Ultimate Baseball
Road Trip Blog

I had the privilege of attending an event at the Green Diamond Gallery in Cincinnati. I have had several Cincy locals tell me that I needed to get up there but just hadn't had the opportunity to do so. Boy, were they right!

Here's how their website describes the gallery:

"The Green Diamond Gallery houses a breathtaking array of high-end baseball memorabilia dating back to the late 1800s.

• Marvel at the Hall of Fame Wall with photos and autographs of almost every inducted Hall of Fame member. 

• Travel back to the founding of the Cincinnati Reds, re-live the team’s World Championships, and get information about our hometown’s greatest ball players through an incredible Reds Timeline.

• Gaze at hundreds of autographed and mounted baseballs from greats like Mantle, Ruth, Morgan and Bench. 

• Browse vintage and current baseball books and magazines in our Library.

In addition, you’ll find:

• Hundreds of game-used baseball bats

• Game-worn jerseys, including jerseys from defunct teams and Hall of Famers

• Seats from stadiums old and new

• One-of-a-kind documents dating back to the 19th century

• Thousands of historical photographs depicting the greats of the game

• Signatures and photos from some of the most talked-about scandals in baseball, including Shoeless Joe Jackson and the 1919 Black Sox

• And much, much more!"

Much more is right. What kept running through my mind while I was there was that the gallery felt like Cooperstown had been brought to the best "man cave" ever conceived. It's hard to fathom the depth of the private collection. For instance, check out the picture to the left. 

The wall is covered with photos of every Hall of Famer arranged by the year they were admitted to Cooperstown, and most have their autograph included, too. How incredibly amazing is that?? 

So for all of you who ever suggested that I should make a special trip to the Green Diamond Gallery, I now know that you weren't exaggerating a bit. And for those of you who haven't been, you'll now have to listen to me encourage you to get there as soon as you can. It's a great experience. In fact, one that we hope to incorporate on our trips through Cincinnati!! 

The East Coast Tour Special Extended to Feb. 20

We know that planning your luxury baseball package takes time. Especially one like our East Coast- Touch ‘em All Out East Tour that hits the road June 21-28. Maybe you need to put in a vacation request at work, find someone to house sit, or get a kennel for dogs. Whatever the circumstance, we want to give you time to make plans to join us. So, we are extending our East Coast Tour Special to Feb. 20. Just click on the links below for the East Coast Tour webpage and brochure. More info on the Special is at the bottom of the email. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Here’s the link to the Full East Coast Baseball Tour- Touch ‘em All Out East

Here’s the link to get a printable/shareable brochure- East Coast Brochure

EAST COAST TOUR SPECIAL

Book the East Coast- Touch ‘em All Out East Tour between now and the end of the day on Monday, Feb. 20 and get 10% OFF the regular tour price.  That’s a savings of $718 for a double occupancy room package, or over $1,200 in savings for a 4 person per room package.  Call or email with questions.  Or click here to begin booking the tour- PURCHASE THE EAST COAST TOUR

 

The Baseball Aficianado's Dream!!

Do you want to get a big jump-start on your baseball bucket list? Then join Big League Tours on the Touch ‘em All Out East luxury baseball vacation. This extensive tour will visit Nationals Park, Camden Yards, Citizens Bank Park, Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, Fenway Park, and the Baseball Hall of Fame. Guests will be close to the action at every ballpark with Big League Tours’ Lower Level Seat Guarantee.

As always, the tour group will stay in the heart of the cities with luxury hotel accommodations near the great attractions and sites in each location. And, with Big League Tours' Sensible Itineraries, there will actually be time to enjoy them all. Add in an exclusive meet and greet with the Big League Tours' MLB player experience; Stadium Tours; On Site BLT Host; In-Room Welcome Gift; and you have a baseball vacation that will give you a lifetime of memories. Learn more about the Big Difference with Big League Tours.

Here’s the link to the Full East Coast Tour- Touch ‘em All Out East

Here’s the link to get a printable/shareable brochure- East Coast Brochure

(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.

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.

Get a 2012 Tour Brochure

We are pleased to announce that we now have brochures available for 10 of our 2012 baseball vacation packages.  All you have to do is click on the link to the tour below, then press the "get a tour brochure" button on the tour page.  Just fill out the short form and you will receive a printable brochure right away.  The brochure has all the up to date information and some items not yet listed on our website.  Feel free to forward the brochure to your friends and family so they can join you in the Big Leagues with Big League Tours.  Here's the link to the baseball tour pages that have brochures:

Chicago/Milwaukee

Baseball on the Bay

Hall of Fame Tour 1

Big Apple Tour

Hall of Fame Tour 2

Midwest Tour 1

Hall of Fame Tour 3

Midwest Tour 2

Southern California

Hall of Fame Tour 4

Book before Dec. 23 to get your extra hotel night

Folks have been booking early to take advantage of our free hotel night promotion.  For example, we've had travelers from the West Coast select to arrive a day before their Midwest 2 Tour begins so they won't be rushed after their cross country flight. We've also had a family choose the early arrival option on their Chicago/Milwaukee so they can have a day to check out the sites in Chicago.  The promotion ends Dec. 23.  Call or email us with any questions.

 

Still time to get a Big League Tours' gift pack under the tree

A Big League Tours' trip is a great gift for the holidays.  Any true baseball fan would love to travel with Big League Tours in 2012.  Plus, you can get a Big League Tours gift pack for them to open up on that special day.  Just book your tour by the end of this week (Dec.16), and let us know you want a gift pack.  We'll send it out right away and only charge for the shipping.

Tour Spotlight:  Hall of Fame Tours

This season, Big League Tours is offering four tour packages that visit the most popular destinations in baseball.  Our Hall of Fame Tours include games at Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Citi Field and a visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  We always provide great, lower level seats; an MLB player experience; first  class hotels; and the flexibility to enjoy your trip.  Click on the tour listings below to see the details.

Hall of Fame Tour 1

Hall of Fame Tour 2

Hall of Fame Tour 3

Hall of Fame Tour 4

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!

November 11, 2011 - Thanks to everyone for taking our survey and letting us know what is on your baseball bucket list. We will be using the info to put together our baseball vacation packages for 2012 and look forward to releasing our schedule very soon.

Here are 10 of the top baseball destinations as selected by you.
1.  Fenway Park                                                
2.  Yankee Stadium
3.  Baseball Hall of Fame
4.  Miller Park
5.  Wrigley Field
6.  Oriole Park at Camden Yards
7.  Target Field
8.  Citi Field
9.  AT&T Ballpark
10.  Busch Stadium

Have another favorite or stadium that's still on your bucket list to visit? Drop us a comment and let us know. We'd love to hear from you!

October 19, 2011 - Thanks to everyone who filled out our survey about which baseball stadiums you'd like to visit. The response has been tremendous. We thought we would update everyone on the results, so far.

So, here are your top picks with their response percentages:
1.  Tie- Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park 48%
2.  The National Baseball Hall of Fame 35%
3.  Wrigley Field 34%
4.  Miller Park 31%
5.  Oriole Park at Camden Yard 28%

If you haven't filled out the survey yet, just click below and let us know where you want to go with Big League Tours in 2012. We're looking forward to announcing our baseball tours for next season and appreciate your input. Plus, we will give you $100 off your 2012 Big League Tours trip just for completing it. Only one per client.