Wednesday, April 18, 2012

27 of 30

Those that know me know that it is a lifetime goal to see all 30 current major league baseball stadiums.  Call it a Bucket Lisk kind of thing.

So far, I've been to 20 of the current MLB stadiums - everything east of Colorado and north of Atlanta, along with Seattle, Arizona, and Texas. (I don't count the replaced stadiums I've been to for the Phillies, Yankees, and Mets.)

It's not just a baseball thing.  It has been a way for me (and my wife) to see America. When we go to a new town, we see a ball game, but we also spend a few days in that city taking all of the sites and ambiance.

Dropping Atlanta from the trip means that it won't be 28 of 30 stadiums after this trip, but I have to keep the end-game in mind.  The end-game is to see all 30 stadiums.

After this trip, the only stadiums I will not have seen will be the two Florida stadiums, along with Atlanta.  That sounds like one week-and-a-half lng road trip next summer.

No Atlanta

After talking with my friend Dan last night, he convinced me that I need to spend more time in New Orleans that an afternoon. 

Under my former plan, I would spend two nights in Atlanta, see the Phillies start a 3-game set on a Friday night before hauling ass down to Houston.  After getting there mid-afternoon, I would have to leave early evening so that I could drive half-way to Houston to catch a day game on a Sunday before Houston hits the road.  It was going to be one of the most forced parts of the trip.

So I decided to scrap Atlanta from the trip. Now, I'll be able to be in Houston Thursday evening, stay Friday night, drive to Houston on Saturday, and meet up with my friends Mark and Christy early afternoon  before going to an Astros game that night. 

On Sunday, I'll drive up to Dallas to see my friends Dave and Shane and their families.  The Rangers have a home game Sunday night, so that looks like a good one to hit.

The bottom line is that if I skip Atlanta, the entire first week of the trip has a more relaxed feel.