I was talking today to one of our customers who commented about some references that I made to food in a previous blog. She professed to be, like all of us at our house, a Food Network junkie. Admittedly, the dark side of the channel is that it's hard to watch your weight when you are watching great chefs prepare awesome meals that end up making you crave something from the kitchen. For me, it's always Guy Fieri's fault because it seems like Diners Drive In's and Dives is the show that makes me the hungriest.
But one of the best parts about the network is that it exposes us to restaurants, bakeries, and hangouts all over the U.S. that we would likely not know about any other way. It's become a passion of ours while on our package tours to seek out these establishments that usually are only known by the locals. Take, for instance, The Stand. Here's a burger joint on 12th Street just a few minutes away from our hotel, that a typically traveler would never know about. It was featured on Food Network for one of their milkshakes, a toasted marshmallow milkshake (pictured to the right). They were incredible. It was like a creamy campfire. In addition, their burgers were out of this world. And in a city that can easily be an expensive place to visit, this was one of the most reasonable meals we've had on any of our MLB Tours and one of the best!
So if you enjoy food the way that we do, I would suggest catching up on some programming from Food Network and laying out your plans to visit some great establishments - whether you are traveling on your own family tours or taking group travel tours. The other option is to join us on our baseball vacation packages and we'll lead the way!
Looking for one of the best baseball bus trips available? Check out our Midwest 3 tour package. You'll get to see four of the Midwest's best baseball stadiums in four days. We'll travel in a private luxury motor coach to the stadiums and between the games, we'll setup baseball stadium tours and other escorted tours when the schedule allows.
This tour starts in the Motor City where the Angels will be in town to take on the Detroit Tigers. Comerica Park, pictured at the left, is a great park to visit. The team and the city really did a great job with this ballpark.
The next day we'll drive to Cleveland to see the Twins take on the Indians at Jacob's Field. (I know it's Progressive Field but that still doesn't seem right...)
Sunday morning we'll take a short drive to Pittsburgh for an afternoon game at PNC Park, another very well done stadium that replaces a 60's/70's vintage concrete bowl that was so prevalent in those days. Don't forget your Primanti Brothers sandwich!
We'll wrap up the last of our tour vacations for the summer with a stop in Cincinnati. We'll snag a tour of the Reds Hall of Fame Museum before seeing the NL Central division rivalry between the Cardinals and Reds at 7:10PM. I'd recommend the Montgomery Inn barbeque. Can't go wrong there!
This baseball vacation package promises to be a great time. For more details on this baseball tour and our other sports tours, visit BigLeagueTours.com.
We'll begin one of our most popular tour vacations at our hotel in Midtown Manhattan. We'll head out to tour Yankee Stadium early afternoon and then head back that evening to see the Yankees play the Astros. Saturday we'll trek up to Cooperstown for the day at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. We'll grab dinner in Cooperstown and then head to Boston. Sunday, we'll take in the Phillies and Red Sox and, if the schedule allows, we'll take a stadium tour of Fenway Park.
The hotel is provided Sunday night after the Red Sox game as part of the package. You also have the option of coming into New York City early or staying later in Boston so let us customize your sports travel packages for you.
This baseball vacation package promises to be a great time. For more details on this baseball tour and our other MLB Tours, visit BigLeagueTours.com.
East Coast 1 is the granddaddy of our baseball vacation packages. The tour package includes 6 games in 6 different baseball stadiums, a free day to explore New York City, a day at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, a player appearance, and baseball stadium tours at some of baseball's most hallowed halls.
We'll begin in Baltimore, making the hotel there our home base for a few days. We'll have a kickoff reception at the hotel on Saturday night. On Sunday morning, we'll head to Nationals Park for an afternoon game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Nationals. Monday, we'll drive up to Philadelphia to see the Padres and Phillies. Tuesday, we'll take a stadium tour of Orioles Park and see the Yankees and Orioles play.
On Wednesday, we'll board the motor coach and head up to New York City, our home base for the next three nights. We'll go to Citi Field to see the Mets host the Padres. Thursday, you'll have the day on your own to shop 5th Avenue, take escorted tours of the city's sites, or to stroll through Central Park.
Friday we'll tour Yankee Stadium and see the Yankees play the Astros. Saturday we'll trek up to Cooperstown for the day at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. We'll grab dinner in Cooperstown and then head to Boston. Sunday, we'll take in the Phillies and Red Sox and, if the schedule allows, we'll take a stadium tour of Fenway Park.
The hotel is provided Sunday night after the Red Sox game as part of the package. You also have the option of coming into Baltimore early or staying later in Boston so let us customize your sports vacations for you.
This premier sports travel package promises to be a great time. For more details on this baseball tour and our other MLB Tours, visit BigLeagueTours.com.
Our Midwest 2 baseball vacation package begins in Chicago. Our group will meet at our hotel on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago and begin the tour by heading out to Wrigley Field for the great rivalry of the Cardinals vs. the Cubs for what will likely be a Sunday afternoon game.
On Monday, you'll have the opportunity to see the sites in Chicago - shop till you drop, take escorted tours of the architecture or skyline of the city, or take some family tours of the great museums. The next day will venture to US Cellular Field to see Josh Hamilton and the Rangers take on Ozzie's White Sox.
Wednesday we'll depart for St. Louis and Busch Stadium to see the Cardinals in their home venue. We'll stay in the heart of the city that evening and then leave for Kansas City in the morning. While in KC we'll see a game at Kaufmann Stadium and visit the Negro League Museum for a look into some of the rich history of baseball.
This premier sports travel package promises to be a great time. For more details on this baseball tour and our other sports vacations, visit BigLeagueTours.com.
We are really excited to announce that our 2010 baseball vacation packages have been released. All totaled, we have 10 tour vacations that will visit 25 of the 30 stadiums this year. The package tours run from May to August and are as short as two days and as long as 9 days. Our tour groups will visit 35+ games over the course of the summer with options to add on games and extend visits in each of the cities where our tours originate.
This is a fun time of year for us. The season is brand new. The scheduling options are virtually unlimited. And we know that we're going to meet more great folks this year as we hit the road for another season of MLB tours.
Keep an eye out for more information. We will be blogging about each specific tour package, what's included in each as well as providing updates (such as player appearances, stadium tours, and other tour add-ons), and new features that we've added this season for the upcoming tour vacations.
What an incredible play-in game that was. I don't know how the playoffs will be able to offer that much drama in one game. From the home runs, lead changes, and both teams threatening to score several times but getting shut down, this game had so many places to put you on the edge of your seat. And speaking of seats, I don't think the fans at the Metrodome even used their seats last night it was so exciting.
Congratulations to the Twins. That victory will give the city a boost as it plans for its new baseball stadium, Target Field, set to open next April. We're putting the final touches on our baseball vacation packages for next season but we will certainly include Minnesota as a destination point on at least one of our baseball road trips.
If you haven't signed up for our newsletter to find out about our ultimate baseball stadium tours, click the link to our site and we'll keep you in the know!
May 8, 2009, Cooperstown, NY - Ah, yes. The Village of Cooperstown. An incredible contrast to the hustle and bustle of New York City. Cooperstown is on a completely different pace - relaxed, historic, reflective. And one that our travelers always enjoy on our baseball vacation packages after leaving a major U.S. city.
This trip was no different. We arrived at the Inn around 11AM and then headed over to the Hall of Fame. This time of year the Hall closes at 5PM so we wanted to give everyone as much time there as we could. There's always so much to see there that it can be information overload. I've been through the Hall many times and always find something new that I haven't seen before.
One of the things I always enjoy reading are the quotes from folks around the game. This might be hard to read in a photo but it's funny to see how many phrases we use in everyday life that can be attributed to baseball - let's get in in the ballpark, step up to the plate, and we're in the big league now.
Another quote that I loved is in the Hank Aaron exhibit. Pitcher Curt Simmons is quoted as saying, "Trying to throw a fastball by Henry Aaron is like trying to sneak a sunrise past a rooster." How awesome is that!
It's been awhile since we were included on Business Week's Most Promising Startups list, but I just realized that I didn't share this with you. Click here to be taken to the BusinessWeek site. Here are some excerpts:
Glenn Dunlap grew up a Cincinnati Reds fan in Summitville, Ind., but when the marketing consultant looked for baseball vacation packages to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums, all he found were of the overcrowded "bus and ticket" variety. By the start of the 2006 season, Big League Tours was booking deluxe trips to famous ballparks, including meet-and-greets with former players (like those with Ron Kittle pictured to the left), close-in seats, as well as private-bus travel, meals, and four-star lodging.
Big League Tours is headed to Seattle in August to see the Yankees take on Junior, Ichiro and rest of the Seattle Mariners. While it's always fun to visit Seattle or take in a series wherever the Yankees are playing (love 'em or hate 'em), one of the highlights of this MLB tour is that we're being joined by Dave Henderson, former outfielder for the Mariners, Red Sox, Giants and A's.
Here's a clip of his biography from baseballlibrary.com:
The Red Sox acquired Henderson during the 1986 pennant drive. He hit a two-out, two-run homer for Boston in the top of the ninth inning of Game Five of the 1986 LCS with the California Angels one strike away from their first World Series appearance. The game was won on Henderson's sacrifice fly in the 11th inning and also featured a home run by Bobby Grich that popped out of Henderson's glove and over the outfield wall.
Traded to the Giants on September 1, 1987 to make room for rookie Ellis Burks, Henderson helped the Giants to a division title and then signed as a free agent with Oakland that winter. The centerfielder posted career-high totals of 24 homers, 38 doubles, 100 runs, 94 RBI, and a .304 batting average, (51 points above his previous career average) for the AL champion 1988 A's. In the 1989 WS, he hit home runs in consecutive innings in Game Three after just missing one in the first inning (a double off the railing).
Henderson was the Mariners' first pick in the 1977 free-agent draft. At the time of his trade to Boston, Henderson was Seattle's career leader in home runs and was tied for the team lead in extra-base hits. He is the nephew of Joe Henderson, a pitcher with the White Sox and Reds in the 1970s.
Join us on this Seattle Tour for what promises to be one of our great baseball vacation packages for the year. You can learn more about this and our other MLB Tours by visiting our website, bigleaguetours.com.
This year is an exciting year for New York baseball - two brand new stadiums opening in the same year. Our Big Apple Tour has always been a fan favorite, but it will be even more exciting this year.
If visiting two new stadiums wasn't exciting enough, we're going to be joined by Art Shamsky, a member of the 1969 World Champion New York Mets, for our Big League Player Experience. That's where we bring in MLB players to meet the fans traveling with us, share stories about their playing careers, answer questions, and sign autographs and get pictures with the fans on our small group tours. It's an opportunity to get an inside look into baseball and meet some of the players that we've grown up watching.
Here's an excerpt from Art's biography:
In 1965, Shamsky made the Cincinnati Reds and hit .260 as a backup outfielder. He batted .289 as a pinch-hitter that year. In 1966, despite getting only 272 plate appearances for the, Art was second on the team with 21 homers, trailing Deron Johnson by 3. He homered four times in four at-bats from August 12 through August 14, tying a Major League record.
On August 12, Shamsky became the first player in Reds history to hit two extra-inning home runs in one game and the only player in Major League history to hit 3 home runs in a game and not be in the starting lineup. The bat that he used to hit the four home runs in a row is on display in Baseball's Hall of Fame.
During the winter of 1967 Art was traded to the New York Mets and was part of the Miracle Mets that won the 1969 World Series. Art hit .300 that season and batted .537 with 7 hits in 13 at-bats against Atlanta in the National League Playoffs. The 1969 Mets are still recognized as one of the most remarkable stories ever in professional sports. After 13 years in pro baseball and with a World Series ring Art retired from baseball in 1973.
In his post baseball career, Art has been involved in numerous business endeavors and was a radio and television broadcaster that included the New York Mets in 1979, 1980 and 1981. In 2004 Art's popular book, "The Magnificent Seasons', was published.
Art joined us in New York City last year for the first time. He had some terrific stories and insight into the game. We're thrilled to have him joining us again. To read more about Art Shamsky, click here to be taken to his website. Or, if you would like more information about other Big League Player Experiences offered on our baseball vacation packages, visit www.bigleaguetours.com or give us a call!
A Few Tips For Being Prepared On A Big League Tours Trip
Have you purchased your small group tours for '09 and are ready for the excitement? Have you ever went on a trip and forgot some little thing that you wish you hadn't? It happens to a lot of us here are some simple ways to ease your travels while going on sports tours in '09.
Some tips for travelers heading on a tour with Big League Tours in '09:
Make a list of everything you want to take on the sports vacation
Pack rain gear; rain coat, umbrella etc.
Pack a set of warm clothes
Bring a mitt if you plan on being in the outfield during batting practice
Bring a baseball, hat, etc. we have meet and greets with players and alumni on most of our baseball vacation packages and they are always willing to sign memorabilia
Check and make sure your bag or book bag will be allowed in the stadium
Don't forget your camera
These are just a few reminders for what to bring while on sports vacations with Big League Tours. We're always willing to answer questions so if your not sure about something ask us! If you haven't booked a trip with us yet check out our website. We look forward to meeting you for the first time or seeing you again in 2009!
Are You Ready to Experience one of our Baseball Stadium Tours to New Yankee Stadium in '09!?
Many baseball vacation packages are now being offered for the opening weekend for the New Yankee Stadium in April 2009. Have you planned your MLB road trip yet? Check out the video of New Yankee Stadium and start planning your sports packages now, before its too late. You won't want to miss this! Check out our website for the many different sports packages that we are offering in '09 that include the New Yankee Stadium as well as every other Major League stadium.
December is approaching rapidly which means the buying season is upon us. Big League Tours is proud to offer unique and memorable gifts. If you're looking for that special gift to last a lifetime consider one of our many sports packages. Whether its a gift for a family member or friend they are sure to enjoy the life long memories they will experience on their baseball road trip.
On many of our baseball travel tours we offer an array of unique aspects. Guests will be able to experience each game in lower level seating. They will also experience stadium tours, one on one Big League Tours player experiences, and take in the sites of each city. This is the first year also that Big League Tours will be offering a gift package. This way your family member or friend will be able to open an actual gift on Christmas, their birthday, or anniversary. Each package consists of jumbo game tickets that describe the trip that they are receiving, a Big League Tours hat, an MLB baseball, and a box of Cracker Jack.
So, if you want a gift that will last a lifetime consider one of our many baseball vacation packages.
In a move never before seen this early, Major League Baseball released their complete 2009 schedules in mid-September. In past years, bits and pieces of the schedules would slowly come out from October through the end of the year and would be finalized in January. When we read the announcement that the schedules were to be announced, we expected to know when the Mets and Yankees were going to open their new stadiums and maybe to find out about a few other events. We were blown away to see every game for every team is available, today! Honestly, it felt like Christmas morning!
So now we're in the throws of putting together our 2009 baseball vacation packages and the slate is wide open. Where you would like to go? When do you want to travel? What do you want to see this year? We would love it if you would share your thoughts. Drop us a comment to let us know.
Now the tough part is waiting until the trips actually get here!!!
Click here to see the press release from Major League Baseball.
Visiting One of MLB's Best - Wrigley Field August 10, 2008 - One of the most common requests for baseball trips is to offer a baseball vacation package that includes Wrigley Field. And for good reason. Although it's crumbling around you (literally) as you watch the game, it's still a fantastic place for baseball. This was the first time that my wife and daughters had joined one of our group tours to Wrigley and they loved it.
The Cubs loved it, too. The game was originally scheduled to be played in the afternoon but was moved to an evening game so that it could be covered on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. After the sun went down and the winds picked up, I don't think there was an unsold sweatshirt or long-sleeved shirt left in any vending booth in the ballpark. I know that our family came home from this baseball vacation all decked out in Cubs gear!
Some of our group headed out to Wrigley early in the day but here's a picture of part of our group outside the ballpark. The Cubs went on to beat the Cardinals pretty handily by a score of 6-2. Click here to check out the box score from the game.
Sports Tours Likely Not Affected According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), average domestic airfare rates rose 4.4 percent from the first quarter of 2007. As it turns out, those rates are still lower than Spring of 2001. The report also shows the 100 cities that have the highest and lowest average fares. You can view more of the story on wnbc.com in New York or the full report on the BTS website.
While most folks planning sports packages or sports vacations will also include airfare into the price, a shift of 4.4% is not likely to dissuade travelers from booking the baseball vacation packages of their dreams. In fact, the relatively low increase of airfare as a percentage compared to the increases seen in gas prices might lead some to opt to fly instead of drive on their baseball vacations.
Want Great Seats? Stadium Tours? Meet a Player? Great Hotels? Time to Explore? I started this business a few years ago because I didn't like how other tour companies were offering their baseball trips. Many of them offer 10 - 14 day trips that require you to ride on a bus for hundreds, if not thousands, of miles. They stay in hotels that are outside of the cities so that you don't really get to explore them while you're there. And, unfortunately, the seat locations aren't great.
Here are a couple of blog entries from their customers:
"We then headed up to our seats (in Yankee Stadium) which were just a few feet from the
moon. Like at Shea we were 4 rows from the top but this time we were in
right field. We could not see most of the right field fence so we hoped
all activity would be in left field...It sounds like our seats are pretty horrible tomorrow night too so hopefully we can scope some better seats."
"2800 miles of riding in a bus with almost no
sleep and too many hot dogs but what an adventure it was." I bet. Not my kind of adventure...
"Tickets were in the upper deck and I made a vow in 1991 never to sit up there again. We left the group to suffer from fear of falling out of their seats..."
If the sound of these comments leaves you concerned about booking other group travel tours, check out our 2008 sports tours and rest assured that you'll never have an experience like they've described.
The Unexpected Parts of Sports Travel Packages July 8, 2008 - It's always fun to head out on one of our group travel tours knowing that we're going to meet MLB players through our Big League Player Experiences. However, what you don't know is whether there will be an opportunity to meet other players while we're taking our sports travels.
One such opportunity presented itself to us in Boston. There's a sandwich shop out on Yawkey Way that bares the name of famed Red Sox pitcher, Luis Tiant. The shop is the El Tiante, which serves up a cuban sandwich amongst other spicy favorites. (Even my daughter knew about this stand since it was featured on Rachael Ray!) And occasionally, it serves up autographs from the legend himself.
So get out there on your own baseball trips and look for the really cool stuff. You never know what might be waiting for you when you get there. Of course, if you want to ensure that your sports tours are filled with the cool stuff, book your baseball vacation packages with us. We'll make sure that it you get all the good stuff!
Visiting the Most Hallowed of All Baseball Stadiums Sunday, June 22, 2008 - It seemed only fitting that we went to Yankee Stadium on a Sunday. It's definitely a religious experience for some, especially those Yankee fans who take our baseball vacation packages. (Yes, we even take Yankee fans!)
Since this is the last year for this Yankee Stadium, everybody and their brother wants to get there for the first time or at least one more time before it's torn down. I'm convinced that the final game of the season at Yankee Stadium will be our generation's equivalent to Woodstock. 55,000 people will actually be in attendance but millions will claim to have been there...
Whether you are a Yankees fan or not, this is one MLB road trip that you should make before it's too late. It's amazing to see a facility that's 86 years old, that was built to the scale that it was, and is still in such good shape. It's also great to see where so much history has been created. It's not too late to check out package tours that are still available to see the House that Ruth Built before it's gone!
This tour starts in the Motor City where the Angels will be in town to take on the Detroit Tigers. Comerica Park, pictured at the left, is a great park to visit. The team and the city really did a great job with this ballpark. 
out to tour Yankee Stadium early afternoon and then head back that evening to see the Yankees play the Astros. Saturday we'll trek up to Cooperstown for the day at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. We'll grab dinner in Cooperstown and then head to Boston. Sunday, we'll take in the Phillies and Red Sox and, if the schedule allows, we'll take a stadium tour of Fenway Park. 
East Coast 1 is the granddaddy of our baseball vacation packages. The tour package includes 6 games in 6 different baseball stadiums, a free day to explore New York City, a day at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, a player appearance, and baseball stadium tours at some of baseball's most hallowed halls.
Our Midwest 2 baseball vacation package begins in Chicago. Our group will meet at our hotel on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago and begin the tour by heading out to Wrigley Field for the great rivalry of the Cardinals vs. the Cubs for what will likely be a Sunday afternoon game. 
after leaving a major U.S. city. 
Glenn Dunlap grew up a Cincinnati Reds fan in Summitville, Ind., but when the marketing consultant looked for baseball vacation packages to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums, all he found were of the overcrowded "bus and ticket" variety. By the start of the 2006 season, Big League Tours was booking deluxe trips to famous ballparks, including meet-and-greets with former players (like those with Ron Kittle pictured to the left), close-in seats, as well as private-bus travel, meals, and four-star lodging. 
Guests will be able to experience each game in lower level seating. They will also experience stadium tours, one on one Big League Tours player experiences, and take in the sites of each city. This is the first year also that Big League Tours will be offering a gift package. This way your family member or friend will be able to open an actual gift on Christmas, their birthday, or anniversary. Each package consists of jumbo game tickets that describe the trip that they are receiving, a Big League Tours hat, an MLB baseball, and a box of Cracker Jack. 
think there was an unsold sweatshirt or long-sleeved shirt left in any vending booth in the ballpark. I know that our family came home from this baseball vacation all decked out in Cubs gear!
However, what you don't know is whether there will be an opportunity to meet other players while we're taking our sports travels. 
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