The 5: Ballpark Summer Vacations

This Week on the 5:  Great Ballparks To Visit This Summer

There’s something about a great ballpark that everyone loves.  Even people who aren’t big baseball fans love to say they’ve visited one of America’s famous ballgrounds.  Most of us will never take that fantasy roadtrip across America where you visit every major league park, but that doesn’t mean you can’t hit up a few in the course of your life.  We’ve picked five great ballparks that are well worth the trip.  Take your girl with you, even if she’s not a fan, she’ll love any one of these.  And after the game, you have the whole city to enjoy. You, a great chick, and baseball? That’s romance.

• Wrigley Field, Chicago.  The Ivy Walls, people watching from rooftops, and a neighborhood full of friendly Cubs bars. C’mon we don’t have to explain Wrigley field or the Cubs to you do we?   The Cubs are the most snake bit team in baseball and they haven’t won a World Series since 1908. The WSJ.com did a story this year that Chicago needs to replace Wrigley Field if they ever want to have a chance to win a championship, but in reality, most people would pick Wrigley Field over a championship. Wrigley is Chicago. Wrigley Field is Baseball. No baseball fan’s life is complete until he visits.   While you’re in town, you can also have some of the best hot dogs in the country, grab a Ron Bennington Cupcake at the original Mollys, re-live Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, listen to great Blues, and check out Millenium Park– one of the best in the country.  Lucky for you we have already written Chicago: The Right Way to help you out on your visit.
• PNC Park, Pittsburgh.  Is it possible to have a really great ball park and an awful baseball team? Yes! It’s very possible. The park is positioned so that the skyline of Pittsburgh is in the outfield. The Skyline, bridges, the river and Mount Washington make for a perfect view. You can even watch trains on an incline railroad go up and down during the game. Believe it or not Pittsburgh is a city on the rise and a great destination city. Amazing art of all kinds from the Warhol museum to the Mattress Factory, great down to earth regular guy bars, fantastic real food (yes Primantis, but so much more), its own music scene, and unique neighborhoods that really do each have their own vibe. Good news, we’ve written up Pittsburgh: The Right Way so you don’t even have to think about what to do and where to go.
• Fenway Park, Boston.  It’s the oldest ballpark in the league and the stuff of legends. Fenway Park is like a great Irish bar that has a ball field instead of a great jukebox. Plus, nothing is funnier than hearing a chant of Yankees Suck during a game against the California Angels. Yep, everyone in New England loves the Sox and hates the Yankees and it’s one of those summer traditions that makes the game great. It’s a small stadium with tight seating and every game sells out but call stubhub pay the freight and watch a game in front of the Green Monster. You’re an American.  While you’re in Boston, you will fall in love with a city that you can own in a weekend.  Faneuil Hall is one of those rare tourist destinations that really is worth the hype, and worth spending the whole day, and then you can walk over to the North End for great Italian food and seafood.  You’ve got the wharf, great beer, amazing ice cream, the Charles River and if you don’t take a side trip over to see Harvard and Cambridge you’ll regret it.
• Yankee Stadium, New York City.  The New York Yankees . The most feared team in all of sports. There are only two dreams for little kids who love baseball. To hit a home run and win the pennant for the New York Yankees or hit a home run to beat the God Damn New York Yankees. The dream he picks will tell you everything you need to know about that kid.  The new Yankee stadium is big and bold and brash but it’s impossible to see the Pin Stripes run out on the field and not think of Ruth, Gehrig , DiMaggio and Mantle. Even if the ghosts are not in the walls of the stadium they still are in those uniforms.  After the game– the sky’s the limit for you because in NY you don’t even need a destination.  Just start walking and you’ll find something to love.  Little Italy, Katz’s Deli, Central Park, Broadway, the Village, the sites of so many of your favorite films, and if you’re there during the summer, you’re really in luck because you can get in to most of the restaurants, and there is an endless list of free concerts, movies, and things to do.  Go to newyorkology.com for a daily list of everything happening and @olv will tell you who is filming what where and when. Don’t miss a stop at the Highline Park, one of the most unique parks around.
• Coors Field, Denver.  This is the newest ball park on the 5 and the farthest West. It’s also the largest stadium on the list . The Blue Moon Brewery at The Sandlot is on location so beer and food are going to be a big part of your day.  Because of the elevation you have a really good chance to see some home runs, which is why the stadium picked up the nickname  “Coors Canaveral.” After the game you have many great Rocky Mountain vacation spots to choose from to enjoy the rest of your trip.  Catch a show at the Red Rocks Amphitheater if you can.  Don’t be afraid to immerse yourself in the hiker/outdoorsman vibe cause you are in one of the best places for it.  If you’re lazy, do it from your rental car, but get outside.  If you have the time head out to Rocky Mountain National Park, but if not, just enjoy the views from one of the most walkable downtowns in America.  Make sure you stop off at Sweet Action for some ice cream while you’re there.

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Agree with our picks?  Think you’ve got a better trip?  Comment Below.

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