Monday, April 13, 2009

Countdown to Trip Begins: 26 Days

Today Mik asked how many days until May because once it is May he knew there was only 20 days left of school, which is the day before the true road trip part of the trip begins. He has officially begun to countdown to the trip. It is kind of funny that he is the one to start counting down the days because he has been an almost reluctant part of the trip. He was totally against it when we first proposed it last summer, but he has slowly come around to the idea and is definitely looking forward to completing his mini bat collection with bats from every team and hopefully adding some unique ones to go with his Dbacks World Series and Nationals Inaugural Game part of the collection. He is also excited to be trying the food at the different ballparks, especially pierogis at the Pittsburgh game on his birthday.

Anyways the countdown in Mik's definition begins today with 38 days until the trip begins. In my definition the trip begins with the Dbacks game on May 9, so only 26 days.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Official Itinerary for All the Ballparks Road Trip

I have finished creating the final draft of our itinerary for this summer now that we have all our lodging arrangements and are only missing Mets tickets because they still are not on sale for July. Have I mentioned the New York teams are annoying me to the point I am glad this year is their new stadiums and we do not have to go back anytime soon to visit a new stadium there. Below is the itinerary with the games and other sites we are taking in along the way.

Last Updated August 4, 2009 with links to the posts about things we have done and I have gotten the posts up about so far

All the Ballparks Itinerary

May 9, 2009: Mesa Historical Museum's Cactus League Exhibit and 5:10pm Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Washington Nationals

May 21, 2009: Driving Day

May 22, 2009: San Diego Automotive Museum, San Diego Hall of Champions, and 7:05pm San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs

May 23, 2009: 7:10pm Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels

May 24, 2009: Dad's 50th Birthday, Disneyland, Dad gets in free due to 2009 birthday promotion

May 25, 2009: Los Angeles Union Station to try to see Disney's Christmas Carol Train Tour and 6:05pm Los Angeles Angels vs. Chicago White Sox

May 26, 2009: 7:05pm Oakland Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners

May 27, 2009: Jelly Belly Factory and 7:15pm San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves

May 28, 2009: Avenue of the Giants and Shrine Drive Thru Tree

May 29, 2009: Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

May 30, 2009: Driving Day

May 31, 2009: Seattle

June 1, 2009: Klondike Gold Rush National Park and 7:10pm Seattle Mariners vs. Baltimore Orioles

June 2, 2009: Driving Day

June 3, 2009: Roger Maris Museum

June 4, 2009: 12:10pm Minnesota Twins vs. Cleveland Indians, Dome Souvenirs Plus Baseball Museum, and Mall of America to See Home Plate and Seat of 520 Foot Home Run in Camp Snoopy Area

June 5, 2009: 7:11pm Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Indians

June 6, 2009: 6:15pm St. Louis Cardinals vs. Colorado Rockies

June 7, 2009: Driving Day

June 8, 2009: Chicago

June 9, 2009: 7:05pm Milwaukee Brewers vs. Colorado Rockies

June 10, 2009: Field of Dreams

June 11, 2009: Denver

June 12, 2009: Disney Christmas Carol Train Tour in Denver and 7:10pm Colorado Rockies vs. Seattle Mariners

June 13, 2009: Driving Day

June 14, 2009: 1:10pm Kansas City Royals vs. Cincinnati Reds and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

June 15, 2009: Driving Day

June 16, 2009: Crosley Field, Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, and 7:10pm Cincinnati Reds vs. Atlanta Braves

June 17, 2009: League Park and 7:05pm Cleveland Indians vs. Milwaukee Brewers

June 18, 2009: Driving Day

June 19, 2009: 1:20pm Chicago Cubs vs. Cleveland Indians

June 20, 2009: 4:05pm Detroit Tigers vs. Milwaukee Brewers and Tiger Stadium

June 21, 2009: Louisville Slugger Museum

June 22, 2009: Driving Day

June 23, 2009: Mik's 15th Birthday, West Field, Forbes Field, and 7:05pm Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cleveland Indians

June 24, 2009: Niagara Falls

June 25, 2009: Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site and Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum

June 26, 2009: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

June 27, 2009: 1:07pm Toronto Blue Jays vs. Philadelphia Phillies

June 28, 2009: Driving Day

June 29, 2009: National Baseball Hall of Fame

June 30, 2009: Driving Day

July 1, 2009: Old Yankee Stadium and Yankee Museum and 7:05pm New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners

July 2, 2009: Driving Day

July 3, 2009: 7:10pm Boston Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners

July 4, 2009: Drive through New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont

July 5, 2009: Huntington Avenue Grounds, McCoy Stadium, and Yogi Berra Museum

July 6, 2009: Morristown National Park

July 7, 2008: Shea Stadium and 7:10pm New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

July 8, 2009: Liberty Bell, Play Ball A History of Baseball in Philadelphia at the Betsy Ross House, Veterans Stadium, and 7:05pm Philadelphia Phillies vs. Cincinnati Reds

July 9, 2009: Driving Day

July 10, 2009: Babe Ruth Museum, Sports Legend Museum, Geppi Entertainment Museum, and 7:05pm Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays

July 11, 2009: Driving Day

July 12, 2009: Anderson, SC

July 13, 2009: Ty Cobb Museum

July 14, 2009: World of Coca Cola Museum, Georgia Aquarium, and Centennial Olympic Park

July 15, 2009: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

July 16, 2009: 7pm Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets and Unveiling of new Coca Cola Bottle at Turner Field

July 17, 2009: Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, 7:30pm Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets, Greg Maddux's Number 31 Retired (Note we added this game to the trip in early July 2009) and drive to D.C. area after number retiring ceremony

July 18, 2009: National Museum of American History and 7:05pm Washington Nationals vs. Chicago Cubs

July 19, 2009: Driving Day

July 20, 2009: Driving Day

July 21, 2009: Nolan Ryan Exhibit Center and 7:05pm Houston Astros vs. St. Louis Cardinals

July 22, 2009: 7:05pm Texas Rangers vs. Boston Red Sox

July 23, 2009: Rangers Ballpark at Arlington Tour and Legends of the Game Museum

July 24, 2009: Softball Amateur Museum

July 25, 2009: Driving Day, Beach, and Sand Ballpark

July 26, 2009: St. Petersburg

July 27, 2009: 7:08pm Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees and Ted Williams Museum/Hitters Hall of Fame inside Stadium

July 28, 2009: Driving Day

July 29, 2009: Lion Country Safari and 7:10pm Florida Marlins vs. Atlanta Braves

July 30, 2009: Driving Day

July 31, 2009: Arrive in Texas and Mom joins for end of trip

August 1, 2009: Texas

August 2, 2009: Texas

August 3, 2009: Driving Day and Arrive Home

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Only 2 More Games Left To Get Tickets For

The process of purchasing tickets for the trip is almost complete. We now have purchased tickets for 28 of the 30 games. For 27 of those 28 games we were able to get wheelchair and companion seats. The only team we had problems with was the Yankees. Not only do we not have wheelchair seats for that game, but we do not even have two seats next to each other. At least we did not have to StubHub it and Dad is still going to try the send a letter to get handicap tickets strategy that he heard was the process on some voice message when calling one of the Yankee ticket numbers he tried calling the day the Yankees tickets went on sale. Now the only games left are the Mets, which have not gone on sale yet, and the Padres, whose credit card processing was down this weekend.

Update on Yankees: We did eventually get a hold of their handicap department and got out tickets exchanged for three together in a handicap section. It seems like a very inefficient way to do it and they still come off as very disorganized, as they still had to do it through Ticketmaster, who said to us they were sold out of handicap seats. At least we do have handicap seats, though.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Beginning to Get Tickets

In the past few weeks we have begun to buy some tickets for the trip. We are waiting until next weekend to do the majority of the buying of tickets, but a few teams we decided to get as soon as we could. The first tickets we got pretty much just because they had them on sale back in January was the Rockies. As expected we had no problem getting handicap seats for their ballpark.

About two weeks ago we got the tickets for the Boston Red Sox game. We easily got handicap seats here, too. We were not sure if it was going to be easy, as when we called you could not get any tickets for the game we wanted online except for on StubHub. We ended up with tickets that were handicap and even a little less than the current cheapest for that game on StubHub.

This week we got the Cubs tickets. Again we easily got the handicap seats directly from the ballpark. We even got a parking pass for a handicap spot for the game. The Cubs handling of the handicap seats have impressed us the most so far. They do not mail out the tickets. You must pick them up at Will Call and the handicapped person must show a form of ID. Also, for the parking pass you have to give your handicap placard or plate number and will only be able to use the pass with that placard or plate. Both are great policies to help make sure they go to those that need them.

The Yankees on the other hand have proved to be a pretty disorganized team in my mind. For one they still do not have a date for when tickets will go on sale. I guess they go on sale right before the season begins. That does not bother me. What bothered us was that the ticket office is convinced that TicketMaster allows you to buy the handicap seats directly through the website just as if you were buying normal seats. Now we have been buying tickets for ballparks across the country online for years and every time we have to fill out a form and then we are contacted to buy the handicap seats over the phone. This year we have been avoiding that since the Orioles never contacted us back after filling out their form and have just been calling the ticket office numbers. Most ballparks always handle the sale of handicap seats, but I have noticed a few still have TicketMaster handle the sales, yet they are still have always been handled over the phone in our experience. I sure hope that that is the case for the Yankees and the ballpark people are just ignorant, as I feel that it is one of the teams that will have people trying to take the seats just to get tickets like the Cubs try to avoid with their policies.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Cactus League Exhibit Added to Itinerary

I have updated the All the Ballparks Plan to include the Cactus League Experience Play Ball Exhibit at the Mesa Historical Museum. It is located near where the Arizona Diamondbacks play and just opened earlier this month. Since the Diamondbacks game is not part of the main trip and that particular game is a night game, it should be easy to go to the exhibit before the game and really does not alter the plan besides leaving Tucson earlier than if we were just going to the game.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Busch Stadium And Less Than 6 Months To Go Update

The photo in this post is one I took of Busch Stadium as we drove
through St. Louis on the way back from spending the holidays in
Chicago. In abut six months we will really go see this stadium and
in less than six months the trip is likely to begin. I still have not
even begun to research getting tickets, but soon I will start figuring
out the smaller details. I have at least been collecting gift cards
for food places and a few gas ones by doing some online things. At
last count I think I am up to about $500 worth. It is a small part of
the expected cost of the trip, but it is a start.

Sent from my iPhone

Saturday, September 27, 2008

All the Ballparks Plan

Now that the tentative 2009 schedules are out I have gone through them and come up with a plan for our All the Ballparks trip next summer. As of right now I have it planned that we see a game at every ballpark, but it is possible that some may get rained out, etc., so the possibility of substituting tours for games is still the fall back to see all the ballparks.

May 9, 2009: Drive from Tucson to Phoenix, see Cactus League Exhibit at Mesa Historical Museum, and 5:10pm Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Washington Nationals and Drive back to Tucson

May 21, 2009: Drive from Tucson to San Diego

May 22, 2009: 7:05pm San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs

May 23, 2009: Drive from San Diego to Los Angeles and 7:10pm Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

May 24, 2009: Dad's 50th Birthday, Disneyland, Dad gets in free due to 2009 birthday promotion

May 25, 2009: 6:05pm Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Chicago White Sox

May 26, 2009: Drive from Los Angeles to Oakland and 7:05pm Oakland Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners

May 27, 2009: 7:15pm San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves

May 28, 2009: Drive from San Francisco to Redwood National Park

May 29, 2009: Redwood National Park

May 30, 2009: Drive from Redwood National Park to Seattle

May 31, 2009: Stay in Seattle

June 1, 2009: 7:10pm Seattle Mariners vs. Baltimore Orioles

June 2, 2009: Drive from Seattle to Bismark

June 3, 2009: Drive from Bismark to Fargo, Roger Maris Museum, and Drive from Fargo to Minneapolis

June 4, 2009: 12:10pm Minnesota Twins vs. Cleveland Indians and Drive from Minneapolis to Chicago

June 5, 2009: 7:11pm Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Indians

June 6, 2009: Drive from Chicago to St. Louis and 6:15pm St. Louis Cardinals vs. Colorado Rockies

June 7, 2009: Drive to Field of Dreams, Dyersville, Iowa and Drive back to Chicago

June 8, 2009: Stay in Chicago

June 9, 2009: Drive from Chicago to Milwaukee and 7:05pm Milwaukee Brewers vs. Colorado Rockies and Drive from Milwaukee to Chicago

June 10, 2009: Start Driving from Chicago to Denver

June 11, 2009: Stay in Denver

June 12, 2009: 7:10pm Colorado Rockies vs. Seattle Mariners

June 13, 2009: Drive from Denver to Kansas City

June 14, 2009: 1:10pm Kansas City Royals vs. Cincinnati Reds

June 15, 2009: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City and Drive from Kansas City to Cincinnati

June 16, 2009: Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum and 7:10pm Cincinnati Reds vs. Atlanta Braves

June 17, 2009: Drive from Cincinnati to Cleveland and 7:05pm Cleveland Indians vs. Milwaukee Brewers

June 18, 2009: Drive from Sandusky to Chicago

June 19, 2009: 1:20pm Chicago Cubs vs. Cleveland Indians

June 20, 2009: Drive from Chicago to Detroit and 4:05pm Detroit Tigers vs. Milwaukee Brewers

June 21, 2009: Drive from Detroit to Louisville and Louisville Slugger Museum

June 22, 2009: Drive from Louisville to Pittsburgh

June 23, 2009: Mik's 15th birthday, 7:05pm Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cleveland Indians

June 24, 2009: Drive from Pittsburgh to Williamsport and Little League Hall of Fame and Drive from Williamsport to Niagara Falls

June 25, 2009: Niagara Falls

June 26, 2009: Drive from Niagara Falls to St. Marys, Ontario and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Drive from St. Marys to Toronto

June 27, 2009: 1:07pm Toronto Blue Jays vs. Philadelphia Phillies

June 28, 2009: Drive from Toronto to Cooperstown

June 29, 2009: Baseball Hall of Fame

June 30, 2009: Drive from Cooperstown to New York City

July 1, 2009: 7:05pm New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners

July 2, 2009: Drive from New York City to Boston

July 3, 2009: 7:10pm Boston Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners and Drive from Boston to Saco, Maine

July 4, 2009: Drive through New Hampshire and Vermont and Stay in East Dummerston, Vermont

July 5, 2009: Drive from Dummerston to Little Falls, New Jersey and Yogi Berra Museum and Drive from Little Falls to Fort Lee, NJ

July 6, 2009: Sports Museum of America

July 7, 2008: 7:10pm New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

July 8, 2009: Drive from New York City to Philadelphia and 7:05pm Philadelphia Phillies vs. Cincinnati Reds

July 9, 2009: Drive from Philadelphia to Baltimore

July 10, 2009: Babe Ruth Museum and 7:05pm Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays

July 11, 2009: Drive from Baltimore to Anderson, SC

July 12, 2009: Stay in Anderson

July 13, 2009: Drive from Anderson to Royston, GA and Ty Cobb Museum and Drive from Royston to Cartersville

July 14, 2009: World of Coca Cola Museum

July 15, 2009: Stay in Cartersville

July 16, 2009: 7pm Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets

July 17, 2009: Drive from Cartersville to D.C.

July 18, 2009: 7:05pm Washington Nationals vs. Chicago Cubs

July 19, 2009: Drive from Fredericksburg to Houston

July 20, 2009: Arrive in Houston

July 21, 2009: Nolan Ryan Museum and 7:05pm Houston Astros vs. St. Louis Cardinals

July 22, 2009: Drive from Houston to Arlington, TX and 7:05pm Texas Rangers vs. Boston Red Sox

July 23, 2009: Legends of the Game Museum and Drive from Arlington, TX to Choctaw, OK

July 24, 2009: Softball Amateur Museum and Drive from Oklahoma City towards Tampa Bay

July 25, 2009: Arrive in Tampa Bay

July 26, 2009: Stay in St. Petersburg

July 27, 2009: 7:08pm Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees and Ted Williams Museum inside Stadium

July 28, 2009: Drive from St. Petersburg to Loxahatchee

July 29, 2009: 7:10pm Florida Marlins vs. Atlanta

July 30, 2009: Drive home from Loxahatchee to Tucson

July 31, 2009: Continue Drive Home

August 1, 2009: Arrive Home

*Updated January 26, 2009 to add the Cactus League Exhibit on May 9, 2009
*Updated February 24, 2009 to add game times that are now known

See Final Plan here.