rwschemquest
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Total Posts:
65
- Joined: 8/17/2004
- Location: Ballston Lake, NY
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RE: Baseball Trip Complete!
Sat, 08/21/04 12:43 AM
( permalink)
quote:Originally posted by signman
Julia,
You suggested that baseball and roadfood would make a good idea for a book. You are correct. It's a great idea and has been done. The book is called "Fodors Ballpark Vacations" and the authors are Bruce Adams and Peggy Engel. It's in it's 3rd printing. Here's the story.
In 1991, my friend Bruce Adams, myself and 2 others set off on "The Middle AGed Boys of Summer 1991 Roadtrip". Our itinerary took us from the Baltimore-Washington area (our home) to 10 games in 9 days in 9 different major league ballparks. We hit Cincinnati (DH), Chicago (Sox), Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago (Cubbies), Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. We hit a few State Capitals along the way (Bruce is political too), the Roller Coaster Capital of the US, Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio, and made every stop we could at any food place mentioned in Jane and Michael Stern's "Roadfood" or "Goodfood".
In '92 the MABOS set off to the Northeast, adding a few minor league parks too. New York Yankees, Pawtucket, Boston, Cooperstown, Oneonta, Rochester, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Toronto, Binghamton, and the Little League World Series. Highlights were the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, the home of Buffalo Wings, and "spiedies' at Sharkeys in Binghamton. The lowlight was Brooks BBQ in Oneonta -- It was Monday and they were closed. I still haven't been there.
1993 took us to California. Candlestick in the fog, Pacific Coast Highway and Hearst Castle, Chavez Ravine, Anaheim, San Diego, the Zoo, Stockton, Sacramento, San Jose, and finally, Oakland. I think Visalia, too. By this time my copy of Roadfood was pretty dogeared. It's a good thing a few new editions came down the pike.
1994 found Bruce running a long and hard political campaign which ultimately was unsuccessful -- so no trip. In '95 with lots of free time, Bruce and his wife, Margaret (Peggy) Engel, and kids Emily and Hugh, packed up the old minivan and headed north south east and west to major and minor league ballparks, amusement parks, and any other place worth stopping. They were at it all summer and ate lots of roadfood, spending the advance they had received from Fodors for the book. Peggy is a professional journalist and had already written the book "Food Finds" with her twin sister Alison. The TV show FOOD FINDS, inspired by that book, has been running on the Food Network for several seasons.
"Ballpark Vacations" is divided into chapters that are geared to a family spending 3-5 days in one geographic area. It has info on the teams and ballparks, neaby notable historic and tourist attractions, amusement parks, and locally owned unique roadfood establishments.
I'm ready for another big roadtrip. Wandering Jew and NY Andy, are you game?
Brooks BBQ in Oneonta is perhaps the best chicken in the world, and it'a almost FREE. I lived in Oneonta for 9 years as a kid and this place has always been my favorite place. I order their chicken sauce so I can make it at home, but it's never really the same. There is a place in Clifton Park, NY called Giffy's that tries to duplicate the menu and taste, but it's not quite the same. The BBQ sauce used by Brooks is sometimes called "Cornell BBQ Chicken".
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