Browns fans travel as well as any NFL fan base.
I know, because I see and meet them in airports every season.
Every year, Browns fans anxiously await the NFL schedule release, not so much to know which team is opening the home season, or when the Steelers and Ravens come to town, but to plot their annual road trip, or two.
For many of them, it is a rite of passage.
The highlight of the entire season has come to traveling to a new venue to explore the city and stadium. The outcomes of the games – mostly disappointing losses — have almost become incidental for these traveling die-hards.
It can make for dreary Monday mornings in airports, but experiencing Browns games in some of the league’s iconic or state-of-the-art stadiums has become an increasingly popular venture.
These fans are rapt for the NFL schedule release, which comes on Thursday night, and are poised to light up the Internet to book airline and hotel reservations before they’re gobbled up.
I’ve been traveling to Browns games for more than 40 years. I know the shortcuts to beat the traffic, the best places to eat off the beaten path, and the right hotels with the best prices.
Browns road games this season are in Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, New Jersey (twice), New Orleans, Jacksonville, Nashville, and Jacksonville.
Some of these venues appear on my list of favorite stadiums and cities to visit.
My top 5 NFL cities to visit
1. New Orleans, LA
An ever-vibrant night life, unmatched cuisine, and, um, unique attractions nudge it to the top of my list. Yes, Bourbon Street is decadent and smelly, but there is nothing like it anywhere else. You either love it or hate it. Hotels aplenty make for easy walks to the Superdome and all the hot spots.
2. Las Vegas, NV
I discovered Sin City very late in life, so I’m still invigorated by the energy I feel there no matter what time of day. I am not a casino player, but I am entertained just walking through them. I wish I could be transported to the 1960s and see what The Strip was like when the Rat Pack ruled. And there is no better hotel than the Bellagio, of course.
3. Seattle, WA
Breath-taking vistas of Puget Sound stare you in the face as you walk from your hotel to Lumen Field. The freshest seafood is available at numerous walk-up eateries along the city’s waterfront. This is a haven for coffee lovers, too.
4. Baltimore, MD
When the Browns were reborn in 1999, team CEO Carmen Policy wanted Art Modell’s relocated franchise in Baltimore exiled to another division so that new Browns owner Al Lerner would not have to relive his assistance role in Modell’s end run two times a season. Pittsburgh owner Dan Rooney argued that the newly created AFC North needed to have Baltimore included for rivalries’ sake. So glad the NFL listened to him. This is a great city to visit for a game.
5. Philadelphia
I’ve gotten to know Philly much better in recent years when the Browns visited for joint practices against the Eagles during summer training camp. Very impressed with its food stops. Old City, home to the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and other historic landmarks, never gets old. And historic Reading Terminal Market is sensational.
Honorable mention: Denver, CO; Chicago, IL; Phoenix, AZ.
My top 5 NFL stadiums
1. SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
A model for new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, it sits mostly underground beneath the landing path to Los Angeles International Airport. Not fully enclosed, the design gives spectators the unique feel of an indoor stadium in an outdoor setting. A live Mariarchi band – instead of overly-loud sound tracks – establishes a festive mood in pre-game.
2. Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
When I first visited this football relic, I parked on a homeowner’s tree lawn across the street for $10, and most of the stadium seats were wooden benches. The oldest continually operating stadium in the NFL has been updated many times since and is now surrounded by a glitzy, mixed-use development known as Titletown. Still, the Frozen Tundra maintains an iconic aura, especially in the winter months. This is football’s equivalent of Fenway Park and Wrigley Field and stands as the NFL’s only true bucket list destination.
3. Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
This magnificent structure features a retractable roof and huge moveable windows behind one end zone. When you approach this stadium on foot, it looks like it could survive 100 years. Inside, it is a giant man-cave.
4. Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Hundreds of cars line up as early as 12 hours before gates open to draw dibs on prime tailgate spots. The smell of sweet Kansas City barbecue hangs over the massive parking lot surrounding the stadium. Chiefs fans are the friendliest to opponent’s fans I’ve ever come across. I hate the fact the Chiefs plan to relocate to a new edifice in Kansas in a few years.
5. M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
Nestled behind Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the beauty of this stadium lies in its accessibility from the Inner Harbor hotels via foot. The press box used to be primely placed at mid-field and very low to the field, making for the best view for media in the NFL. Alas, team president Sashi Brown moved it to a corner end zone to make room for the construction of a swath of the highest-priced luxury suites in the stadium.
Honorable mention: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA; U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN; Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL; Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA.