Yankee Stadium Tour

At Yankee Stadium

Major League Baseball never was a big part of my life growing up.  Mainly because New Orleans didn’t have a Major League Team.  Plus I grew up with all girls and a Dad that would rather be fishing than watching sports, unless it was the New Orleans Saints.  I first became a Yankee fan early in my sales career when I lived in NYC  and would go to games with clients.  In 1998, my world was turned around and I met my son’s father who worked for the Yankees.  I met him the day before opening day and was married a couple of weeks after the Yankees won the 1998 World Series in San Diego.  Although the marriage was short-lived, I have an awesome son and some pretty cool Yankee memories, like flying with the team on their private plane, victory parties with celebrities and riding in the ticker tape parade.

Of course my son was not around for all that excitement, so I am glad now that he is older he has had an opportunity to make his own memories of the New York Yankees. Since we still are fortunate to know people in the organization, my son has had the opportunity to experience the classic tour and the Inside Experience.  The classic tour is $20 per person which includes monument park and the museum. There is also a lunch option, so we enjoyed steak with our names branded on the bone at NYY Steak ($55 per person).   If you are not into steak, there is also the choice of the Hard Rock Cafe’.  The Inside Experience is a more costly tour at $600 per person which includes meeting a player.  Additional tours include the Twilight Tour & NYY Steak and the Party City Birthday Bash Tour.

Museum

Monument Park

If you are the ultimate Yankee fan or visiting New York City and taking in a game, adding a tour really turns a game day into an unforgettable experience.  Anyone who can quote NYY stats, trivia or history, will love the museum and monument park.  My son of course thought that watching batting practice and seeing his favorite players up close was icing on the cake before the main course which in this case was the game!

Autographs at batting practice.

Watching the game

My son’s friend impressed by the steak.

A Happy Yankee Fan

Have you ever toured the home of your favorite team?

If you are now singing “Take me out to the ball game” and want more information regarding touring the stadium, click on the following links:

 Stadium Tours or The Inside Experience

With Yankee pitcher David Robertson

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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Now that is Historic!

A new semester begins.

Across the country many students today started or returned to college.  About 28,000 students walked the campus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which is the nation’s oldest state university.  UNC was chartered in 1789 and opened its doors for students in 1795.  It is the only public university in the United States that admitted and graduated students in the 18th century.  Knowing that both my son and I love history, it should come to no surprise that we visited the campus a couple of days ago, but there was also another reason to return to Chapel Hill.  I was fortunate to be able to live in this college town that is nicknamed a”Southern Part of Heaven” from 2000 to 2002 and wanted to show my son a part of his history that he was too young to remember.

This past Friday, the campus was buzzing with new freshman and their parents touring the campus with student guides.  Franklin Street which is named in memory of Benjamin Franklin, is a vibrant main street and is filled with many places to shop and eat.  We started our day at the Carolina Coffee Shop.  I watched other parents with their grown children giving them advise and trying to keep their emotions in check realizing that it might be one of the last meals they share before they have to part.

It was over my own bowl of cheese grits (something this southern girl can’t get in New York) that I realized I would be in the same position with my son five years from now.  It is these moments that you realize how quickly time goes by.  Ten years ago, I was pushing my son in a stroller around campus and in half that time he will be starting his independent life.

Carolina Coffee House

Pushing away a moment of sadness, I reminded myself that the reason I was there was to show my son the beautiful historic campus and all that it had to offer.  We walked around the campus checking out the old buildings like Old East which was the first building constructed on campus and today serves as a residence hall.  After checking out the South Building and “The Pit” (the sunken courtyard by the student union) we spent time at many of the landmarks that are often associated with UNC.

OLD WELL

The Old Well is the visual symbol of UNC and sits at the heart of the campus. Originally it served as the sole water supply for the Old East and Old West dormitories.  Today it is surrounded with brick walls, plants and benches.  It is tradition that students drink from the Old Well on the first day of classes for good luck.  We saw many students with name tags lined up to get a drink.  My son decided to take a drink too, he said he needed good luck for his approaching year in the eight grade.  I told him a little luck couldn’t hurt.

A drink for good luck.

MOREHEAD-PATTERSON BELL TOWER

Like many universities, UNC has a bell tower that rings each hour.  Seniors have the opportunity to climb the tower’s steps to take in the view of the campus a few days prior to the commencement ceremony in May.

MOREHEAD PLANETARIUM AND SCIENCE CENTER

The planetarium is located on the UNC campus and is one of he largest planetariums in the United States.  Reflecting telescopes, star projectors and the domed Star Theater make it a great place to visit.  Many of the shows in the planetarium are written and produced at Morehead.  Shows range from lunar landings to black holes. One fun fact about the planetarium is that Morehead provided training for U.S. astronauts from the Mercury program to to the Apollo-Souz program.

Sundial in front of the Planetarium.

COKER ARBORETUM

The university’s first professor of botany, Dr. William Chambers Coker developed what is now known as the Arboretum into an outdoor university classroom for the the study of trees, shrubs and vines that were native to North Carolina.  Between 1920 and 1940 East Asian trees and shrubs were added.  Today the Arboretum is is managed by the university’s North Carolina Botanical Garden and is a beautiful and peaceful place to visit.

CAROLINA INN

The Inn which was built in 1924 by a UNC graduate is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is the place to be on Friday’s between 5 pm and 9 pm from late April to mid-October.  Here you can relax and enjoy good food and bluegrass music while overlooking the tree-shaded lawn during their Fridays on the Front Porch series.

BOSHAMER STADIUM & KENAN MEMORIAL STADIUM

My son loves baseball and football, so checking out the stadiums where all the action takes place was a must.  We first checked out Boshamer Stadium which is the home field for the baseball team.    This stadium is new, but built within the same footprint of the old stadium.  We found the new entrance interesting since it was named Steinbrenner Family Courtyard.  Being NY Yankee fans we had to do a little research and found out the Mr. Steinbrenner and his family pledged one million dollars for the courtyard in 2006.  Apparently, Mr. Steinbrenner brought the Yankees to Boshamer Stadium to play exhibition games against the Tar Heels in 1977, 1979 and 1981. Jenny Steinbrenner, Mr. Steinbrenner’s daughter, graduated from UNC in 1981.

The Kenan Memorial Stadium has been the  home of the Carolina football team since 1927.  It is nestled among countless pine trees and when the stadium is full it can hold 63,000 people.  Of course when we were there it was empty, but I am sure it is almost as exciting as an LSU game …(sorry, I am a LSU Tiger fan despite living in Chapel Hill for two years.)

CAROLINA BASKETBALL MUSEUM

The Carolina Basketball Museum chronicles the history of UNC Basketball.   A six minute theatre presentation highlights Michael Jordan and others and the history of UNC Basketball including their six national championships.  There are interactive exhibits and cool memorabilia like a letter from Duke’s coach to Michael Jordan saying that he was sorry that Jordan was not interested in playing for Duke.

FRANKLIN STREET

As mentioned earlier, Franklin Street is lined with boutiques, antique and vintage shops, bookstores, art galleries, hotels, the Varsity movie theatre,  restaurants, bars with live music and plenty of places to pick up UNC fan gear.  This downtown street was a fun place to hang out and spend the day.  I was disappointed we were only in town for the day, because I had a list of restaurants that I wanted to revisit like Crook’s Corner Restaurant, Mamas Dips (actually on W. Rosemary Street – yummy southern cooking like my Granny use to make), Spanky’s and Top of the Hill. I read that Chapel Hill has more restaurants per capita than any other US city, so whatever your palate is they have you covered.  I have to visit again just for an eating fest.

Franklin Street

As you can see our little tour of UNC kept us busy and unfortunately we didn’t have time for another great place to visit, the Ackland Art Museum.  Right on campus, this museum has exhibits ranging from European masterworks to North Carolina pottery.

Our visit to UNC filled me with such unexpected joy.  I loved revisiting the campus and sharing with my son a part of our life that he was too young to remember.  I told him stories of how we would often see owls in the trees as I strolled him through campus and how our neighbors told us that there was no wavering between Duke and UNC and how we became Tar Heel Fans and wore Carolina Blue.  Before leaving town, I made sure to show him his history too and brought him by our old townhouse, favorite park at the Chapel Hill Community Center and his first school, Chapel Hill Day Care in Southern Village.  As we left town on our long drive home we spoke about how cool it would be if he ended up going full circle with his education…Chapel Hill Daycare to UNC.  I guess only time will tell.

Our old townhouse.

Decked out in Carolina Blue at the Chapel Hill Community Center Park.

Have you toured a college campus with your children?  

As you can see a university campus like UNC can fill a day with countless things to do and plant the seed for a college education!

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Toronto’s Must See Family Attractions

Our road trip through Western New York state and Canada included many exciting pit stops. We were very excited for our two days in Toronto because we planned on cheering on our beloved New York Yankees that were scheduled to play the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.  We were also excited because we had planned to check off three more places from Frommer’s 500 places to take your kids before they grow up – The CN Tower, the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Toronto Zoo.  Here are some highlights from Toronto’s must see family attractions.

Taking in Toronto

The CN Tower

1.  MLB at Rogers Centre – Our visit  to Toronto was actually planned around the fact that the New York Yankees would be in town for an away game.  My son and nephew are HUGE Yankee fans and if asked, they will tell you that going to the game was their favorite part of the road-trip. They were so excited that we arrived at Gate 11 of Rogers Centre at 5:30 p.m for a 7 p.m. game.  Since we were so early, we watched some of the warm ups and stocked up on your typical ball park food.  Rain earlier that day had kept the retractable roof closed, but the boys cheered loudly next to the Blue Jay fans throughout an exciting game that included a crazy fan running out on the field.  Unfortunately, the Yankees were not able to end up with the win, but the whole experience made the boys proud that they were “loyal fans” that followed their team on the road.  Needless to say, I’ll be checking the Yankee schedule this year for our planned road trip down the east coast.

2.  CN Tower – Standing at a height of 1,815 ft, 5 inches, the CN Tower defines Toronto’s skyline and is the most recognized icon in Canada.  It is actually the world’s tallest free-standing structure and serves as a hub for telecommunications across the city.  The only way to the top of the world’s tallest tower is by riding glass-faced high-speed elevator.  I am not kidding when I say high-speed because it is only took 58 seconds to reach 1,136 ft .  No wonder why it has earned the world’s title as the #1 elevator ride by National Geographic Journeys of a Lifetime.  Of course the boys loved the elevator ride, but they had an even better time giving me a heart palpitations as they walked across the glass floor 113 stories above the ground.  I personally enjoyed the four lookout levels that offered spectacular views of Toronto and Lake Ontario that just got better the higher we went up.

3.  The Hockey Hall of Fame – I know that Canadian’s would find this hard to believe, but our family really is not huge hockey fans.  This however didn’t keep the boys from having a great time and we were excited to add it to the list of our other Hall of Fame visits (the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame).  The Hockey Hall of fame was more than a sports museum.  The boys really enjoyed the interactive exhibits, the NHLPA Be A Player Zone, the broadcast pods and the replica of the Montreal Canadians dressing room. Of course getting up close and personal with hockey’s Holy Grail, the Stanley Cup was one of the more memorable moments as you can see from the picture below!

4.  Toronto Zoo –  The Toronto Zoo was listed as one of the 7 Great Zoos in the world by Frommer’s 500 places to take your kids before they grow up.  I have been to a lot of zoos (including the Bronx Zoo and the San Diego Zoo which also made Frommer’s list), but I have to say the Toronto Zoo really is one of my favorites.  Yes it is big, but I found it really easy to navigate.  The “Follow the Footprints” offered three trails that were approximately an hour and included opportunities to meet the zoo keepers.  There is also a kid’s zone that is divided into biomes – the prairie and the wetlands.  In addition, there is also a Waterside Theater where you can catch a bird show and splash island where the kids can cool off.

Toronto is a great city to explore with kids.  There were so many other places we would have liked to check out if we had more time like the Royal Ontario Museum and the Ontario Science Center.

Are you planning to go to Toronto?  What will you see?

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Nine Family Favorite Attractions in San Diego

The minute you arrive in San Diego you will more than likely be greeted with sunny blue skies and warm temperatures with frequent cool coastal breezes.  It truly is picture perfect.  In addition to the gorgeous weather, San Diego also offers many fun family attractions that show off the city’s proud heritage and culture.  My family loved San Diego!  It was the perfect destination for my son and Dad to hang out together while I had to attend a business meeting.  Luckily, I still had some time to join them in the fun.  Here are our favorites!

1.  Sea World is most probably one of the most popular destinations when visiting San Diego.  There was plenty to see and do in this 100 acre marine theme park.  We really enjoyed the Shark Encounter through a glass tunnel.  My son also liked the stage comedy show where the star was a very talented seal.  Of course, rides like Shipwreck Rapids was a hit with him too!  He was soaked and loved every minute of getting wet.  I on the other hand decided to sport a beautiful whale poncho.  I just hope I didn’t look like one!  The highlight, no surprise,  was the killer whale show.  Where else can you see Orcas performing water gymnastics?

2.  Hotel del Coronado is one of California’s premier ocean resorts.  The circular red roofs and turrets are located on one of America’s most finest beaches.  We learned that stars like Marilyn Monroe and royalty have stayed at this elegant wooden castle.  The restaurant in the hotel is actually named after Edward, Prince of Wales. We had fun touring the hotel and the grounds and learned that it was nicknamed “The Del”  because the hotel had numerous leisure activities for guest.  Before moving on, we took in the beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean as we walked along the smooth beach of white sand.

3.  The Gaslamp Quarter is named for the early street lights that decorated the sixteen blocks that were the home of Victorian commercial buildings back in the 19th century.  Today the Gaslamp Quarter is a National Historic District with many shops, galleries, theaters and restaurants.  There are walking tours available of this charming neighborhood.  We picked up historical tidbits and saw things like the brick firewalls that saved the neighborhood from the great fire of 1872.

4.  Old Town is the birthplace of San Diego.  The center  has a collection of restaurants and shops that have a colonial mexican design.  We enjoyed shopping and a great lunch at the Plaza Del Pasado in Old Town San Diego State Park.  On Wednesdays and Saturdays  you can catch volunteers roaming the streets in period costumes and there are ongoing living history activities.  Also on Saturdays is the Old Town Market.  There is live music at this artisan fair and it is free.

5.  Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial is beautiful site to honor our country’s veterans.  As you will see from the pictures below the view from the mountain top was amazing, not to mention quite serene.

6.  The San Diego Zoo was on our must see list since it is listed as one of the “Seven Great Zoos” in Frommer’s 500 places to take your kids before they grow up.  With more than eight hundred species of rare and endangered animals my son and Dad had a lot to see.  The animals were separated by moats instead of bars and the grounds were filled with many exotic plants which my Dad appreciated since he is a “garden man”.  Another thing my Dad appreciated was the guided bus tour since the zoo was so large.  My son is fascinated with Australia, so he really enjoyed seeing Koalas and Kangaroos and shared his excitement with me.  He was quick to add that just because he saw a Koala bear didn’t mean that he still didn’t want to go to Australia!

7.  The Maritime Museum consist of several ships and submarines.  Exhibits for the museum are  on a turn of the century riverboat, named the Berkeley.  The Berkeley carried refugees from the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906 to Oakland.   The most popular ship is the  fully-restored windjammer named the Star of India.  The Star of India has been in the San Diego harbor for seven decades and is the oldest active sailing ship in the world.  The Russian Submarine was also a big hit with my son.  This was a great way to spend the day on the waterfront.

8. USS Midway is also on the waterfront and conveniently right next door to the Maritime Museum.  This aircraft carrier’s odyssey stretched from the end of WWII to the liberation of Kuwait in 1991.  An impressive 47 years!  There was more than 60 exhibits and 27 restored aircrafts to explore.  My son had fun checking out the crew’s sleeping quarters and the ship’s jail.  The flight simulators and interactive exhibits like the “Ejection Seat Theater” will excite any kid, big or small!

9.  Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres offers a behind the scene guided tour that is great fun for any baseball fan.  I had went to the 1998 World Series when the Yankees scored a victory against the Padres and I couldn’t wait to take a walk down memory lane with my son.  He was allowed to explore the dugout and check out the press box.  For baseball fans, this is fabulous ball park to visit.  There is not many baseball fields that have a sandy beach and palm trees for a backdrop!

Our trip to San Diego was nothing but delight! I loved that the city was vibrant, but without attitude.  The easygoing nature of the people and the fabulous weather had me considering a move out west.  Since that is unlikely, I guess I’ll just have to make another trip.  There are still many places that my son and I still need to explore like Presido Park, Heritage Park and the many museums in Balboa Park.  I am sure my son would love to take a thrill ride on the Giant Dipper at Belmont Park along Mission Beach.  I also heard that the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is great too, especially the behind the scene tour.  Looks like we have an excuse to head back out to San Diego!  Have you been to San Diego?  Do you have any places we should add to our must see list?

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The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Does the NBA lockout have you down?  Well, if you plan on being in driving distance of Springfield, Massachusetts, head over to the Basketball Hall of Fame!

When you arrive off of I-91, you will find the most unusual building and there won’t be any mistaking you have reached your destination since the large titanium basketball or the 136 foot sphere spinning a bright orange basketball will give it away!  It is suggested that you start your visit on the third floor, but good luck because once your kids see the action on the courts as you walk in, it will be hard to follow protocol.

As we approached the entrance we could hear a rhythm from the bouncing balls.  The hardwood court was lined with hoops ranging from a peach basket to the traditional hoops that we find on any court today.  The day we went, my son and his friend were able to participate in a free basketball clinic run by the men’s team from UMass.

The second floor is dedicated to many exhibits of sports memorabilia and there are several interactive exhibits that made the day a lot of fun.  The boys also loved the short Michael Jordon film and Nike exhibit.  Of course I enjoyed the area dedicated to college basketball.  I can never get enough of the LSU Tigers, just ask my son.

Silly Boys

Go LSU!

Need to grow a little more

Learning about the media side of sports

The Honor’s Ring on the third floor is where you will find the Hall of Famers.  Currently the Naismith Memorial Basketball of Fame has inducted 313 players, coaches, referees, teams and contributors.  The biographies are a great way to teach self-discipline and persistence to your kids.

If there is a basketball fan in your household, this is a great place to visit and about the only place you will be able to experience a little NBA action until the lockout ends.  So with winter upon us, hit the road to honor James Naismith who invented basketball and shoot some hoops!

JUMP

Hoops for all ages

Basketball Hall of Fame

My foot inside Shaq's footprint

Playing Basketball during the free clinic

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Cape Cod

After what I have called my year of transition (new house, new job, new car),  I was really looking to escape where I could leave all the craziness of my life behind for a couple of days. My aha moment came when I recalled a quote referencing Cape Cod by Henry David Thoreau, ” A man may stand there and put all America behind him”.  Despite the fact that “putting it all behind” most probably wasn’t possible traveling with three boys, I was intrigued to explore the Cape.

Exploring the Cape is exactly what we did, with of course a little down time by the pool each day. Our first night into town we enjoyed mini-golf at Pirate’s Cove in South Yarmouth which is most probably shocking to many, since I am always planning learning experiences for our trips. It was really crowded since it has a reputation of being one of the best miniature golf course on Cape Cod.  Their reputation is well deserved, the crowds moved quickly and the course was entertaining for my pirate loving crew.  If you asked my son what his favorite part of the trip was he most probably will tell you it was at Pirate Cove when he hit a hole in one unintentionally!  Yes the ball went out of the green, bounced off the stairway and back onto the green in the hole!

Our second day in Cape Cod covered the learning category when we visited the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum and the John F. Kennedy Memorial.  The four of us headed into the museum for a whopping $7.50.  Not surprisingly, my son loved learning more about one of his favorite presidents. There was a quick film which really put everything into perspective for my young nephews and after the viewing they were trying to follow the Kennedy family tree on the wall to identify family members that they had just learned about.

Of course the museum is small, so we filled the rest of the day with two tours.  First we went to the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory.  This was FREE!  It only took about 15 minutes, but it was cool for the boys to see the progression of potato to the chip, then to the bag and ultimately boxing the bags to be shipped out.  They learned cool facts like it takes approximately 4 pounds of potatoes to make 1 pound of potato chips, because the potato is mainly water.  They munched on the “Kettle-Cooked” samples while chatting with one of the friendly employees while I purchased a couple of bags to take home.  It was a good time.

Only a couple of blocks away from the JFK Hyannis Museum, we discovered  Cape Cod Duckmobiles.  My son and I had done a Duck Tour in Boston and loved it, so I had to do it again so my nephews could experience the amphibious vehicle.  Honestly, there was not a lot to point out, but the guides were humorous and kept the boys entertained and they were thrilled when we “splashed down” into Hyannis Harbor.  If you take the tour don’t expect to see the Kennedy compound, but you do get to see the church the Kennedy family frequented and the armory where JFK made his speech during the election.

After our busy morning, the boys played in the pool while I tried to have a “Thoreau” moment before heading to catch a little “summer baseball”.  The Cape Cod Baseball League is a collegiate summer baseball league.  We decided to watch the Hyannis Harbor Hawks play the Brewster Whitecaps.  I have been to countless baseball games, but this was one of the most enjoyable games.  It is not because the Harbor Hawks won or the game was FREE, but because it was like I had stepped back in time where the boys could roam freely during the game without worry and at the end of it all, go onto the field and approach the players.  I wish we could have gone to more games!

Another highlight of the trip was taking the boys on a Pirate Adventure.  The Pirate Adventure was also not educational, but it was too much FUN not to mention.  First, I must give kudos to the staff.  I had made a mistake with my online reservation and had bought tickets for Monday instead of Sunday.  Considering that we would be back in New York on Monday, I was happy that they  honored our reservations on Sunday!  My son who is twelve was a little old for this adventure, but the Captain befriended him and gave him the ins and out of the operation while my nephews were having the time of their life!  The boys had their faces painted and wore costumes as we sailed off on The Sea Gypsy.  The whole experience was so much fun!  I was crying I was laughing so hard as the kids were shooting the water cannons on the side of the ship at a pirate who was trying the take the treasure that belong to the crew of their ship.  From figuring out the treasure map to doing the limbo it was nothing short of a great time.  It was one of the most expensive things we did at $21 a ticket, but well worth it!

We ended our trip with a visit to the Cape Cod National Seashore.  This year the Cape Cod National Seashore celebrates it’s 50th anniversary of when President Kennedy  signed legislation to protect the seashore and making it a part of the U.S. National Park System.  We visited the Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham first and the boys participated in a FREE shellfishing demonstration and were ready to go clamming when we left.  We then headed to Nauset Light Beach which is also in Eastham.  We toured the Nauset Lighthouse, the one that is pictured on the Cape Cod Potato Chip Bag.  The tour was FREE and the boys learned the history of the lighthouse and the battle of the erosion that forced the lighthouse to be moved more than once.  The Nauset Lighthouse was our last stop on Cape Cod before heading home.  It was a perfect place to end our trip and I didn’t realize it until we had climbed the stairs and looked out the window to a magnificent view of the ocean.  It was at that moment I found my self ” standing there”  and literally could “put America behind me”.  I shared this with the boys, and even at the ages of 12, 9 and 7 they got it!  I hope one day you will be able to experience what Thoreau described in the 1800’s and what my family experienced in 2011.  Cape Cod turned out to be a great escape.

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The National Baseball Hall of Fame – Cooperstown, New York

For any baseball fans out there, a trip to Cooperstown, New York should be in your future.  My son LOVES baseball, so there was no better way to honor one of his favorite sports than with a visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  When we visited last summer, we started our day early and were there when the doors opened at 9 a.m. and was ready for everything baseball.

The museum was three floors and we started on the second floor which was recommended when we purchased our tickets. ($19.50 for adults & $7.00 for children) We enjoyed exhibits that honored the greats of baseball and history of the game.  One of our favorite things was the Baseball Experience which was a presentation in the Grandstand Theater.  My son also liked the Today’s Game exhibit which displayed artifacts from the major league teams of today.

The exhibits continued on the third floor.  The Records Room and the Baseball Cards exhibit was a hit with my son and nephew.  On the first floor, I really enjoyed the Baseball at the Movies and the boys liked the Sandlot Kids’ Clubhouse.  

Going through the Hall of Fame Plaque Gallery gave the boys an idea of the history that is behind the game that they play in Little League. When they looked in awe at the oversized stature of Babe Ruth and posed for their best swing, I could tell they realized that they were somehow connected to the greats of our nation’s favorite past time.  Baseball really is more than a sport, it connects generations.

Visiting the National Baseball Hall of Fame was so much fun.  We also enjoyed checking out the Main Street of Cooperstown too!  There were many places to eat and several shops.  We had no problem parking, but it is recommended that you park at the Doubleday Field Parking lot and take a trolley.  Parking is only two hours, but you can leave the museum to feed the meter if your hand is stamped.

You can definitely make your visit to Cooperstown a weekend trip. There are other attractions you might want to check out, like The Farmers’ Museum or Fenimore Art Museum.  For a small town, there is a lot to do.

If you head to the home of Baseball, I hope you have as much fun as we did and your baseball fan imagines themselves in the “Field of Dreams”.  After I publish this post, I am headed outside with my pink glove.  My son is calling….time to PLAY BALL!

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Baseball History in Baltimore

    After taking in a Orioles and Yankee  game at Camden Yards, we enjoyed two great museum experiences.  First we went to the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum.  The museum is in the historic house where Babe Ruth was born.  Being Yankee fans, my son and I were surprised to find out that it was actually the Orioles that gave Babe Ruth his first professional contract.  We really enjoyed viewing all the memorabilia from this baseball icon.  There were exhibits from his playing years and his family life.  Any baseball fan would love this exhibit.

Since we were in the neighborhood, we checked out the Sports Legend Museum which opened in 2005.  Majority of the exhibits revolved around Maryland Sports teams, but the boys really had fun in the interactive part of the museum.  Their favorite was dressing up in the college athletic locker room!

Next time you are in Baltimore, definitely make time to check out these two museums.  Learning more about the “Babe” will give you a new appreciation for America’s first sports celebrity.

Sports Legends Museum

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