Day 5 - Niagara Falls

After spending one night in Toronto, we decided we would take a little break from baseball and just enjoy the sites in Canada. What better place to do that than in Niagara Falls.  Tammy and I had both been there before but I was really excited for the boys to be able to see how marvelous it really is. What a breathtaking place!  It is very difficult to describe. 

I'm not sure if it is one of the Great Wonders of the World, but it is definitely one of the great Wonders of North America. We decided that if we are going to see it then we are going to do it right. We went ahead and bought the Niagara Falls Adventure Pass which enabled us to ride The Hornblower, which is Canada's version of the Maid in the Mist; a boat ride on the Niagara River right up to where the water comes crashing over the falls. This is where everyone is given a lovely red poncho to wear to keep from getting wet. But it is really the best way to see the falls!

Also our pass enabled us to go behind the falls to see and hear the force of the water coming over. 

What an amazing experience. Pictures do not really do it justice I'm sorry to say but I am posting some anyway. We also were able to view a short IMAX type movie that involved some really cool special effects that talked about the history of the falls. We had a great day at the falls and returned to our hotel. 

We stayed at the Americana Resort, Spa, and Waterpark. Tammy really out did herself on this hotel because if anything could trump Niagara Falls, (according to Tate anyway)  this place was it!  This might have been Tate's favorite part of the whole trip because everywhere we went after Niagara, Tate wanted us to find another water park to go to. It was a lot of fun.

Even Mom and Dad took advantage of the opportunity to have some fun.

It was very difficult for us to leave Niagara Falls but we were ready to get back to the good ole USA and resume our journey. We came back across the border on Saturday the 4th of July and headed toward Erie, PA which is where we stopped for the night on our way to Cleveland.

We had decided to try to find a fireworks show to see on Lake Erie so we headed to a State Park right on the lake to get a good view. 

We found an open field at the park where the boys could play some wiffle ball. 

After time at the State Park we decided to get some dinner and return to our hotel. We were so tired that we didn't make it to the fireworks. We just watched the Macy's show on TV. The next day we would head to Cleveland. 

Day 4 - On to Canada #9 Toronto - Rogers Centre

After two days in the Detroit area and the stress of being there, I was really looking forward to going to Toronto.  Not far from Detroit, you cross over into Canada via the Ambassador Bridge.  This was the part of the trip that was the most involved during preparations as we all had to now have a passport to be able to cross the border.  That in itself was a big hassle.  We kind of waited around to the last minute about a month ago to try to get our passports but they finally arrived two days before we left home last Monday.  But we had the necessary documentation so crossing into Canada was a breeze thankfully.

It was neat for the boys to be able to say they have been in another country and I have to say, after being in Detroit, going to Ontario, Canada was truly a breath of fresh air.  I have grown to really like Canada.  Canada is a really NICE place.  The people are very friendly and polite.  They go to great lengths to emphasize cleanliness and recycling and preserving natural resources.  It is a very progressive minded nation at least in my opinion.  Sure you have to get used to everything being printed in two languages (English and French) and the whole metric system thing which makes it kind of confusing when you are dealing with kilometers and litres instead of miles and gallons.  The speed limit on the highways was 100 km/h.  But I couldn't help but notice the irony as we crossed over the Ambassador Bridge from a very run down, dilapidated, dirty Detroit into Windsor, Ontario how different things were.  It was like going to a whole different world.  As we proceeded onto the QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way), we were traveling through lush, green farmlands.  It was as if there were no people for miles which I knew was not true but I think the Canadian government, or maybe it is the Province of Ontario, have gone to great lengths not to "clutter up" their exits.  You don't see the fast food restaurants, hotels, shopping centers, and gas stations like you see at every exit in the US.  Everything is much more aesthetically pleasing in Canada.  It was that way for three hours as we approached the city of Toronto when things started to get a little more urbanized.  It was also on that stretch of road where I got my first taste of Poutine at a restaurant when we stopped for lunch.  Yes, you read that right, Poutine, which is pronounced like routine, is a very popular Canadian dish and it is nothing more than French fries smothered in brown gravy and cheese curds.  Delicious!
Toronto is located right on Lake Ontario.  It is an old looking city with tall buildings covered in glass and there is the famous CN Tower which stands out above the skyline.  You can go up in the 1800 foot tower for a hefty price which a few Canucks said really wasn't worth what they charged.  We found our hotel which was only two blocks from the Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays, and we checked in.  After a quick rest, we made our way to the game.  Again as we walked, I couldn't help but notice how clean the city was and how nice all the people were.  When we got inside, there was an air of excitement as most of the people there were very excited about their team and then I realized, Toronto is the only MLB team in Canada so the Blue Jays truly are a National Team.

Our first stadium with a retractable roof.  A beautiful ballpark.

Blue Jay right fielder and former Hickory Crawdad, Jose Bautista on first base.

Trey and Tate from our seats in the first row of the upper deck.  Tate is tired of posing.

Our view of the field.

The game featured the Blue Jays hosting the Boston Red Sox.  This was a special treat for my youngest son, Tate, as he is kind of a big Red Sox fan.The game got out of hand very quickly as the Red Sox scored 7 runs before ever recording an out in the 1st inning, a deficit which the Blue Jays never recovered from although they did score 4 in the second.  Tate got to see his favorite player, David Ortiz hit a home run so he was excited.  The Red Sox won easily and as Tate pointed out was a little payback since we saw Toronto blow out Boston in Fenway last year (I had forgotten that).  But all in all we enjoyed the game.  Trey really liked the Rogers Centre and has put it in his top 5 list.  So after the game, we had back to the hotel for  late night swim at the indoor pool and turn in.  Stadium number 9 is in the books.  The next day we would head for Niagara Falls.

Days 2 and 3 - From the Queen City to the Motor City #8 Detroit - Comerica Park

On Tuesday, June 30, we headed north up through western Ohio headed to Detroit.  This was the stop that I was a little nervous about considering the reputation that Detroit has.  I was not exactly looking forward to dealing with the city.  We booked a room in Dearborn, MI which is just outside of Detroit.  After finding our hotel and checking in, we were on our way to Comerica Park to see the Tigers host the Pittsburgh Pirates.  We decided ahead of time to park as close to the stadium as we could so we wouldn't have a long walk back to the car after a night game.  And after driving through Detroit in the daytime, I sure didn't want to walk in parts of downtown.

We arrived at the stadium and parked right next to Ford Field which is where the Detroit Lions play and is right beside Comerica Park.  It was a 2 minute walk to the stadium so I was ok.  When we got inside, "oh my!". What a beautiful ballpark.  It was a very nice stadium, full of rich Detroit Tiger history.  After all the negative things I had heard about Detroit, I was surprised to see such a nice facility.  The boys were excited because we would get to see Miguel Cabrera, Yoenis Cespedis, and Justin Verlander pitching for the Tigers.  They were playing the Pirates who featured some former Hickory Crawdad players like Andrew McCutcheon and Neil Walker.  The game turned out to be very entertaining with J.D. Martinez hitting a home run to tie the game and send it to extra innings.  Now extra innings is usually pretty exciting for me because it means free baseball, but after a long day of driving and stressing out about being in Detroit, my family was very tired so we only made it through the 10 inning before we decided to leave.  We did listen to some of it on the radio as we were leaving but we were already back at the hotel and in the bed before the game ended.   It turned out that the game went fourteen innings with the Pirates winning.

Trey and Tate waiting outside the stadium to go in.

A panoramic view of the stadium.

At the game.  Notice the boys sporting their new Tiger Tees.

The next day was going to be another one of my field trips.  While doing research about Detroit, I read a lot about the Henry Ford Museum and the many other attractions associated with it.  As an American History teacher and a parent, I just had to take the family to see it.
Henry Ford was also a big fan of American History and went to great lengths to try to preserve it.  So he created Greenfield Village, which is an attraction where visitors feel like they have gone back in time to see actual historic sights and home places.

 

The boys at the Liberty Craftworks section of Greenfield Village.

For example, we saw a working farm where Harvey Firestone, the great tire king, grew up.  We also saw working craft shops where potters, weavers, glass blowers were doing thing that were done over 200 years ago.  We saw the home places of Noah Webster, George Washington Carver, and the Wright Brothers.  There was a one room schoolhouse where William McGuffey actually taught using his famous McGuffey Reader.

Tate just inside the one room school of William McGuffey.

Tate conducting class!

  There were several exhibits showcasing the workshops of Thomas Edison.  And of course we saw an exhibit that showcased Henry Ford's workshop where he created his famous automobiles.  The highlight for all of us was to actually take a ride in a Model T.

Riding in a real Model T Ford!

We felt like we went back in time.

Early bicycle seen around Greenfield Village.

After Greenfield Village, we went to the Henry Ford Museum where there was all kinds of exhibits showcasing different modes of transportation.  There were cars of every decade, tractors, buses, and airplanes.  There were Presidential limousines and the actual bus that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in which arguably began the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s.  Below are some of the more interesting exhibits that could be seen.

Carriage ridden in and used by President Theodore Roosevelt.

Limousine ridden in by John Kennedy when he was shot in Dallas (it has been cleaned and restored).

Tate in the seat that Rosa Parks sat in and refused to give up.

The bus where it all began in Montgomery, AL.

The car that Bill Elliott drove to the fastest pole ever in NASCAR in 1987 at 212 MPH
(My Dad took my brothers and I to that race at Talledega, AL)

Tate in front of the Oscar Mayer Wiener car.

You'll notice that Tate seems to be in most of these pictures.  He is my little history fan and stuck right with me while we were checking out the exhibits.  Trey and Tammy had already had enough and were maxed out on historical stuff.  I had gotten my history fix for the day and we headed back to Red Robin for dinner and then back to the hotel to get ready for our trip into Canada the next day!

2015 - Jensen Family Baseball Excursion Part Deux (Yes, French for a reason) Day 1 (#7 Cincinnati - Great American Ballpark)

Baseball Trip 2015 - Here we go again. After the success of last year's trip covering the Northeast, we decided to give it a go one more time to see if we could continue this quest to see all 30 Major League stadiums before our sons graduate from high school. This year we would be doing what some people have called the "Rust Belt" Tour which consists of the cities of Cincinnati, Detroit, Toronto, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. Now, you may be wondering what that term "Rust Belt" really means but it refers to the industrialized areas and factory cities that have felt the hard times of a suffering economy impacted by recession and increased competition from overseas that has forced some factories to close down and no longer be used.

Once again my lovely wife Tammy and I researched the MLB schedule to try to find dates that would work when the aforementioned teams would be playing at home. We knew there would be side field trips that we would need to take along the way so we decided that the two weeks around the 4th of July would work out the best. So we headed out on June 29th headed north. 

We left out on the morning of the 29th headed for Cincinnati where we would watch the Reds take on the Minnesota Twins that night at The Great American Ballpark. Our first side trip would take place in Louisville where we drove maybe an hour out of the way to see the Louisville Slugger Bat Factory. Well worth the trip. We got to see the worlds largest bat as well as see all the famous signatures that have been on the Louisville Slugger bats. There were also batting cages where we got to try out some wooden bats. I chose the bat size used by Hank Aaron and I'll have to say I did quite well albeit the pitches were only about 65 mph and were at a consistent speed.

Trey and Tate outside the Louisville Slugger Bat Factory

From there it was on to Cincinnati.  Now this year, unlike last year, we decided to plan ahead.  Although it was fun and adventurous not to have any reservations or tickets last year, I don't think my nerves could take it this year (and neither could Tammy's I don't think).  And since it was going to take place around the 4th of July holiday, we decided to make reservations and book our tickets online ahead of time.  I'm glad we did.  It has made the trip much more enjoyable so far.  Here is where I need to get a plug in.  Our two sights that helped us out tremendously were hotels.com and tickpick.com.  There is also another site that Tammy discovered called ballparkchasers.com that has given us lots of advice on places to stay and things to do in the areas.  Apparently what we are doing is really a thing that people do.  Who knew?

I was really looking forward to our first stop.  The Great American Ballpark, home of this year's 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.  The city was buzzing with anticipation and everything was in tip top shape as the game is only a couple of weeks away.  We stayed across the River in Belleview, Kentucky and took a local trolley across the bridge that crosses the Ohio River into Cincinnati.  The Ballpark is magnificent.  It reminds me of the throwback styles of stadiums where there is not a bad seat anywhere really.  I was able to find us seats in the upper deck in the front row for $11 each.  Not bad since they were below face value.  Tammy had created a budget for this trip.  Like I mentioned last year, she is a planner and had set a specific amount that I could spend when shopping for tickets.  Her budgeted amount for tickets was $20 per person which as any baseball fan knows is not much to get good seats so I sacrificed a little on this one so I could pay a little more for seats later on.  But as we sat down in our seats we could see everything very well.

Our view of the field.  Notice the Ohio River in the background.

The game was very entertaining and the Reds ended up winning 11-7.  The highlight was at the end when we got to see arguably the most exciting pitcher in the game, Aroldis Chapman, pitch the 9th inning.  It was pretty amazing to get to see someone who throws 103 mph.  So after the game we made our way back to our hotel.  We decided to walk across the bridge that spans the Ohio.  A local told us we could make it in "maybe 10 minutes".  As we were walking across the bridge, the History teacher in me could not help but think about what it must have been like over 165 years ago when this exact spot was the last stop for escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad as Cincinnati came to represent the land of freedom as the Ohio River also marked the boundary between the North and the South.  Nearly 30 minutes later we arrived at our hotel.  One ballpark down.  The next day we would head to Detroit.

Trey and Tate outside Great American Ballpark

Trey sporting his new Todd Frazier Shirt.

Day 9 - Finally, Home Sweet Home

(Thursday July 31st, 2014) - We left the hotel around 9:30 am and headed out of town, not before I could get a short little history field trip in.  I just had to go out and see Fort McHenry, site of the famous War of 1812 battle where the British were turned back in September, 1814.  It was also the place where Francis Scott Key witnessed the "broad stripes and bright stars" through "the dawn's early light".  Yes, where the Star Spangled Banner was written.  It was a nice little field trip.  Even the boys thought it was interesting.  Tammy was ready to get home and we got out of there around 12.
While on the 6 hour drive home, we were able to sit back and try to get an appreciation for everything that we had done in the past week.  What an unbelievable adventure.  We had seen 5 ball games in 5 different parks in an eight day span.  Also sandwiched in between was a two day stop in Cooperstown for Hall of Fame weekend.  That in itself would have been awesome, but to do all the other things that we had done on this trip made this one amazing journey.
I don't know that Trey and Tate can fully appreciate all that they got to see and do yet.  Probably not for a while, and that's okay, but they can at least say that they have been to those places.  After 2215 miles of riding in a car, 8 nights of staying in hotels, over 10 days of eating meals that were not home-cooked, 5 baseball stadiums and games, we can all look back and enjoy the incredible memories that were made.
We got home around 8:30 on Thursday the 31st after leaving out on Wednesday the 23rd of July and we were glad to get home.  A big "thank you" to my mother-in-law for house sitting and taking care of our dog.  And a big "thank you" to Tammy for being such a great spouse and mom for putting this entire trip together.  Without her, it would not have happened.  She is the best!
I can't wait to take another trip next year!

Day 8 - Baltimore - #6 Camden Yards - Back below the Mason-Dixon

(Wednesday July 30) - As we left New Jersey, we were thinking about not making the trip to Washington to watch the Nationals.  We had been going hard for a week now and we were getting tired and missing our own more comfortable beds.  Tammy and I had decided that Baltimore would be our last stop on this trip and surprisingly, the boys were okay with that.  We had rationalized the decision by saying that Washington would be a whole other trip and we could just include a visit to Nationals Park when we come back to see the Nation's capital.
Trey had been looking forward to this stop as the Orioles are probably his second favorite team (after the Braves).  His favorite player is third baseman Manny Machado who plays for the Orioles.  As an added bonus, the O's were playing the Los Angeles Angels who have one of the most exciting teams in baseball with players like Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and Josh Hamilton.

Tate waiting for the gates to open, sitting in the shade on the Cal Ripken commemorative monument.

We arrive in Baltimore around 3 in the afternoon and we check in at our hotel and then order our tickets over the phone.  Since it was a weekday game, good seats were readily available.  Our hotel was within walking distance to Camden Yards so we got there around 4:30 and did a little souvenir shopping.  The gates opened at 5:05 and we wanted to get inside to watch batting practice and hopefully catch a ball or get an autograph.
When the gates opened we entered Eutaw Way and headed for the outfield bleachers where we saw the Orioles taking batting practice.  We went down to the front row and admired all of the hits and begged the Oriole players for a ball like everyone else.  Trey's favorite player just happened to be taking BP and I was hoping he could hit one our way.  Wouldn't you know it, we were not there long when he hits a shot to deep center field where we were standing.  It didn't make it over the fence but hit the warning track and bounced right over Trey and Tate's heads and right into my hand.  Score!!  I had snagged a ball for the boys that was hit by Trey's favorite player.  My ticket to be "Dad of the Year"!  Trey has been enamored with that ball ever since.
After batting practice we headed to our seats which were down the third base line about 10 rows back.  Really good seats for $30.  Tammy and Trey went and got us something to eat from Boog's BBQ named for Baltimore icon Boog Powell.  It was pretty tasty.
The game was very entertaining.  Baltimore started the scoring early in the first inning when a Manny Machado single was followed by an Adam Jones home run.  Baltimore's starting pitcher, Kevin Gausman had a perfect game through 5 innings.  The Angels' big three went 1-12 in the game and did not have much of an impact.  The Orioles won the game 4-3.

 

Orioles' Park at Camden Yards.

Orioles Park at Camden Yards is a beautiful stadium.  The atmosphere and the fans are very friendly.  Outside of Fenway Park, I think that Orioles Park was probably my second favorite ballpark (Sorry NY).  It was kind of a depressing feeling to think that this would be it for baseball games for a while, but we were excited to get home.  After the game, we walked back to the hotel which was about 2 blocks away.  The next day we were going home.

Trey and Crazy Hair Tate on Eutaw Way at Camden Yards.

Day 7 - Back to NYC? #5 New York Mets - Citi Field

Day seven (Tuesday) began with us leaving Boston and deliberating whether or not we wanted to go back into New York City.  Tammy and I had kind of decided to skip the Mets game as we really didn't want to deal with the city again.  But after much consideration on my part, I suggested that we go ahead and do it.  After all, we had become experienced travelers and since we had done it one time, it wouldn't be that bad.  Besides, we would probably be real upset if we fulfilled this dream of attending all the Major League parks and we had to go back to New York to cover the Mets.  "We are right here.  Let's do it!"
We head back into the city on I-95 and drive over the George Washington bridge which was pretty neat.  We reserve a room in Secaucus, NJ near the place we had stayed a few nights earlier.  It was mid afternoon when we arrive so we decide to start heading into NYC.  We head to the bus stop and get our bus passes and prepare for the 15 minute ride to the Port Authority station in Manhattan.  As the bus arrives, the driver notifies us that the air conditioning was not working.  "No problem", we say.  It won't be that long of a ride.  Little did we know that it was now 5:00 and traffic into the city was at a stand still.  This turned into the MOST MISERABLE ride of my life.  On a ride that was probably 5 miles in distance, it took us 2 HOURS to get there on a bus that had no AC.  The only relief we had was the roof vent at the top of the bus.   It was HORRIBLE.  I have to commend the boys.  They did great and did not complain too much.  Needless to say, we took the first opportunity to get off the "bus ride from Hell" after we exited the Lincoln Tunnel.  It was now after 7:00 and the game was to begin at 7:05.
We arrive at Port Authority and head for the subway for a ride into Queens.  Here is where another valuable lesson was learned.  It turned out we were not as experienced as we thought.  When going a great distance across town, take the express line!  We took the number 7 local train which had to make 19 stops before we could reach Queens and the Mets Stadium - Citi Field.  It took a while.  I did not know much about Queens, but found out that it is a pretty big borough.  Most of what I had in mind was learned by watching "The King of Queens" on TV.  No surprise, it wasn't much like that at all.  Finally, we arrive and head to the ticket counter.  We had missed three innings already so we just got 4 seats in the upper deck and headed inside.

Our view of the scoreboard and Jumbo Tron at Citi Field.

Wow! What a beautiful ballpark!  Nestled deep inside one of the least aesthetically pleasing boroughs in NYC is this jewel of a stadium.  It was very impressive.  The Mets were playing the Phillies and by the time we get to our seats it is in the 4th inning with the Phillies winning 2-0.  Cole Hamels was pitching again for the Phillies who we saw pitch against the Giants back in Philly.  Dillon Gee was on the mound for the Mets.  The highlight of the game came in the 7th inning when Phillies second baseman Chase Utley hit a Grand Slam to right field making the final score 6-0.  After the game, we catch the No. 7 Express back to the other side of NYC (It didn't take nearly as long to get back, thus the name express!).
We were finally through with NYC although it was bittersweet to look back across the Hudson River as we exited the Lincoln Tunnel on the New Jersey side to see the beautiful New York City skyline and be in awe of how the city looks at night.  Another park checked off and another day down.  The next day we would head south into Baltimore.

A panoramic view from the lower levels of Citi Field.

Day 6 - #4 Boston and Fenway! So Good, So Good, So Good!

This game was one that I, and we as a family had really been looking forward to. My youngest, Tate, is now a big Red Sox fan ever since learning that they are his cousin JR's favorite team. And I have always wanted to go to the famous Fenway Park. This was going to be a treat. We stayed the night in the town of Waltham which is just west of Boston. Since it was day 6, we were desperately needing to do some laundry so Tammy decided to go get that taken care of (I did volunteer to do it but I guess she wanted it done right) while I entertained the kids in the indoor pool. It was nice to get to enjoy a leisurely morning. Afterwards we find a Moe's Southwestern Grill nearby for lunch and then head into the city via the light rail.
We arrive in the city and make the short walk to Yawkey Way. We get our tickets and then hit the stores looking for Red Sox souvenirs. By this time it is nearly 4:30 and the gates don't open until 5:20 so we go to a place called Loretta's for supper. This was chosen because it offered southern country cooking and country music as it's theme. By now during the trip I needed and little taste of southern atmosphere.

The view outside Fenway Park.

We finish eating and head across the street to the stadium. The boys and I were giddy with anticipation of what it might be like inside the 100 year old iconic ballpark. It is very difficult to describe it. Simply amazing. Again I felt like I had stepped back in time. It just had that nostalgic feeling of a different era. The park had the smells of the great food and all the vendors selling various items like you would see at any stadium but it just had a different feel to it. It was great. We make our way to our seats which were located in the lower level very close to the right field foul pole that every true baseball fan knows as "Pesky's Pole" named for Johnny Pesky who played for Boston in the 40s and 50s. Immediately the boys are awed by the sights of The Green Monster, Boston's famous 37 foot high left field wall.  Trey had even gotten a Green Monster T-shirt before we went inside the stadium.  We had great seats for a matchup between the Sox with Clay Bucholz as the starter  and the Toronto Blue Jays. I wasn't really excited about seeing the Blue Jays again but after finding out that R.A. Dickey, the famous knuckleballer and former Cy Young Award winner was the starter, the boys and I were pumped. As a bonus we got to see Dickey warm up in right field directly in front of us. It was fun for the boys and I to see his knuckleball in action up close.

The boys with the Green Monster in the background.

Unfortunately, for Tate the game was not even close. R.A. had the Boston hitters off balance all night. He was sharp even striking out David Ortiz (Tate's favorite player and Boston's most feared hitter) twice. The Blue Jays jumped out to an early lead thanks to a Melky Cabrera home run over the "Green Monster", which was pretty exciting for the boys to see. The final score was 14-1. Tate was a little bummed out but was not surprised since the Red Sox had been struggling all year. The outcome of the game was not a big deal. The fact that we were at Fenway Park was all that mattered and to see the permanent grin on Tate's face was priceless. The highlight of the experience was probably hearing all those Boston fans singing Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" in the 8th inning which is why I titled this post the way I did. Everything about the experience at Fenway was "So Good"!
I think we were all in agreement that this was our favorite park that we had visited up to this point. Another amazing experience on what had become a most incredible journey.

Tate from our seats.  That's Pesky's Pole behind him.

Days Four and Five - Cooperstown

Oh man!, the day I had been looking forward to for 5 years had arrived. That's when Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine retired from playing baseball. I had watched those guys during the glory days when Atlanta won 14 straight division titles. I knew these guys would be first ballot Hall of Famers and the sports writers made it official this past winter that they were going into the Hall of Fame.  And to make it better, Bobby Cox was also going in with Joe Torre and Tony La Russa. Frank Thomas, one of the most feared hitters of all times was also going to be enshrined.   If there was ever a time to go to an induction, this would be it. Again, I have to give Tammy credit. She was determined to make it happen that we get there.  And we did, we were going to Cooperstown, although we had to get a room that was 40 miles away (Tammy booked it 4 months ago!).  Apparently this was the same story for a lot of people. There are very few hotels there and the ones they do have are booked up years in advance on Hall of Fame weekend.
We arrive on Saturday afternoon and begin our stroll through the streets of Cooperstown. It is a quaint little town nestled in the hills of upstate western New York. You don't just happen by it. But it is like stepping back in time. It is a carnival like atmosphere this weekend. There are former players signing autographs at tables on the street (for a small fee which I didn't like but that was the only way to keep order I guess). We saw former Braves John Smoltz, John Rocker, Ryan Klesko, and Marquis Grissom signing anything people would give them. Pete Rose was also rumored to be in town but we didn't see him.
Then we prepare to witness one of the best kept secrets in all of baseball: the Hall of Famers Parade. At least I did not know of it. But every Hall of Fame Weekend on Saturday at 6:00 the returning HoFers participate in a parade where each player and his spouse or other family member ride in the back of a pickup truck right through the middle of town. This is a chance for the fans to get up close to see some of baseball's living legends. It was unbelievable. There we were just a few yards away from some of the greats of all time. We pushed our way as close as we could to try to get a front row seat. We pushed the boys up to be right along the rail to get a good view no thanks to this guy from Chicago who as Tammy put it, was not "kid minded".
Here is a short list of some of the players we saw: Hank Aaron, Whitey Ford, Ernie Banks, Phil Neikro, Gaylord Perry, Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Johnny Bench, Cal Ripken, Reggie Jackson, Tom Seaver, Tommy Lasorda, Carlton Fisk, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Ricky Henderson, and Barry Larkin just to name a few. Over 50 players returned to honor the new inductees who were at the end of the parade. Finally, the "new guys" came through in alphabetical order so as not to favor one over the other: Cox, Glavine, La Russa, Maddux, Thomas, and Torre.

Greg Maddux in the Hall of Famer Parade

The parade was probably the biggest highlight of the trip for me. It was like a dream. Every baseball fan needs to experience that. I'm sure the grin stayed on my face for hours afterwards. Could it get any better?
We drive the 45 minutes back to Norwich where our room is and spend the night only to drive back the next morning for the next day's events. After finally getting a parking place we walk through Cooperstown to the Hall of Fame. Again, on the way. there are more signings going on at different places. We saw Darryl Strawberry and Dale Murphy among others. We stand in line to get into the Museum for about 30 minutes. We finally get in and see the exhibits for about 45 minutes when we have to leave to catch the shuttle out to where the induction ceremony will be held which is about a mile away. We arrive at this field which reminded me of what Woodstock must have been like. As I found out later, there were approximately 48,000 people there to see the ceremony. Of course we were not even close to the stage. In fact, we must have been 5-6 hundred yards away. Fortunately they had a big jumbo tron screen and adequate speakers to allow us to view the ceremony. Another indication of how large the crowd was could be seen by the fact that there were well over 100 porta johns there too.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

The ceremony began and good thing for us the three Braves inductees went first. No disrespect to the other guys but we were ready to leave at that point as the boys were getting hot. For me, the speeches were great. Very meaningful and moving. I have never been more proud to be a Braves fan. It was an awesome event. After Bobby Cox spoke we decided to head back into town and finish our tour of the Hall of Fame.  The boys were exhausted and did not really appreciate all the baseball history that they were exposed to but I think it will be memorable nonetheless. We had had our fill of baseball nostalgia and headed out of town. I remember thinking as we left what an overwhelming couple of days we had just enjoyed. It would take a while for all of it to really set in. Like I said, this was going to be the highlight of the trip, or so I thought.

Our view at the induction ceremony.

We left Cooperstown and headed 280 miles east to Boston.

Day Three - The Big Apple and Ballpark #3 Yankee Stadium

The next day it was time to take on the big city. Tammy and I were excited to show the boys NYC and they were excited to see it. Now I'm not going to lie, I am a little intumidated by large urban areas not to mention the largest in the US. So I was not going to drive. We were staying in Secaucus, NJ which enabled us to take a bus right into the city via the Lincoln Tunnel. We arrived at the Port Authority Bus Terminal which is at 42nd street and very close to Times Square. It was mid-morning and we had planned to be in the city all day and head up to the Bronx for the Yankees game. So we start walking and walking. It was fun to see the sights and especially to see the faces of Trey and Tate. Tammy, being the responsible mom had instructed the boys (and me) that they were to hold mom and dad's hand at all times (Tate of course would be the one who would need to be reminded of this rule several times. Trey was just fine with it). Tammy writes her cell number on the boys arms should they get separated from us (she is a great Mom!).
"Can we see NYC in one day?" I thought. Well, not adequately but we were going to give it our best shot. We set out into Times Square and take in all the sites. We see all the electronic billboards, the place where the ball dropped on New Years Eve, and of course, the Naked Cowboy, which Tate (and Tammy too I think) got a kick out of. We head to Rockefeller Plaza, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Grand Central Station, and over to The Empire State Building. The boys wanted to see The Statue of Librrty which was at the southernmost part of Manhattan so that meant we needed to take the subway. Here was a part of New York culture the boys needed to see. And here was where we looked the most like tourists because as you may know it can be confusing.
We make it to the correct station and get out to Battery Park to get a view of Lady Liberty. The boys finally feel like they have seen something they can identify New York City with. We go by the 9-11 Memorial and try to explain to them what it is about. We walk up through the financial district (see the big bull) and get back on the subway headed to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium.

The Statue of Liberty.

Ah, the main reason for coming here. We arrive in the Bronx and Yankee Stadium is like a "diamond in the rough". It is a beautiful facility located in a not so beautiful part of the city. We get our tickets and head in. The guy taking our tickets advises us to go see Monument Park first before the game starts and we do. It was very impressive. I'm not a Yankee fan but as a baseball fan, Monument Park is pretty special. To see all of that Yankee history, I sensed that it was a preview of what we would see on the next stop of our journey in Cooperstown.

The boys outside Yankee Stadium.

We found our seats for the game in the upper deck behind the 3rd base line. The boys and I were in awe. It was a good game. Hiroki Kuroda started for the Yankees and Mark Buerhle started for the Toronto Blue Jays.  It was also a special treat for the boys to get to see Derek Jeter who is playing his last season. He began with the Yankees in 1995. Tammy and I are seeing the Yankees in New York for the second time. The first time was back in 2004 when we saw Jeter take a dive into the stands going after a foul ball against the Red Sox at the old Yankee Stadium. Jeter suffered a broken nose. 

In this game four home runs were hit; two by former Hickory Crawdad Jose Bautista, one by Carlos Beltran (a favorite player of Trey's), and one by Ichiro Suzuki, his first of the season and the game winner. Yanks won 6-4. After the game we get back on the subway and return to Port Authority where we catch the bus back to our hotel. It was a very long day but one where a lot of memories were made. Time to rest up for the drive to Cooperstown the next day and for me, the highlight of the trip.

Yankee Stadium Jumbotron.  Monument Park is below it just beyond center field.

A Panoramic view from our seats.  It is a beautiful stadium.

Day Two - Game One - Stadium #2 Philadelphia

The City of Brotherly Love. After surviving the night at the Motel 6, we were ready to get going pretty early. We drove into the city and found the Philadelphia Sports Complex. I have to give credit to Philadelphia for their city planning. Every major sports team's home facilities are right there in the same area and there is adequate parking for each.  Since we arrived so early the parking attendant said she was not charging yet so we didn't have to pay to park. Score!  There was a subway station at the Sports Complex which was at the south side of the city. We decided to ride up into the city to see the sights. After all, the Social Studies teacher in me had to go show the boys the areas where our country was founded.
We exited the subway in the heart of the historic district. The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall were in plain sight. We saw the Bell and then took the tour of Independence Hall. What a moving experience for me. To be right there where the founding fathers were deciding on the course for our great nation. Wow!  I was reminded of Nicholas Cage running through there in National Treasure, proof that I watch too many movies I guess.

Independence Hall where the Declaration was discussed and signed.

Then back on the subway to Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies. As a Braves fan, I wasn't too excited about seeing the Phils but it was our first ballpark on the big baseball trip so we were ready.  We grabbed some lunch and of course, what do you eat while in Philadelphia - a Philly Cheesesteak!   Tate and I were very impressed with the meal.

Citizens Bank is a very nice stadium full of the rich Phillies history and in some ways it reminded me of Turner Field. We got our tickets in the upper deck and got ready for the 1:05 game where Cole Hamels would be pitching against former Brave Tim Hudson of the Giants. It was great to see "Huddy" although it was hard to see him in that Giants uniform. The temperature was hot as you would expect for an afternoon game in July. The game was a pitchers' dual. Both starters were sharp. The Phillies won the game 2-1. We didn't see the end as we headed down with the boys to line up for the Kids Run the Bases activity at the conclusion of the game. We couldn't miss an opportunity for the boys to run around the bases at Citizens Bank.

First Ballpark, Citizens Bank Park in Philly.

Tate and Trey running the bases as seen on the Big Screen!

Our time in Philly was enjoyable for the most part. We got to combine some history with some baseball and got the first stadium checked off. On to New Jersey to find a room for the next two nights. Again using our handy dandy Hotels.com app we were able to find a room in Secaucus at the Holiday Inn Express. It turned out to be a really nice place with easy access to the NYC.