When I knew I'd be going to Houston, I thought, "I'll go see the Astrodome site." Then I looked it up to discover that the building still stands, though they don't let anybody in while it slowly erodes. This morning, on my way out of Houston, I drove over there and checked it out. My efforts to "sneak in" were thwarted by the fact that they were prepping the entire area for the Final Four, at the stadium right next to the dome. It stinks that the new building is actually bigger--I guess I always assumed the Astrodome was and always would be the biggest sports stadium in the universe.

As you can see, I couldn't get closer than the chain link fence that surrounds the parking lot, but I still had my Kelly Leak & Co. moment of pulling up to "the 'dome." (Check out the 2:15 mark here.) As a child of the Baseball Bunch era, I guess it's always kind of been a subconscious mecca.

Tomorrow, Opening Day. My pics from Arlington to follow.