Game experience was fine; Bus service was terrible
by Alphonse on 2017-01-16Ralph Engelstad Arena - Grand ForksI have gone down to Grand Forks with a group of friends for the last 10 years or so for a Sioux hockey game. The actual game experience was good again this year. The Sioux lost but the game was entertaining and it was a good arena experience with lots of food vendors, and good quality hockey. The biggest issue over the years has been bus service back to our hotel after the games. Parking is very limited so the university encourages people to go to the game on these contracted school busses. Pick up is fine. They pick you up at your hotel and get you to the game in time to get something to eat and drink and get to your seat in time for the game. The problem is always on the return trip. There is a parking lot full of these school busses and they all look identical from a distance. There is no discernible order, and the only way to find your bus is to walk through the whole lot checking the bus numbers, and hope that your bus hasn't left yet. That's what happened to us this year. We left as soon as the game was over, but our bus had already left. We checked with other bus drivers and they insisted the bus would come back for us. We waited in subzero conditions with a windchill of -30 for half an hour and the bus never did come. Finally we found another bus that took us to a different hotel and we were able to walk to our hotel from there. The bus service has always been a bit dodgy but this year really ruined it for us. Next year I think we're going someplace else