Baseball Vacations

Okay, gang. It's been a while since we've updated you with any blog posts about our MLB tours. Between planning and hosting the baseball trips and a few major events in our families, we've had a few things going on this summer!! So some of our blog posts might seem a little out of order based on when we offered the sports vacations but we wanted to tell you about those road trips, too.

Time to write! Here goes...

Whenever our schedules allow, we try to include baseball stadium tours on our sports vacation packages. They are a great way for fans to see the stadiums in depth and get closer to the game they love.

One tough ticket is a stadium tour at Wrigley Field. They don't typically offer tours when the team is in town, which is troublesome for us since we're typically there to see a game. However, it worked out for us on our latest of small group tours that we were able to get tickets.

People love Wrigley for its charm, the history, the ivy, the easy-going Cubs fans, and that your team has a better than average shot of winning when there... (Okay, sorry Cubs fans...)

Going behind-the-scenes only makes things more interesting for a fan. For instance, here's a shot from the Cubs clubhouse. In the days of over-sized everything in sports - from paychecks to hat sizes to forearms and biceps and to clubhouses - this is obviously one modest facility. No room for double lockers (or four for Mr. Bonds and his recliner). It's similar to the clubhouse at the old Yankee Stadium.

Pretty interesting to see their digs, isn't it?

I think it was Woody Allen who said that, "90% of life is just showing up." That certainly seems to be the case for my son. As we walked of the "El" and into Wrigley Field for the Sunday afternoon game between the Cubs and Cardinals, he was stopped by a young woman who asked if he would be interested in watching batting practice from the field. She was wearing a shirt that said Chevy on it so I asked if I had to buy a car or something to make it happen. After all, things like that just aren't free, are they?? She assured me that I didn't and gave everyone in our group passes to get down to that section with him.

Since it was a Sunday, and hotter than blue blazes, I didn't think either team would take batting practice. As it turns out, the Cardinals did. (This might have proven beneficial as they went on to crush the Cubs that day and Sir Albert hit three dingers himself...) A few of the Cardinals were also kind enough to visit the on-field section and sign autographs for the kids on the field. My son received signatures from Tony LaRussa, Mark McGwire, and Albert Pujols. He was pretty stoked about starting his day at the ballpark on the field.

There are never any assurance of events like this happening when you show up at the baseball stadium, but we've found that showing up early, whether it's on one of our baseball vacation packages or just one of our family tours, is key to being in the right place at the right time. It doesn't hurt to have on team gear and demonstrate that you are a true fan, either.

Feel free to share with us the cool things that have happened to you when at the ballpark! Many times those are the things that make your sports vacations truly memorable.

We've had a chance to see most of the stadiums in the major leagues either on our family tours and on the baseball vacation packages that we offer. This trip was to Atlanta and Turner Field (or "The Ted") for a two-game stand. It was great to get to see the stadium for a night game and a day game. Sometimes the stadiums have two completely different personalities based on the time of the game.

We stayed in downtown Atlanta so the stadium was only a 1.5 - 2 miles from our hotel. The concourses were really wide and made getting around the stadium very easy. Here's a photo taken from right inside the centerfield gates. As you can see, there is a ton of room for getting people in and out of the stadium.

The Ted also has plenty for kids to do at the park. The Cartoon Network Fun House offers a break for the kids as does the many different batting cages and pitching booths that they have all along the third base side. They also offered face painting which seemed apprapos given the team's mascot.

The concourses around the outside of the stadium reminded us of Jacob's Field in Cleveland. (I'm sure that should be said the other way around based on when the stadiums were built but we were at the Jake first...) They were easily maneuverable but, they do cutoff your sight lines to the field.

We weren't knocked out by the food, either. We were sitting in the premium seats so we were able to order and have it delivered to us. The menu was your basic ballpark food but nothing that really stood out. We've grown accustomed to local restaurants or foods being incorporated into the ballparks like the Primanti Brothers in Pittsburgh or the Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati. Or the other thing parks have done is include former players into the mix like Boog's Barbeque in Baltimore, El Tiante's Cuban Sandwiches in Boston, or Bull's Barbeque in Philadelphia. All great features that represent the team well. We didn't find this at The Ted.

All in all, we had a great experience. It would be hard to beat the southern hospitality that everyone working at Turner Field displayed. So if you are looking for a place for one of your baseball road trips, I would definitely recommend Turner Field.

USA Today recently printed an article, "How to Plan Your First Road Trip." The author provides nine pointers that would be a good idea for you to incorporate if you're taking family tours or sports vacations of any kind. Here's are the highlights:

• Step 1 - Purchase roadside service insurance.
• Step 2 - 
Bring your car in for a once-over.
• Step 3
 - Keep a small kit of safety supplies with you.
• Step 4
 - Buy a paper map.
• Step 5
 - Make a list of places you want to see and prepare a realistic time line.
• Step 6
 - Plan overnight stays.
• Step 7 - 
Record a hefty playlist for your MP3 player.
• Step 8
 - Keep a small cooler stocked with beverages and a couple of snacks.
• Step 9 - 
Allow time for the unexpected.

This looks like a great list if you have time to do this on your own and you're interested in looking up all the details for your baseball road trips. But what occurs to me is that we've already done all this work for you at Big League Tours when you purchase one of our baseball vacation packages. That's one of the things our clients tell us they love the most - the fact that they can show up for the tour and everything is taken care of for them.

One of our greatest joys is to visit baseball stadiums in their inaugural seasons. We've been able to do this for the new Busch Stadium, Nationals Park, Citi Field and Yankee Stadium. This year, we're heading up to Target Field in the Twin Cities on one of our early MLB tours to see the Twins in their brand new ballpark. Columnist Rick Shefchik writes today on TwinCities.com about the increase in demand to visit Minnesota on group travel tours this year.

Here are a few excerpts:

BASEBALL, BASEBALL, BASEBALL.
It’s not ALL we think about. In fact, while every Big League Tour is designed to provide you with an experience that’s loaded with unique baseball-related events, we’ve also designed each trip to provide you with the freedom to plan some of your own activities. Restaurants, museums, even shopping malls - you’ll have time to explore these unique destinations on your own. Just don’t be late for the game!   
 
Here are some more details about our baseball vacation packages you might find helpful.
 
TICKETS
In most cases we’ve secured field level tickets for the games, attempting to make the sports tours as enjoyable as possible. Certain tours will feature reserved suites or party rooms which will allow us to have former major league players join us for private meetings at the ball park.
 
RENDEZVOUS POINT
Every trip starts at a specific rendezvous point in our destination city (most likely our hotel). Unless otherwise noted, you’ll be able to get to the rendezvous point whichever way works best for you - live close, drive on over - live farther away, you’ll probably fly in to join us. Have a question? Give us a call and we’ll talk it over.
 
WALKING
Some walking will be required on our trips. Whenever possible we’ll be taking baseball stadium tours, and when possible walking from the hotel to the stadium. As most stadiums (and our hotels) will be situated in the downtown areas, plan on walking to lunches, dinners and shopping. The bottom line? Bring comfortable shoes and be prepared to see the sites!
 
HOTELS
We’ll be staying in great hotels (Hyatt-, Marriott-, and Omni-level hotels). Hotels have been chosen based on their quality, location to the stadium, and proximity to other points of interest. You won't be stuck 200 miles away from civilization on our group travel tours. You'll be able to fully enjoy the cities that we visit.
 
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
The trips are designed for fans of all ages. You should consider that the trips will require time on a motor coach, sitting at games, and walking. As long as anyone is capable of handling these elements, they should get along fine. No events are planned in facilities that have age limits. The only request is that you think about the others on the trips so they aren’t put in an uncomfortable situation.

You know, the only food that I can recall from going to the ballpark as a kid are hot dogs or sausages, peanuts, and Cracker Jack. I realize that part of the reason that my recollection could be so limited is that kids often zero in on their favorites and rarely stray from them. I was no different so I get that.

But seeing that Target Field will offer "Walleye on a Stick" (see my post from this morning) has me thinking about the varied foods that have cropped up at ballparks on our MLB tours. From the garlic fries at AT&T Park in San Francisco to the "corn off the cob" at US Cellular Field in Chicago. They serve sushi in Cleveland at Progressive Field - didn't see that one coming. And have some signature sandwiches like the Primanti Brothers in Pittsburgh.

Teams have also incorporated former players' shops in or around the stadiums. There are barbeque stands in Citizens Bank Park and Orioles Park that don the names of Greg "The Bull" Luzinski and Boog Powell, respectively. You can buy a Cuban sandwich on Yawkey Way just outside Fenway Park at El Tiante and sometimes get an autograph from Luis Tiant himself.

Soon we'll be heading out on our baseball travel tours hitting baseball stadiums across the big leagues. It will give us a chance to sample the newest food offerings from each of the ballparks. So we want to know...what is your favorite ballpark food whether inside or out of the stadium? What are the gems from each of the cities that you think other baseball fans need to check out? Share your insights with other fans as we all prepare to hit the road for sports travel.

The new baseball stadium that will be on the itinerary for one of our group travel tours is Target Field, the new home of the Minnesota Twins, that's set to open in April. We're always excited to visit new ballparks and this is no exception. Our tour is heading up there over Memorial Day weekend so we're hoping to catch some warmer air! The views of this baseball stadium tour look great. I'm really excited to head up to the Twin Cities to see the ballpark.

One thing I noticed in the footage are the signs over some of the concession stands. I know that Minnesota is known for its State Fair and fair food. Looks like it made its way into the ballpark. Walleye on a Stick? Haven't seen that anywhere else on our MLB Tours!

Enjoy the video. If you'd like to join us on one of our tour vacations, this would be a great one!

Fans who have taken baseball travel tours to Chicago, know that Cubs fans love their Wrigley Field - and they should. It doesn't get much better than being in Wrigleyville on game day. From the minute that you step off the "L", you are in the heart of the action. Vendors line the streets selling t-shirts, to peanuts, to water, to tickets. Throngs of people mill around outside the stadium, many of whom are walking to or from the famous Wrigley Field sign that greets you on the corner of Clark and Addison, pictured here during a night game.

As you would expect with any venue built in 1914, there are constant renovations and repairs taking place. One of the coolest changes taking place this year is that we'll be able to watch players working on their swings in the batting cage under the right field bleachers through a one way glass. Click here to see a list of things happening in this off season.

Big League Tours is offering a couple of ways to get to Wrigley this year. We have travel package tours that will get you there including our Midwest 1 and Midwest 2 tours. And for those of you located in Central Indiana, we're offering Day Trips for the first time this year where we'll leave Indianapolis, head to Chicago, Cincinnati or St. Louis for games and come back after the game. We have a few options to see the Cubbies so check out the tours and join us, won't you?

One of the things we pride ourselves on at Big League Tours is offering tour vacations that our guests enjoy. It makes us even happier when our guests become repeat customers. That's why this is such a great time of year for us when we're finding out who is going to join us on our package tours this year.

One such group of guys traveled with us in 2008. They took a Midwestern tour that year but this year they are joining us out West. Here is a testimonial that we received from them.

"I traveled with a relative and his 10-year-old grandson, who was awestruck most of the time. The Midwest 2 Tour was our first with Big League Tours and was by far the best of the four I have taken, the first three with another company.  George had taken two other tours with another company.

The price of all the tours (we've taken) was comparable, but the services provided by Big League Tours was far superior, in our opinion.

"The primary things that set Big League Tours trip apart from the others, in our opinion, was two-fold: 1) location and quality of the hotels and 2) location of the game ticket seats.

"On this tour, we visited four cities and ballparks (Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati). The hotels were all located within walking distance of the ballpark (15 minutes or less), and all our tickets were in the lower level. Great seats at all parks.

"Another added touch that we liked was the idea of staying downtown in the cities visited, which made it easier to become more familiar with the cities (Detroit has a fabulous river walk).

"On this tour, we had a sit-down visit with baseball great Dave Parker, a two-time major league batting champ, who had a long and illustrious major league career. This was a great experience for us. This, to us, was the exclamation point to the whole trip.

"We would recommend traveling with Big League Tours." Bob Ward (Texas) and George Wood (California)

Thanks to Bob and George for the kind words about the group travel tours that we offer. And when booking with us again this year, George commented that, "We didn't even look any where else. We knew we were booking with you." We're glad you're coming back!

We hope that you'll join us this year so that you can experience the difference of a Big League Tour!

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!

I'm often asked, "What makes your baseball travel tours different from anything else that's out there?" That's a great question and one that we love to answer!

2010 marks the fifth season of escorted tours for our company. I started Big League Tours when I couldn’t find a company that offered package tours the way I wanted to see the various parks. Since we’re fans first, our goal is to offer you tours the way you want them. Here are some things that make us different from the other guys:

• We get you in the action, arranging meet & greets with players, front office management, or broadcasters
• We also make sure you have great lower-level seats
• Our tour vacations take place on long weekends, making it an easy trip to arrange for the guys or even for family tours
• We stay in great hotels in the heart of the cities, making sure your trip is a complete experience
• We take pride in our flexibility, we plan plenty of activities that you can join or break off on your own
• We always do our best to minimize travel time to allow you the maximum amount of time at our destination.

Check out some of the testimonials from our clients to see what they have to say about us and our tours. You can also visit our ballpark images, photos that our travelers have taken from parks all over the country.

We’re planning exciting things for this year and hope you'll join us and fans from all over North America as we experience baseball like never before. Let us know if you have any questions. And if you can, join us on a Big League Tour this coming year for a fantastic baseball experience.

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.

The stars at night, are big and bright... Well, you know the rest. But have you ever experienced it yourself? No? Then it's passed time to do so. We'll take our group travel tours to four different games in the Lone Star state. These escorted tours start in Arlington, home of the Rangers, where the Angels come in town for an AL West division rivalry series. The game times aren't posted yet but we'll work in a baseball stadium tour when the schedule allows.

On Saturday, we'll load up our private motor coach and make our way down to Houston for some baseball action at Minute Maid Park. In both cities we'll be staying in the heart of the action, giving you a chance to explore Dallas and Houston and experience the cities while we visit.

Come into Dallas early or stay a few days after in Houston for family tours of sites in those great Texas cities. Head to our site to check out the details on this tour and all the 2010 Tour Vacations that we have to offer.

A favorite one of our MLB Tours each year is our Big Apple Tour. This premier sports travel package includes two games at Yankee Stadium and one game at Citi Field. We'll stay in the heart of midtown Manhattan where you'll be close to Times Square, Fifth Avenue, and Central Park and so many restaurants, shops and sites.

This tour will provide you with two great chances to enjoy games at Yankee Stadium as the Yankees host the Blue Jays in an AL East division rivalry. The times for the games haven't been posted yet but we're sure that we'll either be entertained with fireworks for the 4th of July at Yankee Stadium or we'll be able to enjoy the festivities in the world's greatest city.

The next day we'll take a stadium tour and explore the city before we head out to Citi Field to see the Reds take on the Mets in their new home. If you haven't been to Citi Field yet, you should make the trip. It's a fantastic improvement over the old Shea Stadium. The design did a great job to incorporate old stadium features with up-to-date comforts.

To see more about this and other tour vacations being offered by Big League Tours, visit our website now to get all the details.

Check out this premier sports travel package that will offer you games at three different stadiums in one long-weekend tour vacation. We'll start with former city rivals when the (Brooklyn) Dodgers host the Bronx Bombers at Dodger Stadium. Dodger dog anyone? Yes, please! The next day, we'll head across town to the site of the 2010 MLB All Star Game, Angel Stadium.

The final day of the tour vacation offers a free day in San Diego to hang out in the Gaslamp Quarter, head over to Coronado Island, or take one of the small group tours down to Tijuana. As long as the team's schedule allows, we'll head over to PETCO Park for a private stadium tour.

Come into Los Angeles early or stay a few days after in San Diego for family tours of sites in those great southern California cities. Head to our site to check out the details on this tour and all the 2010 Tour Vacations that we have to offer.

Here's a great sports trip that everyone will love. Our group will be based in the heart of San Francisco, within walking distance of shopping and restaurants and just a short trolley ride away from the Wharf and Pier 39. The first day of this baseball stadium road trip, we'll take in a game at McAfee Stadium where the A's will host the Cincinnati Reds - a throw back to the 1990 World Series.

The second day, our travelers will be able to explore the sites of the city on their own. Visit the Golden Gate bridge, take a wine tasting tour of Napa Valley, our shop till you drop in San Fran's fashion district. The third day of the tour will feature a game between the Red Sox and Giants at AT&T park. Schedules permitting, we'll take a private baseball stadium tour of the park that sits right on the bay.

This is one of our baseball travel tours that also offers an interesting optional add-on. Come in a day early to catch the Cubs take on the Mariners at Safeco Park in Seattle. We'll add on game tickets, a hotel stay, and airfare to get you to San Francisco in time for the game at McAfee.

This is not only one of our sports travel packages that would make great baseball gifts for men, but it's tour that will make a great tour for couples! To see more about this and other MLB Tours being offered by Big League Tours, visit our website now to get all the details.

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.