In honor of Opening Day...AND our brand-new MLB Baseball Collection, we're celebrating two beloved All-American pastimes: baseball and road trips.
The classic baseball road trip is a tale almost as old as the sport itself. In fact, there are even official names for its enthusiasts: stadium hunters and ballpark chasers, for example.
Whether you yourself have chased a ballpark or two or you're just hearing about this whole MLB stadium road trip thing for the first time, let's get into it!
Tips for Planning a Baseball Road Trip
One of the best things about planning a baseball road trip is that there's really no wrong way to do it. There are multiple strategies for how to plan your route and itinerary, depending on your individual preferences and how much time you have.
For example, you may want to visit as many stadiums as possible or see as many games as possible. Or, you can follow a specific team around for awhile, cheering them on in different cities.
The main thing to keep in mind for an MLB stadium road trip is that scheduling is super important. If you want to visit a certain stadium, the home team needs to actually be in town, hosting an opponent. And if you plan to visit multiple stadiums, ideally, all those teams will be playing at home around the same time.
Wondering how the heck you're supposed to know who's playing where and when? We're glad you asked.
Allow us to introduce you to an amazing, easy-to-use tool, cleverly called The Baseball Road Trip Planner.
This handy tool lets you select all the teams you want to see (including minor league teams!) and customize the length of your trip and specific days for games. It even suggests in what order you should visit the stadiums! Once you customize your options, the baseball road trip planner gives you sets of dates throughout the season when it's actually possible.
Ready to play ball? Sorry, we had to... Here are a few of the baseball road trip routes we're most looking forward to.
3 MLB Stadium Road Trip Ideas
Whether you have just enough time for a quick weekend getaway or you can devote multiple weeks to your baseball road trip, here are three awesome itineraries.
Psst...love national parks just as much as you do baseball? Check out five of the most epic national parks road trip itinerary ideas!
Best of the Midwest
With the potential to catch games at four stadiums and visit several iconic American landmarks, this is the perfect baseball road trip! Start in either St. Louis or Milwaukee, then make a stop in Chicago, where you can visit the home stadiums of both the Cubs and the White Sox.
Along the way, be sure to set aside time to check out the Gateway Arch in St. Louis (the country's smallest national park!), go up to the Sky Deck of Chicago's Willis Tower, and grab a brew — or two — on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee.
If you have more time to spend on your MLB stadium road trip, you can also start from Kansas City, Missouri (home of the Royals), and/or add a stop to catch a Twins game in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Sunny Southwest
There's nothing quite like taking in a game with a cold beverage in hand on a gorgeous sunny day, are we right? On this awesome baseball road trip through Arizona and California, you'll get to experience plenty of just that!
Catch the Diamondbacks in Phoenix, then take an easy drive west to southern California. In San Diego, stop to watch the Padres before heading up to L.A. where you can catch both the Dodgers and the Angels.
If you start this MLB stadium road trip in Phoenix and time it just right, you can catch several spring training games plus opening day!
East Coast Classic
No matter who "your" team is, this is the ultimate baseball road trip! With stops at some of the most iconic MLB stadiums (including the very oldest, Fenway in Boston) and a visit to Cooperstown, any serious baseball fan will appreciate this one.
Depending on home schedules and how much time you have, you can catch the Orioles, Phillies, Nationals, Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox. Plus, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown is a fantastic detour traveling between New York and Boston!
Even if you're short on time, you can easily catch three games in Baltimore, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia. As a bonus, each of these cities has a TON to see and do outside of baseball!
Baseball Road Trip Stadium Souvenirs
So, are you as excited to plan this summer's baseball road trip as we are?! Before you head out, don't forget to include stadium souvenirs in your budget.
Much like game ticket stubs, our Limited-Edition Baseball Glove Wanderchain and MLB Stadium Tokens make wonderful stadium souvenirs for preserving memories of your trip — and bonus, you don't have to worry about them fading, wrinkling, or tearing.
Shop the complete Baseball Collection now, and consider customizing your tokens by adding the dates you visit each stadium! Safe travels, and keep your eyes (and hands!) open for foul balls!
