Giants vs. Diamondbacks at Scottsdale Stadium

The best place to go for spring training really depends which team is your favorite you’ve either got Florida or Arizona. However, if you don’t necessarily care what team you see, or you’re a fan of west coast teams, then the best place for a true spring training experience is Phoenix, AZ. If you are an avid baseball fan you’ll be in heaven. All the spring training camps are within 30-45 minutes within each other, the weather is fantastic, and there really is something for everyone to enjoy even if they aren’t fans of the game.

Spring training generally coincides with spring break for many students and can be a great way to spend your break. It can also be a great getaway for friends or families who live in colder climates to chase some vitamin D while enjoying America’s favorite pastime.

Giants vs.Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick

You will love the Cactus league of spring training because besides it’s close proximity within each other, you have a wide array of teams that train there. Spring training for those who have never gone is a unique experience. You get to watch the coaches and rookie players in action as they try to prove themselves  worthy to move up from the minor leagues to the majors. You get the intimate feel and prices of a minor league game while watching some of your favorites get ready for the season.

Make sure you check out Salt River Fields at Talking Stick which is the Diamond Backs and the Colorado Rockies new facility and is the newest in the whole league. Talking Stick just opened this year and was modeled after Camelback Ranch (opened in 2008) where the Dodgers and the White Sox train. They are both gorgeous and modern facilities. If you want to take a step back and have an even more intimate expirience, make sure to check out some of the older stadiums such as Scottsdale Stadium and Phoenix Municipal Stadium. They are still very nice facilities, just a little bit older. For a full list of Cactus League stadiums and teams click here.

Camelback Ranch Scoreboard

Whatever you do decide to do while you are there, it will be an experience you won’t forget. Grow closer together as a family, re-discover your childhood fantasies of meeting players and cheering on teams, eat great food and cherish the moments because they slip away far too fast.

Twins Game:

I used to live in MN, in fact I grew up there. Claiming that you are a Minnesotan means something. It means you’re able to survive falling through the ice on frozen ponds, you can treat 7 kinds of poison ivy and you’re a Twins fan. I grew up watching the Twins on TV with my grandpa and we frequently went to games at the Metrodome. When I found out that work was taking me to the Twin Cities the first thing I did was arrange to see a Twins game with my pal Chris. The brand new Target Field is a spectacular place to see a game and I was grateful to be able to catch a game in its inaugural season.

Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Al’s Breakfast:

Not too far from our hotel was the campus of the University of Minnesota and not too far from that is a tiny little restaurant called Al’s Breakfast. This place is amazing. It used to be an alley between two buildings until someone decided there was room for a restaurant and put a roof on it. The whole place measures only 10ft wide! Because it is a small cramped place, there are only 14 stools along the bar and those next in line patiently wait along the wall for a seat to open up. The wait is worth it, not only is it such a unique place with crazy garage sale decor, but the food is amazing. It is a tasty off the griddle, home cooked, put some meat on your bones kind of breakfast.

Nice Ride:

All over the Minneapolis/St. Paul you can find Nice Ride kiosks where you can rent bikes for a nominal fee. You can ride all over the city  and never be more than a short pedal from a return station. Still not following? Its like a Redbox for bikes, rent here, return wherever. Conveniently there was a kiosk right outside of our hotel and we saw them all over town.

For our very last trip together before baby, we headed to Los Angeles for the weekend. A trip we have made together many many times. We both enjoy our trips to LA and they usually come with a purpose. This time it was to see our favorite band who was playing their last show together. Something we both really enjoy in a place we both enjoy. It was a great weekend. But while we were there we started talking about why we come to LA so often and what we really like about this city. We came up with the three following reasons:

1.We love the food. Whether it’s In-N-Out (which we can get in more places than just LA), Tommy’s Original Hamburger (if you love deliciously gross chili burgers- which we do), Portillos (chicago style hotdogs), and various other delicious and restaurants (some actually being real restaurants), we love the food in Southern California. Enough that we would probably make a special trip for it.

2. We love baseball. Do I really need to say more? If you are a reader of this blog you know our goal is to visit every baseball park in the United States, but we can’t get enough of the Dodgers or Dodger Stadium and try to visit it at least once a year.

3. We love the beaches. Although LA beaches are not the best in the world they do offer an eclectic beach experience. They are beautiful in their own right.

I think it makes for an easy get-away for us because it’s close enough that an hour and a half flight is easy, even if it’s just for a day, but yet it’s far away enough to make it a fun experience and feel like we got out of our daily grind for awhile.

What is your favorite place to visit over and over again and why?

If you are a baseball lover then a pre-season game is where it’s at. Tickets are cheaper at spring training venues than at the team’s regular ballpark and it’s a more intimate setting. You get a minor league feel for a major league team. Plus whether you head to Florida or Phoenix either way you get perfect 70 degree weather which is definitely a step up from the thirty degree weather we left behind.

This trip was no exception, and was based around the notion of going to a Dodgers game. The plan was to arrive Sunday morning and leave early Monday morning in order to make at least a half day at work.

Of course the first thing that occurred after we picked up our rental car was a visit to In-N-Out. To say I love In-N-Out is an understatement. As a high school student and my first summer as a college student I worked at In-N-Out. What started as an innocent obsession quickly turned into an addiction. I have never gotten sick of their cheeseburgers, fresh cut fries or creamy milkshakes.

Dodger Stadium was just as I remembered it. Blue, old and rustic. Unfortunately we were running a bit late and so we missed the opening pitch and the National Anthem. But we made it to our seats just in time for the first inning. Dodgers fans are some of the best. The people were nice and considerate, unlike the usual stereo-type of LA natives. The game was a short one as the Dodgers killed the Nationals by 2-0. It was fun and of course we were ready with our glove in case a foul ball came our way (we weren’t that lucky). Leaving Dodger stadium we stopped for pictures and made the exhausting hike back to our car.

Following the game, we decided to beach it up at Newport Beach. If you have never been to Newport Beach, it’s an upscale beach southwest of LA proper. I wasn’t expecting for it to be so packed on a Sunday night but parking was definitely a challenge. Too bad we had already eaten dinner because there were a lot of cute little restaurants near the beach. However, being in the mood for desert the balboa bars and the frozen bananas sold by the beach, were seriously tempting. It was perfect weather to walk along the pier and run around the beach, chasing the waves. I was really surprised at how warm the water was! Growing up in Northern California the beaches were always cold. I will definitely be planning a trip to come back and just spend time playing at the beach.

It was a fun quick trip. Definitely what I needed for my exhausted and over worked mentality. The journey reminded me to take time to have fun and not take life so seriously. I recommend a day or weekend getaway to anyone who has gotten lost in their routine.