Ballpark Journeys: Mother’s Day at Great American Ballpark
Stacey & her mom on Mother's Day
As you may or may not know, my wife and I will be bringing Lincoln Kenneth Dobbins, a future Cardinal fan (if not starting pitcher), into the world on or around August 14th of this year. Earlier this month over Mother’s Day weekend, we took a trip to Ohio to visit my dad’s side of the family so they could witness the enormity of Lincoln’s presence (it’s hard to believe Stacey still has two more months of growing to do).
The 1,200 mile journey only lasted Thursday through Sunday, but we made the absolute most of it by squeezing in a dinner with a Great Grandmother to-be on Friday, a surprise baby shower with extended family on Saturday and a Cardinals game in Cincinnati on the way home. We were very excited that Stacey’s mom, Jan, could join us on the trip to make the weekend in Ohio and Mother’s Day at Great American Ballpark that much more meaningful!
After an overnight stay at the Millenium Hotel in downtown Cincinnati, the three of us went to Rock Bottom Brewery for lunch before the game. Jan and I sampled seven of their beers on tap before selecting a seasonal brew as our favorite. If you didn’t believe them before, Fountains of Wayne was right – Staceys’ mom really does have it going on! I highly recommend the Millenium if you ever venture to Cincinnati, and the price tag of $75 including all taxes was a steal! If you do stay downtown, I also recommend not using hotel parking. Instead of paying $25+ per day at the hotel, I used a nice parking garage just across the street. Since we stayed less than 24 hours, it cost us $8. I’ve found that if you ask the concierge or valet attendant for alternative parking options, they’ll usually point you in the right direction.
Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Ohio
Stacey and I had visited Great American Ballpark once before on Easter in 2004. For the most part, it was as we remembered. Jan was surprised when we told her the ballpark opened in 2003. I think the design and materials do make it look like it was built in the late eighties or early nineties, before Camden Yards revolutionized the retro look and feel of ballparks. I guess Cincinnati was trying to be different. Some think it didn’t work as planned and I agree. Simply put, Great American Ballpark seems to be disjointed from the main downtown area. Hopefully the developments that are underway in the adjacent lots will help that problem. The view of the field and of the Ohio River from our section along the third base line was outstanding, but the ballpark seems to lack personality… unless you find a plethora of white steel to be appealing.
The game itself was quite long. Because we had a long drive ahead of us, we decided to leave after about three and a half hours since it was only the eighth inning. Turns out, the game would go into extra innings with the Cardinals winning a close one 8-7 after nearly four and a half hours. On the radio we listened to the eighth pitcher of the day, Chris Perez, close out his first save on the season as we began our drive back to the StL…
It’s no secret that we plan much of our travel schedules around Cardinals away games. But when I think of all the journeys Stacey and I have made over the years to different ballparks watching the Cardinals and other teams play, I find myself not able to remember more than one or two specific plays or performaces without glancing at the box scores or newspaper articles online. But I do remember distinctly how each journey felt. On this particular journey, we’ll always remember the many well-wishes from family, friends and even complete strangers in Cincinnati congratulating us on our future Cardinals fan. The victory at Great American Ballpark that Sunday just added a little more icing onto an already sweet and happy Mother’s Day weekend in Ohio.
Safe travels,
Paul Dobbins
www.ballparkjourneys.com
About the Author: Paul is an avid baseball fan and traveler. As President of BallparkJourneys.com, he helps busy baseball fans on a budget fulfill their dreams of seeing Ballparks across America by customizing Ballpark Journeys to fit any schedule, all personalities, and budgets of any size. Visit www.ballparkjourneys.com today and fill out a traveler profile to begin your own unique Ballpark Journey!
Paul: Great writing! I’m not a huge baseball fan, but your writing sure made me feel like I was there! Way to go!