As you might have read in this post, baseball road trips in April have their challenges, but they can also be a lot of fun. Hitting the road early in the season instead of waiting until June, July or August is a good way to get your season of road tripping underway —even if there’s a good chance that you’ll have to deal with some chilly weather in certain parts of the country.
If you’re determined to take an April road trip this year or during any April in the future, preparation is key. As someone who has traveled for baseball in April on numerous occasions, I’ve put together a list of tips that I hope will be helpful to you. In this blog post, you’ll see a handful of tips to keep in mind before your trip begins, as well as some that are important to know during the trip itself.
I should note that you’ll see a lot of Syracuse pictures in this post. That’s simply because I’ve attended (or tried to attend) more April games in Syracuse than in any other city. I’m not picking on the ‘Cuse in any way!
Before You Leave:
Book Your Hotel Early
Booking your hotel early is something that is usually a good idea, but I’ve found that doing so is especially important in April. Depending on where you’re visiting, there may be events that dramatically cut down on hotels’ vacancy rates. If you’re visiting a city that has an NHL or NBA team that is in the playoffs, you may have trouble finding a room, for example. The last thing that you want is to be pumped up about a trip, only to end up with subpar lodging or have to exceed your accommodation budget, all because you left booking your hotel until the last minute. Getting this important task off your to-do list early is a decision that you’ll never regret.
Determine What’s New at the Ballpark
Teams frequently make numerous changes to their ballparks over the off-season, and the days or weeks leading up to your April road trip is a good time to familiarize yourself with these changes. Browse teams’ websites and social media feeds, as well as the websites of the local media to find out what’s new about the ballpark. For example, if a team has unveiled a new historic display, introduced several new concession menu items, launched a new line of shirts and hats or even added a new seating area, you’ll want to know this information in advance. You don’t want to visit the park and watch the game — and then find out after the fact that you missed seeing (or eating) something important. If you’re like me and anticipating your trips is almost as fun as taking them, this obsessive thorough research can also make your trip countdown more enjoyable.
Figure Out Alternative Plans
In the event that one of your games is rained out, the last thing that you want is to find yourself sitting in the ballpark parking lot, thinking “Now what?” While it can be tempting to return to your hotel and relax, this is a prime opportunity to do something else — ideally, that doesn’t involve you being out in the rain. When you’re planning your April road trip, it never hurts to make a list of some other things that you want to do in the event of a game being postponed. With this list in mind, you can quickly shift your attention from the game to your Plan B as soon as the postponement is announced, thus allowing you to make the most of your day. While I tend to use postponements as a chance to catch up on my blog writing, I’ve also visited a variety of indoor tourist attractions, gone shopping and gone out for dinner upon games being canceled.
Pack the Right Clothing
Packing for the climate that you expect to encounter is always smart when you travel, but I’ve had a few occasions in which I’ve been woefully underdressed at ballgames. I honestly don’t know why this has happened, given that I tend to be a meticulous planner. Perhaps it’s been a case of “I’m from Canada — a ballgame in the U.S. can’t be that cold, can it?” The answer, my friends, is yes, it can be that cold. I can recall a few hurried visits to the Dick’s Sporting Goods a short drive from Syracuse’s NBT Bank Stadium to buy gloves, a warm hat and a warm jacket because the weather was much colder than I’d anticipated. It might seem weird to pack long underwear and a winter hat for a baseball road trip, but I can promise you that they’ll come in handy at some point — and you’ll save yourself some unexpected expenses while traveling.
During Your Trip:
Give Yourself More Travel Time
Whether you’re driving several hours to a new city or just taking a short jaunt from your hotel to the ballpark, it doesn’t hurt to give yourself some extra travel time in April. I’ve driven through periods of snow and freezing rain on a few occasions, which can obviously increase your driving time by a considerable margin. Leaving earlier than necessary means that you won’t be stressing if you end up having to lower your speed because of the road conditions. And if the road conditions are better than you expect, you’ll just get to your destination with plenty of time to spare.
Follow the Teams on Social Media
During a month in which weather-related game postponements are a legitimate threat, it’s important to follow the teams that you’ll be seeing on social media. Most teams are pretty good about providing updates to fans during inclement weather, and some teams will even answer fans’ queries directly through social media. It can be a bummer to show up at a ballpark and learn that the game has been called off — especially if you’ve driven for multiple hours to get there. By closely monitoring the teams’ feeds, you’ll get any update as soon as it’s announced.
Move Down to Better Seats
I have mixed feelings about fans who buy tickets in one section and then sit in another, but April games are often a good time to move closer to the field. When April games are sparsely attended because of bad weather, teams don’t seem to mind when fans move to better seats. In some cases, I’ve even seen ushers encourage fans to move down to the 100 Level. Other times, ushers just ignore fans who move around. Of course, you don’t want to automatically assume that this will be the case. But, if the seats in the lower bowl are mostly empty, it doesn’t hurt to at least ask if you can move a little closer to the field.
Crank Your Hotel Room Heat
If the weather is cold and there’s a chance of drizzle during the game, you can be certain about one thing — you’ll be frigid by the time the ninth inning wraps up. One little trick that I’ve enjoyed doing over the years is cranking up the heat in my hotel room before I head over to the ballpark. There’s nothing like getting back to your room after the game to find it warm and comfy after sitting outdoors in 30-degree weather for a few hours. And, of course, this is the perfect time for a hot shower to fully thaw out.