Munich and BMW Open - Bavarian Alps Tour

I got an amazing few days to enjoy Bavarian food, culture, and the outdoors. This stop-over trip in Germany was the 2nd European Spring in a row.

Got to fly on the new Luftansa flight from San Diego to Munich direct. On my way to Spain to attend the Madrid Masters 1000 ATP/WTA event, I decided to make the most of this pitstop!

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I drove South through the AutoBahn in a BMW 4 Series diesel. Petrol stations are interesting!

Arriving in the Alps, I stayed at an Airbnb cottage in Garmisch with a nice mountain sunset view for a few nights. The warm glow of morning greets you eagerly for nature's adventures.

Winter Olympics of 1972 - this giant Ski Jump now hosts a beer house!

The many outdoor adventures and scenic landscapes of Germany

BMW Open - Tennis and Cars

The winner Holger Rune, won a new all-electric version, the i4.

Enjoyed the tech innovations in Germany! I was hosted overnight by a BMW corporate employee.

 The special guided tour inside the heart of BMW Global HQ factory.

Finished autos are "delivered" onto the carousel platform, rotating on the 2nd-floor center showroom.

Hiking the Bavarian Alps -

Sunrise photos from the town of Garmish and then made the loop around Lake Eibsee.

Zugspitze - home of the World's longest ski lift

Reaching the summit of Germany. Channeling my Jimmy Chin (MasterClass) for this Canon shot.

Welcome to Austria! The International Mountain Pass Border over the Alps.

The Rooftop of Deutschland. More beer.

I also highly recommend exploring the Gorge in Garmisch-Partenkirchen with its scenic waterfalls!

The short rain made for more dramatic photos! With overcast skies as I hiked down to the valley gorge.

Fussen - a Storybook Fairyland town in Europe with painted walls of magic.

Click to zoom in! Castles of Mad King Ludwig. A great board game and a bucket list to see.

Photo Albums (Tennis & Travel)

• Munich
  BMW Open Tennis | Germany road trips of food and fun
  
  
• Next Chapter:
  
  Tennis & Travel in Madrid
  Madrid Open ATP 1000 - Spanish Tennis reunion for 2022
  Madrid's Magic: an Age of Alcaraz | Spanish Road Trips: Segovia, Avila, Toledo

Knowing life's red and yellow lights eventually turn green.
May you all discover your life's 2nd Mountain. Good luck!

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey (2021)
This journey was inspired and narrated by Matthew's audiobook

"Catching green lights is also about Timing, the world's timing and ours. 

It can also be about sheer Luck and Fate. 

Navigating the Autobahn of Life in the best way possible. 

It's about getting Relative with the Inevitable at the right time."

Winter Wimbledon - Tennis @ Indian Wells, CA? Tennis Fan's Preview

Indian Wells - Desert Tennis Oasis

Update BNP Paribas Open Photo Recap of 2024

After flying halfway around the world to watch the Aussie Open in January...

I decided to go check out the Indian Wells BNP Paribas tournament again for the 4th time. It will be the most appearances for me at any Masters 1000 event.

Update: Unfortunately, it was cut short in 2020, but I was still able to watch the Oracle Challenger Event on opening weekend and visit Joshua Tree and the Palm Aerial Tram again.

It will be postponed or rescheduled until later in 2021. The Aussie Open will begin in February to accommodate a 2-week mandatory quarantine for all players.

Below is a quick preview for our fans who want to plan ahead a trip. Plus a look at what has improved and any changes you should expect before heading here!

Brad Gilbert offers a few jokes and
predictions at "Beer with Brad"

Nearly all Top Players show up at this tournament
The Top 49 out of 50 showed up in 2013! You get to walk right up to the players practicing.

At matches, you get to watch from close seats that you would otherwise pay over a thousand dollars to see at the US Open*

Tennis Pros make it their Annual Reunion Location

I'm glad I got to do some photographs and videos of the tournament (more below)

All while meeting some terrific fans and tennis stars up close and personally.

Tennis Warehouse & Freebie Swag

• TennisWarehouse offered some play-tests with this year's new racket lines on their demo court.
  
  
• New sponsors every year - BMW owners get free parking now.

West Coast Road Trip

I had unused frequent flyer miles I needed to burn before they expired...so I flew to San Diego and drove 2 hours over the very scenic, snow-feathered Rt. 74 (Pines to Palms Hwy) to get there. The Big Horn winding road area looks like something straight out of a racing video game.

I landed a great AirBnB place that included 2 private tennis courts, a pool, plus a hot tub. More recently I stay at a private home 5 mins walk to the Tennis Stadium to avoid parking hassles. Lots of hiking trails near Joshua Tree too. Coachella is just around the corner for music lovers.

The local hosts are awesome with a lot of Indian Wells knowledge and there were a couple other tennis fans staying in the other room too, so it was definitely a great place to stay (much better value and cozier than a hotel room). Make sure you pack a jacket, though, because mornings can get a little chilly.

Indian Wells Media: Pictures | Highlight Videos

 

Indian Wells Tennis Garden
Known as the "5th Slam" so I wanted to make sure our "Grand Fan Slam" was truly complete and coverage now of all non-indoor Masters Series ATP 1000 Events

It contains the 2nd largest tennis-specific stadium in the world - only behind the mammoth Arthur Ashe Stadium. It's a great view of the NYC skyline, but where you could actually get a nosebleed if you climbed all the way up to row ZZ!

The Indian Wells Tennis Garden has some of the best practice court viewing for tennis players up close. I would say it is probably the closest you will ever be able to get down a near-court-level view of the players just 10-15 feet away.

General Parking was one thing that could definitely be improved with the 2000+ spots at the new grass lot as the way it was this year.

If you got there 1-2 hours after opening, it felt like Rush Hour traffic. So arrive early or Uber!

Networking and Playing Tennis in the Desert -
Monterey Country Club

Dan Nabedrick (Twin Cities Tennis) runs an annual Tennis Tournament during the Indian Wells pro tournament in early-mid March every year.

Dan's friend Jo from Michigan actually was nice enough to invite me to play as a sub on his team.

It was a beautiful location, and Dan does an awesome job throwing the party's dinner party (at his private pad with his family).

He manages the Herculean task of running all the logistics on the 15 court facility. Great event, highly recommended! Super grateful as he's a great guy, tennis connector, with a wonderful family.

Recently, in 2017, they moved to the tournament championship of the Palm Desert Tennis Club.

I assisted as a "guest pro" and hitting partner with some of the guests. I even hit with the owner of the tournament's tennis windscreen manufacturer on the stadium court.  Lots of doubles, but occasionally you see a few singles specialists too. Fun networking event and evening parties. Lots of good sushi in IW.

Ian Westermann and the Essential Tennis have also been there several years giving his private VIP clinics. Kirby and Ira were great fun in 2017. Met Kevin and his wife in 2018. Nice ET family.

The Who's Who of Indian Wells - BNP Paribas Open

Nike / Wilson Alumni

Love these annual reunions. This is a super special treat for fans.

Some familiar names are here at these tennis conference meetings out on the grass.

Uniqlo Global Ambassadors- Team Federer and Team Nishikori

Tommy Haas - the new TD has his family up in Sacramento. He does his best as the new tournament director to coordinate this event every year. Worthy Charities, including the Eisenhower Health fund, where Rafa and Friends raise money. In the past, it was Hit for Haiti and other aid relief for natural disasters with Agassi and Sampras.

Tom Fey (the guy waving) was the local court organizer and puts folks in the wild card tournament and sets up the ATP Challenger event that occurs just prior to Indian Wells. He's always running around, super busy on the grounds with draw sheets and schedules. RIP, Tom.

He has offered to set me up to be a hitting partner and once to put me into the #13 spot for the men's 256 draw to sub in - but for one reason or another, I have never taken him up on it.

Michael Chang - my personal hero and the legend of Asian American tennis!

Finally caught up with him and his brother in 2018 - travels with Nishikori at the big events.

Larry Ellison and his Oracle Team

Perennials at the tournament as the new owner. We're so used to seeing him and his daughter sitting center stage on TV. He loves watching the matches.

New bigger stadiums, hawkeye on every court, and lots of money invested into the Oracle Challenger Series. Qualifier weekend is perfect for seeing the warmups and pros before the huge crowds.

The Oracle World parties in SF at awesome - they bring some of that tech energy into SoCal.

In some nostalgic ways, I still miss the classic Charlie Pasarell days of the Pacific Life Open too :)

Tickets Giveaway to Fans

We were able to give a couple of lucky fans of Tennis-Bargains.com some freebies, too!

Just like at the Aussie Open and US Open, we offer our loyal supporters a way to enjoy great tennis seats, even when the box office is officially sold out =)

Canadian Fans - watching Nadal practice

USTA and WTT Leagues
Another great way to play at the Tennis Garden is to compete in the USTA Nationals Tri-Level competition or the WTT (World Team Tennis) Rec League, which gets to actually play on the same (practice) courts that the pros used during the tournament.

The newest stadium features a 19,000 sq ft structure with 8,000 seats (roughly half the number of the main stadium). Right now the best general admissions seats are probably on Stadium 2 and 3 for the marquee matches.

However, with record-breaking attendance this year - it was especially hard to navigate around the large crowds on the middle weekend when both Saturday and Sunday morning sessions were completely sold out.

There are still some tickets left for the 1st and 2nd week:
Indian Wells tennis tickets online

Indian Wells vs Miami Open Tennis Tournament? March Masters Tennis - California vs Florida?

Indian Wells, CA or Miami, FL - our pick for March Tennis

The First two ATP Masters 1000 Events of the USA occur just a couple weeks apart. Although these are both offer top tier points for the top tennis pros on the men's and women's tours, they are also very polar in many ways. Nearly all of the Top 50 players in the world will attend both events.

West Coast vs East Coast

I have friends on both sides of the fence, some prefer one over the other.

If you live on the West Coast of the US and are a major tennis fan, then Indian Wells is an ideal spot to check out.

If you are on the East Coast, especially in Florida, then the Miami Open is closer to experience.

BNP Paribas Open

"the 5th Grand Slam"
My Trip & Team Tourney Review
HD Pictures | Discount Tickets

Pros:

• Excellent Practice Court Views (at eye level)
• Premium Facilities and Show Court Stadiums
• Low Humidity, Dry Heat
• Outdoors: Hiking, Golf, Tennis
• West Coast

Cons:

• Expensive Location! Avg Hotel Prices @ ~$250-$350/night
• 2 Hours Drive from the nearest major airport (San Diego or LA) not counting PSP
• Less Nightlife
  
  Background:
  Indian Wells is a bit more of the rich, active retiree destination - even most of the volunteers are over 55. Quite a different energy level than the younger Spring Break crowd in Miami.
  
  On the other hand, if you like a more laid-back atmosphere with more outdoor scenery, then Southern California is perfect. Joshua Tree and Coachella are both relatively close by. The Living Desert is a small zoo

Miami Open

Note: the location moved from Key Biscayne to Hard Rock in 2019.

This is what it used to look like. Most players, fans, and even on-site stringers call it the "parking lot".

"South American Slam"
Trip Review and Tips | HD Pictures | Tickets

Pros:

• Less crowded and packed overall
• Miami Beach is somewhat nearby
• Most marque matches are at night and have VIP seating

Cons:

• Hard Rock Stadium is super huge to walk
• VERY Humid - daily chances of heavy, quick thunderstorms
• Parking is very limited or expensive / shuttles are far away at the tournament (average 15-20 mins)
• The new Hard Rock Stadium where the Dolphins play* makes it much harder to see the players from the top deck.

Background:
There is more of a Latin and South American crowd at the tournament and around Miami. The fans are generally younger than at Indian Wells. The evening atmosphere is the "seen and be seen" South Beach fare. Usually, there are some large music/techno festivals held during this time of the year.

Overview and Summary

Fans Comfort: IW, much more enjoyable and cooler during the day
Overall Trip Cost: MIA, has slightly cheaper options available on the whole

Main Stadium Quality: IW (Miami is too big now, but open and central) / IW has better box seats
Secondary Show Courts: MIA (*more reserved stadiums at IW mean more ticket costs)
Practice Court Views: IW (Miami has lots of mesh fences between fans and players)

Food at Tournament: MIA (lots of cuisine choices, whereas IW has more shops/food off-site plus a few new fancy restaurants on the grounds)
Food outside Tournament: IW (great sushi and seafood; I ran into some pros in 2019)

Souvenirs: MIA - large store with merchandise in the shade with A/C;
Fan Zone Area: Tied; Jumbotron area at MIA more lively, Better lounge chairs at IW
Night matches are available at both, in case the weather gets super hot!
Swag / Freebies: MIA, more fun gifts and booths - lots of things to sample;

IW has a few Instagram locations to take selfies. Tennis-Warehouse free racket demo court but the lines are at least 15-30 mins long for every small group of 4-8*

Daytime activities: IW (if you like hiking, golf, wildlife)
Nightlife activities: MIA (parties, clubs, beaches).

Overall Winner - Indian Wells

Indian Wells: A

Miami: B+

If you've been to one or both of these tournaments, please leave a comment!

WTA Fan Poll from 2025

Brothers in arms of Tennis - supporting cast members

Those who have endured in this sport of Tennis...training past pain, fighting through adversity (born of both Man and Nature), and arrived to find glorious victory at the end; They are the ones that know me deeply, truly for who I am.

Q: Who has felt the scorching heat of the Sun on their skin? Experienced the thirst for water at his very core? Gasped for oxygen in every breath, and hungered for victory deep down in their heart and soul? 

A: My fellow Warriors in Tennis.

When we understand Tennis, we also learn the man on the other side of the net

My fellow tennis players are cut from similar cloth. Recreational Player, USTA league teammate or rival competitors - do they not sweat, bleed and struggle the same in competition? Both in victory and defeat. They pay the same tolls of training and feel the same glories of victory. Like Gladiators in the modern arena...who have traded swords for rackets...unified by our quest on the green rectangle.

The Championships: so elusive, yet globally coveted by all who have entered the game.

So many seek the Gold, yet out of 128 players in a draw, 127 out of 128 may end up going home disappointed. All but one may raise the prize. Even for the Finalist, it can be misframed. Seemingly like that old 1996 Nike Olympic Ad "you don't win Silver, you lose Gold".

A very zero-sum perspective and is exactly the wrong way to struggle if you want to survive. Because as the sweepstakes say: Many will enter, One will win. Immediate gratification doesn't work here.


Always Re-Defining:  Self, Success and "Summits"
Instead, we should seek Excellence. The improvement towards mini-goals over a very long stretch of time. Always climbing, always reaching, always advancing. Never stop, never retire, never stop re-inventing your game. You are defeated when you give in. No one but within yourself can you be made to feel a failure.

Photographers and Press: The Recorders of Time

Even without my direct credits or company copyrights directly listed on so many Tennis Wikipedia entries, I am most proud of my work that has not paid 1 cent in royalties.

Engraving into Tennis History
In just the Legg Mason 2006 tournament alone, I have created the image of many tennis stars bio page. Examples: Brad Gilbert (Wiki Picture), Tim Henman (Cropped Wiki Pic), Marat Safin (Wiki Pic).
Each of these "Web Encyclopedia" bio pages has thousands of viewers every day - some with millions of views over their lifetime!

It is a great honor to their "portrait painter". History and future tennis generations will look back and the image I have created will be there perhaps forever. That is a very rare and powerful privilege to be part of the history books.

Sharing the world of Tennis to our Fans Globally
To share a few snippets of highlights to those many miles or countries away. To enlighten and educate the casual observer, and bring context to an otherwise unknown player or match.

For a sport rarely in the American Top 5 for viewership, it can be a tough job. We do it because we truly love it and the Tennis Circle.

Cramped together in a small room, tape recorders and notepads in hand. Trying to find the special sound bite or quote that will be good enough. To be published or to be rejected are so fickle as to the audience's whim of the day.

Hard work, Lucky Payoffs - "Perfect Shots" are Part Luck and Part Skill