10 years ago, yes 10, I somehow convinced my mom to drive two of my brothers and I to Baltimore to see the Orioles. This crazy idea led us not only to Baltimore but also to games in Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Atlanta. Upon finishing this trip, I developed yet another crazy idea and dream: I wanted to visit all 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) stadiums.
For the next six summers, my family and I drove across the country visiting ballparks. From the Freedom Trail of Boston to Pier 39 in San Francisco, we explored our beautiful nation through America’s Pastime. In 2018, Safeco Park in Seattle (now T-Mobile Park) became our 30th MLB stadium. We had fulfilled our goal.
But after accomplishing so much by driving to ballparks, we couldn’t just stop. We were having too much fun. On that same Seattle trip, we sought to break up the drive by going to games in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) stadiums on the way up and down. We saw the Salt Lake Bees, Reno Aces and El Paso Chihuahuas, and we immediately fell in love with MiLB. The atmospheres were incredibly family-friendly and fun, and the baseball was high-quality.
The very next year, with no more MLB stadiums to check off our list, we took off for our first ever MiLB centered road trip. In just under two weeks, we attended games in eight MiLB ballparks across seven states. Whether it was the beautiful Triple-A ballpark of the Nashville Sounds, or the quaint home of the Single-A Rome Braves, the minors continued to impress us.
In 2021, after sadly no trips in 2020, we attended eight more MiLB ballparks to drive up our total to 23, which includes our hometown San Antonio Missions, the nearby Corpus Christi Hooks and the Durham Bulls, whom we saw on that very first trip to Baltimore as well. So this June of 2022, as my mom and I decided upon a last minute visit to see my brother, Adrian, in Los Angeles, we knew we had to include some MiLB parks once again.
For the first time ever on a road trip, we actually flew first. We flew from San Antonio to Burbank to arrive with Adrian sooner, but as soon as we landed in Southern California—and you’ll see in a second that I mean literally when we landed—we used Adrian’s car to embark on our next road trip. In 10 days, we saw four more MiLB ballparks, plus we took a trip down memory lane at Angel Stadium and even added a WNBA game as we saw the Las Vegas Aces.
We flew back to San Antonio, and some may have thought our summer ballpark adventures were over. Not quite. My mom and I, being the crazy people that we are, decided to hop in the car once again. We stayed in-state this time, heading to Midland and Amarillo for some Texas League action before catching the Orioles in Arlington.
Each venue provided its own memories and proved once again that we belong on the road and at the ballpark (or the occasional arena).
San Manuel Stadium, San Bernardino, California: Home of the the Inland Empire 66ers, Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels
After we landed in Los Angeles and I took a nap, we were off to San Bernardino. 66 miles east of Burbank on Route 66 lie the 66ers of Inland Empire (see, the name 66ers makes sense). Inland Empire, we learned, refers to cities like Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga and San Bernardino that are not on the coast of California. Before heading to the ballpark, we made a quick stop at the first McDonalds in the world. It is crazy to think a burger joint in San Bernardino changed how we eat forever, and it was cool to see the very first location. When we arrived at San Manuel Stadium, we somehow ran into someone giving away ticket vouchers, so we literally got in for free! We sat on the third baseline and got some game notes to keep track of any top prospects playing, such as Visalia’s Jordan Lawler. The sunset was gorgeous, and the atmosphere was lively. The game only lasted seven innings because they had to complete a suspended game from the night before, but we actually left in the fifth inning because we were so tired. We pushed ourselves to come on the same night we arrived, but it proved to be quite tiring. I mean, my mom and I woke up at 2 a.m. to fly out of San Antonio. Still, we had a great time kicking off our time on the west coast.
Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada: Home of the Las Vegas Aces
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never walked through a casino to get to a professional sporting event before. Well, welcome to fabulous Las Vegas. In order to watch the Aces, we had to first go through the Mandalay Bay. Talk about an entrance! As soon as we entered the arena, I could tell we were in for a treat. I first got to say hello to Gina Monaco, my friend from Trinity who now works with the Aces. It was not only great to say hello but also great to see Gina doing so well in her new job. After saying hello, it was time to buckle in for the game. From the get-go, the Aces provided one of the most entertaining game experiences I’ve ever been a part of. Whether it was the dramatic intros, or the in-game music, or the fun segments featuring players on the scoreboard telling fans to get loud, every second was filled with fun. The game itself was also thrilling. Jackie Young hit a step-back, game-tying three with under 10 seconds to go to send the game into overtime and the crowd into a frenzy. Unfortunately, the Washington Mystics pulled out a one-point victory, but we still had a ton of fun. Go support women’s sports!
Las Vegas Ballpark, Las Vegas, Nevada: Home of the Las Vegas Aviators, Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics
Unlike many people who visit Sin City, we took some time to head off the Vegas Strip. It was about a 20 minute drive west to Summerlin to catch some baseball. A few years back, we had driven past Cashman FIeld, the old home of the Las Vegas 51s. Well, this ballpark was wayyyyy nicer. Built in 2019, everything was sparkling and new. We made some friends in guest services, bought some chicken fajita nachos in a huge helmet and sat out in right field enjoying the cooler night after a red-hot desert afternoon. My favorite part of this ballpark was the soda fountains that were accessible to the public, so rather than getting refills through the concessions workers, you could get it on your own. I certainly took advantage of that throughout the game. The Aviators were down 8-0, but they came all the way back to defeat the Albuquerque Isotopes 9-8. The comeback meant the crowd got excited at the end of the game, making everything more enjoyable. After a strange rain shower while leaving the ballpark, we headed back to our hotel on the Strip, but it was nice to see that there’s more to Las Vegas than a four mile road.
Angel Stadium, Anaheim, California: Home of the Los Angeles Angels
We had been to Angel Stadium back in 2014 as the first stadium on our west coast road trip. Eight years feels like a lifetime ago. This time, we were back as guests of Adrian, who now owns season tickets for the Angels. We went in through the beautiful home plate entrance and then headed to left field, where Adrian has all his friends. So many people came up to say hello and tell us they love Adrian, even several ushers. It felt like a scene straight out of Fever Pitch, except I didn’t see Jimmy Fallon or Drew Barrymore. From left field we got incredible views of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani each hitting home runs. However, like most Angels games these days, that was pretty much all they did. The White Sox crushed Los Angeles and sent the crowd home unhappy. Still, we had a good time meeting Adrian’s little community and seeing Springer support his new team by barking when they homer. This place isn’t too fancy, but it’s comfortable and a fun place to watch a game. It did feel weird to attend a game in a place that I have actually seen before, but I definitely saw it in a new light this time around.
LoanMart Field, Rancho Cucamonga, California: Home of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Off to the east we went again to the Inland Empire. In the afternoon we saw the Claremont Colleges, placing us right next to the home of the Quakes in Rancho Cucamonga. We wanted to get some dinner before the game, but when we pulled up to the ballpark almost an hour before the gates opened to see how long the line was for the Walker Buehler bobblehead giveaway, the parking attendants suggested we go ahead and stay. I’m glad we did. Dodger fans don’t mess around. We waited about 45 minutes in line and thankfully all got Buehler bobbleheads! Since we had a ton of time now before the game, we did some shopping in the team store and then got dinner inside the stadium since we couldn’t eat outside. I got a “Super” Dodger Dog made out of beef rather than the traditional Dodger Dogs made out of pork. Our seats were right behind home, giving us yet another majestic view of the sun setting behind the mountains. Out of all the minor league games I’ve been to, other than maybe the Bowie Baysox, this was the most I’ve seen the crowd be totally fans of the Major League ball club that their team is an affiliate of. Everyone in the stands had Dodgers gear on, so they were very passionate about the game. In the 8th inning, I bought some carne asada street tacos that didn’t end up being ready until the game ended, but they were delicious. After eating, I ran up to say hello to Jill Gearin, Visalia’s broadcaster who is only one of three female broadcasters in minor league baseball, and she was super kind. With hot dogs, tacos, bobbleheads, great views and quality conversations, it was another successful night at the ballpark.
The Diamond, Lake Elsinore, California: Home of the Lake Elsinore Storm, Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres
Halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego is Lake Elsinore, a small town that revolves around the actual lake by the same name. We took a quick trip to see the lake before heading to The Diamond. None other than Trevor Hoffman bought tickets after us at the box office. Turns out he was here to see his son, Wyatt, play for the Storm. My mom and I stood near Trevor during the first inning before joining Adrian in our seats out by right field. This game flew by with only some pictures with the mascots taking me away from the action on the field. Once again, the view behind the outfield was gorgeous. These California sunsets really never get old. We left a bit early in the top of the 9th inning to get in our car before the fireworks began so that Springer wouldn’t freak out. We enjoyed the show from the parking lot and then the highway as we headed back north, rounding out our time at stadiums for this trip.
Momentum Bank Ballpark, Midland, Texas: Home of the Midland Rockhounds, Double-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics
Growing up in San Antonio, it seemed like every time I went to Wolff Stadium for a Missions game the Rockhounds were in town. This time I got to flip the switch, as the Missions were visiting Midland at the same time my mom and I were. It’s about a five hour drive from the Alamo City to the oil and gas industry capital. Upon arriving we went straight to our hotel that was right across the street from the ballpark. The location was incredibly convenient, as we could literally walk to the game. We ate at H-E-B—you read that right—as their new True Texas BBQ inside the grocery store came well recommended. Everyone was right, as my loaded brisket baked potato tasted like heaven. With our stomachs full, the walk from the hotel to the ballpark was the perfect way to sweat off the calories. My mom and I got some free t-shirts for filling out a survey and proceeded to walk around the outfield to get a good feel for the ballpark. We liked the splash pad, playground and basketball courts they had for kids. After that, we found a table behind home plate that became our home for the rest of the game. Unfortunately, the Cheetos popcorn stand was closed, but everything else about our game-day experience went well, especially a Missions win! It was cool to finally see the Rockhounds at their home after years of seeing them at The Wolff.
Hodgetown, Amarillo, Texas: Home of the Amarillo Sod Poodles, Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks
Just like George Strait, we went to “Amarillo by Morning, Up From San Antone.” Okay, maybe we arrived in the afternoon, and we technically came from Midland, but the sentiment was there. The first stop in Amarillo had to be at The Big Texan. At first the wait seemed to be too long, but thankfully we got a table quickly and had some great steak. We didn’t shoot for the famous 72oz one, as 8oz proved to be more than enough for me. After the classic Texan lunch, we checked into our downtown hotel that was basically on top of Hodgetown. Once again we got to simply walk to the game. One of our first stops was the team store, where a worker stopped us to take a photo in front of their logo wall. As we got to talking to her about our ballpark adventures, she asked my mom if she wanted to be the fan of the game. She got unusually shy, but somehow they found us later in the game and asked both of us to appear on the Jumbotron. Dennis interviewed us during the inning, and then in the middle of the sixth inning, he talked about us to the ENTIRE ballpark. From then on, so many people stopped us to talk about our adventures. We were like celebrities in Amarillo! Honestly, we have always thought that our story is worth sharing because not everyone does what we do. This was proof that once our story was heard, people cared. Now we just have to share that message more, perhaps via a podcast…? The red carpet moment was one of several highlights of the night. We really enjoyed Hodgetown and believe Amarillo did a great job building a downtown ballpark that fit well into their city. If I ever find myself back in the Panhandle, I would definitely come back to another game.
Globe Life Field, Arlington Texas: Home of the Texas Rangers
One year ago Globe Life Field marked the second time we saw our 30th active Major League Baseball stadium. This time we were there not for the ballpark but for the Rangers’ opponent: my Baltimore Orioles. Apart from our view from the Hilton in Baltimore during a game last May, I had not seen the Orioles in person since seeing them during Globe Life Park’s final season in 2019. We stayed at the same hotel we had stayed at a few times in Arlington, the TownePlace Suites, which was right across from Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. One perk of all the hotels in Arlington is that they feature a free trolley ride to and from the ballpark. However, they trolley did not arrive until 5:38 p.m. tonight and it was around 4:50 p.m. when we were ready to go. Anxious to get to the ballpark, my mom and I decided to walk 1.9 miles in the scorching Texas sun to Globe Life Field. The distance wasn’t bad, but the sun didn’t help. Somehow we survived and made it to the game, where we met up with our Mississippi (turned Texan) friends the Crawfords, whom we met at an Orioles game in Arlington back in 2017. We had a ton of fun together, fueled by the Orioles’ 7-2 victory over the Rangers. Cedric Mullins homered to start the game, Adley Rutschman recorded three hits and Spenser Watkins pitched six innings to send us all home happy. No, we did not walk back to the hotel. This time we actually used the trolley, which was way more comfortable. Still, the walk was worth it because it led to an Orioles win. Plus, it was just another chapter in our story!
It is unreal how much fun going to the ballpark is. Driving around our country watching baseball has provided some of the best moments of my life, and every year keeps getting better and better. I just learn and experience so much. I can promise you that we won’t be stopping these road trips anytime soon—there’s just too much to see! We’re now at 30 MLB ballparks and 29 MiLB ballparks, but there’s still 91 left…