With my wife Katie enrolled in a graduate certificate program, we knew that our summer travels would take us to the Pacific Northwest. Naturally this meant I got to plan a Pacific Northwest baseball road trip! Katie will spend a month in Portland, Oregon, before I meet her there. We will spend a week together in Portland before traveling to Seattle, Washington. In Seattle, we will work together at a sports camp, and she will do more work to complete her certification. So our Pacific Northwest baseball road trip will span two states and four weeks. Baseball games Our travels in Oregon and Washington are built around my wife’s academic/work…
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A pint at Urban Artifact in Cincinnati, Ohio
There are a lot of spaces that are ideal for hosting a brewery. Opening a brewery in a former church continues to be more common. The space is usually quite large, which is ideal for brewing beer. The group behind Urban Artifact initially planned to open its facility in a former brewery. However, the current space allowed the group to open significantly earlier, which led to the change of plans. Brewery’s history Urban Artifact encompasses many things. It includes a brewery, an event space, a music venue, and a radio station. Bret Kollman Baker and Scotty Hunter, who attended Ohio University together and studied engineering, oversee the brewery. Eventually they…
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A pint at 3 Points Urban Brewery in Cincinnati, Ohio
An equilateral triangle possesses three sides of equal length and three congruent internal angles. 3 Points Urban Brewery brings together three equally important components to offer craft beer drinkers a unique experience in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Pendleton in Cincinnati, Ohio. Brewery’s history A few years ago development firm Model Group and hospitality group Hickory Wald sought to open a brewery in Pendleton. Ultimately that led to a pair of brewers from Cincinnati mainstay Rhinegeist Brewery seeking to make their own mark to join the yet-to-be-named brewery. Head brewer Patrick Mulrey and brewer Caleb Ochs-Naderer are responsible for the beers people consume at the brewery. Despite the notoriety the brewers…
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My experience at The Guild Cincinnati at The Banks
During a recent business trip to Cincinnati, I was searching for a unique accommodation near downtown. I ended up finding The Guild Cincinnati at The Banks. The Guild offers apartment-style accommodations in prime locations. The Guild Cincinnati at The Banks is a two-minute walk from Great American Ball Park and a five-minute walk to Paul Brown Stadium. Visitors have several restaurants within walking distance ranging from quick eats like Jimmy John’s to craft beer-focused Yard House. 2-bedroom Although I was traveling by myself, I ended up choosing a two-bedroom. It is approximately 1,300 square feet and has a king-size bedroom, a queen-size bed, and a sleeper sofa that can sleep…
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My experience at the Courtyard Indianapolis Downtown
For my first visit to Indianapolis, I was looking for a hotel in downtown so I could walk to the Indianapolis Indians baseball game (read about my visit to the ballpark here). The Courtyard Indianapolis Downtown was an ideal choice for a downtown hotel. The hotel is a five-minute walk to Victory Field, a five-minute walk to the sights in White River State Park, an eight-minute walk to the Indiana Convention Center, and a thirteen-minute walk to Lucas Oil Stadium. The hotel is a short drive to several tourist attractions. For example, it is an eleven-minute drive to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, a twelve-minute drive to Indianapolis Motor Speedway,…
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My night with the Gwinnett Stripers – June 19, 2019
There are a lot of reasons to revisit a ballpark. A fan may return regularly to a stadium because its his favorite team. Another fan may return regularly because its the closest ballpark to her house. I returned to Coolray Field recently because I wanted to see the re-branded Gwinnett Stripers. Before the 2018 season, the Gwinnett Braves ditched their parent club’s moniker in favor of a more unique identity as the Stripers. I previously wrote about attending a G-Braves game in 2014 (read it here), but felt like I needed to revisit Coolray Field to see what changed following the team’s re-branding. Arriving at the ballpark Like many places…
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My experience at the Crowne Plaza Dayton
For my latest visit to Dayton, I was looking for a hotel in downtown so I could walk to the Dayton Dragons baseball game (read my visit to the ballpark). The Crowne Plaza Dayton was the perfect choice for a downtown hotel. It is two-thirds of a mile to Fifth Third Field, one-third of a mile to the Oregon District, and two-thirds of a mile to RiverScape MetroPark. The hotel is a five-minute drive to the University of Dayton, a fifteen-minute drive to Wright State University, and a twenty-minute drive to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It is a 15-minute drive to Dayton International Airport and the hotel offers a free…
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My night with the Indianapolis Indians – June 11, 2019
There are a lot of award-winning baseball stadiums across the United States. One of these ballparks is Victory Field, which has been home to the Indianapolis Indians since 1996. Although the ballpark may be considered “old,” it still offers fans a great setting on the western edge of downtown Indianapolis to watch a baseball game. Arriving at the ballpark Victory Field has several parking garages and a few surface lots nearby. Options closest to the ballpark tend to be more expensive. The team’s website provides details on some of the closest parking options. The stadium is close to several downtown hotels with many options only a ten-minute walk from the…
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My night with the Dayton Dragons – June 10, 2019
It is rare for Minor League Baseball teams to sell out their home games. It is even more rare for teams to consistently sell out games. However, the Dayton Dragons have sold out every home game since moving to Fifth Third Field in 2000. So any baseball fan traveling through the Midwest should make a stop and become part of a sellout streak that spans over 1,000 games. Arriving at the ballpark With its downtown location there are several parking lots near Fifth Third Field. Some lots are free, but according to the team’s website most parking spots are about $5. Metered street parking is free after 6 p.m. during…
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My day with the Columbus Clippers – June 9, 2019
The Columbus Clippers are extremely proud of their award-winning ballpark. Huntington Park, which opened in 2009, has been named “Ballpark of the Year” a total of six times by various publications. So it jumped to the top of my list of ballparks to visit this summer. Arriving at the ballpark Huntington Park is part of downtown Columbus’s Arena District, which means there are numerous parking spots within a short walk from the stadium. According to the team’s website there are 14,000 spots within a 10-minute walk of the ballpark. Standard Parking-controlled lots charge between $3 and $5 depending on proximity to the field. Visitors staying at a downtown hotel should…
