Black and Gold fans need to make at least one road trip if only to see the kind of support the Steelers receive when they travel to a game. A crush of fans congregates at the team hotel to see the Steelers arrive and then see the team buses off the next day.
And Terrible Towels have long taken over stadiums of teams whose own fans are willing to sell tickets. Here are 10 trips to make outside of the AFC North:
Green Bay: Lambeau Field has an unmistakable aura and should be on any sports fan’s bucket list of places to see. The Steelers don’t play here often—they have visited Green Bay just twice since 2005—but my trip to Lambeau Field in 2013 has stuck with me and one scene in particular. I drove past a bar on the way into the stadium and despite temperatures that were close to freezing the patio was packed with fans who drank beer outside as if it were July—and didn’t seem to have a care in the world. The Packers’ history, the small-town setting of Green Bay and the enthusiasm of Cheesehead-wearing fans make Lambeau a must-stop.
New Orleans: As a good friend of mine once put it, you can do anything on Bourbon Street within reason. I experienced Bourbon Street for the first time in 2010 when the Steelers played a Sunday night game in New Orleans on Halloween. Bourbon Street was absolutely nuts the night before the game and I’ll never forget seeing Steelers defensive end Nick Eason there. Eason walked among the revelers who were dressed in all manner of costumes, simply taking in the spectacle, and for good reason. Bourbon Street is worth seeing even if, like Eason, you are on a business trip.
San Francisco: The NFL will have a presence in northern California no matter what happens with the Raiders in the future, and San Francisco alone is worth seeing. There are so many attractions in this spectacular city with its signature trollies, none better than Alcatraz. Ferries run regularly to the island that once housed America’s most notorious prison and is all the more forbidding when it is shrouded in fog. The history of Alcatraz, which closed as a federal penitentiary in 1963, is fascinating. If you go at night it is downright eerie.
Dallas: AT&T Stadium, Jerry Jones’ personal playground, is a monument to splendor and excess—the high-definition video scoreboard alone is 175 feet wide—which makes it totally Dallas. Dealey Plaza, the epicenter of John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, still abounds with morbid intrigue. Comprehensive tours are conducted at the Texas Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald fired the shots that killed Kennedy. Outside, on the infamous grassy knoll, there are conspiracy theorists who will tell you not to believe what you hear on the tours—and are more than happy to offer you their versions.
Seattle: I have to qualify this by saying Seattle is the only NFL city I never visited in the course of covering the Steelers and that it is not the easiest place to get to if you are flying. But the scenery is supposedly spectacular and no NFL venue is louder than CenturyLink Stadium. Yeah, it rains a lot there, but gray, chilly days are a Pittsburgh signature, so weather shouldn’t deter Steelers fans from visiting Seattle.
Chicago: Soldier Field is the oldest NFL stadium and, like Lambeau Field, it conjures up memories of so many great players. George Halas. Dick Butkus. Gale Sayers. Walter Payton. All are part of the great history at Soldier Field. Imagine tailgating with bratwurst and beer and then watching two of the NFL’s flagship franchises play at one of its most venerable stadiums. And Chicago, even with its harsh winters, is as good as it gets as far as visiting or living in a big city. An added bonus, if the schedules align, is catching a Cubs game at Wrigley Field.
Kansas City: Another heartland destination that is dripping with NFL history and boasts fans that are as passionate as they come. Arrowhead Stadium turns into a sea of red on game days and the place is as loud as any NFL venue this side of Seattle. The game-day experience alone makes this a worthwhile trip and if you can’t find a good steak or ribs joint while visiting Kansas City, that’s on you.
San Diego: This city has to be a meteorologist’s dream. Simply forecast clear skies and temperatures in the 70s and 80s and there is a good chance it will happen. No city in America consistently has better weather than San Diego, and tourist attractions include the San Diego Zoo and the city’s Gaslight district, which is packed with restaurants and bars. The Chargers’ future in San Diego remains tenuous but it would be a shame if the franchise relocated.
Jacksonville: Any of the three NFL cities in Florida is worth visiting if the Steelers are playing in the Sunshine State in November or December. Miami has South Beach, Tampa has Ybor City, and each is worth experiencing for the nightlife and people watching. Don’t underestimate Jacksonville Beach, which has plenty of hotspots within a contained area right on the Atlantic Ocean. Golfers willing to shell out some money have the opportunity to play TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. The course is home to the Players Championship and perhaps the most famous par–3 in the world. No. 17 plays not more than 100 yards, give or take a first down, but the island green can be difficult to hit. Dunk a few in the water and that merely puts you in the same company as those who play golf for a living.
New York: New York sports fans are a species all their own—and I mean this as a compliment—and experiencing New York City makes this trip worth making whether the Steelers are playing the Jets or Giants at MetLife Stadium. There is an undeniable energy about New York and there is no shortage of tourist attractions. Ground Zero gives visitors a chance to pay homage to the men and women who defined bravery on 9/11 in the terrorist attacks that toppled the World Trade Center.