We headed to the brand spankin' new Busch Stadium this afternoon with our friends John and Carrie and their baby Allie from Chicago to see the Cubs/Cards game. It was a beautiful day, with the temperature topping out at about 78 degrees, or so.

We sat in the wheelchair seats in section 345, which was just great. The usher got out folding chairs for us (the thick plastic white ones you can buy at Sam's) and we sat there with TONS of leg room, and the ability to arrange our chairs as we pleased.

Section 345 sits on the first base (South) side of the field, just ahead of home plate. We were also shaded all afternoon by the overhang from the upper deck which was great! There was also a breeze all afternoon that kept us cool and relaxed.

The game itself was a fun when, with the Cards pulling out a 4-1 win. But the day was basically about experiencing the new stadium. So - here are my thoughts about Busch, Jr.

It's really open. Busch, Sr. had this indoor feel about it. You'd walk in, and you were under a roof until you left the concourse and went to your seat. While there's no escaping a ceiling in buildings meant to house people, I never felt like I was inside in the new park. There are also lots of areas where there isn't any roof. Behind the outfield bleachers, for instance, is a large open area called Ford Plaza. It's got lots of food and miscellaneous other vendors there to occupy the many baseball fans passing by.

When we arrived at the level where our seats were, we found ourselves walking under the sun for most of our walk around the concourse. The view from home plate to center fiels is, once again, wide open. There isnn't an upper deck in the outfield. Instead, there's a great view of the St. Louis skyline, prominently featuring the arch.

Immediately behind our wheelchair seats were the standing-room only seats. I don't think that Old Busch had any of those. Or, if it did, they weren't the same. These seemed to ring the entire upper level. It made the park seem friendlier as people stood and mingled and drank and ate and sometimes enjoyed the game. There was lots of conversation all around.

We're going again next weekend to a night game, so we'll get to see the new fabulous bright lights. Go Cards!