Day 10 - 8/26/23 - Epilogue - Hotel at Revere Beach - Travel home

Notes...

Day 9 - Friday 8/25 - Last Game - Fenway Park LA Dodgers @ Boston RedSox

 notes soon?

The people on the tour and Life on the road

A quick list/comments on the folks on the tour:

Kendrick Bus driver from Cleveland...easy going great guy 

Dan Lindsay tour boss from Kentucky - former track coach at Morehead St...still a runner...doing all the announcing with the bus microphone "wake up calls at 8...bus leaves at 9" I sat with him at the first cubs game told me many life stories 

Pat & Bev from near Hershey PA - Nice old couple he is 80ish she maybe younger first people I met in hotel their spouses dies and they got together, Bev's 90+ aunt died and she was telling me that story bad old folks home - any kids reading this out there send me to assisted (or unassisted) suicide before warehousing me in a home....pleasant talk on fun bus trip but nice people.

Richard retired truck driver from Colorado - my good friend on the tour everyone likes him the only other guy besides me thatbrought his glove so my catching partner a lot of catches  before boarding bus. Very blunt black and white dude...living alone had a bad leaving wife story. we swam at the hotel pool one day too. so this is the guy I most connected with.

Andy Webb his son Sam 18ish and dad Charlie 80-ish with bad wheels... from near Trenton NJ here...his son is looking at colleges. Three generations really gave the tour a nice feel...has been on a few tours. And he's  checking off Ballparks that I need to start doing.

Rose and John Hamden CT! Rose a huge RedSox fan John a yankee fan nice people.

Marion and Ken from Edmonton - really nice couple Ken joined our catches sometimes was very excited - throwing bullets - they came a day early in Chicago too and did chicago sightseeing - boat cruise and bus jump on/off tour.

JC and Harry from San Diego - a couple of guys that seem very southern...JC a heavy guy wisecracking. Harry his straight man with a whisper voice

Lowell and Janet from Milwaukee but originally from Pittsburgh. I befriended them especially Lowell who knew his baseball...complaing on a milwaukee decision ongoing on whether to build a new ballpark. They had Brewers and Pirates attire...they ate with me at Chopt in Old Greenwich when we strangely stopped at that shopping center after the Yankee game.

Bill and Grace from Fresno - big people - Bill seemed a little 'needy' I liked Grace.

Jim and Cindy From ?? Cubs & Red Sox fan - talked to them one morning. Jim was a HS baseball coach for 40(?) years. Their daughter had/has(?) breast cancer - Cindy wearing 'Fight Cancer' shirts. She is very nice he is too but on the surly side never saw him smile.

Bob and Rose from Texas - Bob short guy with a long grey beard...wife Rose asian phillipine maybe...nice but Bob is one of the Back-of-the-bus group a 'me too' guy constant chatter...the reason I had to move mid trip to the front of the bus.

David and Jim from North Carolina - on the Back-of-the-bus group. They are friend that do many of these and other tours together. David in his 50s Jim 60/70's both heavy...David an IT guy Jim retired. Both nice enough all these guys are experts on many things - hard for asshole Frank from CT to take  

Dave the HOF drunk from Ohio. OMG this guy has been on 3 trips a year since 2008? They gave him a Diamond Tours HallOfFame T-Shirt at the start of the trip. Quiet in the morning starts drinking as we approach the ballpark ..little guy squeaky voice...in his 70s but looks older. He's very annoying but harmless. A big reason I moved to the front of the bus.

The Bus

Here is the Map list I built before the trip LINK
I feared most the long bus rides but they break it up so well that it wasn't bad. For the long 4 hour trips there were only 2 of those(?), we would stop for bathroom breaks and stop for lunch/dinner. They also played baseball related moves (we saw Fever Pitch with Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore which is bad movie but not horrible about a RedSox fanatic on the way to our per-Boston hotel) we also saw an episode of Corner Gas LINK which is pretty funny...so the planning is very well done. Bus broke down once but they swapped busses overnight - it is a very comfortable bus (Barron Busses Link).

x

Day 8 - Thursday 8/24 Yankee Stadium - Washington Nationals @NY Yankees

 Notes soon

Day 7 Wednesday 8/23/23 - Philadelphia - Valerie!! and SanFran Giants @ Phillies Citizens Bank Park

 A great day....this trip has been terrific.

But I'm wiped again - so I'm going to use the notes below and add to it later

******

Got to Philly...unloaded at the Liberty Bell area...I caught an Uber To Val

Watch her preparing flowers for a PopUp that she has this weekend...met Kristen...Val drove us to the garden

wait...i dictated bad notes on the bus:

Notes dictated in a whisper on the buss today...will clean it up later

Ok I’m going to try and make some notes here since I had no time in the hotel

Yesterday was Philadelphia. I met up with my oldest boldest daughter Valerie at her and Kristen‘s house and she was preparing flowers and got to watch her working helped out a little bit. Then we went to her garden community garden

Very nice tomatoes ate some raspberries cucumbers watered the garden and left and we walked to her house which wasn’t far away. I didn’t realize were so close. We went in and we saw chance the dog on a great dog played with him for a while then after chilling, we took them for a walk. Valeries Road is under construction. It is a mess. The road is closed so we walked all around the construction , and then Valley had a couple of errands to do Phone errands for instants. She needed to get a remote control for something in the house where the tenants are now a call to get this remote control couple of phone calls. Valerie with all the patients in the world.

Then off to the game called an Uber Lisa called her to her about California trip Lilley eventually going to citizens Bank Park walked in and found her seats weight status because of the bag rule, which was unfair and made us put our bags in storage outside the stadium. The game very exciting. Valerie was very into it. She was rooting for the Phils, enjoyed all the scoreboard camera videos of the fans...she met a few of the bus tour people. She had a HUGE soda and got me a beer. 

 we left around the 7th inning after singing TakeMeOutToTheBallgame. 

I walked Valerie out to the gate then I left before the game is over and sure enough they tied it up in the ninth-inning, but lost an extra innings. The Phillies Giants won an 8 to 5

Day 6 Tuesday 8/22/23 - A day at the Little League World Series at Williamsport PA

 Had a great day here today...but I am wiped out and have to go to bed...more to come.

(Updating this on 9/4/23 from memory)

Williamsport and the Little League World Series day was maybe the baseball highlight of the trip.

We left from our hotel in Mercer PA at 9am (after the PNC Park game - Pirates 11 Cardinals 1 !!). The trip to Williamsport was about 3 hours...I don't know what baseball DVD  we watched on the way. Also one rest stop...a comfortable ride going across PA...scenic mountains.

BTW it was very hot and most of the LLWS is not in the shade. When we go there and found a place to park the bus, we walked up an incline to the venue.No tickets needed as the LLWS is free!!! The venue consists of two stadiums up on a hill. There is a green in front with a planted version in the hedges of the words "Little League WS"  LINK. I this area, Richard and I had a catch - so glad that I bought my glove.

This wa filmed by a kid (20ish) named 'Nate' (I think) who came over and asked if he could catch with us. I said yes if he would film me & Richard having a catch. LINK

Afterward Nate caught with us - he was good...he threw us some curves.

Then we went to watch the two games of the day:

1) The international game - Tajuana v Venezuela...a good tight game...Tajuana won 3-1.

We were able to sit in the shade. I broke away to get the only veggie option being served - a local Macaroni Salad - it was yummy and only $5.

As this game was nearing the end we made our way to the other game 

 

2) The US game - Tennessee v Nevada
(Richard found me a seat in the shade so I did 2 innings in the sun and 5 in the shade)

This game had buzz/very exciting as it featured the only girl (?) in this year's WS Stella Weaver. The team has been referred to as "Stella's Fellas" (here are two stories LINK & LINK).

Well even though Stella didn't play the field, she got a big hit late in the game and scored the winning run as Tennessee won 2-1. 

I sat next to a LL coach and his two kids. There were various rules/angles that I didn't kno. For instance they do a pitcher's pitch count - displayed on the scoreboard...and if a pitcher goes over 50 pitches, they can't pitch for 3 days...70 pitches/5 days. LINK

Also there were a few appeals that would never happen in normal baseball, for instance on a bunt attempt, did the batter offer on the bunt / was it a strike...they appealed that!  There were groups of team supporters chanting throughout the game for both teams. A great atmosphere of baseball at it's roots...kids playing baseball....pure baseball although there is a lot of hokey commercialization of the kids now that they are on ESPN. Anyway fun!!

And in the outfield, there is a big hill that people slide down using sheets of cardboard as 'sleds'.

So...a extremely fun memorable tour day!!

Here is a nice overview of the complex LINK

That's me

Day 5 Monday 8/21/23 - PNC Park Cardinals @ Pirates!!

 OK putting a place holder here - about to board the bus to Pittsburg - very excited about today!!!

Wow I'm way behind. I'm typing this on Tuesday Night it our hotel Holiday Inn in White Haven PA.

We just got back from our day at the little League world series

So let me put in some notes on The Pirates/Cardinals game.

First, the Cards got buried 11-1 by the Pirates. They had most of their regulars in the lineup - Arenado and Goldschmidt...and some new blood like Mayson Wynn...and the starting pitcher was Drew Rom pitching his first major league game...he is the guy that they got from the Orioles for trading Jack Flaherty. He isn't a top prospect and that showed in this game. The Cards just look like they don't care.

The Pirates looked like a strong young team...more to come later...

(Back Sept 2023 cleaning up blog)

What else about Pittsburg?

PNC Park is considered one of the best ballparks in MLB. It is beautiful. It has a black and gold motif of the Pirates colors. Here is a nice link describing the Park LINK

They had a seat upgrade option that I took. It brought me up to an indoor clubhouse/consessions etc with adjacent outdoor seating. I wish I had stuck to our original sets. Bu My seat was nice - it was behind an old Pirate Fan and his wife...and the usher in that section was a friend of theirs...so there was a lot of chit-chat. The guy was keeping score too. I told him about the Cardinals...he told me about the Pirates - they have a good young team...and the top prospect/#1 pick in the draft is pitcher Paul Skenes.

We went on a nice tour of PNC park before the game.

The tour started in the area past the outfield wall...there is a 

There are 3 bridges outside the stadium...I wish I had explored them, though the nearest bridge - the Clemente bridge - was under construction so people couldn't go on it.

A very nice area outside the stadium. A lot of restaurants...some stautes. 

There are 4 statues outsu=ide the stadium: Clemente, Mazerowski, Honus Wagner and Willie Stargell. I made everyone pose by the Willie Stargell statue and that was a good pic that I sent out to people. And got a pic of my friend Richard who I bonded with on the trip.

Summing up - a great park, another really fun experience though the poor Cardinals got creamed.

Day 4 - 8/20/23 - Game 3 - Toronto Blue Jays @ Cincinnati Reds

 OK just to get today's blog started...I have to move to the bus soon it is 6:47am Central Time.

Not a good sleeping night - the dude in the floor above me was up alot sigh...but shuttup Francheese.

Trying to sleep last night and reflecting on the Blog so far I'm thinking a lot of old man pickyun complaining  notes...but where is the baseball? So when I get time I'll do a post adding to it of ratings of the ballparks and the teams.

Today we have two teams in a pennant race at almost identical positions in their respective Leagues and divisions...Oh yeah and it is another inter-league game. Like the Cubs (National League) and the Royals (American League)...today we have the Blue Jays (AL) vrs the Reds (NL)...bot in their leagues' Central division.

I should be an exciting game. Most of the games on our tour are games where one or both of the teams are already out of the pennant race. But this game, and the final game of the Dodgers at Boston,,,are meaningful games...giving it a lot more spice.

OK stopping here...will pick it up tonight

I'm back...it was a great day. Extremly hot 97ish! Too bad because our seats were field level right behind home plate but out in the open no shade.

People were bailing out-leaving their seats and going to search for shade-my group had many stories of where they went. I did about 4 innings-I painted myself with sunblock-after that I went to the upper deck and found some shade. Sitting with a few rows of 3-4 families all young boys and girls...very nice atmosphere in Cincy a lot of casual conversations...people very polite and nice reminded me of St Louis. I stayed in that seat until the 9th inning then made my way all the way down to the street level walked and eventually found the bus.

The Park itself just has a real nice feel to it...red everywhere of course.

I met a man from Quebec before the came young 30ish he was here with his son (his father is dying of cancer-he threw that in) and they were also doing a baseball tour in the central area cincinatti detroit didn't mention other cities. He spoke in broken english but it was good (he appologized for it but very understandable. Intersting apparently there is a push to 'ntionalize'  Quebec into it's own country? "The  english have screwed things up" etc. I latered talked to the edmonton couple about it and they were shaking their heads told me a few things - that they had a nationalize Quebec vote which narrowly lost...OK Boring alert especially as I don't know the details so i'll stop - But Benoit (Ben-wah) was a nice guy enjoyed talking to him he forced his son to come over and meet me,  etc 

The game - Both teams are good but today Toronto was much better - the reds pitcher is a young former hot prospect Hunter Greene LINK just back from an injury but a horrible outing. Reds also made 2 errors in the first inning..the Blue Jays pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu is a junk ball (throws mostly curves) and had no trouble with the Reds. Two HRs by Brandon Belt...it was over earle.

Our hotel is a Best Western...I'm typing this getting ready to leave. It is in a good spot for dinner. I found a Craft Beer retaurant Hoppin Vines LINK  had some good beer there.Varb called and had a long talk...new opportunities in the flower biz...then took food back to the room and slept. I tries to call the Cali people with no luck.

OK on to Day 4...

Day 3 8/19 - First day with Group - Back to Wrigley

 Just got back from breakfast - a good but typical hotel breakfast - oatmeal fruit and coffee this morning.

On the elevator back to the room I met a nice couple from PA...Pat & Bev. They hate to fly so they drove to Cleveland, then took a bus from Clev to Chicago! Two days! He (Pat) says he now regrets it because they are flying back to Cleveland from Boston - his car is in Cleveland - then driving back home.

They just got back from a "river cruise in Europe" their sixth...so I want to follow up on details with them. I could see that in our future - LLH not so much.

Last night at the Q bar and grill was uneventful...di d a few beers - got a Facetime call from Lilly, LLH I ran outside but it wasn't working. Enjoyed that brief minute though.

  

OK I gotta pack and get downstairs for checkout and bus to Wrigley in 1/2 hour so I better get cracking...as they say. I'll hopefully continue this tonight from Cincinnati I think?

*******

It's 8:40pm just checked into Hotel #2 a  Holiday Inn Express in Rensselaer Indiana halfway from wrigley to Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. Leaving at 7:30 am tmrw so I gotta getup at 630.

Review of the day:

There was no meet and Greet...we just all wandered around the hotel lobby then boarded the bus. I think that there shoulds been some introductions/where are you from etc...so you have to wing it to meet people.

Most everyone I've met is nice. Dan Lindsay is the "Diamond Dan" host and the owner of the Company Diamond Baseball Tours.

Many of the people have done these tours multiple times.

At the Cubs game I sat next to Dan...former track coach, we talked alot nice guy...on my right was Richard also solo a former truck driver from Colorado. A funny independent sort,,,"I'm more interested in visiting the Ballparks than the baseball games.

The biggest pain so far is Dave who has gone on many trips with them every year since 2010. He's about 80 and a drunk...get very loud...they gave him a Hall Of Fame TShirt today to cemmemorate his many of trips with them. He is a guy to avoid except....

The bus - it's nice and I satked my claim for a seat near the back...unfortunately Dave resides back there and a few other nice lodmouths...but it's OK. It'll be fine.

Our seats today were great upper deck but lower section...very nice.

Cubs won Cody Bellinger with 2 HRs!

Two games at wrigley were great fun - a nice neighborhood ballpark.

On the way out on advice from Dan I got a famous Chicago HotDog at Wrigleyville Dogs - it was vegan - the cover it with pickles and peppers etc - delicious.

Another guy I met and liked is Andy from Trenton NJ with his high school senior son and his dad...his dad is limping new hip replacement and walks very slow - had a tough time today as we parked about a 20 minute walk from the stadium. 

Then there is Bob and Rosa from Texas, John and Rose from Hamden CT(!), Ken and Monica from Edmonton....otheres...more to come I gotta get to bed.

Day 2 8/18 - PreTour - FH solamente - Royals @ Cubs

 Last night I went to the Q bar and grill...no choice - nothing around my hotel.
I was perfect...attached to a Quality Inn...pretty empty but sports on many screens above the bar.

I said perfect-except  for horrible music.

Also there were slot machines - I did not try my luck.

I talked to a nice guy Tyler who had purchased a 'bucket of beers' - all Busch Lite.

I was a freight train manager...a lot of freight trains near the airport...talked about how covid affected his job/many layoffs etc. He live in Iowa has 3 daughter twins in High school-they run track...he is only 33.

Nice conversation...maybe I'll see him tonight as I will probably be going there again with no other options.

Got veggie burger and fries to go-seemed delicious but I was starving

Bad night in bed - matress is soft and my back pain was back...see how it goes today.

Today I am on my own - tour registration is tomorrow morning.

I am going to Cubs-Royals game at Wrigley Field. I had bought the tix yesterday when I was in good shape...would probably not have gone today with my back agonies but gotta keep moving...a lot ahead of me.

Went to hotel breakfast-was OK-I realized it is BroJoe's 31st Birthday...so I snooped around for a picture to post...came up with this LINK...HBDJJH!!!

Ok I'll come back to this tonight...

Back after Game - it was fantastic...took the hotel shuttle to the airpost and got the BlueLine train to the Addison stop...followed some cubs fans off the train and got on the #152 Bus that took us down Addison ave straight t the park.

Walked around Wrigley (I was Early) bought a longsleeve wrigley park shirt...then went to McDonalds for food and coffee...then a CVS next to Wrigley (pleasant surprise) and got deodorant mouthwash suntan spray muscle lotion for back and a rain poncho (why not) 

BORING CHECK/VIOLATION SORRY

OK in the park - Gotta a great aisle seat - never moved once I sat down - no beers.

A terrific old Cubs fan sat next to me had a great time talking to him - I wore my Montreal Expos hat because I didn't want to wear a Cards Hat (Cubs fans hate the Cardinals) and the Expos hat generated a few comments and chit-chat. My seat partner was a sports photographer in a younger life in Montreal...then later a couple sat next to us and they were from Canada.

So kept score...a tight game - it was 4-3 Royals when I left after the 6th inning and that was the final...reverse trip back to Hotel...then get this - they have a pool and functioning whirlpool!!! So I did a swim (forgot my goggles) and sat it the whirlpool - heaven!!

My back is cranky but very happy I was able to enjoy the great time. When I stand it is fine...tonight I expect the bed to hurt again like last night...OK on to the Q Bar/Grill...

Oh two things I forgot to pack - My Glaucoma eydrops and swim goggles.

Day 1 - PreTour - Arrived Chicago Thursday 8/17/23

 OK I'm here and we'll see if I am able to continue creating Posts in this new Blog.
It is Thursday 8/17/23...5:23pm. I Arrived at my hotel - Hampton Inn Chicago O'Hare Airport 3939 Mannheim Rd Schiller Park, IL 60176 ...look out there are two Hampton Inns at the O'Hare airport.

Packing for this 8 day trip was difficult - 8 pairs of shorts/long pants...undies  socks wait is this boring...during the blog I will stop for "Boring checks" though I will probably be too late...anyway packing was hard and I fit everything into my carryon FJH suitcase and backpack.

Flew from Westchester - Uber to airport as LLH has pre-cataracts eye exam. Westchester is convenient but inside it is a mess. I decided to buy and wear a covid mask as covid noise in the news. 

On plane a young family sat behind me...with a two year old boy going crazy so not a fun flight but I was ok with headphones and music...the kid was kicking my seat so no naps.

After landing I followed the tour instructions and found the shuttlr to the hotel. An older couple from Virginia had their flight to Jackson Hole cancelled and were sent to this hotel - flight in morning at 4 am...Francheesh charmingly commisserated.

Hotel is a dump from the outside but the rooms are nice! LINK

I started planning tomorrow - Cubs are playing a day game...our tour doesn't start until Saturday...so I'm free tomorrow...i bought a ticket online at stubhub.

I have to catch a few subways to get there.

Then on Saturday the tour starts:

Saturday, August 19, 2023 

Registration in lobby of host hotel at 10am; lunch and sightseeing in Wrigleyville; game at 1:20pm

OK tonight going to walk to a nearby sports bar. The only place around here within walking distance LINK

Yay!!