Can I brag on my home town just a little? We've been hearing about the 2012 Super Bowl in Indy for quite a few years. But it's finally here and it has been absolutely amazing!

Indianapolis is known for hosting events and doing so very well. After all, this is a favored spot for the NCAA mens and womens basketball tournaments - whether opening rounds or the Final Four. The Big Ten Conference has held both basketball and football championships here. In addition, the city is home to or has hosted world renowned sporting events (Indy 500, Brickyard 400, PanAm games, and Olympic qualifications, to name a few), conferences and conventions and handles them all with ease.

But nothing in the city has compared to what they've done for the Super Bowl. Several square blocks have been closed to auto traffic to create the Super Bowl Village. Stages have been setup along the streets. Restaurants have extended their seating onto the sidewalks. Vendors are all over the city. And the activity is amazing.

Here are a couple of photos from downtown. The first is the image of the Lombardi Trophy on the side of the brand new JW Marriott hotel. The second was taken while walking around the Super Bowl Village.

The city and visitors have been blessed with fantastic weather this week. It's been in the high-50's most days making it very comfortable to be out and walk around. Hopefully things will continue to hold through this weekend so that the world will see Indy at its finest.

Congrats to the City, the Super Bowl Committee, and the thousands of volunteers who have made this all happen!

(INDIANAPOLIS—January 23, 2012)- Big League Tours, the luxury baseball travel company, is excited to announce its baseball vacation packages for the 2012 baseball season. Big League Tours helps fans get closer to the game by securing lower level seats, arranging stadium tours and player experiences, and providing first-class hotel accommodations. Flexible itineraries allow fans to experience the best of the best in the greatest baseball cities across the nation.

2012 season tours reach east to west beginning May 14^th, and will run throughout the summer. This year’s tours include:

• Hall of Fame Tour- Fenway Park, National Baseball Hall of Fame, Yankee Stadium and Citi Field
• Big Apple Tour- Yankee Stadium and Citi Field
• East Coast Tour- Nationals Ballpark, Camden Yards, Citizens Bank Park, Citi Field, Yankee Stadium, The Hall of Fame, and Fenway Park
• Texas Swing Tour- Rangers Ballpark and Minute Maid Park
• West Coast Tour- Safeco Field, AT&T Ballpark, The Coliseum, Dodger Stadium, Angels Stadium, PETCO Park and Chase Field
• Baseball on the Bay with Seattle- Safeco Field, AT&T Ballpark, and The Coliseum
• Southern California Tour with Arizona- Dodger Stadium, Angels Stadium, PETCO Park and Chase Field
• Midwest Tour 1- Target Field, Wrigley Field, Miller Park, US Cellular Field, and Busch Stadium
• Chicago/ Milwaukee- Wrigley Field, Miller Park, and US Cellular Field
• Midwest Tour 2- Great American Ball Park, Comerica Park, Progressive Field and PNC Park
  

Baseball fans interested in reserving spots for any of the baseball trips can call (866) 619-1748, email info@bigleaguetours.com, or visit www.bigleaguetours.com for package information and applications. Fans can also sign up online for special offers and trip updates and be the first to receive information about next season’s baseball tours.  

About Big League Tours
Big League Tours was founded in 2006 by Glenn Dunlap to help fans of all ages experience baseball from a new perspective- from inside the game. Unlike other tours companies, Big League Tours not only takes care of the buses and games for a baseball tour, but also provides all the extras to turn tours into true sports vacations loaded with unique baseball-related events. For more information, contact Big League Tours at www.bigleaguetours.com.

As we're putting our finishing touches on the 2012 Baseball Tours (and as the snow flies outside my window...), I was thinking about all the things I love about taking our tours and thought I'd share the list with you:

8) Family Time - I love going to games with my family. In fact, that's largely what got me into the business. Sometimes I'll travel with one family member, make it a guys trip, or take the whole clan. It doesn't really matter to me. Quality time with my family at the park is always a great time.

7) Food - So I like to eat. Nothing's as good as exploring new restaurants around the country and trying out new cuisine. We have found some great places this way. If you are a foodie, too, let us know and we'll help you find something that suits your tastes.

6) New Stadiums - Most baseball fans have at least one stadium on their bucket list - if not all 30! I'm no different. I have just a couple left on my bucket list so I'll be completing it soon. It's always a treat to make it to a new stadium.

5) My Team - My team is the Cincinnati Reds. If I'm not at the ballpark for one of our tours, I'm typically watching or listening to their games. It's great to see them play at home or on the road.

4) New Cities and Sites - One of the best parts of travel is getting to see new cities. Every place has its own culture, feel, and vibe. And whether it's the first time or fiftieth, there are always new things to see and do.

3) Seeing Families Connect - I knew that starting a baseball travel business would allow me to travel with my family and experience things together. What I didn't expect was how much I would appreciate and enjoy seeing our guests connecting. Hearing a grandpa tell his grandkids about players, stadiums, and games from a different era has been great. Added bonus! (And tell me those kids won't remember that forever..?)

2) Meeting New Ballplayers - We arrange player meet & greets on all of our tours which is always a guest favorite (and mine, too!). Talking shop with Big Leaguers and getting their take and perspective from inside the game is very interesting.

1) Fenway Park - What can I say? Fenway is my favorite park in all of baseball. I love the neighborhood, the atmosphere, the age and smell of the park, the Green Monster, wood seats and 100 years of history and nostalgia. It's hard to match that experience anywhere else!

That gives you a few hints about my plans for the summer and what I'll be doing on our ballpark tours. How about you? What do you like about baseball road trips? What do you look forward to the most? Drop us a note so we can share it and potentially incorporate it into our tours!

We have had a great response to all of our 2012 baseball vacation packages. In particular, our Chicago/Milwaukee and Midwest Tour 1 packages are filling up fast. As you probably understand, our tours aren’t like other baseball tours. We provide lower level seats, first class hotels, sensible itineraries, and an MLB player experience. In order to do all those things, we have to keep our groups small. If you are interested in joining us on any of our 2012 tours (especially the Midwest 1 or Chicago/Milwaukee), please book early, so you don’t miss out.

Our Midwest Tour 1 will start in Minneapolis with the Twins hosting the Royals at Target Field. The next day, our guests will fly to Chicago where they will settle into our downtown hotel for 4 nights. (We’re not cramming a bus full and driving 7+ hours like other tours might.) From there, we’ll head out to Wrigley Field for a Cubs game. Then take a trip to Milwaukee’s Miller Park to see the Brewers the next day returning to Chicago after the game. And, on our last Chicago day, visit US Cellular Field to catch the White Sox. The next morning we’ll fly to St. Louis for a game on July 4 at Busch Stadium and spend the evening in the Gateway City.

The shorter version of the Midwest Tour 1 is the Chicago/Milwaukee Tour. Our guests will come into Chicago on June 30 and stay for 4 nights. While there, they will join up with our Midwest Tour 1 group and visit Wrigley Field, Miller Park and US Cellular Field.              

Let us know if you would like to book either of these tours. Or, you can click this link to reserve your spot: Purchase a Big League Tour

Cincinnati native and long-time standout for the Reds, Barry Larkin received the fateful call from the National Baseball Hall of Fame yesterday as he will be inducted into the Hall in 2012. MLB.com writer, Mark Sheldon, listed Barry's accomplishments in his article, "Hall of Fame Rolls Out Red Carpet for Larkin."

Larkin played 19 seasons -- all with the Reds -- from 1986-2004. He had a lifetime average of .295 with 198 home runs, 960 RBIs, 2,340 hits, a .371 on-base percentage and 379 stolen bases. He was also a 12-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner, a nine-time Silver Slugger winner, a member of the 1990 World Series championship team and the 1995 National League Most Valuable Player.

In 1996, Larkin became the first shortstop in Major League history to be a 30-30 player when he had 33 homers and 36 steals during that season. Outside of the numbers, Larkin was also considered a man with intangibles and leadership. He was honored with the role of team captain in 1997.

Congratulations to Larkin for the recognition that he's receiving for his amazing career!

Want to visit the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York? Join us on one of our Hall of Fame Tours or our full East Coast Tour. Each of them include stops in the little village credited as the birthplace of baseball.

We received a short email today about our baseball trips from a prospective customer, who we'll call BP. BP's response to an email from us said,

"I think by looking at other tour groups, you guys are a bit too expensive."

It's great to get feedback like this. And if BP is thinking this, others might be thinking it as well. Here was the response I sent to BP:

Thanks for giving us your feedback. I'm curious to know why you feel that we're too expensive? It's true, our baseball tours do cost more than the other guys but the things included in our tours are quite different. For instance, consider the seats at the ballgames. We don't buy group tickets that place you four rows from the top out by the foul poles. Instead, on our tours you'll sit in lower level seats, most of the time between the bases.

Also consider the hotels. When we have a tour to New York, for instance, we stay in the heart of Manhattan. Other tour groups stay in New Jersey or Connecticut. The price difference is quite significant but so is the experience. You can walk to Times Square (and many other attractions) on our tour but you'll be listening to jets landing on their tours.

There are other differences, too, including special stadium access, our player meet and greets, and the care we take in developing our itineraries that allow you to experience the cities we visit. Click here to see some testimonials from our customers and customers from other tour providers.

We know that other tour operators are good at what they do. And if you aren't concerned about where you sit at the games, where you stay, or how much time you spend on a bus, then I'm sure you'll be happy traveling with them. However, we think there's an experience level that's much different on our tours that's worth the difference in price. And if it's an experience that you are looking for, we hope that you'll consider joining us!!

I hope my response helps and welcome your thoughts and questions.

Catch you later!

Glenn

I really hope that I answered BP's concerns and possibly some that you might have had as well.

Looking Forward to 2012! (And New Baseball Tours!!)

Here's wishing a Happy New Year to all the baseball and travel fans we have have come to know over the last six baseball seasons. It's been so much fun combining two things that I love so much and offering them to you. It has been a privilege to serve each one of you!

As we head into our seventh season of offering baseball tours, we just want to say how grateful we are for the past six years and how much we're looking forward to a fantastic 2012. We invite you to connect with us on the way!

Have a great year and we'll see you at the ballpark!!

Anyway You Look At It, This Baseball Tour Is Gonna Be Big!!

Baseball and travel are obviously two things that I love. But when you combine my favorite city and my favorite team, it's an unbeatable combination. This May, the Reds are headed to New York City to play the Mets and the Yankees in back-to-back series at Citi Field and Yankee Stadium. This road trip will be a great way to hang out in Manhattan for several days while taking in several games and exploring the sites.

It's been awhile since our tours have included the Reds on a series in New York. In fact, here's a photo of Brandon Phillips at bat at Shea Stadium taken from our seats on a tour in 2007, which I'm pretty sure is the last time we crossed paths in the Big Apple.

If this sounds like a great way to see the city and some great baseball games, check out our Big Apple Tour. You'll have plenty of time to explore NYC and our tour director will guide you through a great itinerary where you'll have a meet and greet with a former big league player, sit in great seats at the game, and stay in a great hotel in Midtown.

EARLY BOOKING PROMOTION - EXTENDED!!!

We've been getting such tremendous feedback on our Early Booking Promotion that we've decided to extend it until the end of the year!! Book your baseball vacation package with us by December 31, 2011, and you will receive one free extra hotel night per room.  That means you can go to your first destination a day early, or stay a day after your tour, and Big League Tours will pick up the room!!

Check out our 2012 Baseball Tours and book your package this week to extend the trip and lock-in your free hotel night!

**Some restrictions apply.

Talking with baseball fans from all across the country, it becomes apparent very quickly that Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame are the top three destinations on almost every baseball enthusiast's bucket list. So to help fulfill those dreams, we've created four tours, at different points in the season, to give folks a chance to see these great baseball monuments.

On each of the tours, our guests will take in games at Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium. And since we'll already be in New York City, we've even included Citi Field in the mix. (Once you see this ballpark, you'll be really glad we did!!)

Here's a quick run down of the Hall of Fame Tours:

Hall of Fame Tour 1 - May 14-19, 2012
Includes: Fenway Park, The National Baseball Hall of Fame, Yankee Stadium & Citi Field

Hall of Fame Tour 2 - June 4-8, 2012
Includes: Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, The National Baseball Hall of Fame & Fenway Park

Hall of Fame Tour 3 - June 24-28, 2012
Includes: Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, The National Baseball Hall of Fame & Fenway Park

Hall of Fame Tour 4 - July 16-21, 2012
Includes: Fenway Park, The National Baseball Hall of Fame, Yankee Stadium & Citi Field

As you can imagine, I've hosted this tour a few times. Even then, I look forward to it every time as there are things that I love to do at each of our stops. There are the obvious things, like taking in the baseball games, taking the stadium tours before the games, and soaking up the history of the game in Cooperstown.

But some of the not so obvious things are taking in other sites that our destinations have to offer. Walk the Freedom Trail, visit a museum, or take the duck tour of the city in Boston. See the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, go to the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Plaza, or shop Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Pick up collector's items, visit the out of the way bistros, or just enjoy the nostalgic feeling and the slower pace of the village of Cooperstown.

Whatever your passion, we'll guide you through a tour that will be the experience of a lifetime!