Getaway Guide: Follow The Phillies

Popcorn, peanuts and Cracker Jacks plus a road trip turns a day at the ball park into a destination getaway. Baseball season is on the horizon, and nearby major league cities are beckoning. So, where to go to follow the Phils and enjoy some great baseball towns along the way? Here are a few of my favorites. – Jay Lloyd

NEW YORK CITY, NY

I was born and raised here. Back then, we had three teams, but Dad was a Giants fan. If they weren't at home, we'd just head to Brooklyn to watch the Bums or see the Bronx Bombers and Joe DiMaggio. There was no stadium in Queens and there were no Mets. Today there is and are. This year, they host the Phillies for Mets' opening day on April 13th and play three games. See one or all, but make sure to spend at least two days soaking up a bit of the "City that Never Sleeps." It's a relatively new stadium, and the Mets aren't known for sellouts, but Citi Field is comfortable, has great food and is in an easy to reach location. Stay in midtown Manhattan, get the number 7 subway train at 42nd Street or Grand Central, and zip right to the stadium.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

My buddies, Jack McCue and his son Matt, a former KYW editor, take an annual Phillies road trip. One of their favorite stops is Washington and the home of the Nationals, a Phils' rival even before Jason Werth nested there. The stadium is near the Navy Yard and within sight of the nation's Capitol. Nationals Park is modern, easy to navigate and the food and drink is a reflection of the city itself - everything from crab cakes, inspired by the nearby Chesapeake Bay, to a Philly fav, the funnel cake. Stay near the Capitol or on the fringe of town and you'll still find good transportation to the stadium by Metro bus or even water taxi. The Phillies will be there from April 16th through 19th.

BALTIMORE, MD

There is probably not another stadium that generated more ink than Baltimore's Camden Yards. It was designed to replicate old time baseball combined with modern amenities. The food and the fans are half the fun! When Orioles boosters go into their "Wave" act, it's hard to stop. But the game goes on right in the center of the city, surrounded by Inner Harbor hotels, restaurants, great bars and the business heart of Baltimore. Food service at the ballpark is a mirror image of what you'll find at the most traditional and ethnic spots that define this historic town. Polish sausages share a plate with local crab cakes and savory barbecue. If you've never tried a National Bohemian beer, a local favorite, give it a sip. Is it great? Not so much, but at least you have a conversation starter. Stay near the ballpark and just walk to the game. It's also a great day and night if you have a boat or a friend with one. Just sail to Baltimore and tie up at a marina within blocks of the park. The Phils will there for a two-day stand on June 15th and 16th.

TORONTO, ONTARIO

Everybody has a favorite, and mine is simple. This the only ball park with a built-in hotel, smack in the center of a vibrant town, with incredible food and an all-weather field. Where else? Toronto! A baseball getaway north of the border can put you in a game-view room at the Renaissance Hotel inside the Rogers Centre, the home of the Blue Jays, or at a table in a fine restaurant overlooking the field. The stadium has a retractable roof and one of the friendliest crowds you'll meet in all of baseball. On the last visit, we took in two games, one at the hotel field-view restaurant, the Arriba, where they do expect you to stay for the entire game. The bargain here is that a mid-price meal and drinks also nets you the ball game. We watched our next game from behind home plate on an upper deck with exceptional food and drink service and that uniquely Canadian treat, poutine. The hotel and stadium is right next door to Toronto's major attraction, a space needle called the CN Tower. The Phils will be there June 28th and 29th.

BOSTON, MA

Fenway Park is a legend. It would be hard to imagine Boston or baseball without this throwback field that evokes images of "Casey at the Bat." Old timers still talk about the thrill of watching Ted Williams at Fenway. Red Sox baseball is hard to beat for sheer excitement and tradition, and when the cravings take hold during that seventh inning stretch, you're no more that a whistle away from a blizzard of chompables. Kosher? No problem. Crave a famous New England lobster roll or a thick chowder? They're both there. And Cracker Jacks are a staple. Stay anywhere in Boston and get to Fenway by subway or bus. There's plenty to do in town, including a stroll to the historic sites that framed the American Revolution, touring "Old Ironsides" or quaffing a cold one at "Cheers." The Phils are Boston-bound for a three-day stand starting September 4th.

There are many other baseball road trips, some even packaged by the Phils. Many hotels near major league ballparks package rooms and game tickets at a discount, and public transportation to the games is usually a snap.

Enjoy!