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.

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

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.

Nats Final Home Game Rained Out

Today I went to the final Nationals game of the 2008 season. I was really hoping to actually see a live game, but the game ended up being canceled because of rain, which by the way was for the most part pretty minimal sprinkling. I did wait around for the two hours it took them to call the game canceled and watched the Cubs game, which they put up on the big scoreboard screen, but that is not as good as a live game. Oh well, maybe, they will let me trade the tickets in for 2009 game tickets or at least give me a refund since they certainly did not do anything. See my post about the rain out on my D.C. blog here.

Florida Marlins @ Washington Nationals Game Wrap Up

Today I went to the Nats game with my mom since she could be here today, but will not be able to stay for the final home game of the season on Thursday, which I have tickets to. Today ended up being a good choice. For one, it was T-shirt Tuesday and I now have two Final Homestand of the 2008 Inaugural Season t-shirts. Secondly, the Nationals actually won. It was an overall good game and way more enjoyable as a Nats fan than Sunday's game. Read my full wrap up on my D.C. blog here. Also, click on the thumbnail photos below to see the whole gallery of photos I took at the game.

Padres @ Nats Game Wrap Up

Today I went to the Padres @ Nationals game as the final game that came in my partial season ticket package. It was not a good game if you are a Nats fan like me, as the Nats lost 6-2, but at least they got on the board including a home run by Ryan Zimmerman. Plus, I picked up my free leftover promo item of a Panda Webkinz. Also, blogging from my phone worked out good. Anyways, I have a more full game wrap up on my D.C. blog here.

Click thumbnails below to see the whole gallery of photos I took at the game.

Padres @ Nationals and Testing Blogging from my iPhone

Today I am at the final Nats game part of my partial season ticket. I
decided it was a good time to see how well it works sending blog
entries from my phone since next summer of may be hard to post using
my laptop sometimes. Basically this is just a pre-game test post with
picture from my seat. Will probably post the post game wrap up from
laptop when I get back to hotel after the game.

Go Nats!!!!