Ultimate Baseball
Road Trip Blog

We thought it would be a good idea to tell folks about the "Big League Tours Difference" on our website. So, we changed our home page completely by adding video clips that have Glenn Dunlap and I describing four of our Big League Tours exclusives.  If you have been thinking about purchasing a tour, but aren't sure what makes a Big League Tours baseball vacation better than the others, then please check out our new home page. We aren't video pro's, but we think it's a great way for folks to learn about our business.  Here's the link to the home page:

Big League Tours Home Page

Our Holiday Promotion continues through the end of the year.  You can get 5%, or an extra free room night when you book your Multi-City Tour by Dec. 31.  Please call or email with any questions.  Here's the link to our Multi-City Tour page.

2013 Multi-City Tours

We really never stop thinking about baseball. And it seems that there are several other folks who are the same way. By the time the World Series was over, MLB had already released their schedules for next season and we started putting together our luxury baseball vacations. So, for the first time, we announced our baseball tour schedules to the public in October. We have been pleasantly surprised at the number of die-hard baseball fans who have visited our website, signed up for our newsletters/updates, and purchased their 2013 baseball tours. Here is a list of the most popular Multi-City tours by number of bookings, so far:

1. Atlantic Beltway Tour (NEW for 2013)
2. East Coast Tour- "Touch 'em All Out East"
3. Midwest Tour 1
4. West Coast Tour
5. Big Apple Tour 1
6. Midwest Tour 2
7. Southeast Tour

Are you thinking about baseball too? If you would to join us in 2013, or purchase a tour for a friend or family member, just give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Get ready for a new type of Big League Tour!  We’re adding weekend trips that are perfect for the busy baseball fan’s schedule and provide a long weekend getaway to visit your favorite team!

You’ll enjoy two baseball games and an entire day to vacation, exploring everything the city has
 to offer.  We’ll make it to all of the favorite destinations like New York and Chicago but also give you the chance to see baseball stadiums in great summer cities like Denver and Boston.

It’s about more than baseball on these trips and you’ll enjoy extra features that aren’t offered on ANY other tours like:

• Double Decker Bus Tours
• Brewery Tours
• Alcatraz Tours

Our Destination Tours are great for fans wanting to take a baseball tour but can’t quite commit to a large tour like the West Coast or East Coast. 

Save your spot on a tour before November 21^st and you’ll save 5% off of your trip package!

They're ready!  We are excited to reveal our 2013 Season Tour Packages to our fans.  We have all your favorites like the Hall of Fame Tours, West Coast Tours, and the Midwest Tours; but we've also added Southwest, Southeast and Windy City tours to our schedule.  Plus, NEW for this year are our Destination Tours and Getaway Day Tours for guests who want a shorter Big League Tours adventure.  Click below to go directly to the Big League Tours website:

BIG LEAGUE TOURS 2013 SCHEDULE

EARLY BOOKING PROMOTION- Book your 2013 Tour before Nov.21, 2012 and receive 5% off your total package price. Just use the coupon code "Early Bird" when booking your tour. 

 Please call (866) 619-1748 with any questions. 

The World Series is set to start next Wednesday. And while it's a great time to watch the best in baseball play for the title, it's also bittersweet as it also signals the end of the baseball season and baseball tours. I recently ran across this quote from former Commissioner of Baseball, Bart Giamatti, that I believe sums it up very well.

"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blooms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fallalone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops."

So for now, we'll soak in the last that baseball has to offer for 2012 and we'll look forward to where our 2013 baseball trips will take us!

Mark your calendar baseball fans, we’re throwing a party and you’re invited!  For those of you who have been waiting for the release of the 2013 tour schedule, this is an event you won’t want to miss. 

Join Big League Tours and Reds sportscaster Chris Welsh on Thursday, October 16^th between 4:30PM and 8:30PM for the formal launch of the baseball tours for the 2013 season. The 2013 baseball tour schedule is jam-packed with opportunities to visit your favorite stadium and check some items off of your bucket list!

Guests will be welcomed with a ballpark themed buffet and giveaways throughout the evening. Winners will also be announced for a Grand Prize Getaway Day for two!

Can’t make it to the party but still want to enter the Grand Prize drawing?  Just click here and sign up for your chance to win.

Whether you're interested in planning a company outing or a weeklong baseball vacation, you won't want to lose your spot in these grand slam packages! RSVP to the event today and get full event details by clicking here. 

Get your friends together and we’ll see you at the party!

If you’re anything like me, your app library needs a little spicing up every now and then.  With the release of the iPhone5 and iOS6 upgrade, I’ve been getting rid of old apps and downloading new ones that make my daily life just a little bit easier.  It got me thinking, “What apps are out there that would make diehard baseball fans go crazy?”  Here it comes, I’m throwing at you my Top 6 Apps for Baseball Fan (I couldn’t pick just 5):

6. iScore Baseball Keeper

Keep track of your favorite MLB Teams stats or share your sons little league game with family members around the world.  Comparable to GameChanger, another statistic tracking app, iScore lets you go back at any time and change a part of the game.  You can also share your play-by-play with others, letting them watch the game from beginning to end. 

5. Yahoo Fantasy Baseball ‘12

Described as the “Best fantasy app for MLB on the market” by iPhone user ZZZLoan, Yahoo Fantasy Baseball ’12 can perform most of the functions that you would use online.  It provides real-time fantasy updates, allows you to manage your lineup, track matchups, drop and add players and sends you breaking news on players.  Compared to other fantasy baseball apps, you’ll want to go with Yahoo!

4. Ballpark Envi

If it’s your first time going to a stadium or you’re a history buff, make sure to download this app that includes all current stadiums as well as many past stadiums.  With pictures from around the stadium, you’ll get a great idea of the layout before game day.  Some stadiums also offer seating charts so you’ll know just where you’re sitting.  In addition to the images you’ll get plenty of info to learn more about the parks.  Looking to go on our Hall of Fame Tour?  Check out all of the old stadiums before visiting Yankee Stadium and Citi Field!

3. ESPN Radio

If you’ve previously ignored this app because of the cost, you no longer have to worry because it’s free!  Since August 20, 2012 ESPN Radio has allowed users to listen to SportsCenter, download podcasts and choose from more than 35 ESPN Radio Stations for FREE!  User reviews have been skyrocketing since the change but make sure you get it now because the free offer only lasts until December 31, 2012. 

2. MLB Pre Play

This app gives you a fun alternative to just texting your friends about the game.  Make your game predictions before they start or challenge a friend to a play-by-play game.  It’s a game within a game that’ll have you bragging about winning even if your team loses!  “When I’m at the ballpark with friends we do this all the time,” RonSwansong iPhone user said “especially with players we love or hate!”

1. MLB At the Ballpark

This is a must have when heading out to the ballpark!  Check-in when you get to the park and you’ll find some special promotions and deals that you may have otherwise missed.  Keep up-to-date with social media surrounding your team all from within the app.  My favorite feature?  If you’re in Philly, Houston, Phoenix or Miami, you can skip the line by ordering food from your phone, all you have to do is pick it up!  No delivery options yet, unfortunately.  More ballparks will likely be adding this optionin the near future. 

So there you have it, my Top 6 Apps for Baseball Fan.  As the 2013 tour schedule is being hammered out, I’ll keep searching for ways to better improve your trip with Big League Tours and maybe by next year they’ll be delivering food to our seats!  Make sure to sign up for our 2013 tours and be the first to get the schedule when it’s released!

Didn’t see your favorite baseball app?  Share it with us in the comment section!

The following day we took our west coast baseball tour guests to San Francisco. We hopped a short flight and arrived at SFO in the early afternoon. Once we checked into our hotels, everyone had the afternoon and evening on their own to go see the sites. We provided 3-day metro cards that allowed our guests to use the public transportation to go practically anywhere in the city.

By now, I'm sure you're picking up on my love of food. Yeah? So when in San Francisco, a city that's known for its great food, how could I not explore just a bit? We opted to go to Rocco's Cafe, a local Italian spot that we discovered by watching Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  

Chef Don, founder of Rocco's, paid our table a visit and chatted with us for quite a while. Turns out he's quite the baseball fan. In fact, Rocco's is so close to AT&T Park and the food is so good, that we've heard several of the Giants players, managers and staff members frequent the restaurant. I'm sure that several members from the visiting teams make their way to Rocco's too. If they don't, they're missing out!