Taking Kids? Add Amusement Parks
Since you're out there anyway - especially with pre-teen/teenage kids - may I suggest joining both the Ballpark AND Amusement Park visitor cults.
In most cases ballparks and Amusement Parks are relatively near each other and the "quest" to go on all available roller coasters can be as addictive as the need to get to games.
In our case both are inextricably linked.
Our past trips as example: (starting when my sons, Ian and Evin, were 10 and 9 respectively)
2004 - Granby, CT to Hershey, PA (Hershey Park Amusement Park to Gettysburg battlefield to Pittsburgh (PNC Park and Kennywood Amusement Park) to Niagara Falls to Cooperstown and back.
2005 - Granby, CT to Philadelphia (Citizens Bank Park) to Williamsburg, VA (Busch Gardens Europe Amusement Park) to D.C. to Baltimore (Camden Yards) and back.
2006 - (trip a) Granby, CT to Jackson, NJ (Six Flags Great Adventure Amusement Park) to Bronx, NY (old Yankee Stadium) and back. (trip b) Granby, CT to Niagara Falls to Toronto (Rogers Center and Canada's Wonderland Amusement Park) to Detroit (Comerica Park) to Chicago (US Cellular and Six Flags Great America Amusement Park) to Milwaukee (Miller Park) back to Chicago (Wrigley Field) to Sandusky, OH (Cedar Point Amusement Park) to Cleveland (then Jacobs Field) and back.
2007 - Granby, CT to Jackson, NJ (Six Flags Great Adventure Amusement Park) to D.C (RFK Stadium) to Doswell, VA (Kings Dominion Amusement Park) to Williamsburg, VA (Busch Gardens Europe Amusement Park) through the Smokey Mountains to Pigeon Forge, TN (Dollywood Amusement Park) to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom (Louisville, KY) to Santa Claus, IN (Holiday World Amusement Park) to St. Louis (new Busch Stadium) to Kansas City (Kaufmann Stadium and Worlds of Fun Amusement Park) back to St. Louis (Six Flags St. Louis Amusement Park) to Cincinnati (Great American Ballpark and Kings Island Amusement Park) to Sandusky, OH (Cedar Point Amusement Park) Sandusky, OH) to Hershey, PA (Hershey Park Amusement Park) and back. {the BIG one - 4 ballgames, 11 Amusement Parks, 13 States and 3200 miles in 10 days!}
2008 - (trip a) Granby, CT to Largo, MD (Six Flags America) to D.C. (Nationals Park) and back. (trip b) fly from Hartford, CT to Seattle (Safeco Field) then drive through Portland, OR and down the coast highway to San Francisco (AT&T Park and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Amusement Park) to Los Angeles (Dodger Stadium, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland Amusement Parks) to San Diego (Petco Park) then fly back. (trip c) Granby, CT to Flushing, NY (Shea Stadium) then back.
2009 - (trip a) Granby, CT to Bronx, NY (new Yankee Stadium - rained out). (trip b) Granby, CT to Flushing, NY (Citfield) fly from Newark, NJ to Dallas/Arlington, TX (Rangers Ball Park, Six Flags over Texas Amusement Park, tour of new Cowboys Stadium) drive to Houston (Minute Maid Park) to New Orleans, LA to Atlanta, GA (Turner Field and Six Flags over Georgia Amusement Park) then fly back to Newark and drive back to Granby, CT. (trip c) Granby, CT to Bronx, NY (new Yankee Stadium - rain out make up game)
For 2010 - Fly from Hartford, CT to Denver, CO (Coors Field and Six Flags Eilitch Gardens Amusement Park) then drive through Grand Canyon, AZ to Phoenix, AZ (Chase Field) to Anaheim, CA (Angels Stadium and Disneyland) to Oakland, CA (McAfee Colliseum) then fly to Chicago and drive to Wisconsin Dells, WI (Mt. Olympus Amusement Park) to Minneapolis, MN (Target Field and the Mall of America Amusement Park) back to Chicago (Wrigley Field) then fly back to Hartford, CT.
For 2011 - Fly from Hartford, CT to Orlando, FL (Disney World and Universal Studios Amusement Parks) drive to Tampa, FL (Tropicana Field and Busch Gardens Africa Amusement Parks) to Miami, FL (Sunlife/LandShark/Dolphins/Joe Robbie or whatever they are calling it this week Stadium) drive back to Orlando and fly back to Hartford, CT.
For-2012 - Fly from Hartford, CT to Miami, FL (new Marlins Ballpark) then fly back to Hartford, CT.
At that point the kids are out of High School, they'll be sick of me, my back will be gone from all the roller coasters and I'll be broke from the trips anyway - SO I"M DONE!!!
{Until they open new ballparks in Oakland and Tampa - or wherever the A's and Rays may move to if they can't get new Stadiums built}
Who am I kidding? Since they keep building new stadiums and moving teams - I'll never be done!!
In most cases ballparks and Amusement Parks are relatively near each other and the "quest" to go on all available roller coasters can be as addictive as the need to get to games.
In our case both are inextricably linked.
Our past trips as example: (starting when my sons, Ian and Evin, were 10 and 9 respectively)
2004 - Granby, CT to Hershey, PA (Hershey Park Amusement Park to Gettysburg battlefield to Pittsburgh (PNC Park and Kennywood Amusement Park) to Niagara Falls to Cooperstown and back.
2005 - Granby, CT to Philadelphia (Citizens Bank Park) to Williamsburg, VA (Busch Gardens Europe Amusement Park) to D.C. to Baltimore (Camden Yards) and back.
2006 - (trip a) Granby, CT to Jackson, NJ (Six Flags Great Adventure Amusement Park) to Bronx, NY (old Yankee Stadium) and back. (trip b) Granby, CT to Niagara Falls to Toronto (Rogers Center and Canada's Wonderland Amusement Park) to Detroit (Comerica Park) to Chicago (US Cellular and Six Flags Great America Amusement Park) to Milwaukee (Miller Park) back to Chicago (Wrigley Field) to Sandusky, OH (Cedar Point Amusement Park) to Cleveland (then Jacobs Field) and back.
2007 - Granby, CT to Jackson, NJ (Six Flags Great Adventure Amusement Park) to D.C (RFK Stadium) to Doswell, VA (Kings Dominion Amusement Park) to Williamsburg, VA (Busch Gardens Europe Amusement Park) through the Smokey Mountains to Pigeon Forge, TN (Dollywood Amusement Park) to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom (Louisville, KY) to Santa Claus, IN (Holiday World Amusement Park) to St. Louis (new Busch Stadium) to Kansas City (Kaufmann Stadium and Worlds of Fun Amusement Park) back to St. Louis (Six Flags St. Louis Amusement Park) to Cincinnati (Great American Ballpark and Kings Island Amusement Park) to Sandusky, OH (Cedar Point Amusement Park) Sandusky, OH) to Hershey, PA (Hershey Park Amusement Park) and back. {the BIG one - 4 ballgames, 11 Amusement Parks, 13 States and 3200 miles in 10 days!}
2008 - (trip a) Granby, CT to Largo, MD (Six Flags America) to D.C. (Nationals Park) and back. (trip b) fly from Hartford, CT to Seattle (Safeco Field) then drive through Portland, OR and down the coast highway to San Francisco (AT&T Park and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Amusement Park) to Los Angeles (Dodger Stadium, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland Amusement Parks) to San Diego (Petco Park) then fly back. (trip c) Granby, CT to Flushing, NY (Shea Stadium) then back.
2009 - (trip a) Granby, CT to Bronx, NY (new Yankee Stadium - rained out). (trip b) Granby, CT to Flushing, NY (Citfield) fly from Newark, NJ to Dallas/Arlington, TX (Rangers Ball Park, Six Flags over Texas Amusement Park, tour of new Cowboys Stadium) drive to Houston (Minute Maid Park) to New Orleans, LA to Atlanta, GA (Turner Field and Six Flags over Georgia Amusement Park) then fly back to Newark and drive back to Granby, CT. (trip c) Granby, CT to Bronx, NY (new Yankee Stadium - rain out make up game)
For 2010 - Fly from Hartford, CT to Denver, CO (Coors Field and Six Flags Eilitch Gardens Amusement Park) then drive through Grand Canyon, AZ to Phoenix, AZ (Chase Field) to Anaheim, CA (Angels Stadium and Disneyland) to Oakland, CA (McAfee Colliseum) then fly to Chicago and drive to Wisconsin Dells, WI (Mt. Olympus Amusement Park) to Minneapolis, MN (Target Field and the Mall of America Amusement Park) back to Chicago (Wrigley Field) then fly back to Hartford, CT.
For 2011 - Fly from Hartford, CT to Orlando, FL (Disney World and Universal Studios Amusement Parks) drive to Tampa, FL (Tropicana Field and Busch Gardens Africa Amusement Parks) to Miami, FL (Sunlife/LandShark/Dolphins/Joe Robbie or whatever they are calling it this week Stadium) drive back to Orlando and fly back to Hartford, CT.
For-2012 - Fly from Hartford, CT to Miami, FL (new Marlins Ballpark) then fly back to Hartford, CT.
At that point the kids are out of High School, they'll be sick of me, my back will be gone from all the roller coasters and I'll be broke from the trips anyway - SO I"M DONE!!!
{Until they open new ballparks in Oakland and Tampa - or wherever the A's and Rays may move to if they can't get new Stadiums built}
Who am I kidding? Since they keep building new stadiums and moving teams - I'll never be done!!
Comment
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Comment by Kurt Smith on March 27, 2010 at 5:35am
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Way to go man! I used to always fit a Six Flags in a ballpark trip...not on that scale, but that's the next favorite thing for me to do too.
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Comment by Doug Miller (30) on March 8, 2010 at 6:24pm
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Scott -- That's a lot of fun. As part of my previous trips I've hit Cedar Point, Six Flags (LA and Denver), Great America, Knotts, and Disneyland. I'm always looking for ways to interest my wife in my baseball trips by finding things she'd want to do too (amusement parks aren't usually that though). Down the line I'll definitely use the amusement park hook with my kids. I used the Oregon Coast as the hook to hit the AAA All Star game as a family last year and we all had a great time.
Fun plans for the upcoming trips!
Doug
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