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It’s summertime, and the livin’ is easy! If you’re a baseball fan, you wait for this time of year patiently through chilly winters and muddy springs. Now that most kids are out of school for the summer, it’s a perfect opportunity to take a vacation, and bring your love of the game into play.
Whether you want to take a road trip to check out your favorite team or do a tour of several iconic stadiums across the country, you’ve got plenty of time to see a few games this summer before the season comes to a close.
Unfortunately, it’s not always as easy as packing up the car and hitting the road. There are a few things you should plan ahead for if you want your baseball road trip to be a home run.
Let’s cover a few tips you can use to plan the trip of a lifetime, whether you’re heading out for a family vacation or a solo adventure.
Plan the Right Routes
The beauty of a road trip is that, for the most part, you can take your time. You don’t have to rush around in an airport trying to catch a plane, or even a bus. It can also be fun to take the scenic route to your destination. However, with gas prices on the rise, you might want to take the shortest paths possible.
Plan your routes ahead of time, whether you’re heading to one stadium or several. Doing so will give you a better idea of when you’ll get to each stop. That can make it easier to book hotels and might allow you to get better deals on tickets since you’ll be able to purchase them ahead of time instead of walking up to the ticket booth on game day.
In addition to planning your routes ahead of time, consider the times you’ll be driving. It might seem like a small thing to think about, but research has shown the most dangerous times to drive are in the late afternoon and early evening. The safest times are the morning hours, between 7:00 am and 9:59 am. If possible, do most of your driving in the morning and early afternoon, and go exploring or get some rest as evening draws near.
2. Be a Local Tourist
One mistake people sometimes make on road trips is making their schedule so tight that they don’t have any wiggle room. If you want to head to multiple stadiums or you’ve purchased tickets for several games in different locations, you’re going to have to do a lot of driving and rushing around.
That will make for an incredibly stressful vacation.
Give yourself time to “play” tourist at every stop you make. Not sure how to do that? Try some of the following ideas:
- Eat at a local restaurant or try a regional dish
- Head to small businesses
- Support a local band or musician by attending a concert
- Talk to locals about the best things to do
- Explore whatever that town/city is famous for
It’s especially important to keep an easy, relaxed pace if you’re traveling with your family. You want your kids to remember this trip as something positive and exciting, not something stressful and busy. If you’re passing on your love of the game to your son or daughter, don’t be afraid to show them everything else they can appreciate about “baseball towns” across the country. Those are the moments that will leave lasting impressions.
3. Take Care of Yourself
Between all of the peanuts and Cracker Jack (and, let’s be honest – hot dogs and beers, too), it’s important to take care of yourself while you’re on the road. In fact, you should consider your health and well-being while you’re planning your trip.
If you have chronic pain, for example, sitting for long periods of time while driving can make things difficult. That doesn’t mean you have to pass on a road trip. Instead, think of ways to manage your pain, like:
- Taking more frequent breaks.
- Stopping to stretch as often as possible
- Practicing better posture
- Letting someone else drive so you can sit in a more comfortable position
If you have other existing conditions, consider talking to your doctor about how to stay healthy on your trip. Make sure you have all necessary medications packed and ready to go and plan ahead by packing things like healthy snacks and plenty of water, so at least you’ll be at least somewhat mindful of your nutrition while you’re road-tripping. You’ll also likely spend less money because you won’t have to stop so often for convenience store snacks or fast food.
Planning a trip centered on baseball sounds like a perfect way to spend the summer. So, what are you waiting for? Get to as many games as possible, and enjoy every moment of the summer experience this season.
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