This past summer, my father, two older sons, and I hopped in the car for a ten-day ballpark tour. We planned to hit six ballparks. However, due to a vehicle breakdown, that number was cut from six to five, causing us to miss our Cincinnati Reds' game. We were also able to take in the Louisville Slugger Museum and Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, OH, and we stopped by to see my brother and his family in Kalamazoo. The trip took some time to plan, but all in all, it was a smashing success. The pictures with descriptions below were shot from our seats or where we hung out before the game.
BUSCH STADIUM, ST LOUIS, MO
Tuesday, July 30, 2019: From Des Moines, IA, we headed down to St. Louis, Missouri, our first stop. We got to watch a classic Cubs and Cardinals game, enjoyed a beautiful evening, a great game, and the Cardinal fans were pretty great hosts. Unfortunately, the evening ended in a Cubs loss. Apparently, my presence at a Cubs vs. Cardinals game often seals the Cubs' fate. No worries, we will get them next time.
PNC BALLPARK, PITTSBURGH, PA
Friday, August 2, 2019: As I mentioned earlier, we had a car issue that caused us to miss the Reds' game. However, we were able to spend some time at the Louisville Slugger museum tour, which is a super fun tour if you get the chance. My boys came home with a couple of cool new bats and a couple of big grins.
PNC did not disappoint. It was dollar dog night, and we took full advantage. We had front row left-field seats by the bullpen—super fun. You could even catch a glimpse of us on TV during a double that careened off the left bullpen and then the fence. Our hotel was less than a mile from the park, which made for a pleasant stroll after the game.
PROGRESSIVE FIELD, CLEVELAND, OH
Saturday, August 3, 2019: Progressive Field was probably our favorite overall experience. Our hotel was within walking distance, and like PNC, we were able to make it to batting practice, which is the best time to try and grab a souvenir ball. There were lots of local food vendors with reasonable prices. The game was competitive, and the Queens tribute fireworks show after the game was phenomenal.
COMERICA PARK, DETRIOT, MI
Wednesday, August 7, 2019: (On Monday and Tuesday, we spent our days tackling some of the best roller coasters in the world at Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH. On Tuesday, we had a crazy experience with a few thunderstorms, but we were finally able to ride the Steel Vengeance.) Comerica Park was beautiful and fun but didn't have the energy that some of the other games had due to it being a weekday game and the Tigers not being in contention. Don't get me wrong--we still had a great time! My boys especially enjoyed the speed pitch game; they have pretty good arms for their age.
GUARANTEED RATE FIELD, CHICAGO, IL
Friday, August 9, 2019: After a fun-filled Thursday with the Kalamazoo cousins where we took in a flight museum, played on the beach, and toured a fire station, we headed to our final stop on Friday. We were able to enjoy a game with my brother and his family at Guaranteed Rate Field. The shot above was taken during batting practice. Our eventual seats were in the shade beyond the right field foul pole. The game wasn't anything to write home about, but any day at a ballpark is a better day.
Welp, that about sums it up! If you are ever interested in planning a ballpark trip, I would be happy to give you some tips.
