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Think Spring: Spring Training
Cactus League Baseball in Phoenix
By Robert Rhoades
I am passionate about baseball. And I am passionate about it all year--even after the Championship is decided. Because of that, I seek every opportunity I can to attend Cactus League Spring Training in Arizona.
The best things about Spring Training: you get to surround yourself with other baseball fans, enjoy ball games in the off-season, soak up the beautiful weather, see your favorite players up close, and get a look at the players being considered for the season’s final roster.
Here are some of my recommendations and tips for planning a great Spring Training Trip:
Recommendations
Where to stay--
The first thing the ideal traveler needs to decide is if they are going to spring training to watch a specific team or simply to watch as many baseball games as possible. If you're mainly interested in watching your favorite team play, then a hotel closest to the location where they'll be playing would be ideal. If the goal is just see baseball, then a more centralized location like Phoenix, Tempe, or Peoria would be perfect.
Extended Stay hotels like Extended Stay America are great for the spring training traveler because it allows you to stay in one central location close to many of the stadiums. It's also a great money saving tool because they come with their own small kitchens, which means that you can bring food from home or go shopping at a local grocery store and feed the family for pennies on the dollar compared to eating out every meal.
What to see--
Adding variety into your visit can turn your spring training trip into a great family vacation for everyone. Arizona has numerous activities to entertain everyone in the family. Grand Canyon National Park is a beautiful 3 hour drive from Phoenix through Kaibab National Forest. Or, if a relaxing vacation is more your thing, there are dozens of spas to choose from in the greater Phoenix area. If you're a history geek like I am, there are old west towns, Victorian mansions, and American Indian museums just a short drive away. There are also great shopping malls, both indoors and out, close to the ballparks. And make sure you spend some time in the local community where your favorite team plays as it's not uncommon to see some of the Major League players around town.
Just a tip--
Spring Training stadiums do not offer as much seating as Major League stadiums do. Make sure you plan your trip early and give yourself plenty of time to purchase tickets. Buying tickets from the team's website can be affordable on nearly any budget, but if you wait until the last minute you may be forced to pay two, three, four times the price, or more, from a website like Stubhub.com.
For more information--
The Cactus League website (www.cactusleague.com) is a great website for anyone who plans to attend some games. They have full schedules of all the teams that practice in Arizona, maps to help plan where to stay and how to get around, as well as, a trip planner to help you decide which games to go see.
Spring Training photos on this page retrieved from the Sacramento Bee: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/02/22/3421603/san-francisco-giants-in-spring.html.
I am passionate about baseball. And I am passionate about it all year--even after the Championship is decided. Because of that, I seek every opportunity I can to attend Cactus League Spring Training in Arizona.
The best things about Spring Training: you get to surround yourself with other baseball fans, enjoy ball games in the off-season, soak up the beautiful weather, see your favorite players up close, and get a look at the players being considered for the season’s final roster.
Here are some of my recommendations and tips for planning a great Spring Training Trip:
Recommendations
Where to stay--
The first thing the ideal traveler needs to decide is if they are going to spring training to watch a specific team or simply to watch as many baseball games as possible. If you're mainly interested in watching your favorite team play, then a hotel closest to the location where they'll be playing would be ideal. If the goal is just see baseball, then a more centralized location like Phoenix, Tempe, or Peoria would be perfect.
Extended Stay hotels like Extended Stay America are great for the spring training traveler because it allows you to stay in one central location close to many of the stadiums. It's also a great money saving tool because they come with their own small kitchens, which means that you can bring food from home or go shopping at a local grocery store and feed the family for pennies on the dollar compared to eating out every meal.
What to see--
Adding variety into your visit can turn your spring training trip into a great family vacation for everyone. Arizona has numerous activities to entertain everyone in the family. Grand Canyon National Park is a beautiful 3 hour drive from Phoenix through Kaibab National Forest. Or, if a relaxing vacation is more your thing, there are dozens of spas to choose from in the greater Phoenix area. If you're a history geek like I am, there are old west towns, Victorian mansions, and American Indian museums just a short drive away. There are also great shopping malls, both indoors and out, close to the ballparks. And make sure you spend some time in the local community where your favorite team plays as it's not uncommon to see some of the Major League players around town.
Just a tip--
Spring Training stadiums do not offer as much seating as Major League stadiums do. Make sure you plan your trip early and give yourself plenty of time to purchase tickets. Buying tickets from the team's website can be affordable on nearly any budget, but if you wait until the last minute you may be forced to pay two, three, four times the price, or more, from a website like Stubhub.com.
For more information--
The Cactus League website (www.cactusleague.com) is a great website for anyone who plans to attend some games. They have full schedules of all the teams that practice in Arizona, maps to help plan where to stay and how to get around, as well as, a trip planner to help you decide which games to go see.
Spring Training photos on this page retrieved from the Sacramento Bee: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/02/22/3421603/san-francisco-giants-in-spring.html.
