Safeco Field in Seattle

While a ballpark tour is not the same as seeing an actual game, I have to compliment the Mariners for the first-rate tour of Safeco Field. I came away with a deep appreciation for both the stadium, the way it was designed -- including a retractable dome -- and its combination of function and understated elegance that makes it one of the best places to see a game.
The streetside view features posters of several players, most notably future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Junior. Below, a sculpture of a glove rivals Yankee Stadium's "bat" as a place to meet.

Below, a view you don't get from many ballparks. Safeco's outdoor rooftop patio offers a superb view of the skyline, including Seattle's legendary Space Needle.
The retractable roof, which stores neatly over the right field seats, was actually needed for just nine home games this season. It provides the perfect compromise -- an outdoor stadium with great sightlines that never suffers rainouts.
The owner's suite features the franchise's "holy grail," a portrait of the Mariners scoring the winning run in their 1995 playoff win over the Yankees. Just beneath, home plate from the ballclub's then-home the Kingdome is on display.
The tour then moved down to field level.
The Mariners dugout... the secret's out to where those phones connect.
Saving the best for last -- a mile away and just minutes before sunset, the waterfront view of both Seattle Stadiums, Quest Field for football and Safeco for baseball, with the more than 14-thousand-foot peak of Mount Rainier in the background.

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