St. Louis Baseball Tour, Part III

Posted by Big League Tours on Sat, Nov 19, 2011 @ 01:00 PM
Sports Vacations in St. Louis
August 3, 2008 - Having been a lifelong Cincinnati Reds fan, I have Taguchi signing autographsnever been a fan of the Cardinals. However, I have to give credit to the Cardinals organization, the city of St. Louis, and the Cardinals fans - going to a game at Busch Stadium is a great time. The stadium has a great atmosphere, is very appealing aesthetically, and allows fans to experience baseball the way that it should be enjoyed.

Here's a photo of former Cardinal, So Taguchi signing autographs prior to the game. So was a St. Louis fan favorite and received a standing ovation when he pinch hit during the game.

It's a great place to visit if you are going to plan family tours, small group tours, or sports tours of any size. Watch for the tours that we offer next year that include games in St. Louis or with the Cardinals on the road. You'll enjoy great seats, great accommodations, and great baseball. We hope you'll join us!

Topics: baseball games, Phillies, group tours, Busch Stadium, Cardinals

Will it Blend? That is the Question...

Posted by Big League Tours on Sat, Nov 19, 2011 @ 09:00 AM

Okay, I realize that this has very little, if anything, to do with baseball tours or sports travel packages of any kind. But, I found it pretty amusing and thought that folks who have joined us on our sports vacations would, too. I particularly like the cheesy 70's-style game show music they use for the intro. Maybe we can get host Tom Dickson to join us on one of our sports tours where we can blend all sorts of baseball related stuff? Enjoy!

Topics: baseball games, baseball tours, sports vacation

East Coast 2 Tour

Posted by Big League Tours on Fri, Nov 18, 2011 @ 07:00 AM
The Start of our Longest Baseball Road Trip Yet!
June 19, 2008 - Today we began our longest baseball trip since we began offering group tours in 2006. The tour runs through Baltimore, DC, Philadelphia, New York and Boston catching games in each of those cities.

Our group met in Baltimore at the Hyatt Regency in the Inner Harbor. What a great location. We're nestled in with views of the harbor and all of the restaurants and shops near by. We're also just a couple of blocks away from Camden Yards.

We headed out to the ballpark on a perfect night for baseball - and the perfect night to see the Orioles sweep the Astros with a 7-5 victory. But regardless of the outcome, how could one not enjoy spending time at Camden Yards? What a great facility. From the incorporation of the Warehouse Building into the stadium, to Boog's Barbeque, to the awesome seating and views throughout the stadium, fans in Baltimore are absolutely spoiled with this park. Here's photo taken from our seats early in the game.

We'll start the day off today with an escorted tour of Camden Yards and then visit the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum before we head out for Washington DC for game at the New Nationals Park.

Topics: baseball trips, baseball games, Oriole Park, Camden Yards

Big Apple Tour, Part II

Posted by Big League Tours on Thu, Nov 17, 2011 @ 06:00 PM
May 9, 2008 - The MLB road trip officially started today. We met in the hotel lobby and then took off for Yankee Stadium. Our group contains travelers from California to Georgia and several places in between. For many on our group tour, this is their first time to New York City. So to give them an appropriate welcome and View of Monument Parkinitiation into the city, the first thing we did was head into Grand Central Station and get on the #4 train to 161 and Yankee Stadium.

We arrived at Yankee Stadium just as the gates opened. This was the third game in the series against the Cleveland Indians. The Indians had won the first two games so the Yankees fans were anxious for a win. They weren't disappointed as the Yankees' bats finally came to life. None were more alive than Jason Giambi"s as he hit a towering home run into the Tier Boxes in right field. We had seats on the third base side looking down the right field foul line which were perfect for seeing whether or not that hit stayed fair. What an incredible shot! The Yankees ultimately won 6-3 avoiding the sweep from the Indians and drawing them to 18-18 for the season.

Here's a shot into famed Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. Our group will be taking the baseball stadium tour on Friday and will get to see the Park first hand along with other elements of the "House That Ruth Built". The Yankees have left town to play in Detroit so we will hopefully have access to their clubhouse and dugout.

Topics: baseball trips, baseball games, Yankee Stadium, MLB road trips

Rocky Mountain Baseball Trip, Part V

Posted by Big League Tours on Thu, Nov 17, 2011 @ 02:00 PM

MLB Tour Wrap Up

April 8, 2008 - The last event of our tour was on Saturday night when we took in the Helton smashes homer at Coors FieldDiamondbacks and Rockies game at 6PM. We had incredible seats that were located three rows behind the Diamondbacks dugout. (This picture was taken from our seats as Todd Helton belted a home run into the right field seats.) The game was really close for a few innings but the Diamondbacks ultimately poured on the runs and put the game out of reach.

This was a fantastic baseball road trip. If anyone is planning a sports vacation or is specifically looking for a sports package that is a great fit for a family tour, Denver is a fantastic place to go. The city is crazy about its teams, has many things to offer the non-sports fans, offers a moderate climate all year round, and is filled with friendly folks everywhere you go. Transportation is easy to manage, whether you are driving or relying on public transportation. And the city is the micro-brew capital of the world!

This is one trip that we'll definitely offer every year. We can't wait to go back!

Topics: Coors Field, baseball games, baseball stadiums, baseball travel, MLB tours

Sports Travel Gaining in Popularity

Posted by Big League Tours on Wed, Nov 16, 2011 @ 01:30 PM
March 30, 2008 - Fans of all sports are interested in traveling to see their sports played out, taking sports vacations at ever increasing rates. Part of the mobilization of fans is that the Internet has made it possible for fans to buy and sell tickets at every major venue, even up to "near last minute" travel planning. Also many travel sites have made the planning easier than ever.

However, many fans are looking for assistance when putting together their sports travel packages. Even with all the information available online, there can still be some guess work about where to stay in a particular city. I've had clients tell me their night mares about choosing hotels based on limited or no knowledge of the areas and feeling like they've put themselves in great danger.

One other key element is the location of the tickets to your sports event. If you've never been to a particular stadium or venue, you can make choices that you might regret once you're in the park.

Whether it's a small group tour, family tour, or something you plan to do on your own, you might consider seeking out some assistance to plan your next sports vacation by purchasing a sports package from a tour operator.

Topics: tour operator, sports travel and tours, baseball trips, baseball games, sports vacation

Toughest Time of Year...Waiting for Baseball Games

Posted by Big League Tours on Wed, Nov 16, 2011 @ 09:00 AM
March 22, 2008 - Doesn't this seem to be the toughest time of year? Spring hasn't exactly sprung yet, DST throws off your sleep rhythms, and baseball has been just out of reach for what seems to be an eternity. And this year is riddled with its own oddities.

Teams have picked up from their normal Spring Training sites to play across the country or across the globe. This was also the last year for Dodgertown in Vero Beach, where the Dodgers have been for 61 years. To top it off, this year's "Opening Day" is in Japan.

Admittedly, I'm having a difficult time getting excited about that last point. I understand why MLB is trying to encourage the globalization baseball. Why not? When you are riding high on the greatest number of visitors to games and baseball stadiums ever, why not try to capitalize on the popularity? I would prefer that it would be through exhibition games in the off season with the regular season played at home.

But maybe that's just me. Maybe it's just my attitude this time of year. I'm sure that I'll forget all about it in 9 days when the first pitch is thrown at home and my TV and XM radio have baseball games on them everyday. I'm sure that as soon as I'm on one of my baseball trips that I won't even be thinking of the off season.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait...

Topics: baseball trips, baseball games, baseball stadiums, MLB tours

Baseball Tour Packages vs. Custom Trips

Posted by Big League Tours on Wed, Nov 16, 2011 @ 08:00 AM

March 9, 2008 - If you are trying to choose a baseball vacation package for your family vacation, you might want to consider some of the differences between a package tour and a custom tour.

Custom tours offer you the most flexibility when choosing everything about your trip from the dates, to the location, to the accommodations and transportation. You can also choose how many baseball games you'll see, where your seats will be located, and if you'll include any extras like stadium tours.

There can be some downsides to a custom trip. First of all, the cost can be much more expensive than package trips since you won't be getting the benefit of group purchasing. Second, if you are traveling in unknown cities, you typically won't have the benefit of a host since most custom tours are not escorted tours. And finally, the travel between cities will likely mean that you are doing the driving yourself.

Package tours, on the other hand, offer a lesser amount of flexibility. The dates are set, the location and itineraries are set, and the prices are typically set.

The benefits are that you can typically find a tour that will contain all or most of what you are looking for and you'll get the benefit of group purchasing. In addition, most packages will be escorted tours, eliminating the worry of being in a city that you are unfamiliar with.

Many baseball vacation packages will also include features that you wouldn't likely be able to do or afford on your own. Taking private baseball stadium tours is one example of something very affordable on a group tour. Another feature could be special chances to meet with MLB players.

So if you're planning a baseball vacation this summer, consider whether a package tour or a custom tour is right for your family.

Topics: stadium tours, baseball games, baseball tours, baseball vacation package