Great Trip for a baseball Triple-Header (Baltimore, DC and Philly)
Sep 19th, 2013, 12:05 PM
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Great Trip for a baseball Triple-Header (Baltimore, DC and Philly)
A few months ago, a friend of mine got married in a spur of the moment wedding to allow his father to make the wedding before his health went further downhill due to his battle with ALS. As a result, we did not have time to do a bachelor party for him nor did a lot of his friends from LA where he used to live have a chance to come to the wedding. We decided to do a baseball trip to make up for it. 3 of us from CT made the trip and 12 ended up coming from LA. I was very leery of this and was worried about group dynamics. Somehow most of the planning fell on me.
We decided on visiting Baltimore, Washington DC and Philadelphia over 5 nights. I laid out our itinerary with input for hotels, etc from everybody. I knew that we would not be doing every together as that is much too big of a crowd so I was trying to put together suggestions for everybody (some had never been to any of these cities). Almost immediately I started emails from some people that they “did not want to go to any museums”, “see anything related to history or politics”, etc. It made me quite worried going into this trip about what was going to happen when we left.
A lot of the people found flights into Baltimore from LA last Thursday (9/12) while some of them flew into Hartford a few days before to head down with us to Baltimore. We took Amtrak out of Windsor on Thursday morning. I went to sit in the Quiet Car because of I did not want to listen to Cell phone conversations. Almost immediately someone got on and sat in front of me and pulled out his cell phone. Yes, he was trying to keep it quiet but it was still too loud. I was in shock when a conductor didn’t even do anything about it. After 20 minutes, I politely asked him to please shut off the phone but he refused…
We got into Baltimore around noon and took the Light Rail to Hilton Baltimore. While this was convenient, it is definitely not a fast mode of transportation and it would be much quicker to take a cab or probably a bus.
Once I checked into the hotel, I walked up to Edgar Allen Poe’s gravesite and then down to the Babe Ruth Museum. Even though I had been to Baltimore numerous times, I had always skipped this museum. It was a very small but a lot of nice exhibits. It took around a half hour to walk through. It was pouring pretty hard at times leaving the game in question. I met up with a couple people at Pickles Pub to have a few drinks and lunch before the game. Great bar for a pregame meal. Cheap beer and good food. I really enjoyed their beer selection: Brewery Art’s: Ozzy Beer named after Ozzy Osbourne, etc. I would go here again before a game.
When we left the restaurant, we entered Camden Yards. This is one of my favorite parks and one of my most frequented. As soon as we got into the gate, the skies opened and thunder / lightning started. We went up to the bar in the Batter’s Eye Bar in CF and hung out for a little while. They announced that the game was going to be delayed until around 8:30.
We met everybody else at our seats just before then and watched the ceremony for Mariano Rivera. As a Red Sox fan, I still have to respect him and he is one of my favorite players ever. It turned out to be a fun game to watch even with the Yankees winning. Yankees blew a 3 run lead in the 8th then came back to win it in the 9th. With an obscure rule, Rivera was given a win even though he entered the game in a save situation. We walked back to our hotel and watched the last few minutes of the Patriots ugly win against the Jets.
The hotel was in a great location next to the stadium but felt like every other Hilton I have ever been in and was nothing spectacular. 1 of my biggest irritants is the charging for wi-fi in rooms and it continued here. I did not bother. Everybody at the hotel was friendly and willing to help.
More to follow
We decided on visiting Baltimore, Washington DC and Philadelphia over 5 nights. I laid out our itinerary with input for hotels, etc from everybody. I knew that we would not be doing every together as that is much too big of a crowd so I was trying to put together suggestions for everybody (some had never been to any of these cities). Almost immediately I started emails from some people that they “did not want to go to any museums”, “see anything related to history or politics”, etc. It made me quite worried going into this trip about what was going to happen when we left.
A lot of the people found flights into Baltimore from LA last Thursday (9/12) while some of them flew into Hartford a few days before to head down with us to Baltimore. We took Amtrak out of Windsor on Thursday morning. I went to sit in the Quiet Car because of I did not want to listen to Cell phone conversations. Almost immediately someone got on and sat in front of me and pulled out his cell phone. Yes, he was trying to keep it quiet but it was still too loud. I was in shock when a conductor didn’t even do anything about it. After 20 minutes, I politely asked him to please shut off the phone but he refused…
We got into Baltimore around noon and took the Light Rail to Hilton Baltimore. While this was convenient, it is definitely not a fast mode of transportation and it would be much quicker to take a cab or probably a bus.
Once I checked into the hotel, I walked up to Edgar Allen Poe’s gravesite and then down to the Babe Ruth Museum. Even though I had been to Baltimore numerous times, I had always skipped this museum. It was a very small but a lot of nice exhibits. It took around a half hour to walk through. It was pouring pretty hard at times leaving the game in question. I met up with a couple people at Pickles Pub to have a few drinks and lunch before the game. Great bar for a pregame meal. Cheap beer and good food. I really enjoyed their beer selection: Brewery Art’s: Ozzy Beer named after Ozzy Osbourne, etc. I would go here again before a game.
When we left the restaurant, we entered Camden Yards. This is one of my favorite parks and one of my most frequented. As soon as we got into the gate, the skies opened and thunder / lightning started. We went up to the bar in the Batter’s Eye Bar in CF and hung out for a little while. They announced that the game was going to be delayed until around 8:30.
We met everybody else at our seats just before then and watched the ceremony for Mariano Rivera. As a Red Sox fan, I still have to respect him and he is one of my favorite players ever. It turned out to be a fun game to watch even with the Yankees winning. Yankees blew a 3 run lead in the 8th then came back to win it in the 9th. With an obscure rule, Rivera was given a win even though he entered the game in a save situation. We walked back to our hotel and watched the last few minutes of the Patriots ugly win against the Jets.
The hotel was in a great location next to the stadium but felt like every other Hilton I have ever been in and was nothing spectacular. 1 of my biggest irritants is the charging for wi-fi in rooms and it continued here. I did not bother. Everybody at the hotel was friendly and willing to help.
More to follow
Sep 19th, 2013, 12:20 PM
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A few of us got up early the next morning and headed to the National Aquarium. I had been there in the past and really enjoyed it. Once again, it was a great visit. Took around 3 hours to walk through. I really enjoyed their new Blacktip Reef. Got there immediately for a shark feeding. Talk about a feeding frenzy!!! It was not a very busy day so we were about to spend time at each exhibit.
A few people headed to the American Visionary Museum thanks to Gardendivas recommendation among others on here while myself and a few others took the Water Taxi to Fell’s Point to transfer to Ft McHenry. Having stayed in Fell’s Point in the past, it was great to be back there. When we got off the taxi, we went to Kooper’s Tavern for a beer or 2. Good selection and a great setting. Got on the next Water Taxi (waits for the water taxi can be long as we found out) and headed to the fort. The day we were there was the 199th anniversary of the actual battle so it was packed with way too many children. Took away from the visit somewhat with their misbehaving but still worthwhile to head out there. After we were finished, it was back to Fell’s Point where we went to Bertha’s to have some mussels then went to Sleinte’s Irish Pub for 1 more to wait for the water taxi. We spent sometime walking around the Inner Harbor then headed back to our Hotel to grab our luggage. A few of us stopped at the Pratt Street Ale House for a few drinks and really enjoyed this spot. We enjoyed some great local beer including Winter Wolves IPA, etc. I know I would frequent this place if I lived around here. We got on the 9:15 pm MARC train to DC.
A few people headed to the American Visionary Museum thanks to Gardendivas recommendation among others on here while myself and a few others took the Water Taxi to Fell’s Point to transfer to Ft McHenry. Having stayed in Fell’s Point in the past, it was great to be back there. When we got off the taxi, we went to Kooper’s Tavern for a beer or 2. Good selection and a great setting. Got on the next Water Taxi (waits for the water taxi can be long as we found out) and headed to the fort. The day we were there was the 199th anniversary of the actual battle so it was packed with way too many children. Took away from the visit somewhat with their misbehaving but still worthwhile to head out there. After we were finished, it was back to Fell’s Point where we went to Bertha’s to have some mussels then went to Sleinte’s Irish Pub for 1 more to wait for the water taxi. We spent sometime walking around the Inner Harbor then headed back to our Hotel to grab our luggage. A few of us stopped at the Pratt Street Ale House for a few drinks and really enjoyed this spot. We enjoyed some great local beer including Winter Wolves IPA, etc. I know I would frequent this place if I lived around here. We got on the 9:15 pm MARC train to DC.
Sep 19th, 2013, 12:28 PM
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We checked into the Key Bridge Marriott and crashed quickly. A couple of us got up early Saturday morning and went to Arlington Cemetery. We spent around 2 hours here and enjoyed it again. We then headed to the Air & Space Museum. While I enjoyed it, there were too many people there and again too much horseplay going on. When I hit my limit, I walked up the National Portrait Gallery to relax. Did not spend a lot of time here but still enjoyed it again. We headed to the newer Gordon Biersch Brewery near Nationals Park. Had a few beers here and enjoyed them. Great location and a good restaurant. We went to the Red Porch for a few beers once we went into the stadium and then to our seats. Its still a great stadium and a lot of fun. It was disappointing to see the Nats lose to the Phillies but we enjoyed it. Headed back to the hotel after the game.
Sep 19th, 2013, 01:13 PM
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Sounds like a great trip. Surprised the conductor didn't speak to the cell phone violator. You had great weather in DC.
I ride in the quiet car frequently and see offenders told by the conductor to turn off the phone.
I ride in the quiet car frequently and see offenders told by the conductor to turn off the phone.
Sep 19th, 2013, 04:33 PM
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I was at the Orioles game that same night. Except I was very happy to see the Yankees win!
I remember you posting questions before your trip, so thanks for letting us know how things turned out. Planning for a large group like that can be very challenging. Looks you did a great job!
I remember you posting questions before your trip, so thanks for letting us know how things turned out. Planning for a large group like that can be very challenging. Looks you did a great job!
Sep 19th, 2013, 06:22 PM
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I got up early Sunday morning and headed straight to the FDR Monument. Being there early, there were very few people around. We then walked around all of the Monuments having them practically to ourselves. None of us were taking many pictures at all – more just taking it in and talking history, etc. When we passed the Washington Monument – still looks great while covered in scaffolding – we jumped in a cab and went to Paul. I really enjoyed this breakfast. From here, we went to the Newseum. I picked and chose exhibits as I had been there before. I really enjoyed this visit especially the new JFK exhibits. We then hopped down to the Museum of American History Museum and spent a couple of hours there.
This pace of sightseeing is not how I usually like vacations and would beg others not to do it. I was able to do it having been to DC numerous times. We then headed to District Chophouse for a few beers.
Some other people had gone to the Zoo and really enjoyed it then went to the Monuments and enjoyed them.
All of us met up at RFD for dinner and drinks. Awesome beer selection and a few football games were on. Spent a few hours here then headed back to the hotel.
Key Bridge Marriott was a decent hotel but the rooms themselves feel like they need some major upgrades as they just felt tired. It is in a great location though. Easy walk from the Rosslyn Metro Station – slightly downhill towards the hotel. 1 issue we felt this trip more than others was the weekend Metro schedule was fewer trains and longer waits. This is something that needs to be considered when staying outside of DC. I am glad we changed from the Americana as Crystal City / Pentagon City Metro Stations were both closed. I had gotten a great rate on lastminutetravel.com and it was worth it.
This pace of sightseeing is not how I usually like vacations and would beg others not to do it. I was able to do it having been to DC numerous times. We then headed to District Chophouse for a few beers.
Some other people had gone to the Zoo and really enjoyed it then went to the Monuments and enjoyed them.
All of us met up at RFD for dinner and drinks. Awesome beer selection and a few football games were on. Spent a few hours here then headed back to the hotel.
Key Bridge Marriott was a decent hotel but the rooms themselves feel like they need some major upgrades as they just felt tired. It is in a great location though. Easy walk from the Rosslyn Metro Station – slightly downhill towards the hotel. 1 issue we felt this trip more than others was the weekend Metro schedule was fewer trains and longer waits. This is something that needs to be considered when staying outside of DC. I am glad we changed from the Americana as Crystal City / Pentagon City Metro Stations were both closed. I had gotten a great rate on lastminutetravel.com and it was worth it.
Sep 19th, 2013, 07:18 PM
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We ended up taking the 3Y Bus to McPherson Square and transferred to the DC Circulator so we didn’t have to carry our luggage back on Metro. We got on the 9:15 train to Philly. Here is where the trip fell apart for me. Some people were complaining about so much moving around; others about too many historical sites; another about too much public transportation…I was pretty angry getting off that train. We made it to our hotel fairly quickly via Light Rail and buses. We chose the Radisson Plaza Warwick. It is undergoing a major renovation that is nearly complete (mainly the lobby left) We headed down towards Independence Hall and arguments continued. Most people headed towards a bar while I stayed walking around. I headed to Citizen’s Bank Park much earlier than I wanted to but didn’t care. I hadn’t been to Citizen’s Bank in a long time and really enjoyed it again. I headed to Harry K’s for a few beers where I expected others to meet up with me. Almost immediately, got texts that they wouldn’t be there until the game started if not later…Add that to most people getting tickets nowhere near where I had gotten mine – we bought tickets on our own but trying to stick to the same section once somebody had bought one. Worked great for the first 2 games but not here. I met up with Karen (aka Phillyfan) and her friend and ended up sitting with them for the game. It was the 5th inning by the time everybody else got there…Karen, it was great meeting you and a fun game to be at!!
I met everybody at the entrance to the Subway where everyone apologized for how I had been trashed that day. Turns out there were a few people that felt I was trying to keep the so-called bachelor (what do you call someone who has a bachelor party after getting married?) from spending time with them. My friend and his brother set them straight and told them how much I had done in planning everything. I think it boils down to them missing Mark after him moving back here 2 years ago. I didn’t let it stop me from having fun – just wish it hadn’t happened. We went back to our hotel and found a couple of bars where we all had a great time. At this point, my friend’s wife and his new SIL showed up (had been delayed on a train) – new SIL was a surprise to everybody except me. I think it was 2:30 by the time we crashed.
We still got up early and headed to Independence Hall for a tour. I really enjoyed this tour. The contingent from LA had to head home so we said our goodbyes. The 4 of us (friends wife had a conference to go to) took the Philly Trolley Works Doubledecker Bus Tour and really enjoyed it. Did the full loop then headed back to a few stops including the Philly Museum of Art for the Rocky Steps and Statue – we kept firing off Rocky quotes. We headed back to our new hotel – due to using lastminutetravel.com, we had ended up with a different hotel when we added the 2nd night. Easy change as it was a quick walk to the Sonesta Hotel. We had bought tickets to the Phillies game on Stubhub but all of us were dragging and decided to head to dinner instead. Based on a recommendation at our hotel, we headed to the Fox and Hound. It was $2 draft Tuesday and they have a great beer selection! We then headed back to the hotel and crashed.
We got up the next morning and headed to the Philly Zoo. Enjoyed the Zoo and spent a few hours walking around the Zoo. Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel and gathered our luggage and headed back to the Amtrak station. It was an uneventful ride home.
For the 2 Philly hotels, I would choose the Radisson Blu (new name) as its rooms were great. Far different décor than other hotels and enjoyable. But Sonesta Hotel was in a slightly better location. But its rooms need updating for sure.
I met everybody at the entrance to the Subway where everyone apologized for how I had been trashed that day. Turns out there were a few people that felt I was trying to keep the so-called bachelor (what do you call someone who has a bachelor party after getting married?) from spending time with them. My friend and his brother set them straight and told them how much I had done in planning everything. I think it boils down to them missing Mark after him moving back here 2 years ago. I didn’t let it stop me from having fun – just wish it hadn’t happened. We went back to our hotel and found a couple of bars where we all had a great time. At this point, my friend’s wife and his new SIL showed up (had been delayed on a train) – new SIL was a surprise to everybody except me. I think it was 2:30 by the time we crashed.
We still got up early and headed to Independence Hall for a tour. I really enjoyed this tour. The contingent from LA had to head home so we said our goodbyes. The 4 of us (friends wife had a conference to go to) took the Philly Trolley Works Doubledecker Bus Tour and really enjoyed it. Did the full loop then headed back to a few stops including the Philly Museum of Art for the Rocky Steps and Statue – we kept firing off Rocky quotes. We headed back to our new hotel – due to using lastminutetravel.com, we had ended up with a different hotel when we added the 2nd night. Easy change as it was a quick walk to the Sonesta Hotel. We had bought tickets to the Phillies game on Stubhub but all of us were dragging and decided to head to dinner instead. Based on a recommendation at our hotel, we headed to the Fox and Hound. It was $2 draft Tuesday and they have a great beer selection! We then headed back to the hotel and crashed.
We got up the next morning and headed to the Philly Zoo. Enjoyed the Zoo and spent a few hours walking around the Zoo. Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel and gathered our luggage and headed back to the Amtrak station. It was an uneventful ride home.
For the 2 Philly hotels, I would choose the Radisson Blu (new name) as its rooms were great. Far different décor than other hotels and enjoyable. But Sonesta Hotel was in a slightly better location. But its rooms need updating for sure.
Sep 20th, 2013, 07:53 AM
#11
I'll echo that comment about you being a good guy to do the planning. Imagine what kind of chaos and complaining might have resulted from a group that large trying to wing it every day.
Arranging a trip for 15 people over 5 days and 3 cities has got to have some pretty thankless aspects to it and I'm sorry to hear some of your fears were realized. Good to hear the air got cleared and that overall it did not detract too much from your enjoyment of the trip.
Does sound like there was a lot of great beer and baseball!!
Arranging a trip for 15 people over 5 days and 3 cities has got to have some pretty thankless aspects to it and I'm sorry to hear some of your fears were realized. Good to hear the air got cleared and that overall it did not detract too much from your enjoyment of the trip.
Does sound like there was a lot of great beer and baseball!!
Sep 21st, 2013, 05:40 PM
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Thanks for sharing your trip report. You certainly covered a lot of territory, for just 5 nights. Overall, it sounds like you had a great time, despite some grumblings.
I can totally empathize with you on the thankless job of coordinating a group of travelers, having done it myself. You can't please everyone - and as long as everyone returned home safely from their journey, it was a successful trip.
Robyn
I can totally empathize with you on the thankless job of coordinating a group of travelers, having done it myself. You can't please everyone - and as long as everyone returned home safely from their journey, it was a successful trip.
Robyn
Sep 22nd, 2013, 03:35 PM
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Tchoiniere, so glad I caught your trip report as I had been following your planning. I didn't realize quite the purpose of your trip though...what a great gift to give your friend! I organized a large group trip to Rome and I can empathize with how much work and thought you put into it.
On a practical note, it sounds like you thought the Sonesta was okay but needed updating? We may be going back to Philly and it seems to be on sale or priceline a fair bit.
On a practical note, it sounds like you thought the Sonesta was okay but needed updating? We may be going back to Philly and it seems to be on sale or priceline a fair bit.
Sep 23rd, 2013, 05:34 AM
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Bardo, I realize that it could have been much worse than it went.
Putting it together was a lot of work but at the same time, I was having fun doing it. But it was thankless at times. I enjoyed the one I used for myself and didn't let them bother me.
5alive, Sonesta was nice but the rooms are slightly out of date and my TV barely worked. That being said, it is in a great location and very convenient. I would not hesitate to stay there again. I am just sick of the run of the mill hotel rooms that all look alike and that is what they have. The location cannot be beat and there is a bus stop with many of the bus lines adjacent to the hotel.
1 item I had forgotten in my report was to not try to step onto an escalator while texting (ie not paying attention). We saw someone try to go up a down escalator and she almost went flying . Then she pulled herself together and right back on the phone texting. We were laughing pretty hard watching it while waiting for Metro.
Putting it together was a lot of work but at the same time, I was having fun doing it. But it was thankless at times. I enjoyed the one I used for myself and didn't let them bother me.
5alive, Sonesta was nice but the rooms are slightly out of date and my TV barely worked. That being said, it is in a great location and very convenient. I would not hesitate to stay there again. I am just sick of the run of the mill hotel rooms that all look alike and that is what they have. The location cannot be beat and there is a bus stop with many of the bus lines adjacent to the hotel.
1 item I had forgotten in my report was to not try to step onto an escalator while texting (ie not paying attention). We saw someone try to go up a down escalator and she almost went flying . Then she pulled herself together and right back on the phone texting. We were laughing pretty hard watching it while waiting for Metro.
Sep 25th, 2013, 04:51 AM
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I'm touched that you did all this work for your friend. I have a friend whose father died from ALS the day her first child was born, so it particularly hit home (baseball pun not originally intended)for me. I agree with others, that for a group of that size, variety of interests, and emotions about their friend having moved, sounds like your work paid off quite well despite inevitable bumps!
Sep 29th, 2013, 05:52 PM
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Heres a link to my pictures on Flikr. Somehow the slideshow goes in reverse.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9414085...31614786/show/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9414085...31614786/show/
Sep 30th, 2013, 11:25 AM
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5alive, since it would not be for a fun trip, go for the Sonesta. The slightly better location would definitely work to your benefit then.
go_laura, your post sent chills up my spine about your friend. My grandfather died from ALS in 2005 and it seems that too many people are suffering from it lately (probably more to me being more aware of it than anything).
As a side note, I did get emails from mostly everybody thanking me for the work I did and questions about our next trip...Still not sure if I will do a large scale trip like this again however.
go_laura, your post sent chills up my spine about your friend. My grandfather died from ALS in 2005 and it seems that too many people are suffering from it lately (probably more to me being more aware of it than anything).
As a side note, I did get emails from mostly everybody thanking me for the work I did and questions about our next trip...Still not sure if I will do a large scale trip like this again however.
