattle beat Washington 27-17 on Monday Night Football in October 2014, the last time Seattle played at FedEx Field. That was Seattle’s only win against Washington in the past eight regular-season meetings though Seattle did beat Washington in the playoffs in January 2013, Russell Wilson’s first playoff victory. Seattle is 5-12 all-time in regular-season games against Washington, 2-0 in the playoffs.
Dining: Peruvian Brothers, La Cosecha, (1280 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002) or The Stand at Waterfall Park (1601 Crystal Drive, Alrington, Va.); Honey Pig, (703) 256-5229, 7220-C Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003.
