The old adage says that the news never stops. So for people in the news game, there aren’t really normal hours. The news happens at night and on weekends too, unfortunately.

But we do get some perks. Because of the strange hours, work schedules are usually flexed and massaged to work in some down time. And then there is the occasional perk, such as tickets to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, along with an armband to get into the corporate hospitality tent. When Gulf Coast Newspapers signed on as a sponsor, game organizers threw us some bones. I kept looking for that BIG box of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

Alas, the confectionary never arrived. Instead, we got tickets to the game and passes to a host of events all week leading up the to actual on-field showcase of potential National Football League talent.

Since Baldwin County is a huge landmass by itself, I have not made many ventures into Mobile other than passing through on the interstate and major roads. I had only ventured into downtown twice in the past year or so and I had never made it to Ladd Peebles Stadium. Having been to other older stadiums in the middle of large metro areas, I knew that parking would be limited (if existent) and security would be iffy the farther away you got from the stadium. A couple of years ago, we had to park over a half-mile away from the Liberty Bowl on a dark and secluded residential street. Thankfully, the car was still there when we returned. But I digress …

At first I was worried about the weather and parking, or the lack thereof. Mother Nature took care of the first problem. Fate took care of the second one.

After sleet and rain last Friday, things took a decided turn for the better on Saturday. Cloudy skies slowly turned beautiful blue by midday. The sun warmed things up nicely. Good thing I had prepared for overcast and breezy when choosing apparel. Better to have too many layers of clothing than not enough. I carried my coat most of the afternoon. I only had to put it on in the second half as the sun dipped behind the west side of the stadium.

Parking was another situation. I went online to get the address and directions to the stadium Saturday morning. The website said parking was limited and cost $20. I hoped there would be parking lots close by, but figured they would charge about the same thing. Or someone would let me park in their yard for a fee, so the pregame activities included a visit to the ATM. The directions seemed simple enough that I never bothered to program the address into the navigator. I turned off the interstate on Virginia Street and headed north. The street was lined with people bearing homemade signs advertising their parking rates.

Then I saw the big, semi-professional banner. It said secure parking at the corner of Virginia and Ann streets at the Mobile Police Mounted Unit facility. I thought to myself, I can park in an area that is both surrounded by a fence and filled with police — and for half the stadium parking price. I knew a plan had just come together. I would have to watch my step in the parking lot (piles of shall we say “fertilizer”) and there was a short hike to the stadium, but it was well worth the trade-off.

I found the stadium with no problem. I wandered around the tent village for a while. An Azalea Trail Maid handed me (and anyone else walking by) a folding seat cushion. On the south end of the stadium, I located a handful of folks wearing orange T-shirts and handing out “perfectly chilled” Reese’s cups. With them was someone dressed up as a package of the aforementioned cups. I debated whether or not to have my picture taken with the foam mascot. In the end, I decided against, the line of kids was too big. One middle-aged man would have stood out in that crowd.

I did make my way to the sponsor tents behind the north end zone where the spread was something to see. Hotdogs, sausage with peppers and onions, chicken fingers, fresh fried catfish, slaw, tater salad, cookies and brownies and plenty of libations — both soft drinks and not so soft drinks.

Up in the stands during the pregame practices, the sun felt good on my face. It was still high enough in the sky during the first half to keep me warm but not impair the view of the game. The third quarter was a different story. But by that point, the South team had already established its dominance and was just biding its time to collect the win.

When the day started, I actually thought about not going. I’m glad I did. It was a nice change of pace and a chance to relax and do something new, which is always a good thing.

William Moore is the Senior Editor at Gulf Coast Newspapers.