We have decided to use our FF miles and go on a short trip (4-5 days). My boyfriend has decided we should see the White Sox play on the road....Seattle, Oakland, Boston, etc. Well of course there are no FF seats left to any of those destinations on the wknds the Sox play. So, we have opened our choices up to any ballpark! Would like to go West since we are from Midwest. I wanted to see Fenway or Camden, but will more thn likely do that next year.

WHAT IS THE BEST TRIP?

The problem is, the good parks out west belong to national league teams with Seattle as the exception, and the interleague matchup has the Sox against the NL east so you didn't catch a break. If you want to visit a great city, go to Oakland and visit San Francisco. But the drawback is the ballpark sucks. Seattle has a great park and Seattle can be a great town, depending on what you're into. You can always go to Anaheim and visit LA and or San Diego or maybe even go out to Catalina. My choice would be to bag the Sox and go to Pac Bell and see the Giants, but if you're Sox fans... There's also a chance that if you time it right, you can go to San Francisco, catch the Sox vs. A's on day one, and then catch the Giants at PacBell on day 4/5. This way you get to see your team play in a crappy park, then see a team you don't like play in an awesome park. Best of both worlds?

Well, I wouldn't waste frequent flyer miles on it, but I see the Sox play Cleveland on a weekend at the end of August. Could probably get a cheap flight to Cleveland; Jacob's Field is still very nice (10 yrs old) and now has a brand new scoreboard, which, having seen it yesterday at the home opener, I can say is quite impressive. Games don't sell out here anymore with our young team, so you can probably get good seats.

But, for your FF miles, if there's anyway you can go West, I'd try to do that....guess the Sox also play Toronto and Montreal on weekends, if those are at all appealing to you....

The Toronto idea is a good one. Caught a game there a couple of years ago, great city and we really liked the ballpark. Beats Comisk....er Cell....er, umm....US Cellular. Although since I am a Sox fan in Chi. I do go there more than any place else.

If I'm reading you correctly as to what is or is not available with miles, then both Seattle and Oakland are out. If so, then your only West Coast option would be Anaheim in mid-September as the White Sox only make 1 trip there.

While the Stadium is awful, you might consider the Series versus Montreal in June as the town is great. Alternatively, they do play the Marlins in June at Miami and the beach is nice.

If you are really intent on seeing them in a place with a nice stadium and a nice city, then perhaps you use miles to get as close to Seattle as possible, then pay for a ticket on someone like Southwest or Alaska for the rest of the way.

Otherwise, with the unbalanced schedules, your only other option is one of the 10 games at Texas, Cleveland, Kanasas City or Detroit.

Don't know if these two teams will ever play as I am not a baseball fan, but the Colorado Rockies coors field in Denver looked like it was really nice. I just saw it from the outside so I can't say exactly, but the area around the field was fun. The only baseball game I have been to was the Cubbies at Wrigley but I doubt that you have much interest in them.

If it's any ballpark on the West Coast without the Sox, I'm with Loki--Pac Bell.

To make you feel a little better - checked Red Sox website and there are no tickets together for any of the 3 August games against White Sox. For future info, Red Sox tickets are difficult to get and if you want to do a trip in the future you will need to plan way ahead and buy tickets as they go on sale (this year in December). Or pay a scalper.

Now, to the question of where to go. Whenever we go on vacation we try to see a baseball game - do not try to see Red Sox play - too complicated to try to juggle FF miles, baseball schedule, our schedules, and then find a city we actually want to go to (have not been to Detroit and will likely not choise it as a vacation destination, for example)

Cities we have been to and liked - with ballparks we have liked - Seattle, Toronto, San Francisco, Baltimore. Also saw game at San Diego last summer before they opened new Petco Field.

Camden Yards was our most favorite - but seeing a game there had no spirit - place was half empty and no one seemed to watch the game. PacBell (I think it has a new name) was also great.

Pick a good city with a good ballpark and see the White Sox at home.

You don't say when you are going but I have to vote for Seattle. Yes I live here, and yes I have season tickets to the Mariners. Safeco field is the most expensive and hi tech stadium built to date. The weather in July and Aug is amazing (usually!) and Seattle is beautiful and not as expensive to stay in as San Fran- but has all the great things like seafood, the waterfront, gorgeous views of Mt. Rainier and ICHIRO!!! What beats that?

Too bad Seattle doesn't work for you because Safeco is a great park. Lively fans and beautiful setting. Toronto should definately be considered but for the city not its stadium. Talk about lifeless - the fans didn't have a clue. But TO is a terrific city to visit - great nightife, shopping etc.

We're going to Baltimore for the first time for a Sox game - Red Sox that is - and we can't wait

THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone's help! With me being in MPLS and he being in Chicago I think we are going to have to for go seeing the Sox on the road and just go to a ball park.

Hopefully we can both get FF seats into SFO or Seattle while the home team is there. I wanted Montreal or Toronto after reading all the responses, but he really wants to go West! If you have any other tips on stadiums, keep them coming! I appreciate all of your time and suggestions!!!!

Don't know if the White Sox play interleague this season but seeing that you are from the Midwest, you may want to consider PNC Park in Pittsburgh. It is very beautiful, a real throwback to the old ballparks. It is along the Allegheny River with fantastic views of downtown Pittsburgh.
You can stay in downtown and walk across the Roberto Clemente bridge to go to the game. Well worth the trip since you sound like a huge baseball fan.

I tried to answer this yesterday but my message wouldn't post for some reason. Go to Montreal! I went there on some FF miles in 2002 to see the Cardinals play a weekend series and it was the best 3-day trip I've ever taken. And you can get some incredible seats at Canadian dollar prices. The city is amazing in itself.

I hope to visit the Toronto Skydome next season if the interleague schedule has the Cardinals going there.

Idnas,
The Cardinals played the Al East last season and won't play them again until 2006. But, buy early as you'll likely have a home series against both the Yankees and Red Sox.

Come to San Diego's brand new Petco Park! Great location, definitely the most hi-tech ballpark around, and the Pads are even winning games!

Ryan,

Oops... for some reason I didn't realize Toronto was an AL East... I was thinking AL Central. Guess I'll have to pick a different destination for 2005. I actually went to Fenway and Yankee Stadium last June when St. Louis played there. AWESOME TIME!

Barbara... I'm coming to check out PETCO Park September 6-8 for the Cardinals series and can hardly wait. Going to L.A. to visit Dodger Stadium after that.