Gettin’ Carried Away

It’s no secret that I love baseball. My family has season tickets to White Sox games, and one of my goals in life is to see all 30 MLB stadiums.

Luckily, I made it to old Yankee Stadium before it was closed for good. Sadly, I never went to a Mets game at Shea Stadium. I’ve heard so much about the Metrodome, home of the Minnesota Twins, that I would love to check it out before it is demolished after the 2009 season.

My schedule is pretty full for the summer, so I’d like to head Northwest in the fall. I’m thinking mid-September, the end of the regular season.

~* Twins catcher Joe Mauer at U.S. Cellular Field on May 20, 2009 *~

Every day, I keep looking for tickets via my favorite agency, and I’m finding some pretty close seats for $150 and under. There’s something about sitting close to the players that makes the experience more enjoyable, especially on the road. I’m guilty of putting athletes in this “superhuman” category, along with most celebrities. I get all giddy when I can snap an up-close-and-personal pic!

While doing some research, I did come across a cool hotel package that offers a Deluxe guest room at the Holiday Inn, tickets to the game and transportation to the game. My ideal trip would be from Thursday night to Saturday afternoon, requiring two nights in a hotel. I have to submit an inquiry to see what is available, though.

I’ve been to Minnesota twice, and only to shop at the Mall of America. Any tips/recommendations are appreciated. If I use them, I’ll be happy to credit you when I blog about my visit!

I’ve read many arguments concerning the Internet and travel.

• “Leave the computer behind. Spending time online takes away from your travel experience.”
• “Share your thoughts with the world… in a matter of seconds!

The funny thing is… I’ve read these two opinions, and many more like them, where? You guessed it… ONLINE! I must say, as a blogger, a Twitterer, a Facebooker, a Myspacer and an all-around Internet junkie, I agree with the second quotation.

Having recently purchased an iPhone, when I’m roaming around a given location and I see something interesting, I immediately snap a photo and post it to Twitter. Perhaps this has to do with the times. Currently, we are a culture that depends heavily on the Internet for a myriad of things: acquiring news, booking travel arrangements, (legally) downloading entertainment, banking money and more.  So why wouldn’t we use the Internet while on a trip?

Some people argue that the time you spend on the Internet may take away from the time you could be taking in the new surroundings. On the contrary, I believe that it forces you to pay close attention to a given monument, statue, restaurant, food cart, museum, etc. If you’re planning on sharing your travels with the world, you’re not just going to snap a photo of some statue of some dude and move on to the next sight. You are going to tell the world how you stood in front of The Thinker, created by Auguste Rodin in 1880 and currently residing at the Musee Rodin in Paris, France.

How many times have you been on trip, snapped a bunch of pictures and come home to show family and friends, only to realize that you don’t even remember who/what is in the photo? You can solve this problem by A. carrying a pad and pen with you or B. posting the photo online right away, labeling it with a tiny description. Being on the Internet while you travel will not hinder your experience. Logging on can only enhance your trip as you share your findings with the world and simultaneously create a virtual “memory book” of your holiday.

I find that, when people make plans to visit the UK, they tend to talk to me about London, Dublin, Glasgow, etc. No one ever mentions Wales! I think it’s a shame because, for one, I have several friends from Wales and two, I’ve been there and it’s gorgeous! I was lucky enough to be part of a student bus trip from London, England to Chepstow, Wales and the Wye Valley. It only took a few hours to drive there, so it’s a perfect day trip for anyone.

I had never seen such greenery in all my life. Of course, I’ve seen empty lands. But being from Illinois (USA), all I’ve seen is corn fields. But in Chepstow… vast, verdant lands stretch out as far as your eyes can see! You won’t see herds of cows, lost in countless stalks of corn. You will enjoy breathtaking views of warm, green planes that glimmer in the sunlight.

We headed to Wye Valley, a section of the Royal Forest that runs from Hereford to Chepstow and forms the borders between England and Wales. It has been said that this exact forest inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s descriptions of Fangorn Forest in Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of the winding road we took through the enchanting archways of trees. It’s not just because we stayed on the bus the whole time. Unfortunately, I sometimes get a little bit of motion sickness, and it happened to me on this journey. A bit of advice: If you don’t have any medicine, cold water and a fan work wonders… and will get you through the bumpiest, wildest rides.

After we drove through Wye Valley, we visited the ruins of the Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle. One of my most memorable experiences of this trip was when I got be in two places at once! I’m serious, too. Just up the road from Chepstow Castle, there is a tiny bridge that features two seemingly out-of-place squares. You are meant to put one foot in each square, thereby being in both England and Wales at the same time! Just take a look at this photo:

Another place I suggest seeing in Wales is Cardiff. Stay on the water near the River Taff and tour the luxurious Cardiff Castle. You can even grab a Mega Bus for under £20!