Baseball: The Ballpark Road Trip

As summer approaches, it might be time to start planning for this ultimate MLB road trip with your buddies (or family member you can take hostage to accompany you) so you too can live out the dream of seeing the greatest game in the world from every possible venue. How quickly you want to move from stadium to the stadium, is up to you. The world record number is only provided not necessarily to invoke a challenge, but to show that this seemingly unfeasible road trip can be knocked off your bucket list in a reasonable amount of time. That is if you organize, plan ahead, and abide by the recommendations of the open road warriors before you get started. 

Find the Right Car

An MLB road trip will put some serious miles on your car. Before you hit the road, have your car checked out by a mechanic, perform all of the necessary maintenance, sign up for AAA — basically, take every precaution necessary. This isn't your ordinary “drive up to your parents cabin” trip: This is the world tour of everything baseball that's going to work your car to the bone. By the time you make it to Chase Stadium in Phoenix, it will be most wise to invest in an oil change, a tuneup, anything else your precious whip may need. Or if you're beginning your tour in Arizona, crunch the numbers to see if it's time to trade in your old gas guzzler. According to Mechanics.stackexchange.com, a site for mechanics, dealerships take a deeper look into the vehicle. The website also states you can take any vehicle to a dealer. So if, you have a Honda, you can still take it to a Nissan dealership.

Plan the Right Route

A total of 30 baseball parks. That's a lot of planning. Start by asking and answering some questions about your route. What's the most economic/timely way to travel (if money/time matter)? Are there any specific matchups at specific stadiums you want to plan for? Are there other aspects of America, other than baseball that you're hoping to see on the trip? Is tickets available for the games you want to see, at a certain time? Do you prefer a flexible route of travel, or would you rather stick to a strict schedule? These and many more questions should be addressed and properly answered before planning out your trip. The bottomline is try and flesh everything out, think about what you want to get out of the trip while talking everything over with those who are going. If you still aren't sure and need some advice from former baseball travelers, Google search “baseball road trip forums” to read up on how others have scheduled their trip. Oh, and travel with a smartphone with GPS.

Have Fun

Remember: this trip isn't a race, work, or anything that anyone should be forcing you to do. It's about seeing baseball games, experiencing some childhood nostalgia, (probably) hanging out with a bunch of dudes, and having one heck of a summer trip. Look up any great nightlife, restaurants, or festivals taking place in the surrounding cities. Come up with a rating system of each MLB ballpark to document your adventure, and write a little about each experience. That thing that's happening that you're not sure about doing because you'd rather go back to your hotel (or tent) and get some extra sleep? Do it. This is a once in a lifetime experience. Go out, see baseball, come back happy.