Baseball: Toronto Blue Jays vs Philadelphia Phillies

We attended a game of the Toronto Blue Jays vs Philadelphia Phillies, playing at the Blue Jay’s ballpark, Rogers Centre, the only MLB team in Canada.

Jenn’s game summary:

Our first domed stadium. They can open the roof, but it was closed due to drizzle and maybe wildfire smoke. A lovely park with excellent food and a vibrant atmosphere. The Blue Jays came out for four runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings each to make total cream cheese of the Phillies, who only scraped together one run. Bassitt recorded his 1100th career strikeout, and Bo Bichette hit his 8th home run of the year. It was a fun game with a bit of local color—they sang a song called “OK Blue Jays” before “Take Me Out To the Ballgame,” and everyone knew the words and gestures, creating a great community vibe.

An interactive map of the ballpark environs:

This ballpark was a little more difficult to get to, as we had to cross an international border into Canada:

Welcome to Canada

Toronto:

Toronto

CN Tower:

CN Tower

CN Tower

Toronto Blue Jays:

Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays

Team store:

Team store

Mary Brown’s Chicken:

Mary Brown's Chicken

Poutine (of course) and chicken tenders:

Poutine and chicken tenders

Selfie from our seats in Section 119, Row 12, Seats 13 & 14:

Selfie from our seats

Closed dome:

Closed dome

Ace, the Blue Jays mascot:

Ace, the Blue Jays mascot

Cheerleaders:

Cheerleaders

Play ball:

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Hotel rooms overlooking the field:

Hotel rooms overlooking the field

A run scores:

Run scores

Two more runs:

Run scores

The mascot “helping” the grounds crew:

Mascot helping grounds crew

Exploring the ballpark:

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Chungchun rice hot dogs:

Chungchun rice hot dogs

Gamsung hot dog covered in potato, and half mozzarella hot dog:

Chungchun rice hot dogs

Cheerleader:

Cheerleader

Blue Jays win:

Blue Jays win

Ballpark

Travel from Newbury, Ohio to Youngstown, New York

We drove our coach 213 miles, about four hours of driving, from Newbury, Ohio to Youngstown, New York.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading northeast:

Route

An interactive map, with potential stops pinned:

Rain pouring off slide topper:

Rain pouring off slide topper

Needed to return the laminated parking pass:

Needed to return the parking pass

Road near Newbury, Ohio:

Road near Newbury, Ohio

I-90 East:

I-90 East

Fuel stop:

Fuel stop

BK for lunch:

BK for lunch

Paladin on the dash when we returned to our coach:

Paladin on the dash when we return to our coach

Toe beans:

Toe beans

Paladin on the dash when underway:

Paladin on the dash when underway

Welcome to Pennsylvania:

Welcome to Pennsylvania

A truck took the curve too fast, and rolled over; that’s going to take a while to clean up:

Truck took the curve to fast

Truck took the curve to fast

Welcome to New York:

Welcome to New York

New York Tollway:

New York Tollway

Service plaza parking:

Service plaza parking

Not something you see on a trailer every day:

Not something you see on a trailer every day

Text stop parking area; a good idea:

Text stop parking area; a good idea

Buffalo:

Buffalo

Tonawanda bridge:

Tonawanda bridge

Welcome to the City of Niagara Falls; we avoided the Niagara Scenic Parkway due to the 12’ 0” height restriction (we are 11’ 7”, rather close):

Welcome to City of Niagara Falls

And definitely avoided accidentally heading to Canada:

Exit

Arriving at Four Mile Creek State Park:

Arriving at Four Mile Creek State Park

Our site:

Our site

Our coach:

Our coach

Little did we know we’d be here a little longer than expected….

Baseball: Cleveland Guardians vs Los Angeles Angels

We attended a game of the Cleveland Guardians vs the Los Angeles Angels, playing at the Guardians’ ballpark, Progressive Field.

Jenn’s game summary:

A fun game with some interesting scoring stuff I’d never seen before, including a single that was also an E7 and then an “OAD 3-6-5” with the batter thrown out at third. Also, a delayed HBP call on a final out, so guys were back in the dugout and had to get back out to continue. The Angels struck first with back-to-back homers in the third (just after the above wacky play). Mike Trout got a couple singles and an RBI double, but the Guardians got three homers of their own (José Ramirez, Steven Kwan, and Carlos Santana) with some other hits mixed in to eventually win it 7-5. The food was pretty terrible (dogs were both soggy & burnt?!) but really good nachos and ice cream saved the day.

An interactive map of the ballpark:

Progressive Field:

Progressive Field

Progressive Field

Long line for the team store:

Long line for the team store

Team store

Pretzel, gross hot dog, soda, and water:

Pretzel, gross hot dog, soda, and water

More edible mozzarella sticks and tots:

More edible mozzarella sticks and tots

Angels vs Guardians:

Angels vs Guardians

Cheerleader:

Cheerleader

Seat selfie:

Seat selfie

The view from our seats in Section 136, Row Y, Seats 1 & 2:

View from our seats

Play ball:

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

This guy a few seats down from us caught a foul ball:

This guy a few seats down from us caught a foul ball

Heritage park:

Heritage park

Heritage park

Heritage park

Heritage park

Bullpens:

Bullpens

Exploring the ballpark:

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Nice nachos:

Nachos

Nachos

Home run:

Home run

Perry’s ice cream:

Perry's ice cream

Churro sundae:

Churro sundae

Play under review:

Play under review

Baseball

Scores:

Scores

Guardians win:

Guardians win

Mangia! Mangia!

We had dinner at Mangia! Mangia!, self-described as “A Really Good Italian Restaurant”… and we have to admit, they weren’t lying.

The large parking lot was packed, but we managed to snag one of a couple empty spots. We were worried that they’d be too busy, but were seated straight away.

The menu:

Menu

Menu

Menu

Jenn’s veal parmigana & noodles:

Veal parmigana & noodles

My lasagna:

Lasagna

I also had a baked spud side:

Also baked spud side

Dessert menu:

Dessert menu

We shared a cannoli:

Cannoli

Everything was delicious. We can see why it’s a popular place.

Travel from Shipshewana, Indiana to Newbury, Ohio

We drove our coach 238 miles, about five hours of driving, from Shipshewana, Indiana to Newbury, Ohio.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route map

An interactive map, with potential stops pinned:

Departing; we cut through the empty site in front of us for an easier exit:

Departing; we cut through the empty site in front of us for an easier exit

Amish rush hour:

Amish rush hour

Amish

Angola roundabout column:

Angola roundabout column

“Welcome to Ohio, the heart of it all”:

Welcome to Ohio, the heart of it all

Ohio Turnpike:

Ohio Turnpike

The Ohio Turnpike service plazas have RV hookups, with 20, 30, and 50 amp electricity, and nearby potable water and dump station, for only $20. Though limited to 40 feet; we could only fit if we disconnected our truck and parked it elsewhere:

RV hookups in rest area, but too short for us

Huge truck parking area:

Rest area

Tiffin River Service Plaza — notable for us as we have a Tiffin motorhome:

Tiffin River Service Plaza

BK for lunch:

BK for lunch

BK for lunch

Plus Starbucks coffee:

Starbucks coffee

Back to our coach:

Back to our coach

Back on the Ohio Turnpike, aka I-80 and I-90:

Back on the Ohio Turnpike, aka I-80 and i-90

Covered pile in a maintenance area, I guess sand or salt for snow:

Covered pile in maintenance area, I guess sand for snow

Another Ohio Turnpike toll plaza:

Another Ohio Turnpike toll plaza

Another large service plaza:

Another large rest area

Rough road:

Rough road

They weren’t kidding:

They weren't kidding

Yet another large service plaza:

Another large rest area

Exiting the turnpike:

Exiting the turnpike

I-480 East:

I-480 East

Big geodesic dome over the world HQ of ASM International:

Big geodesic dome over the HQ of ASM International

Punderson State Park:

Punderson State Park

Punderson State Park

Camping check-in station:

Punderson State Park

Our site… once again, not entirely level:

Our site

Baseball: Detroit Tigers vs Boston Red Sox

We attended a game of the Detroit Tigers vs Boston Red Sox, playing at the Tigers ballpark, Comerica Park.

Jenn’s game summary:

The Tigers completed a 3-game sweep of the Red Sox on a pleasant evening in Detroit. Nice stadium with a couple of fun things (carousel with tigers instead of horses and a baseball-themed Ferris wheel). Tarik Skubal pitched very well and efficiently—11 strikeouts and only one walk. Amazing homerun robbery with assist (scoring: F9-8) by the Red Sox to steal a run from Kerry Carpenter that will be in the highlight reels for years. Exciting steal and advance on a throwing error for some 9th inning heroics by the Tigers and a walk-off single to end it—a fun game.

An interactive map of the ballpark:

Entrance, with lots of tigers:

Entrance with lots of tigers

Big tiger:

Big tiger

More tigers:

More tigers

Team store:

Team store

Carousel:

Carousel

Kielbasa and pierogis:

Kielbasa and pierogis

Fried Classics:

Fried Classics

Elephant ear:

Elephant ear

Baseball bat drink of Tiger Fuel:

Baseball bat drink of Tiger Fuel

Selfie from our seats:

Selfie from our seats

View from our seats in Section 126, Row 27, Seats 1 & 2:

View from our seats

Play ball:

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

The mascot, Paws:

Paws

Paws

Run scores:

Run scores

We liked how the sculptures captured the motion:

Exploring the ballpark

Ferris wheel:

Ferris wheel

Exploring the ballpark:

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Exploring the ballpark

Nice stats display:

Nice stats display

New pitcher:

New pitcher

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Run scores

Tigers win:

Tigers win

Tigers win

Travel from Ravenna, Ohio to St Clair, Michigan

We drove our coach 249 miles, about five hours of driving, from Ravenna, Ohio to St Clair, Michigan.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading west then north:

Route

An interactive map, with potential stops pinned:

“Is your TV Antennae Down?” — okay, pedantically that should be either “are” or “antenna”:

Is your TV Antennae Down?

Leaving West Branch State Park:

Leaving West Branch State Park

High arching bridge over rail line:

High arching bridge over rail line

Ohio Turnpike I-80 West:

Ohio Turnpike I-80 West

“Trucks and slower traffic use left lane”; unusual:

Trucks and slower traffic use left lane

Large service plaza truck parking:

Large service plaza truck parking

Service plaza food court:

Service plaza food court

BK and Starbucks coffee for lunch:

BK for lunch

Paladin in his dash bed with some roadworks:

Paladin in his dash bed with some roadworks

Ohio turnpike I-80/90 West:

Ohio turnpike I-80/90 West

Another service plaza, with RV elctrical hookups!:

Another service plaza, with RV elctrical hookups!

Toll plaza:

Toll plaza

I-280 North:

I-280 North

Oregon?!

Oregon?!

Bridge over Maumee River in Toledo:

Bridge over Maumee River in Toledo

Maumee River

I-75 North:

I-75 North

“Welcome to Pure Michigan”:

Welcome to Pure Michigan

Not the best road surface:

Not the best road surface

TA fuel stop:

TA fuel stop

I-75 North:

I-75 North

“Speed limit 70, truck speed 65, minimum speed 55”:

Speed limit 70, truck speed 65, minimum speed 55

“Welcome to Thousand Trails St Clair”:

Welcome to Thousand Trails St Clair

Gate:

Gate

Our site:

Our site