BOSTON RED SOX
FENWAY PARK BOSTON MASSACHUSSETS
BALLPARK CHASER RANK-3RD

GETTING THERE

BOSTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT is a short distance of 6 miles from Fenway Park-but once again you must give yourself plenty of time to make it to the park in gridlock traffic. The car rental facilities are a good shuttle bus distance of a few miles from the airport. The I-90 Highway includes a toll and a tunnel----this is a faster way but you must focus on taking your right exit, (EXIT25) as there is no immediate U-turn and you will be fined another toll by the MASSACHUSSETS TOLL AGENCY if you do one. I received my $13 administration fee bill from BUDGET almost 6 months after my streak for pulling my U-turn. This is almost as bad as the toll operators in Illinois! Of course if you drive along the 'EAST COAST' you become numb to all the tolls. If you are only going to be in Boston area for your trip you might think about taking a cab everywhere as it is way cheaper then paying multiple parking fees.

PARKING
Remember the address 808 COMMONWEALTH AVE--just past the turnoff to HWY 2 NORTH ON COMMONWEALTH. This is a special PARKADE reserved for University Students so the charge is only $10 and the place is under a mile walk from the ballpark, Otherwise lots of luck to you trying to find a closer place for relative money.

HOTELS

For 2 travelers or more I suggest the 'BEST WESTERN ADAMS INN' because of its location towards all public transport and free shuttle service to 'LOGAN AIRPORT.' It is also located right off the 'NEPONSET RIVER.' For about $125 a night it is well worth it in Boston.

For that singular traveler, there is yet another hostel right on 'HEMENWAY ST' about a block from the ballpark offered through www.hihostels.com . The price goes for about $50 a night and you must book well in advance to ensure of a bed. Really, this is a great way to be right near the ballpark for a decent price.

FOOD.
An absolute must in my view is to eat at 'BERTUCCI’S PIZZA OVEN RISTORANTE' right on COMMONWEALTH ST-about a half block from the ballpark. I have actually worked for the pizzeria’s Canadian version for the last decade-----and can tell you this place does pizza better than any place in AMERICA East of Chicago.

DOUBLEHEADER PARTNERS

NEW YORK METS-They are the only team you can honestly have a shot in making a doubleheader with during the week with all that traffic. The Mets have those 12:10 Matinees during the weekdays in summer. The METS have Citi Field only a few miles from LGA. There is a $140 fare flight that leaves LGA AT 5:00 PM and arrives at Logan Int’l Airport at 6:12—even this would not ensure you made it to first pitch with that crazy Boston traffic. Of course you have all of those ESPN SUNDAY GAME POSSIBLITIES

ESPN SUNDAY NIGHT TEAMS

TORONTO—You will miss a few innings with 6:25 flight arriving at 7:56 PM in Boston.
NEW YORK YANKEES—you would have to leave YANKEE STADIUM an inning early to make 6:00 flight out of LGA to Boston at 7:12 PM
NEW YORK METS---should be okay for that same flight—you could even walk 40 minutes from Citi to LGA. Cost is about $125 for the the LGA to BOS flight

The rest of the 'EASTERN SEABOARD TEAMS' do not have the flights to make it in time to BOSTON to make it worth while---and are upward of $400 for a one-way ticket to not even get in a full game.


SEATTLE MARINERS
SAFECO FIELD SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
BALLPARK CHASER RANK-5TH

GETTING THERE
SEATAC/HIGHWAY 5/HIGHWAY 90

The furthest North West ballpark in the Majors has only a few options to arrive there. If you are smart you will fly-----as the nearest ballpark is OAK/SF over 13 hours driving away. SEATAC airport is a good 20 minute drive from 'SAFECO FIELD' on the weekend and 40 MIN if it is during the week. If you are driving from North or South on Hwy 5 be prepared for that horrific Seattle Downtown traffic. SEATAC is a primary hub for ‘ALASKA AIRLINES’ and ‘HORIZON AIR.’ The best way to fly on extensive road trips that include air travel is: to fly down to California with Alask-----and use SFO or LAX to find cheaper flights back EAST from the legacy airlines.
Despite the online maps saying to take the side rides for a quicker drive to Safeco, it is not advised for those people who do not know the area.
The Car Rental Companies are all a far distance from the airport, and as such they each have their own shuttle buses. You must cross the jet bridge on the arrivals floor then---take the elevator/escalator to the shuttle bus waiting area. It is a major pain because of the distance away from the airport and that the rental companies are not all in one center.


HOTELS

Seattle can be an expensive city for hotel stays. This is made easier by the fact you are usually heading to your next destination via car or plane so the best hotel deals are all near SEATAC Airport.

THE BEST WESTERN ON INTERNATIONAL BLVD-suits the middle class business folks looking for a quite room to work and sleep for around a $100 for the night.

THE RED ROOF INN ON INTERNATIONAL BLVD- is similar to the Best Western in price but offers a more family orientated environment for your same $100 a night.

There are 3 MOTEL 6’s directly near SEATAC that are moderately priced for those ballpark chasers who are looking to save a few dollars. You can expect to pay about $50 for the night in the Motel 6’s—and the area is actually not a bad place to stay with lots of amenities and shopping nearby.

PARKING AT SAFECO
*****Extreme ballpark chaser tip here. The closer you park to the park the more horrific the traffic will be afterwards. The police cordon off the roads heading up to 'EDGAR MARTINEZ WAY EN ROUTE TO HIGHWAY 5' in either direction from north of S. Holgate Street. If you park lower then the ‘KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS’ on 1st Ave you can head south towards W Seattle Bridge HWY-where you take a left to merge onto the highway. With the flow being blocked off north you have a great advantage. The more South you drive from S. Holgate Street the less the parking is as well. About 4 or 5 blocks down the way, they have pay-parking for $10 maximum for those prime games like YANKEES and REDSOX--where they triple or quadruple the normal price of parking north of that. If you get there early on the non-prime game you can actually park at the Krispy Kreme or Key Bank for really cheap prices of $5 to $7. Make sure you back in and take the alley exit to avoid delays heading out to the merging Hwy traffic when leaving the area..

FOOD
Just this summer I tried this burger place a few miles up north from Safeco that was featured in that prominent TV show ‘MAN VS FOOD’. This place was called ‘RED MILL BURGERS.’ www.redmillburgers.com This restaurant was located just off of Hwy 99 and it was an incredible burger joint. Thick Onion rings came as a side dish to this double-decker bacon cheeseburger with fresh lettuce, hand chopped onions and tomatoes covered with the special sauce. The place literally had a half an hour wait out the door and no one minded at all once they ate.

INTANGIBLES
Quite simply, if this was a rank based on architectural mastery and sightlines, Safeco Field would be the best in the Major Leagues. The best ticket to buy is the absolute cheapest to gain entrance to the park and then walk the concourse. I have watched the games from all vantage points in the park and one thing is constant. With the grandstand roofs high enough not to impede with spectator sightlines, you can watch the action from anywhere in the park.

DOUBLEHEADER PARTNERS
Zero… Enjoy the park for what it is and maybe try and eat a second meal on the ‘SPACE NEEDLE’ after the game.