How to Plan a Trip to all 30 Major League Baseball Ballparks

There is no better way for a diehard baseball fan to show their love of the game than with a pilgrimage to all 30 major league ballparks. It’s a great way to bond with buddies or family. But if not planned properly, it could lead to serious financial strain, being stranded in a strange locale or worse. The following steps will help avoid the potholes.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer with internet connection
• Credit Card
• Map (or Globe)
• Patience
• Sense of Adventure
• Passion for baseball

1. Make a budget. This will guide you in all the other decisions you will make. It might even help reveal whether or not you are financially ready for such a trip.
2. Decide on your mode of transportation. If you have the means, you might want to fly. If not, you could rent an RV and drive. Or, as a means of last resort, you could pile into an old Volkswagen van and go Bad News Bears style (not recommended).
3. Decide on timeframe. Obviously, this is not a trip that can be done in weekend getaway style. However, you will need to decide if you want to take several weeks in a row off and complete it in one fell swoop, or break it up into several trips throughout the baseball season.
4. Obtain a game schedule for the decided timeframe. This will come in handy when planning your course.
5. Chart the course. Get out a map (or globe if you still roll that way) and begin with your departure destination. Compare it with the games schedule and determine the best travel course that will achieve your objective, and not have you on the road or in the air the majority of the trip.
6. Purchase your tickets. Most ballparks won’t be sold out. Therefore, you could take the chance and purchase tickets at the box office when you arrive at the specific ballpark. However, some of the older parks, i.e. Wrigley Field (Chicago), Yankee Stadium (New York) and Fenway Park (Boston) are almost always sold out. Those tickets you better have purchased in advance. Search the specific team’s website where you will be able to purchase advance tickets.
7. Make hotel arrangements. If you choose the RV (or Bad News Bears) method, you won’t need this step. If you have chosen to fly, you will need to make advance reservations for lodging. Best way to accomplish this is to search the internet for deals on the cities you need.
8. Pack your things and enjoy the journey!