There are many die hard baseball fans out there, but I have never seen anything like this. Eternal Image makes unique caskets and urns for their customers. Clint Mytych, CEO and only 27, of Eternal Image is determined to change the funeral industry with an array of new ways to celebrate the person who has passed. Whether it is an urn for your favorite pet or you were a huge Phillies fan and you would like to dedicate your urn to the team. With the permission of Major League Baseball fans can now take it to the next level.
The MLB urns are made from aluminum, sits on top of a wooden shaped base and topped with a clear dome and baseball can be displayed. Then the logo of the persons favorite team is displayed on the side as well as their name. There is soon to be a casket that focuses on your favorite team as well. The casket will resemble a wooden bat and will be lined in the persons favorite teams colors.
Are you this big of a fan? Join us on one of our sports vacations and maybe you'll catch that commemorative baseball that can be displayed on your urn. Or maybe during one of our baseball stadium tours you could get a bat signed by a special player for that wooden bat casket. If your not ready to take your favorite team to the afterlife just enjoy them now with Big League Tours.
A lot of us dread going to the airport these days. It takes a lot of time to get through security, which means we must arrive earlier and it can sometimes be very frustrating. Listed below are some tips you can use before arriving at the airport to speed up the check-in process and help with an all around better experience.
Airport Tips
Before Your Tour Vacations
Check your itineraries for seat assignments and make any ticket changes you need.
Handle any special needs you might need before you get to the airport.
Check to make sure the contact information they have for you is correct.
Take care of any passports, visas, or any other important papers you might need way ahead of time.
Know the check-in requirements for your airport.
Know the requirements for the security checkpoints where you'll be traveling.
Check security check-point wait-times and allow plenty of extra time for busy holiday periods.
Baggage Tips
Put your name and phone number of your destination on the inside and outside of your bag.
Don't
wrap your gifts since all luggage is subject to inspection. (If during a seasonal holiday please be aware of theft and consider sending your gifts by mail.)
Travel light when you can. Try bringing one carry-on bag that will fit underneath the seat in front of you.
Carry valuables, medication, and travel documents in your carry-on baggage.
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.
Family Tours East Coast Together Here's a note that I received from one of our travelers. This is from Michael H. who traveled with his son and grandson on our East Coast 3 tour which included games at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park, a full day at Cooperstown, and a private stadium tour of Fenway Park. Michael's letter reads:
I'm sending this note to let you know how great the tour that Jarrett, Nolan and I went on was to me. It's been almost two months and I still think of it everyday. I will always have the best of memories about this baseball trip.
You handled everything so well and made it even more enjoyable. It was a pleasure to meet you and your daughter and your dad.
Thanks again for a great time!!!"
We very much enjoyed you traveling with us, too, Michael. We love it when our guests have such a great time on the baseball road trips, especially when three generations get to experience them together!
There are families who love baseball, but then there are families who LOVE baseball. Corrin and her mom, Terri, and her step-father, Dave, absolutely love baseball and everything to do with it. Corrin even goes as far as to say, "I loooooove baseball, more than most people do." Dave and Terri reside in the Twin Cities of Minnesota making them avid Twins fans. Corrin originally from there is also a Twins fan but now lives in Chicago where she attends many White Sox and Cubs Games.
They joined Big League Tours on the East Coast 2 trip. On one of our longest MLB roadtrips of the season, they made their way to Baltimore, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and Boston seeing six stadiums in seven days. They chose this trip because of the number of stadiums offered and the fact that they were going to be able to see Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, and Fenway Park all in one stop. A favorite memory for them was being able to take in the action of a ballgame on the Green Monster.
We dubbed Corrin, Terri, and Dave "the walking family". They took total advantage of every extra second they got in each city. One of their favorite parts about the trip there was ample time in each city to do some site seeing on their own. While in Washington D.C. they walked over four miles doing site seeing and didn't think twice about it. they were a family just having a great time on their vacation making the best of every moment. Big League Tours must also thank Corrin for allowing us to use her traveling gnome idea (see some of our previous blog posts to spot Gnigel in our group photos!) It has been such a great addition to our team. So, to the families who love baseball, are you ready to join us for one of our sports travel packages? You'll be glad you did!
Many people have a love or bond for baseball, but there is nothing better than sharing that bond with your dad. Kris D. and his son, Chase, joined Big League Tours on the Midwest 1 trip in Chicago and Milwaukee. The trip caught Kris' eye since it wasn't a very long journey from their home in Aurora, Indiana, a town near Cincinnati.
This trip was a gift from Kris to his son. Kris felt the gift was perfect because they both share a love for baseball and would someday like to see all the stadiums together. Chase, age 9, was thrilled to get the trip and couldn't wait to take it. His grandfather even got him jerseys for each team that they were going to see on the trip. This only added to the anticipation and excitement that both Kris and Chase were already experiencing.
They enjoyed all aspects of the trip but especially enjoyed the meet and greet with Ron Kittle at U.S. Cellular, where they were able to hear stories from Kittle's career and able to interact with him. Later that evening, Chase appeared on the big screen at U.S. Cellular where he hit a home run in the fan zone area! That's him swinging away in the picture. He was given an array of things including a shirt, hat, and tickets to the walking dinosaur exhibit in Chicago. Kris says, "My son and I were already close, but this has made memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you."
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.
Taking Baseball Travel Tours to Miller Park August 9, 2008 - Whenever we book any of our MLB Tours to include Chicago and Milwaukee, we plan it to stay in Chicago the whole time and to take a bus up to Milwaukee and back on the same day. It works out great because we don't have to move hotels and deal with getting situated a second time. Plus, it's only a 90 mile bus trip so it's an easy drive.
This escorted tour took us up to Miller Park with plenty of time to take in the sites of the stadium, batting practice, and of course, the tailgaters outside the stadium. Brewers fans know how to tailgate! We actually drove through a little rain on our trip up to the stadium. We didn't mind because we knew they would have the roof closed if it was bad outside. But shortly after batting practice, the skies cleared up and the sun came out so they opened the roof. Here's a photo of the roof opening. I didn't time it from start to finish, mainly because I had my face buried in a bratwurst covered with sauerkraut and the secret sauce that they serve at Miller Park, but I'm guessing that it took about 10 minutes to open it up.
If you haven't been to Miller Park, you should consider adding it to your list of sports vacations stops to be made. You'll be glad that you did. Bring the farmer's golf set, beer, brats and a grill and you'll fit right in! Maybe Bernie will let you go down his slide!
Sports Vacations in St. Louis Having been a lifelong Cincinnati Reds fan, I have never been a fan of the Cardinals. However, I have to give credit to the Cardinals organization, the city of St. Louis, and the Cardinals fans - going to a game at Busch Stadium is a great time. The stadium has a great atmosphere, is very appealing aesthetically, and allows fans to experience baseball the way that it should be enjoyed.
Here's a photo of former Cardinal, So Taguchi signing autographs prior to the game. So was a St. Louis fan favorite and received a standing ovation when he pinch hit during the game.
It's a great place to visit if you are going to plan family tours, small group tours, or sports tours of any size. Watch for the tours that we offer next year that include games in St. Louis or with the Cardinals on the road. You'll enjoy great seats, great accommodations, and great baseball. We hope you'll join us!
Small Group Tours at Busch Stadium August 2, 2008 - The Cards took on the Phillies for the second time this weekend, hoping to repeat their performance from the previous night and walk away with another victory. We were relieved to have a little cooler evening after the day had been really hot for all of our various activities.
We always try to incorporate some unique and fun things on each of our baseball travel tours. This sports package was no different. We offered front row seats to Busch Stadium as well as club seats for our guests. We think that spending sports vacations in the front row is not a bad option...In fact, here's a photo of Albert Pujols that we took from our seats.
The view at the end of the game didn't look so hot for the Cardinals, though. They ended up dropping this game to the Phillies by a close score of 2-1. Click here to see the box scores and write up on the Cardinals website.
Starting August with a Sports Vacation by the Arch August 1, 2008 - No summer would be complete without baseball trip to catch some baseball in the true baseball town of St. Louis. To make it even better, St. Louis is taking on the Philadelphia Phillies and both teams are battling for spots at the top of their divisions. We suspected that the baseball would be hot and knew there would be a good chance that the weather would be hot in St. Louis in August. We were right about both things.
Our seats were fantastic - this game they were in the club seats behind home plate. When we arrived to our seats, the Phillies were wrapping up their batting practice. We were able to snap this photo of Ryan Howard from our section.
The Cardinals dominated the game by posting a four-run third inning and holding the Phillies to only three runs. Click here for the complete box score and to read the Cardinals' write up.
Big League Tours tries to find important aspects to include in each tour to give our guests the ultimate baseball vacation experience while on our escorted tours. So, we chose for our Big Apple 2 trip a weekend that had something exciting going on at the stadium "Old Timers Day". Since this is the last year at Yankee Stadium it was a touching day for not only Yankee fans but all baseball fans alike. The Yankees invited back some of their former players to the stadium to thank them and congratulate them on all their success as Yankees and in their life. They had players from all different era's come back to the stadium including Reggie Jackson, Yogi Berra, Dave Winfield, and Rickey Henderson to only name a few. It was exciting and touching to see all these greats in one place to celebrate them and the ending of an era at Yankee Stadium. After announcing all the attendees the Yanks that were able to play participated in a few innings against each other. Allowing Big League Tour guests to see some of the best players from Yankee Stadium play. Although, some of them were a little rusty it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we were all glad to be there.
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.
Okay, I realize that this has very little, if anything, to do with baseball travel tours or sports packages of any kind. But, I found it pretty amusing and thought that folks who have joined us on our sports vacations would, too. I particularly like the cheesy 70's-style game show music they use for the intro. Maybe we can get host Tom Dickson to join us on one of our sports tours where we can blend all sorts of baseball related stuff? Enjoy!
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!
Another Great Game On One of Our MLB Road Trips
July 8, 2008 - If seeing a game at Fenway Park is perfect enough as it is, we were able to witness a fantastic game this time, too. The Red Sox trailed the Twins the whole game until the bottom of the 8th inning.
If you've been to Fenway, you know the ritual is to sing Sweet Caroline, the Neal Diamond hit from the 70's, in the middle of the 8th with 37,000 of your closest friends. In most cases, singing any Neal Diamond song would seem corny at best. However, since it's at Fenway, that somehow makes it really cool. It also gets the crowd pumped up and into the game. If you haven't witnessed this in person, it's worth a sports vacation to see it!
Something about that song must have given the Sox themselves the boost they needed because they rallied to score four runs to take the lead. The most exciting part of the rally had to be Manny's two run shot over the Monster to tie up the game, insuring that we were going to have a fun end to the game no matter what. Click here to read the details and see the box score from the game.
Private Escorted Tour of Fenway Park July 8, 2008 - This sports vacation left the home town of baseball to head to the oldest ballpark in the Major Leagues, Fenway Park. It's always a great way to end a baseball road trip at Fenway...
The stadium tour moved through many different sections of the park including the Right Field Roof Deck, the State Street Pavilion, the Infield Grandstand and, of courses, the Green Monster.
The highlight of the baseball stadium tour was being joined by Bill "Spaceman" Lee. Bill always has some great stories about his playing days in the Big Leagues. Here's a picture of our group with Bill inside Fenway Park.
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!
What Makes Baseball Vacation Packages Special? Sometimes it's choosing the right tour operator who puts together sports travel packages that include some really cool features. But sometimes, the things that happen on the package tours can't be planned.
One of those unplanned events happened on our latest MLB tour when Josh Hamilton spent time signing autographs for fans along the third base line at Nationals Park. Josh became a favorite of ours last year when he made such a tremendous come back with the Cincinnati Reds. We hated to see the Reds trade him this past winter but it has been a trade that has worked out really well for both clubs.
The Reds received Edinson Volquez, who has just pitched lights out for them and leads the majors in ERA. The Rangers received Josh Hamilton who is a legitimate contender for baseball's coveted triple crown. And, it seems that the Rangers are doing everything they can to help support Josh's clean walk. Kudos to the Rangers ownership and management.
Here he is signing my son's baseball. Thanks for helping to make this baseball road trip special, Josh!
ver seen anything like this. Eternal Image makes unique caskets and urns for their customers. Clint Mytych, CEO and only 27, of Eternal Image is determined to change the funeral industry with an array of new ways to celebrate the person who has passed. Whether it is an urn for your favorite pet or you were a huge Phillies fan and you would like to dedicate your urn to the team. With the permission of Major League Baseball fans can now take it to the next level. 
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. 
MLB roadtrips of the season, they made their way to Baltimore, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and Boston seeing six stadiums in seven days. They chose this trip because of the number of stadiums offered and the fact that they were going to be able to see Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, and Fenway Park all in one stop. A favorite memory for them was being able to take in the action of a ballgame on the Green Monster. 
both share a love for baseball and would someday like to see all the stadiums together. Chase, age 9, was thrilled to get the trip and couldn't wait to take it. His grandfather even got him jerseys for each team that they were going to see on the trip. This only added to the anticipation and excitement that both Kris and Chase were already experiencing. 
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!
Milwaukee and back on the same day. It works out great because we don't have to move hotels and deal with getting situated a second time. Plus, it's only a 90 mile bus trip so it's an easy drive. 
would have the roof closed if it was bad outside. But shortly after batting practice, the skies cleared up and the sun came out so they opened the roof. Here's a photo of the roof opening. I didn't time it from start to finish, mainly because I had my face buried in a bratwurst covered with sauerkraut and the secret sauce that they serve at Miller Park, but I'm guessing that it took about 10 minutes to open it up. 
been really hot for all of our various activities. 
be a good chance that the weather would be hot in St. Louis in August. We were right about both things.
So, we chose for our Big Apple 2 trip a weekend that had something exciting going on at the stadium "Old Timers Day". Since this is the last year at Yankee Stadium it was a touching day for not only Yankee fans but all baseball fans alike. The Yankees invited back some of their former players to the stadium to thank them and congratulate them on all their success as Yankees and in their life. They had players from all different era's come back to the stadium including Reggie Jackson, Yogi Berra, Dave Winfield, and Rickey Henderson to only name a few. It was exciting and touching to see all these greats in one place to celebrate them and the ending of an era at Yankee Stadium. After announcing all the attendees the Yanks that were able to play participated in a few innings against each other. Allowing Big League Tour guests to see some of the best players from Yankee Stadium play. Although, some of them were a little rusty it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we were all glad to be there.
However, what you don't know is whether there will be an opportunity to meet other players while we're taking our sports travels. 
If you've been to Fenway, you know the ritual is to sing Sweet Caroline, the Neal Diamond hit from the 70's, in the middle of the 8th with 37,000 of your closest friends. In most cases, singing any Neal Diamond song would seem corny at best. However, since it's at Fenway, that somehow makes it really cool. It also gets the crowd pumped up and into the game. If you haven't witnessed this in person, it's worth a sports vacation to see it!
The stadium tour moved through many different sections of the park including the Right Field Roof Deck, the State Street Pavilion, the Infield Grandstand and, of courses, the Green Monster. 
Sometimes it's choosing the right tour operator who puts together sports travel packages that include some really cool features. But sometimes, the things that happen on the package tours can't be planned.
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