Knowing that I’m walking out of a specific ballpark for the final time is not a feeling I particularly enjoy.

Fortunately, this isn’t something that I’ve had to face on too many occasions over the years. The last time this feeling hit me, I was leaving Intimidators Stadium in Kannapolis, NC, on July 3, 2019. I was in town on the final day of a weeklong trip through North Carolina and Virginia — several months after the local franchise announced that it would leave Intimidators Stadium after 2019, rebrand as the Cannon Ballers and begin play in a new, downtown ballpark.

While it’s disheartening to know that I’ll be seeing a particular park for the last time, the silver lining in this scenario is that there’s usually a new park to see. So, while I was a little sad to be leaving Intimidators Stadium, I knew that I’d eventually be checking out the next home of this franchise.

That opportunity came in the final days of my May trip through North Carolina. After great stops in Greensboro, Charlotte, Fayetteville, High Point, Kinston and Durham, I was happy to be back in Kannapolis — and eager to check out the new Atrium Health Ballpark, which opened in 2021. (It was scheduled to open for the 2020 MiLB season, but we all know how that went.)

I spent the first part of this day traveling around Durham to visit some filming locations from Bull Durham, met a friend for lunch, made the two-hour drive to Kannapolis and went straight to the ballpark.

There’s a lot of construction going on in the area around Atrium Health Ballpark, which gave the neighborhood a fresh and lively vibe — and initially made me a little confused about where I should park my rental car. It didn’t take long to find a parking lot, and I was soon on foot and heading toward the ballpark. My first view of this ballpark — my 65th different minor league park and 84th different affiliated park overall — may look a little bland, but it actually ties into something exciting. Here’s what I saw:

OK, so I’ll admit that this view might not even look like a ballpark, but as I stood and looked at the scene for a moment, I could hear the wonderful sound of bats hitting baseballs, and immediately knew that I was looking at a batting cage. After taking a few steps past the two roll-up doors, this was the scene:

You’re looking at a few members of the Carolina Mudcats taking some pregame swings. I love when ballparks have batting cages that the public can see, rather than positioning them out of sight. Although I was eager to begin exploring the area around the park, I couldn’t resist spending a few minutes watching the action in front of me.

During a short break in the batting practice action, I kept following the sidewalk along Cannon Baller Way, which looked like this:

I understand that this shot might not be the most exciting I’ve ever posted, but I was impressed with how meticulous the scene was. Even though areas around the ballpark were still heavily under construction, a lot of the neighborhood had a carefully maintained look just like this scene.

Cannon Baller Way wraps around behind the ballpark’s home plate, and I eventually turned right onto Chestnut Avenue and was able to peek through the fence to get my first good look at the field:

Views like this one always make me anxious to get inside and begin walking around the concourse, but I knew there were more things to see around the park’s perimeter.

As I made my way along Laureate Way and West Avenue, I saw lots of signs of construction …

… before eventually returning to Cannon Baller Way and checking out the park from this vantage point:

What you’re looking at here is the end of the grandstand and suite level on the left, with an open space on the right that would soon fill with vendors and concession tables.

Once I’d completed a full exterior lap of the ballpark, I entered and found myself standing on the concourse with this view:

I’d seen a number of shots of this ballpark online prior to my visit and been impressed with the view from home plate. The buildings the make up the backdrop are part of the North Carolina Research Campus, and I think they really augment the view from home plate. I’m glad that the ballpark architects had the foresight to position the park in this direction.

I decided to begin my tour by walking along the third base concourse in the direction of the left field foul pole. After a handful of steps, I turned and took this photo of the scene toward home plate:

Atrium Health Ballpark was still very quiet at this point. The grounds crew was working on the field and various other employees were setting up for the game, but the park otherwise had a deserted feel. I know that for many people, there’s nothing like a crowded, raucous ballpark — but for me, the quiet calmness of a park before the gates open is simply impossible to beat. It’s moments like these that I can’t help but be thankful for all the baseball travel I get to do.

I continued along the concourse until I was close to the corner, which has this really appealing design:

I love when baseball facilities offer all sorts of different seating options, and the left field corner at Atrium Health Ballpark certainly delivers in this regard. It’s got stadium seats, picnic tables and lots of standing-room spots. In left field, you’ll find a good-sized grass berm, which is the only grass seating area in this park:

I don’t have anything against parks that have berms in both left field and right field, but I kind of love the asymmetrical look of parks that only have a berm on one side. It gives them less of a cookie-cutter design.

See the video board in the photo above? That’s where I went for my next photo. Here’s a shot from directly beneath it, with a sign that warned me about baseballs that might be flying my way:

Unfortunately, because there were some light sprinkles of rain in the air, batting practice was limited to the batting cages I’d seen earlier, rather than taking place on the field.

I noted a few paragraphs ago how Atrium Health Ballpark has lots of seating options in the left field corner, but there were some neat sections elsewhere in the outfield, too. Here’s a look at some Adirondack chairs in left field and some bar-style seating in right-center:

I eventually made my way around the concourse to the first base side, where I had this view of the still-quiet ballpark:

As you can see, there’s another stylish building in the distance beyond the left field foul pole, which serves as a nice backdrop for fans who sit on the first base side of the park.

After following the concourse a little farther, I stopped to snap a selfie:

For this visit, I made a point of wearing the same type of road trip raglan that I wore during my lone visit to Intimidators Stadium back in 2019. I’m a nerd like that.

My next stop was the suite level, where I checked out a number of things. The biggest attraction was the 5,600-square-foot Kinetic Club, a group space that can accommodate up to 300 guests. Situated above the first base side, and featuring all sorts of food options and a full-service bar, groups can book it for ballgames or private events on non-game days. The interior of the space has a stylish look:

Here’s the view of the field from the Kinetic Club:

I enjoyed hanging out in this space for a few minutes and taking in the view. And, if I’m honest, I also enjoyed a break from the cool breezes that I’d encountered as I made my way around the concourse. After more than a week of really hot temperatures throughout my various stops in North Carolina, the chilly temperature on this evening was a bit of a shock to the system!

After leaving the Kinetic Club through a door that sat at the top of a staircase that led to the first base concourse, I stood with my back to the field and snapped this picture of the ballpark’s sign and the parking lot I’d used in the distance:

If you think that the Atrium Health Ballpark sign has a pristine look, you’re absolutely right. Everything I encountered around the park had a like-new appearance, despite this being the park’s third season of use. It was really impressive.

When the gates opened, I decided to grab something to eat and find a place to sit and relax for a bit. I’d eyed up several concession items during my pregame walk, and ended up choosing an order of “Super Nachos” from the appropriately named “Nacho Cart.” I chose taco beef as my meat, and loaded up every topping that was available — lettuce, cheese, jalapenos, sour cream, queso and salsa:

This meal was really good, and I’d probably rank it in the top five of my all-time ballpark nachos. As you might’ve noticed, the sour cream was a little overdone, thanks to a bit of an explosion with the bottle, but that suited me just fine because it meant that nothing was dried out.

After taking the shot of my dinner, I made my way to the front row of an empty section in right-center field, where I ate while enjoying this view as the players began to warm up:

I remained in this spot well after finishing my nachos, enjoying watching the players get ready on the field in front of me with the ballpark grandstand and suite level as a stylish backdrop. As first pitch approached, I moved over to the third base side and hung out where I had this view:

I watched the first inning from this spot, and then walked around the outfield concourse until I found a spot on the first base side in time for the second inning. My second inning vantage point gave me a good view of the field, but also offered a view of something I don’t think I’d previously seen at a ballpark — the Cannon Ballers bullpen staff sitting in a group picnic area:

I didn’t have the nerve to relocate to a spot adjacent to where the players were sitting, but I’d lying if I said I didn’t ponder the idea for a moment.

At the start of the third inning, I moved behind home plate, as I wanted to check out the gorgeous view that the park offers from these seats. The view certainly didn’t disappoint:

After watching the majority of the first three innings, I decided to spend the next part of my visit wandering around and taking in more sights. I began on the home plate concourse, where I watched organist Jason “Greazy Keyz” Atkins perform short tunes between batters:

I absolutely love hearing organ music at a ballpark because of the throwback vibe that it offers. While having an organist stationed somewhere on the suite level is fine, it’s infinitely better for them to work on the concourse where everyone can watch. I was thoroughly impressed with his musicianship. He’d keep a close eye on the game as he’s doing in my photo, and when the time came, he’d quickly tap a button or two on his tablet to cue up some background music, and then his fingers would fly over the keys. Just a handful of seconds later, he’d pause while the on-field play continued, and then repeat this process over and over. The whole performance was highly impressive, and I encourage anyone who visits Atrium Health Ballpark to check out Greazy Keyz in action.

Eventually, I made my way to the left field corner, where I was amused to see members of the visiting Carolina Mudcats hanging out in the field-level group seating area, too:

I had to chuckle at the sign in the group area that read, “No Field Access,” as the bullpen players were hopping back and forth over the fence between their seats and the field throughout the evening.

I spent a bit of time on the grass berm — standing, rather than sitting, as it was slightly damp from a few scattered showers in the area — and then hung out in center field for a bit with this view:

I spent the game’s waning innings in a couple of spots — the Adirondack chairs in right field and the concourse on the third base side. When moving between these two areas, I took a quick stop in the team shop and snapped this shirt that has a message I think we can all agree on:

After the game ended, I made the 20-minute drive to my hotel. There are hotels that are closer to Atrium Health Ballpark, but I chose to stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites Concord Charlotte:

For the purpose of my plans, this hotel had a perfect location. Not only was it not far from the ballpark, but it was just minutes from the Concord Mills shopping mall, which I always enjoy visiting when I’m around Charlotte. Additionally, I wanted to check out a handful of NASCAR race shops during my visit, and this hotel’s location was well situated for that plan.

Upon checking in, I was happy to find a spacious room that was so clean it almost felt brand new, a good-sized athletic center that I could use to work off a few of my nacho calories, a nice outdoor pool and more.

Although I crashed shortly after getting into my room, I was happy to spend some time around the hotel the next day, as well as use it as a home base for a handful of sightseeing stops around Concord and beyond.

And speaking of the next day, it would feature yet another fun visit to Atrium Health Ballpark — and bring a close to my May trip through North Carolina.

If you’re planning a visit to Kannapolis, be sure to check out the Explore Cabarrus Destination Guide to learn everything you need to know about Kannapolis and the surrounding area. Thanks to Explore Cabarrus for their help with my visit.

There were two things I knew when I climbed into my rental car and drove out of Durham after spending two games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in May of 2019.

One was that after eating pizza and a huge Italian ice at the ballpark the night before, plus treating myself to a hefty late-night burger at a pop-up restaurant situated between the park and my hotel, I’d be able to skip breakfast.

The other thing I knew was I was already eager to revisit this gem of a city and ballpark in the Piedmont region of North Carolina.

I just didn’t think it’d take this long.

A global pandemic canceled plans for return visits in 2020, 2021 and 2022, but I was thrilled to finally be back in the Bull City on this year’s May baseball trip through North Carolina.

I got to Durham about lunchtime and soon checked into my hotel, The Durham. I’ll have more information on it toward the end of this post — and details about an offer that you’ll want to jump on if you’re planning to see the Bulls this season — but it was perfectly situated for my stay in its namesake town. Not only was it conveniently located for visiting both Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the historic Durham Athletic Park, but it also put me right in the heart of the city with many fun things to do within walking distance.

As one must do when visiting the Bull City, I began my pregame activities with a visit to see “Major,” a 10-foot, 2,000-pound bronze bull statue that is situated in a small park at the corner of Corcoran and West Parrish streets:

It’s an impressive statue that is popular among tourists and locals alike, and since I was in town to see the Bulls in action, I thought it was only fitting to see Major first.

About a block away from Major sits an ice cream shop called The Parlour, which I’d read about online before my trip. If I have a dessert weakness, it’s ice cream — and when I learn about an ice cream shop that says it has the best ice cream in the city, and it’s less than a minute from my hotel, there’s a 0.0 percent chance that I won’t indulge. A few minutes after bidding farewell to Major, I was standing on the sidewalk with a smile on my face and this in my hand:

That’s a serving of Meyer lemon pie ice cream, and it was one of at least a half dozen unique flavors that really caught my eye. It was the perfect cool snack as I made my way in the direction of Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

There were a few things that I wanted to see before I got to the ballpark, though, beginning with a climb to the top level of the Corcoran Street Parking Garage. It’s a spot that provides a unique vantage point of the American Tobacco Apartments, which are known for the iconic Old Bull sign. It’s one of my favorite views in Durham. The ballpark is in the distance on the left (you can see the stadium lights), and the Lucky Strike water tower and smokestack at the American Tobacco Historic Campus are also visible:

This is a view that looks even more impressive at night, as you’ll see later in this post. For now, though, I took in the scene for a few minutes before descending to the street and entering the American Tobacco Historic District — which, fittingly, had a Durham Bulls advertisement on its digital sign:

The American Tobacco Historic District features office and event space, restaurants, residences and more — all housed in the century-old brick buildings that were once tobacco warehouses. This is a space that I got to tour when I visited Durham in 2019, and I knew I wanted to spend some time there again on this visit. I spent about half an hour just wandering through the area, enjoying the various sights. I took a ton of pictures, but here are three that I want to share:

If you’re visiting Durham to see the Bulls, I can’t recommend the American Tobacco Historic District enough. Not only is it worth a visit in its own right, but it’s directly across the street from the ballpark. That meant that just a moment after leaving the district behind, I was standing on the sidewalk with this view:

DBAP is one of the most impressive ballparks I’ve visited, minor leagues or otherwise. It opened in 1995, but you could easily believe that it’s only been around for a few seasons. The design is impeccable, the vibe is cool and it’s the type of place I wish I could visit 25 times a season. I love the brick exterior so much that I was tempted to just stand in the plaza in front of the gates and enjoy the scene, but I also knew that I wanted to make my way around the park before entering.

So, I did a little of both.

I spent maybe 10 minutes standing close to this fountain near the main gates …

… enjoying the feel of the cool water as it occasionally splashed onto my arm. And afterward, I began a counter-clockwise walk around the park’s exterior. Here’s a trio of sights I saw as I made my way along Jackie Robinson Drive, which runs along the first base side of the ballpark:

Above, you’re looking at the Jackie Robinson Drive street sign, a banner touting the franchise’s successes, and the team’s Victory Garden, which grows more than 2,000 pounds of food each year for local families in need.

I eventually arrived at an outfield gate that provides a glimpse of the park’s famous “Hit Bull Win Steak” sign from behind:

I love when it’s possible to see iconic ballpark sights before entering. There’s nothing like the view of the bull from the seating bowl, but seeing it from the park’s exterior just whets the appetite for the sights to come.

With my lap complete, I made a quick return visit to the plaza in front of the park, and then entered and immediately made my way to the cross-aisle on the third base side that offered this view:

I then focused my attention on the left field corner, which not only features the 32-foot “Blue Monster” outfield fence, but also offers a good view of the bull sign I’d spotted earlier:

For those who might be wondering, the bull isn’t the original one from the old Durham Athletic Park and the “Bull Durham” movie. The original sign still exists, but is currently in storage. There have been a few different iterations of the replacement bull sign, as one of them was damaged in a severe storm that hit Durham in 2007. Replacement or not, it’s easy to make the argument that this sign might be the single most iconic and recognizable sight in all of the minor leagues, and I was happy to be looking at it once again.

I watched batting practice from this spot for a few minutes, and then retraced my steps along the cross aisle on my way to the upper level on the first base side. This spot, which offers this view …

… is one of my very favorite spots out of any ballpark I’ve ever visited in my travels. I not only love the look of the field from this angle. but also love the American Tobacco Historic District campus in the background, with the water tower and smokestack that I mentioned earlier. It’s a great view when the sun is shining brightly, and it gets even more beautiful as the sun sets. When you visit DBAP, I can’t recommend enough that you spend some time in this spot.

After hanging out here for a few minutes, I continued my walk by making a full lap of the concourse, pausing in right-center field to snap this shot of the left field corner from a new angle:

With my lap complete, I went up to the suite level to check out the views. The first place I stopped was the PNC Triangle Club, which offers this stylish look and provides amenities such as upscale dining, more than a dozen TVs and premium seating. And how sweet is that wide-plank hardwood floor?

I also took a moment to enjoy the view from this area:

My next stop was the team shop. It, like many of the features at DBAP, is one of the most impressive I’ve seen in my travels. It’s not only perhaps the biggest team shop I’ve visited in the minor leagues, but its selection of items is easily among the best. It’s the type of store that you can enter with virtually any type of Bulls-branded product in mind, and likely be able to find it. Here are a few pieces of apparel that caught my eye:

The gates opened while I browsed the team shop, and with a Bark in the Park promotion scheduled, I knew that crowds would be good. That prompted me to go grab something to eat before the concession stands got busy. I took a full lap of the concourse to evaluate my options, partially tempted to repeat one or both of my meal choices from the 2019 visit because of how good they were. In the end, I opted for something a little different — an order of spicy fried cauliflower bites:

As I noted on Twitter at the time, they were the first veggies I’d eaten in an undisclosed amount of time on this trip. Although I question whether veggies that are breaded, fried and covered in hot sauce still count as veggies. Let’s go with yes. Anyway, this meal wasn’t a winner. It wasn’t terrible by any stretch, but it just wasn’t very memorable. Still, the sub-par nature of this dish didn’t do anything to quell my enthusiasm for this park, and as soon as I’d taken my last bites, I was ready to explore some more.

My next stop was the left field corner, which I always think looks cool from field level:

See the fans leaning on the railing? That’s where I was headed next, and that spot offered this great view of the park as the grounds crew prepared the field and the players warmed up:

If you’ve ever been on the Green Monster at Fenway Park, this spot offers a comparable view. Believe it or not, only 5 feet separate the Blue Monster from the Green Monster — and the best thing about the blue one is that you don’t need to spend triple digits to watch the game from this spot. It’s open to any fan with a ticket.

Being in this spot called for a selfie, of course:

Next, I followed the walkway toward center field, where I paused to take in this view:

I’m always a fan of natural batter’s eyes, and DBAP does a really good job of this. Plus, it’s also got a small grass berm, the Home Run Hill, which is a popular hangout spot for families during games. On the left field side of the batter’s eye, you’ll see a curved standing room deck that offers a good view of the action.

From this spot, I turned and looked back toward where I’d taken the selfie a moment earlier. This is the walkway high above left field, and it’s a spot I really enjoy. That’s a sports bar patio on the right, and it’s always packed during games. Fans can enjoy some food and drinks and be able to watch the game from their seats:

Here’s this area from another angle — you can see the bull, the glass railing and the sports bar:

I continued my walking until just before first pitch, and then returned to the top of the Blue Monster to watch the first inning:

I soon took a long walk along this part of the concourse, and paused when I noticed this broken pane of glass:

I hadn’t noticed it earlier, but I assume that it happened during BP. I immediately recalled a New Hampshire Fisher Cats game back in April of 2014, when I watched a player’s BP home run smash a window at the ballpark hotel just a few feet away from me. It was an exciting moment (well, perhaps not for the local window repair company) and I wish I’d been in the vicinity when this pane was hit, too.

Next, I couldn’t resist spending some time above the first base side, enjoying this outstanding view:

All the walking had me ready for something cold and refreshing, and that meant that I needed to make a visit to the Rita’s Italian Ice concession stand for a strawberry Italian Ice:

I mentioned earlier that ice cream is my biggest dessert weakness, but this type of frozen treat might be number two. I know I should definitely not be eating too many of these things, but the fact that I’ve only ever had them at a ballpark is something of a minor comfort. I think.

I took my time eating the dessert and enjoyed sitting in this spot for half an inning after I finished. Then, I went back up to the outfield concourse and made my way over to center field. I mentioned earlier how the berm is popular. Well, here was the scene midway through the game:

I should’ve said it was popular among those with two legs and four legs, as the berm was filled with families and dogs!

The concourse behind right field was also dog central, with numerous dog-related vendor booths and even a wading pool for the canines to cool off. I made my way through the festive scene and eventually got around to the first base side, where I enjoyed this view from the concourse for a few minutes:

After making another visit to the team shop and browsing the concourse, I returned to the cross-aisle on the third base side and decided to close out the rest of my time at DBAP the way I’d started the game — by standing beneath the bull, high above left field. Here’s the last shot I took during the game:

When the game ended, I decided to check out some of the sights around town on the way back to my hotel, rather than make a beeline like I usually do. As I did earlier, I walked past the American Tobacco Apartments, pausing to snap this shot:

Shortly after my visit, the Bulls announced that they’d be wearing special “Old Bull” jerseys that pay tribute to this sign, given its iconic status in Durham. I might have to add one of these jerseys to my collection. Next, I went back to the top level of the parking garage so that I could take this picture — essentially, a nighttime version of the third photo in this post:

Finally, I returned to see Major once again:

Just a few minutes later, I was back in my room at The Durham, where I enjoyed one of the comfiest beds and best sleeps I’ve ever had while traveling. Here’s a look at the type of room I had:

The room featured unique furniture, a cool denim bedspread from Raleigh Denim, a 42-inch smart TV and easily one of the best showers I’ve ever experienced at a hotel.

If you’re planning to visit Durham this season, I not only recommend that you choose to stay at The Durham, but that you also make use of the hotel’s exciting Park & Stay Package. This package includes valet parking, so you’ll simply pull up to the front of the building and not have to fuss about finding downtown parking. Once you’ve checked into your room, this package gives you a chance to hang out on the hotel’s roof deck, where you can enjoy beautiful panoramic views of downtown Durham, as well as get two complimentary beverages. After some time in this space, you can make the easy, 10-minute walk to DBAP to enjoy the game. (Although I hope you’ll devote more than 10 minutes to the walk so that you can do some sightseeing before the game.) You don’t have to be attending a Bulls game to make use of the Park & Stay Package. The Durham Performing Arts Center is just a few blocks from the hotel, so if live music, comedy or theater are your reason for visiting the Bull City, the Park & Stay Package is a great option.

Here are a few shots of The Durham — a shot of the hotel’s cool exterior sign, the Burt’s Bees gift that was waiting in my room and a look at the swanky lobby:

The Burt’s Bees lip balm was a welcome sight. I’ve used this exact same product for years, so finding a new tube in my hotel room was a treat. The product has a cool location connection: This company is headquartered in Durham, and when you visit the American Tobacco Historic District, you can actually see the original cedar cabin used by company founder Burt Shavitz, which was relocated from its original site in Maine. Here’s a look at the cabin from my walk before the game:

I love visiting Durham so much that I was feeling a little sad to only be there for one night. I was, however, eager to continue my baseball adventures the next morning. I’d begin by spending some time at the original Durham Athletic Park and other sites from the “Bull Durham” movie (blog post about that coming soon) and then proceeding to the final city of this road trip.

Sincere thanks to The Durham for its wonderful hospitality during my visit.

After an off-day in the Durham/Chapel Hill area that involved some blogging, some sightseeing and some trying to catch up on sleep and vegetables, my baseball trip through North Carolina continued with a day I’d had circled on my calendar for a long time.

I’d be visiting the Eastern North Carolina town of Kinston, home to the Down East Wood Ducks. Kinston has a population of about 20,000, making it one of the smallest towns that hosts Class A baseball, and its ballpark, Grainger Stadium, is one of the oldest affiliated parks in the sport.

Lots to look forward to, including the fact that I wouldn’t be making the trip alone.

I was joined on this sojourn by Veda Gilbert, a senior PR rep with Visit North Carolina. We met back in 2019 when I visited Durham, and have become friends in the years since. We’ve talked over the years about watching a ballgame together, and decided that Kinston would be a perfect fit. In addition to being a huge help with the overall planning of my week-and-a-half North Carolina trip, she even agreed to wear one of my road trip tees for our time in Kinston!

Roughly 29.3* percent (* a fabricated number, but probably not far from the truth) of Veda and my conversations revolve around food, so it was only sensible that our first stop on this mini road trip would be at one of the most celebrated barbecue places in the state, if not the country. We made a brief detour on the route from Chapel Hill to Kinston by stopping in Ayden. If you’re a fan of barbecue, and especially of North Carolina barbecue, you’ll know that Ayden is the home of Skylight Inn BBQ. Since 1947, Skylight Inn BBQ has specialized in whole hog barbecue and racked up numerous accolades along the way — including a prestigious James Beard Award. Here’s a look at the exterior of the restaurant and my lunch, a serving of pork with sides of coleslaw and cornbread:

Veda had pledged that I’d be blown away by this meal, and she wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest. It was the best pork barbecue I’ve ever eaten by a wide margin, and so good that there was no need to add barbecue sauce. The key is that the cracklins are added to the meat as it’s chopped, so you get a perfect, crispy bite with each mouthful of tender pork. I’d never had pork this way, and I have the feeling that any pork barbecue I have in the future is going to pale in comparison. It was so good that I bought the Skylight Inn BBQ cookbook immediately upon returning home, and I’m kind of kicking myself that I didn’t buy a T-shirt before we left the restaurant.

Ayden isn’t far out of your way if you’re visiting Kinston for baseball, and if you want one of the best barbecue meals you’ll ever have, I can’t recommend enough making a short detour to the Skylight Inn in Ayden.

We arrived in the friendly town of Kinston too early to check into our motel, so we went to visit one of the town’s most notable tourist attractions — a replica of the CSS Neuse, an ironclad ram used by the Confederate States Navy during the Civil War. The full-sized replica, known as CSS Neuse II, has a striking presence in a downtown park, and we were fortunate to get a chance to see its interior. Here are a few pictures from our tour:

After our sightseeing, we arrived at our motel, Mother Earth Motor Lodge, at about 2 p.m. I’d looked at a lot of online photos of the motel prior to this trip, and was eager to check it out — but it absolutely blew me away in person. The motel has a fun, retro look that you’ll appreciate as soon as the property comes into sight. The sign, in particular, offered lots of vintage visual appeal:

The cheery, bright-colored guest rooms are unlike any motel I’ve visited over the years, but the jewel of this motel, as far as I’m concerned, is its courtyard. When you step into the space, you’re greeted by a pristine pool with several deck jets around its perimeter and a backdrop of palm trees that make it feel as though you’ve entered a tropical oasis. The courtyard also features a nine-hole mini putt course, shuffleboard, barbecues and other amenities that guests can use. Here’s a look at the pool area:

Mother Earth Motor Lodge opened in the early 1960s as the Mid-Town Motor Lodge and was a popular overnight spot for travelers and touring entertainers alike — James Brown is a notable former guest who visited the motel while on tour. In 2008, the motel rebranded to its current name after being purchased by Mother Earth Brewing, which is an environmentally friendly, award-winning craft brewery situated within walking distance of the motel.

After checking in, we set out for an hourlong walk that gave us the ability to cover a good amount of downtown Kinston and beyond. Here’s a brief recap of just a few of the sights we checked out — the CSS Neuse Museum, a cool okra-themed mural and a huge art installation called Flue, which pays tribute to the area’s history of tobacco production:

After our sightseeing, we made a short drive to check out some more Eastern-style barbecue. This time, we visited Kings, an establishment that dates back almost 90 years. It’s got a nondescript storefront, but outstanding food and service that defines Southern hospitality. We split a plate that featured really good pork barbecue, fried chicken, hushpuppies, coleslaw, fries and baked beans:

(With all this eating, you might be concerned that I skipped my ballpark meal. You’ll be happy to know that this wasn’t the case.)

After waddling out of Kings, we elected to walk from our motel to Grainger Stadium. The walk was only about 15 minutes and would give us a chance to check out some parts of the town that we hadn’t yet explored on foot — and, let’s be honest, burn off a little of our two lunches. Before long, we were standing at the corner of East Vernon Avenue and East Street with this view:

There are a couple of things I like about this view. The sign is really eye catching, thanks to the big team logo and the Bojangles advertisement. (I tried Bojangles — a fried chicken chain that is based in North Carolina — for the first time on this trip, and really enjoyed it.) Even though it’s digital, this sign has a throwback feel that just suits the ballpark perfectly.

We took a few steps past the sign, and this was the scene in front of us:

I love the vintage look of this ballpark, and the vintage Mustang parked in the foreground seemed very appropriate.

Did you notice the two large baseballs at the base of the Wood Ducks/Bojangles sign? There were several more around the plaza near the ballpark’s gates, and these baseballs always make a good photo op. When I’m traveling solo, however, it can be difficult to incorporate such props into my selfies, so I was thankful that Veda could snap some shots like this one:

Walking through the gates of Grainger Stadium was a special experience. The park opened in 1949, making it one of the oldest facilities in the minor leagues. It’s worth noting that only two major league parks (Fenway Park and Wrigley Field) are older than this small park in Kinston. There’s no doubt that Grainger Stadium has seen various upgrades over the years, but I couldn’t help thinking how the park might’ve offered a similar feel to fans who walked through the gates in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond.

The first thing I did upon entering was snap this picture of a historic marker just inside of the gates …

… and then it was time to begin exploring. Grainger Stadium has a layout that you simply don’t see in modern-day parks, which made it a treat to visit. Upon walking through the main gates, you’re essentially under the home plate grandstand and have the option of walking up a ramp to the field-level cross-aisle, or continuing around the perimeter behind the grandstand. Here’s how the area looked after we took a few steps inside the gate and turned to our right:

As we made our way along the concourse that you can see above, we reached an open space that offered this view ahead:

And here’s the view from whence we came:

You might have noticed the fans playing catch on the grass on the left side of the photo above. I’m a big proponent of finding a place to play catch before entering a ballpark, but I think it’s amazing that Grainger Stadium has a catch-worthy place inside of it!

We eventually made our way to the Mother Earth Pavilion, a two-level, 10,000-square-foot space that opened in 2018 and features both covered and open-air seating. (And, as you might’ve noticed, it was sponsored by our motel!) Private groups and regular fans alike can use it, and we immediately knew that this would be a place we’d be spending some time in.

Here’s a look at the Mother Earth Pavilion as we approached:

And, of course, here’s a view from the top level of the pavilion:

I’ve visited nearly 70 different ballparks throughout the minor leagues, and I can sincerely say that this is one of the nicest viewing spots I’ve encountered.

We decided that we’d begin the game by sitting in the pavilion, but since first pitch was still some time away, we had lots more exploring to do. I immediately went down to field level to check out the view from behind the first base line, and liked what I saw — a small grass berm, a cross-aisle and just two rows of seats behind a short fence:

Our next stop was the team shop, which was in a fairly small room beneath the bleachers on the third base side. Modern MiLB parks have huge team shops that often impress me, but I was digging the quaint feel of this space:

I picked up a Wood Ducks magnet for my growing magnet collection, and then we returned to the concourse to consider where we’d visit next. When I say concourse, I want you to be able to picture the old-school look of this area. Here’s the view from just outside the team shop:

Love it!

Something that I also loved as we made our way around the concourse was the assortment of Wood Ducks-themed logos on the walls and even on the ground. Here are three of several that we saw:

We next visited the bleachers on the third base side, which offer this view of the field:

From this spot, we were also able to take a look at the Down East bullpen, which simply has one of the best designs I’ve ever seen. Take note of where the Wood Ducks relievers are sitting in the following photo — it’s made to look like a duck hunting blind, which I think is exceedingly creative and fun:

The visitors bullpen, which we visited next, is a lot more spartan in its design:

As first pitch approached, we ordered a pair of Mother Earth’s Alpenglow Hazy IPAs from the Mother Earth Pavilion and took a pair of open-air barstool seats that offered this view:

As you know, I don’t generally tend to spend very long in one place when I visit ballparks. But the view, weather and company were all top-notch, so I was more than happy to hang out in this spot for a while. Veda and I decided to document the occasion with a selfie:

While there was a steady flow of fans buying drinks at the pavilion, most of them took their beverages to the main grandstand. Consequently, the area around us was fairly quiet — largely on account of this being a Tuesday game in May. I hoped that a long foul ball might come my way, figuring that if anything was hit into the pavilion area or even the berm in front of me, I’d have a pretty good chance of running it down and ending up with a cool souvenir.

No baseballs ended up being hit this way while we were in the pavilion, but that was OK because we soon had our hands full with dinner.

When we decided it was time to eat, we knew we needed to have something with Eastern-style barbecue on it. After all, we’d only eaten barbecue twice that day, and to not have it a third time would seem undignified. Fortunately, the concession menu at Grainger Stadium had a number of options, and based on a recommendation from Wood Ducks GM Jon Clemmons, we decided we’d try a couple of things — starting with a footlong hot dog that was topped with barbecue pork and nacho cheese. I grabbed this item at a concession stand a short distance from where we sat and paused on the concourse to take this photo:

Unbeknownst to me, Veda snapped this shot of me from a distance at this moment:

I’d like to draw your attention not to my furrowed-in-concentration face, but to the fact that I was inexplicably lifting my front foot a few inches off the ground as I took the photo. Was it for balance to counteract the weight of the hot dog? I’m unsure, but I look bizarre.

Anyway, the hot dog itself was tasty enough. I’m not a huge fan of nacho cheese, and the barbecue wasn’t as good as what we’d eaten in Ayden several hours earlier, but it was certainly decent. It was, however, quite filling. Our ambitious idea of beginning our Grainger Stadium culinary experience with the hot dog before moving on to other fare suddenly became stalled. This was all we ended up eating during the game.

After eating, we decided to check out the game from another angle. We’d been sitting in the full sun, and I could feel my forehead slowly beginning to fry. While walking around the park earlier, the box seats at field level caught our attention, so that’s where we headed. Our seats were directly behind the visitors dugout, giving us views like this one as Fayetteville starter Trey Dombroski walked to the dugout upon being pulled after 4.2 innings in which he’d given up seven runs and five hits …

… and also a good selfie spot to show off our road trip tees:

Not only did this spot give us a good view of the action, but we also got to enjoy the Wood Ducks-themed water tower — a great backdrop at this historic ballpark. Can you think of any other water towers around the minor leagues? The only one I can recall seeing is the one at Five County Stadium, home of the Carolina Mudcats, just over 70 miles away in Zebulon, NC.

Later in the game, we made another move — this time, to the third base side, where we grabbed box seats that essentially mirrored where we’d been sitting earlier. Again, we enjoyed a good view of the action, but the big appeal to these seats was the amazing view they provided of the home dugout. Look how close we were to the players:

In the seventh inning, with the Wood Ducks already leading 7-0 and one runner on, Down East infielder Cameron Cauley dug in against Fayetteville’s Bryan Perez. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Cauley smacked a home run to left-center field. The blast was the second of the season for Cauley, who was a third-round pick of the Rangers in 2021.

If you know me, you know what came next.

I quickly left my seat, followed the cross-aisle to the concourse, and left Grainger Stadium via the home plate gate. I hadn’t explored behind the outfield fence before the game, but I had a feeling the space was wide open, and this gave me a confident feeling that I’d find the home run baseball. I didn’t run, but I definitely walked with purpose, and soon made it behind the fence. I didn’t immediately see a ball, but that just meant that I’d need to take some time to look carefully. I started by walking a short distance away from the fence and facing toward it, which gave me this vantage point:

As you can see, there weren’t any other fans in the area, so I was sure that I’d be able to track down the ball. About two minutes into my search, I found a ball at the base of one of the signs. It was a little more scuffed than I’d have expected to see, but I attribute that to the contact it’d made with the sign and the ground. I’m almost certain that this is the home run baseball:

For good measure, I spent a few more minutes searching and found nothing, which further cemented my belief that this was indeed the home run baseball. This is the seventh home run baseball I’ve gotten over the years, but like a few of the others that I’ve snagged, I knew this one wouldn’t stay in my possession for long.

Not too long before Cauley’s home run, Veda had mused that she hadn’t acquired a ball during the game. This came as a bit of a surprise to me; if she’d shared this goal earlier in our visit, I would’ve made sure to snag one for her before the game. So, I knew that the baseball would only be mine for as long as it took to get back to my seat. As soon as I returned, I proudly handed the home run ball to her — because everyone needs a game-used home run baseball on their desk, right?

The Wood Ducks tacked on another run to close out the game with a tidy 10-0 win — their largest margin of victory up to that point in the season. From where we sat, we had a good view of the post-game celebration:

The home team filtered back toward the dugout in front of us after finishing their high fives, so Veda took the opportunity to take her new home run ball for some autographs. She managed to get signatures from two Wood Ducks — outfielder Angel Aponte and pitcher Damian Mendoza:

By the time we’d watched the players head toward their clubhouse in the left field corner, and made our way through the ballpark to the plaza outside, there were only a handful of fans still milling around. We waved down one fan and asked him to snap this shot of us in our matching tees:

Veda and I have a tendency to walk at a pretty good pace, so we were making good time back toward our motel after the game. We’d covered several blocks within just a few minutes of stopping for the photo above. About halfway back to the motel, an SUV slowed beside us and a woman shouted out the window, “Were y’all at the game?” We assumed that she might’ve seen us and our matching shirts as we walked around Grainger Stadium, and we replied that we indeed had been at the ballpark.

“Y’all are fast!” she exclaimed, referencing how far we’d made it from the park while many fans in cars were still in traffic behind us, before driving off.

Pleasantly, this wasn’t the only interaction with a stranger who presumably took notice of us and our easy-to-spot tees during our visit. In the days that followed our time in Kinston, I received Facebook messages from two complete strangers who said they’d seen us walking around their town and hoped that we’d enjoyed our visit. As I said, a friendly town.

We wrapped up our evening by checking out Mother Earth Brewing and then returned to the motel, where the sign looked even better after dark:

A big thank you to Veda for taking time out of your busy schedule to travel, eat barbecue and watch baseball with me. And, of course, handle the duties of photographer and road trip T-shirt ambassador!

If you want to see the Wood Ducks at Grainger Stadium, and I wholeheartedly recommend that you do, you’ll have to plan your trip on the sooner side. Not long after our visit, it was announced that the franchise would be relocating from Kinston to Spartanburg, SC, as early as the start of the 2025 season. Exciting news for Spartanburg, no doubt, but tough news for Kinston and the surrounding area. As of now, there’s no news about a future tenant for Grainger Stadium — but there’s some speculation that an Appalachian League franchise could eventually call this historic ballpark home.

Planning to add Kinston to your baseball travel schedule? Be sure to check out Visit Kinston to learn everything you need to know about this town. Sincere thanks to Visit Kinston for their help with my visit.

Affiliated teams are always my focus when I plan my baseball trips. But every so often, I can’t resist checking out an independent ballpark.

That was my mindset when I was planning my May trip to North Carolina, and I had one specific park in mind — Truist Point in High Point. Truist Point (not to be confused with Truist Field or Truist Stadium, both of which are just a short drive away) is home to the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

Up until May, I’d never seen an Atlantic League game on my travels, and I wanted that to change. Besides, the pictures I’d seen online of Truist Point were really impressive, especially by independent baseball standards.

This meant that after a full (and filling, thanks to a bacon cheeseburger between two glazed donuts) day in Fayetteville, I made an easy, two-hour drive to High Point. The city is situated in the state’s Piedmont Triad region, and fewer than 30 minutes from the minor league cities of Winston-Salem and Greensboro. It’s also known as the Home Furniture Capital of the World, which is what inspired the Rockers’ name — likely making the team the only sports franchise in the world that is named after a rocking chair.

I arrived in town a little after 1 p.m., checked into my hotel and less than an hour later, was making the short walk to the ballpark:

As someone who prefers walking to ballparks over driving, it’s always exciting to see signs along the way. They not only assure my directionally challenged self that I’m going in the right direction, but also add a level of excitement to the walk.

Less than 15 minutes after leaving my hotel, I was standing on Gatewood Avenue with a sign in front of me that thankfully showed I’d walked in the right direction:

Although I was excited to get into the park and begin exploring, I was early enough that I had plenty of time to walk around the park’s exterior. Plus, this wasn’t a park that I’d analyzed on Google Street View in advance of my visit — something that I frequently do — so seeing it from every angle would be a fun surprise.

The first spot I visited was the Home Plate Gate, which was quiet at this hour and curiously had barriers positioned well in advance of the gate itself:

Since I couldn’t get close enough to the gate to see inside, I retraced my steps along the sidewalk and eventually made it to a grassy area behind the right field concourse. This spot gave me the ability to peek through a fence and enjoy a clear view of the field:

I spent a couple of minutes watching some of the Rockers players playing catch, but knew that before long, I’d have a better view of the action. After a few more minutes of walking, I arrived at the plaza in front of the Center Field Gate, which had a lively feel:

Granted, there weren’t a ton of fans in the area at this early hour, but I saw people playing catch and playing cornhole, while others munched on pregame fare on a patio outside of the adjacent Stock + Grain Assembly Food Hall. The food hall is an impressive feature to have next to any non-big league facility, much less than independent one. I enjoyed a slow walk through this area, taking in the sights before eventually making it to the gate itself:

Another neat feature in this immediate area is Blessing Park, which is a fenced-in area right behind the left-center field concourse. It features a splash pad, various seating options and gardens. It’s open to the public when Rockers games aren’t on; during games, fans in the ballpark can enter it and enjoy its amenities. Here’s a shot that shows Blessing Park’s proximity to the outfield concourse:

After another minute or two of walking, I’d made it back to where I first arrived at Truist Park, which meant that it was time to get inside. I entered on the third base side, made my way up to the concourse and soon had my first view of the field from inside:

As you can see, there were some players and a few assorted pieces of equipment on the field, but no cages that would indicate batting practice. No big deal — I was eager to walk around the concourse, and if I didn’t have to watch for errant baseballs flying my way, which I knew might be difficult to see in these sunny conditions, that was for the better.

I followed the concourse toward the left field corner, stopping to check out the kids’ play area. It was impressive (especially by independent baseball standards, which is a phrase I feel I could use a lot to describe Truist Point) and I especially liked the rubberized flooring in this area that offered good traction and, I’m sure, has prevented many a scraped knee:

Just past the play area, I crossed over a short bridge …

… and found myself standing on the outfield concourse. The aforementioned Blessing Park was ahead on my left and the building that housed the also-aforementioned Stock + Grain Assembly Food Hall was in the distance at the end of the concourse:

You can also see the left field seating setup, which consists of three rows of bleacher seats, as well as a standing room bar rail behind them. Here’s a closer look:

Just past the bleachers, I found a small standing room area that I used to take this selfie with the home plate grandstand in the distance over my shoulder:

I soon continued around the outfield concourse and quickly stumbled upon what I knew would be my favorite feature at this ballpark — a row of seating that features actual seats from many different MLB and MiLB ballparks. This section is called the HPU Vintage Seats. Here’s a look at this multicolor assortment of seats:

Seats from former and current MLB facilities Candlestick Park, Dodger Stadium, Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Wrigley Field, Tiger Stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Veterans Memorial Stadium, Shea Stadium and Atlanta Fulton County Stadium are all represented here. There are also seats from Rosenblatt Stadium, the longtime home of the College World Series, and Durham Athletic Park, the former home of the Durham Bulls and the site of the 1988 film “Bull Durham.”

Being the ballpark lover that I am, I made a point of systematically moving along the row, sitting in one seat from each facility.

Of course I did.

After my seating challenge was complete, I walked around the corner and took this photo that looks toward the right field seating section:

The HPU Vintage Seats section is situated beneath the video board, which offers a good amount of shade — something else that makes it really appealing, especially on hot days like this one.

I next spent a few minutes watching the goings-on around the Rockers bullpen. In the image below, some of the players had just finished playing catch, and others were about to begin:

The person you see in the blue hoodie and cap is former big leaguer Frank Viola, the High Point pitching coach. He pitched in the majors from 1982 to 1996, winning a World Series in 1987 with the Twins and an American League Cy Young Award the following season. In other words, he knows an awful lot about pitching, and it must be neat for independent players to get a chance to learn from a coach with this type of pedigree. It’s always fun watching players getting ready for a game, and while I wasn’t close enough to hear what Viola was telling the players, I could see that he was constantly dispensing information to many of the pitchers around him.

Once I’d watched this scene for a few minutes, I continued to check out the right field area. Here’s a look at an open space down the line with a number of tables:

As I continued along the concourse, I soon came across a few concession windows that weren’t yet open:

Soon enough, I made my way behind home plate, where I took a moment to enjoy the view from this part of the park:

I think you’ll agree that the field looks pristine. That’s because it’s made of synthetic turf, which is something you may or may not have noticed in the photos earlier in this post. I haven’t visited all that many synthetic fields in my travels, and while natural grass is certainly my preference, it’s occasionally neat to see one of these fields, too. (Bonus points if you noticed that Viola is dealing with the cart of baseballs beside home plate.)

The next spot I visited was a group seating area at field level in the left field corner. It had a few different seating options, including chairs that paid homage to the team’s name!

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t engage in some fairly vigorous rocking a moment after taking the above photo. I was able to get away with it because the park’s gates hadn’t yet opened, but I imagine it was quite a bizarre scene to any stadium employee who might’ve been looking my way.

From this area, I had a good view of the HPU Vintage Seats, which you can see here:

As you might’ve seen on the wall below the seats, HPU stands for High Point University. The campus is just a mile from the ballpark and, interestingly, the HPU Panthers baseball team doesn’t call Truist Point home. I was certain that the team would share this ballpark with the Rockers, but the Panthers have their own on-campus baseball field: George S. Erath Field at Coy O. Williard Baseball Stadium. The team does, however, play occasional games at Truist Point — just one in 2023, for those keeping score.

After a few minutes with this view, I returned to the concourse to make one more lap as the gates opened. I began my walk my briefly checking out Blessing Park, which was now open …

… and then checked out one of the Loge Box sections on the concourse behind home plate. The boxes have a cool, traditional-looking vibe that I can imagine would be quite appealing to fans:

Once I’d made a full lap of the concourse again, I returned to the HPU Vintage Seats to enjoy some shade and wait for the game to begin. All of these seats were open — in fact, I didn’t see anyone other than me sitting in this section for the entire game — so I had plenty of choices about where to sit. I opted for a seat from Tiger Stadium. Why? Because of all of the now-demolished ballparks that I wish I’d have been able to visit, Tiger Stadium is close to the top of the list. Heck, I’d have even loved to see the park after it closed, but demolition finished in 2009 — two years before I first visited Detroit on a baseball trip. Here’s the view of the field that I enjoyed from my Tiger Stadium seat:

Eventually, I watched first pitch from the shade of the concourse behind home plate, and then headed off to find some lunch. I wasn’t overly hungry, but wanted to track down something unique. The concession item that caught my eye the most — a hybrid item that combined a bratwurst sausage with a chicken parmesan sandwich — was unfortunately out of stock, and while there were a few other things that would’ve sufficed, I was at the point in my trip where chowing down on a couple more hot dogs wasn’t a top gastronomical priority. Given the sunny conditions, I opted for one of my very favorite cool ballpark treats — a frozen lemonade, which I ate while seated in a Dodger Stadium seat:

I was pretty content to hang out in this spot for several innings. I was enjoying the shade, and with no other fans in the outfield, I knew I’d have a good chance of snagging a home run if one was hit my way. It was nice to finish my refreshing frozen treat, put my feet up and just enjoy some baseball for close to an hour.

I didn’t manage to snag a home run during my time in the HPU Vintage Seats, but I enjoyed watching a few good catches and impressive throws from just a handful of yards in front of me. That’s something I love about independent baseball — it often feels as though you’re very close to the action, and that was certainly the case at Truist Point.

After leaving this section, I made one more attempt to see if I could end up with a home run ball, spending about an inning in left field with this view:

Again, nothing came my way, which was too bad because I’d have loved a chance to snag my first Atlantic League baseball. I guess that’ll have to wait.

Throughout the rest of the game, I checked out views from several different spots, including the third base side, directly behind home plate and down the first base line. The latter spot was notable because of its proximity to the Rockers bullpen:

I felt like it would’ve been mega awkward to sit in the front row of seats in this area, so I was happy to grab a spot several rows back and take in the views. I spent the last inning of the game walking around the concourse, thoroughly enjoying a ballpark that is unquestionably the best independent facility I’ve ever visited. While my focus remains on affiliated baseball, I’m really happy that I got a chance to see the High Point Rockers at Truist Point.

I was also happy to have just a short walk back to my hotel, where I planned to chill out for the evening and catch up on some blogging. My hotel during my short visit to High Point was the historic JH Adams Inn:

The building that houses the hotel was built in 1918, and renovated extensively prior to opening as a hotel in 2001. The JH Adams Inn initially appealed to me because of its proximity to the ballpark, but I soon found that it had a lot of other advantages, too. Perhaps most notable was just how quiet it was. I can say, without question, that this was the quietest hotel I’ve ever visited. I didn’t hear a single guest for the entirety of my stay — not one door closing, not a voice in the hallway, not a car alarm beeping from the parking lot outside.

My room was clean and spacious, and featured a cool private veranda that I used both that evening and briefly again the following morning. It was outfitted with a table and a pair of chairs, which I could see many guests enjoying if they want to eat breakfast privately. Each of the guest rooms has a different design, with furniture being supplied by local furniture companies. My room featured rattan furniture, which made for a unique look I’ve never previously encountered at a hotel.

It’s always nice to find accommodations within walking distance of a ballpark, but when the accommodations are as good as this hotel, you’ve got an easy choice when it comes to choosing lodging in High Point.

If you’re planning a visit to High Point, be sure to check out Visit High Point to learn everything you need to know about this city. Thanks to Visit High Point for their help with my visit.

My plans for Saturday, May 13, centered around watching the Fayetteville Woodpeckers play at Segra Stadium, but this Carolina League ballpark was actually the fourth sports facility I visited during a busy day.

After an off-day in Raleigh on May 12, I began my Saturday bright and early with a mission to see three different venues around North Carolina’s capital city: PNC Arena, home to the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, Carter-Finley Stadium, home to N.C. State Wolfpack football; and, finally, Doak Field at Dail Park, home to N.C. State Wolfpack baseball:

There wasn’t anything going on at any of these venues during my morning visits, but if you know me, you know that I’m more than happy to wander around the perimeters of ballparks (and other sports facilities, on occasion) to check out the scene.

With my sports exploring complete by 10:30 a.m., I did a little shopping, had lunch at Whole Foods, and then finally hopped in my car and made the 75-minute drive from Raleigh to Fayetteville.

I last visited Segra Stadium in 2019, during its inaugural season. I was immediately impressed with this ballpark and eager to return whenever the opportunity arose. When I started to put together plans for this trip over the off-season, I knew that a day in Fayetteville was a must.

As is so often the case when I travel, I checked into my hotel early/mid afternoon, had a few minutes to drop off my suitcase and crank the A/C as low as it would go, before heading back out to the car to drive over to the ballpark. My hotel, the Embassy Suites Fayetteville Fort Bragg (more on it later), is situated a little over 10 minutes from Segra Stadium, which made for an easy drive that gave me a chance to see the city a little.

Before long, I’d found a $5 parking garage just a block from the ballpark, and after a short walk, was standing with this view:

I really like the look of Segra Stadium from this angle. The three tall gates with arches above them have a distinctly major league feel, in my mind, while also offering something of a retro look. The plaza in front of the gate is spacious, providing plenty of room for fans to gather prior to the gates opening. The team shop, creatively dubbed The Birds’ Nest, is the structure to the right side of the gates and is open to fans before the gates open — a feature that I’m always happy to see.

Did you notice the mural on the left side of the gates? Here’s a closer look:

It references the fact that Fayetteville (and the area around it) is a military city. Fort Liberty, previously known as Fort Bragg, is home to nearly 30,000 military personnel, making it one of the biggest armed forces installations in the world. You don’t have to spend much time in this region to notice the military presence, and the Woodpeckers do a really good job of tying into this community and making active military personnel, veterans, and their families feel welcome at games.

I didn’t spend too much more time outside, as I was in a hurry to get in and meet up with Landrey Young, the team’s manager of community and media relations, for a tour. So, after snapping a shot of The Birds’ Nest from the exterior …

… I went inside to catch up with Landrey and take a walk through the ballpark.

We immediately went down a flight of stairs and walked along a network of tunnels until we cut through the home dugout and out onto the field. I’ve been fortunate to spend time on major and minor league fields on dozens of occasions over the years, and believe me when I say that this experience never gets old. The crunch of the clay beneath your feet as you cut across the warning track, the pristine grass behind home plate and the constant flow of players and staff walking around — it’s always a thrill. Here’s a look toward home plate from where we stood. The visiting Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, who I’d be seeing later on this trip, were running an infield practice:

On some level, I’d have been content to just stand there on the warning track and watch the pregame action unfold, but I was also excited to continue the tour and check out the rest of the park. So, after a quick last look at the dugout …

… and a brief admiration of a very cool group section at field level that featured a variety of nice seating options …

… we went up to the main concourse to resume checking out the sights. Landrey led me along the concourse, pointing out the various concession stands and even giving me some meal suggestions to explore later on. We also spent a few minutes in the AEVEX Veterans Club, which is a 2,800 square-foot space on the park’s suite level. It can accommodate 125 seated guests, and features a variety of upscale appointments that give it a swanky feel:

The view from this space was really impressive, too, giving fans a nice bird’s eye (woodpecker’s eye?) vantage point of the game:

We eventually made our way to the right field corner, which is one of my favorite spots at Segra Stadium. It’s an elevated open-air space called the Landing Deck, and is covered with artificial turf and filled with cool seating options. It’s an area that I’d revisit several times over the course of the evening, but here’s an early look at the view that this section provides:

Perhaps best of all, it’s open to every fan. When you’re visiting Segra Stadium, I recommend spending at least an inning hanging out in this area.

Eventually, we made our way behind home plate and looked at another unique seating space. Segra Stadium’s Field Boxes have an old-school feel with modern-day amenities. If you’re looking for a private seating space for a small group, I can’t think of anything better than booking one of these spaces:

Landrey soon had to get back to her pregame duties, but I appreciate her taking the time to show me around. The end of our tour brought the start of another tour for me — my usual pregame wandering around to enjoy the sights. The first place I headed was the concourse on the third base side, which gave me some sights that I’d never seen in a ballpark before. The night’s promotion was “Black Ops Night,” which meant that the Woodpeckers were not only wearing special jerseys, but that there were a number of members of the U.S. Army Special Operations force on hand with an impressive array of equipment. There were several tables of gear on display, including these assorted firearms:

And a well-equipped ATV that certainly doesn’t look like any of the vehicles I occasionally see on the trails around my home:

I spent a few minutes looking at the display and even talking to a couple of Rangers, before continuing along the third base concourse toward the left field foul pole:

There are lots of things to see along the left field concourse. There’s an enormous kids’ play area behind the concourse, a large grass berm and both teams’ bullpens are also situated in this part of the park. Here’s a look at the bullpens:

In left-center field, Segra Stadium has another cool seating section. This space is known as the Rocking Porch, and features two levels of stylish rocking chairs:

I’m seeing more and more minor league stadiums with rocking chairs, but this section might be the biggest rocking chair section I’ve ever encountered in my travels.

My next stop was Healy’s, which is a bar located in right field, just below the Landing Deck. Like many of the features around Segra Stadium, it’s one of the more impressive bar structures I’ve uncounted in my travels, and certainly doesn’t have a minor league feel. I especially love the various seating options around the bar, including stadium seats, couches, lounge chairs and more:

As you might’ve noticed on the left side of the photo above, batting practice was taking place at this point — meaning that I had to careful about watching for baseballs when I was on the outfield concourse. The sun was very bright, so spotting balls in the sky was a challenge. Occasionally, I’d hear a ball skip off the concrete or rattle off the chain link fence behind the concourse. At one point, I heard these noises, looked along the concourse and saw this:

Do you notice a baseball sitting on the concrete? I made a beeline for it, photographed it …

… and then tossed it to one of the players you can see in the background.

The last place I stopped before BP wrapped up was the Landing Deck. I had to get a picture when I saw a member of the Woodpeckers sitting on one of the comfy seats and engaged in a pregame phone call:

I’d yet to take a selfie during this visit, so I began to think about what angle I’d choose. I caught the Segra Stadium video board displaying its “Black Ops Night” message out of the corner of my eye, and figured that it’d be a cool backdrop for this occasion:

With my selfie complete, it was time to find some dinner — and I knew exactly what I wanted. There were lots of appealing options at the various concession stands throughout Segra Stadium, but I knew that the limited edition monstrosity known as Bunker’s Sweet Nest was the right choice for me. It was a half-pound burger, with cheese and bacon, stuffed between a pair of glazed donuts. And, just to ensure that there were a few more calories to enjoy, the burger came with a serving of black pepper/strawberry mayo. (This unique choice ties into the team’s black and red branding.) Here’s a two-part look at the meal, before and after I added the mayo and put the top donut in place:

There’s little doubt that this was one of the most memorable ballpark meals I’ve eaten in all my travels over the years, largely because of just how challenging it was to consume. When assembled, the burger stood about 4 inches tall. This meant that I had to squish everything together as best I could, which caused the glaze to melt quickly. It wasn’t long before I had glaze up to my wrists. Overall, it was a tasty burger, even if challenging to eat, and the unique flavors of the mayo made for a fun addition.

I wrapped up my meal, made a glaze-covered walk to the nearest bathroom to wash off, and returned to the seats in time for first pitch. After watching the first inning from the left field corner, I moved behind home plate to catch the second:

An inning or so later, I relocated to this spot on the third base side:

Next, I decided to beat the heat for a few minutes by browsing the team shop. The 14-year-old in me chuckled at the various pieces of apparel that read “Peckers” instead of “Woodpeckers,” and documented some of them:

Turns out, I wasn’t the only person who thought these shirts were pretty cool. I saw many people wearing these designs, as well as several other “Peckers” designs, during my visit.

While at the shop, I bought a magnet for my collection — it, too, read “Peckers,” for those wondering — and had a funny interaction with the cashier.

“Are you an active military member?” she asked. “You’d be eligible for a discount.”

“Nope, I’m not,” I responded.

“Well, there’s still time,” she said, before looking up at me, presumably seeing more than a few gray whiskers, and continuing, “Actually, I think your time has passed.”

Oof.

When I left the shop, I noticed action in the Fayetteville bullpen and decided to go over to the grass berm and watch. I also wanted to get a close-up view of the special Black Ops uniforms, which looked sharp from a distance. Here’s right-handed pitcher Jose Fleury, who gave up a hit and a run in four innings of work:

Pretty snazzy, right? I love the military-style crests and the camo motif on both the shoulders of the jersey and the brim of the cap.

After making a lap of the concourse, I went up to check out the view from the AEVEX Veterans Club. It didn’t disappoint:

I spent half an inning in this space before returning to the concourse and making a partial lap that conveniently ended at the Dippin’ Dots stand in the right field corner. I hadn’t eaten Dippin’ Dots at a ballpark since 2017, so I figured this was a good time to change that. Although it seemed weird to be lining up for anything to eat after the burger I’d consumed a few innings prior:

After finishing my dessert, I snapped this shot from straightaway center field:

I think the brown building behind the ballpark could benefit from some type of Woodpeckers-themed signage, don’t you? Imagine a big mural or banner that covers the entirety of that surface? It’d really augment the look of the park from this vantage point, as the big brown block doesn’t offer much in the way of style.

In the game’s late innings, I grabbed a spot on the third base side and remained there until the final out:

This game had a 5 p.m. start, which meant that a little after 7:30 p.m., I was in my car and thankful that I had just a short drive back to my hotel. After a number of late nights in a row, I was happy to settle into my room, enjoy some air conditioning and, of course, watch a little baseball on TV before trying to catch up on some sleep with an early night. The Embassy Suites Fayetteville Fort Bragg features really spacious guest rooms, stylish appointments throughout, and my room had one of the most comfortable hotel beds I can ever recall sleeping in. This hotel was also one of the nicest-looking Embassy Suites I’ve visited. Here’s a look at the hotel from the exterior …

… and here’s a shot of the main lobby:

Of course, no Embassy Suites visit is complete without enjoying the complimentary, made-to-order breakfast, which I did the following morning before hitting the road. Of the many chain hotels that I’ve visited over the years, none has a better breakfast spread than Embassy Suites. After filling up on an omelet, a bowl of oatmeal, two cups of yogurt and some orange juice, I was back in the car and headed toward my next destination.

If you’re planning a visit to Fayetteville, be sure to check out DistiNCtly Fayetteville to learn everything you need to know about this city. Thanks to DistiNCtly Fayetteville for their help with my visit.

My first full day in Charlotte began with a change in plans.

When I’d drafted up the itinerary for this baseball trip over the off-season, I’d planned to start this day by driving from Charlotte to Gastonia in time for a matinee game. The Gastonia Honey Hunters, a member of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, play just 45 minutes from Charlotte. My initial plan was to catch at least two-thirds of the Honey Hunters game and then return to Charlotte to get ready to see the Knights in evening action.

Upon waking up on May 11, though, I decided that a second straight day with two games in one city felt like a little too much. One-day, two-city doubleheaders are fun, but as I outlined here, a major drawback to them is that they’re exhausting. It’s easy to plan this type of rigorous schedule when you’re sitting at home over the winter and are feeling giddy about baseball travel, but it’s another thing entirely to execute — especially when you’ve been running a little short on sleep.

I was a bit torn about the idea of skipping Gastonia, but the reality is that my travels primarily focus on affiliated baseball. I wanted to be full of energy for another visit to Truist Field, and I decided to structure my day so that’d be the case. I worked out in in my hotel’s gym in the morning, took a short walk to a Whole Foods location to fill a salad bar box with various vegetables, and returned to my hotel to eat it. In recent years, Whole Foods’ salad bar has become a lifesaver as a way to break up day after day (after day, after day, etc.) of eating ballpark food.

The post-lunch hours brought some laid-back sightseeing around Charlotte’s Uptown district, including stops at each of these three sports attractions that are within walking distance of Truist Field. By a little after 4:30 p.m., I was standing in front of the outfield gate at the ballpark, feeling refreshed and ready for more Triple-A baseball at one of the most beautiful ballparks I’ve ever visited:

One thing I wanted to do at the start of this visit was to spend a little more time outside of the ballpark. I’m normally in such a rush to get inside and check out the view that I bypass the exterior a little, and didn’t want to let that happen on this visit. I began by walking along S. Graham Street, which runs behind the third base side. This side of the park features a number of murals that pay tribute to various historical ballparks in Charlotte — beginning with Latta Park, which dates back to the 1890s. It was the one-time home of the Charlotte Hornets, a member of the Virginia-North Carolina League that existed between 1901 and 1905. The Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Philadelphia Athletics even held their Spring Training at this park around the turn of the last century. Here’s the mural that honors Latta Park:

Also on this side of Truist Field, murals paid tribute to Wearn Field, Jim Crockett Memorial Park and Knights Stadium, three parks that combined to host minor league baseball in the area for about a century.

At the corner of S. Graham Street and W. Martin Luther King Boulevard, I paused to snap this shot of Truist Field:

This shot depicts an area directly behind home plate that is holds a number of picnic tables, and can be a nice place to hang out if you need some quiet during the ballgame. It was nearly empty at this hour, except for a couple of stadium employees who were grabbing a pregame bite to eat.

I continued along the sidewalk and eventually made it to the main gate, which I documented with this photo:

Then, it was time to get inside and check out the view:

I know I’m commenting on the view a lot. If you’ve been to this ballpark, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, you might be growing tired of this discussion. All I can tell you is that it’s monumentally impressive. If you get a chance to travel to Charlotte for baseball, please take it. And try to get to Truist Field for two games. Seeing the view for just one game doesn’t seem to cut it.

As I’d done a day earlier, I took a seat behind home plate and just enjoyed the view for a period of time. Eventually, I moved down the third base line and grabbed a spot to shoot this panorama:

After a while, I went directly behind the dugout, snapped this shot of the dugout roof with the Truist Field wording (this was new to me, as the park was called BB&T BallPark when I visited in 2018) …

… and then walked toward the left field corner, where I watched members of the visiting Durham Bulls playing catch in the outfield:

My next stop was the bleacher area in left field, where I stood in the front row and promptly noticed a baseball. Its presence was a bit of a surprise to me, as batting practice wasn’t taking place. Closer inspection revealed that it was deeply scuffed, so I’m assuming a player might’ve found it in a ball bag and tossed it into the seats for a fan to find:

That fan turned out to be me, but since I have a rule about not taking baseballs I find before the gates open, I decided to hang onto it for now but hand it to a young fan once there was an opportunity.

I next walked along the outfield concourse and went to the front row of seats behind the right field fence, where I snapped a selfie with the Truist Field video board in the background:

My next stop was the visitors dugout on the third base side. Or, more specifically, the seats that are adjacent to the dugout:

I love standing next to dugouts and just taking in the scene, and I stood in this spot for a few minutes as many of the Durham players walked past me in both directions.

Eventually, the gates opened and I moved toward the main gate to see a large crowd of fans gathering to await the arrival of the night’s celebrity guest. The Knights do a really good job of having all sorts of celebrities on hand from the worlds of sports and entertainment. The celeb on this night was actor Phil Morris, who is best known for his iconic recurring role as lawyer Jackie Chiles in Seinfeld. I made my way down to where the crowd was gathered, and managed to snap a shot of Morris signing for a fan:

He’d later throw out the first pitch, but I missed seeing it because I was focused on my meal. That meal was not exactly memorable, but it didn’t do much to dampen my enjoyment of the evening. It was an average brat on an oddly misshapen bun that was also fully separated into two pieces, making the meal unnecessarily challenging to eat:

As you likely saw, I moved to the grass berm to eat my meal, and stayed in this spot for a while after my last bite. The berm is a fun place to hang out and offers a nice change of scenery if you typically sit in the grandstand seats. This is where I sat for first pitch and the entire first inning, before moving back to the third base side for the top of the second frame:

Since I’d had plenty of time on the third base side, I decided to change things up a bit by moving down the first base line:

This is a vantage point I often enjoy at ballparks, and this was also the case at Truist Field. Even though you don’t get the city backdrop from this spot, you still have a good view of the action — and there’s always a chance of a long foul ball coming your way, too.

The next spot I checked out was the Upper Club Seats section, an upscale area on the suite level above the first base line. The indoor part of the Upper Club area is one of the nicest I’ve encountered, and definitely offers a major league vibe. While this area provided a pleasant, air conditioned reprieve for a moment, I enjoyed the view from the seats in front of it:

It was nice to enjoy a higher-up view of Truist Field for an inning or two. Like lots of minor league facilities, the majority of the seats around this ballpark are at field level. While field level seats are typically my preference, changing my vantage point for a short period of time was fun. I stayed in this spot until the sky got a little darker, which prompted me to take a seat behind home plate — just as I’d done the previous night.

This was the glorious scene when I first sat down:

A few minutes after I snapped that photo, two young parents and their young child sat down two rows in front of me. I realized that I still had the baseball I’d found earlier in my visit, and I figured it might be fun to give to the kid. I soon got the father’s attention and handed him the ball, which he gave to the kid … who promptly dropped it, causing it to roll almost to the front row of seats. Oops. The ball quickly got retrieved, and after a lesson in hanging on tightly, the child didn’t drop it again for the rest of the game. The child’s antics in front of me were pretty entertaining, keeping not only my attention, but also the attention of a handful of other fans around me.

Of course, the scene in front of me was pretty entertaining, too, and I enjoyed sitting back and taking it all in. As I said in my previous post, the skyline gets more stunning as the sky darkens. Before long, this was my view:

And a short time later, here’s what I was looking at:

In the ninth inning, this was my view:

I can’t say enough good things about Truist Field. The view is its crown jewel, but the park offers all sorts of areas, attractions and features that make it a must-visit spot for any baseball traveler. I was sad to walk out of the park’s gates after the game wrapped up, but glad that I had just a short walk back to the Holiday Inn Charlotte-City Center:

In my previous post, I noted how this hotel’s proximity to Truist Field made it a perfect choice for my visit to Charlotte. Beyond its proximity, the hotel offered lots of things that I appreciated. Its athletic center, located on the top floor, was well-appointed, and its parking was more affordable than I expected for a hotel in the heart of a major city. My room was also more spacious than perhaps any other Holiday Inn property I’ve visited, which I especially appreciated given that I was staying for two nights. Here’s a shot from the hotel’s website that shows my exact room type:

My visit to Charlotte was wonderful; I can’t recommend this city enough. Whenever I visit, I fill my days with a long list of attractions and activities, but always feel as though there are more things to see and do. I don’t know when I’ll be back in the Queen City, but I certainly hope it’ll be on the sooner side.

If you’re planning a visit to Charlotte, be sure to check out the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority to learn everything you need to know about this city. Thanks to the CRVA for their help with my visit.

When I pulled my rental car out of my hotel parking lot after watching the Greensboro Grasshoppers in matinee action, fewer than 100 miles separated me from my first one-day, two-city doubleheader of the season.

I made the easy drive down I-85 between Greensboro and Charlotte in about an hour and a half, ending up in the Queen City in the middle of the afternoon. Before long, I’d parked my car, checked into my hotel, the Holiday Inn Charlotte-Center City (more on it later), and was enjoying a bit of air conditioning before it was time to walk over to Truist Field.

As I’d done the last time I visited Charlotte, I stayed in the city’s Uptown district. Charlotte is one of the most walkable cities I’ve ever visited on my baseball travels, and the ability to park my car and not have to think about it again until leaving two days later was nice.

My hotel was only about 10 minutes from the ballpark, which meant that not long after leaving my room, I was looking at this view:

And what a gorgeous view it is! It’s very easy to make the argument that Truist Field, home of the Knights, offers fans the best view in baseball. While a lot of people immediately cite PNC Park in Pittsburgh, I feel that I could argue pretty convincingly that the view in Charlotte is better. Or, at the very least, just as good.

That’s perhaps a debate for another day, but what wasn’t debatable was the fact that I was thrilled to be back at this ballpark — a place that I last visited in 2018 when it was known as BB&T BallPark. Whenever I enter a park, I always want to get busy exploring right away. At this park, though, I was content to hang out behind home plate for maybe five minutes and just take in the sights in front of me. When I finally did begin to explore, I started in the suite level. It offers a really good display of Knights artifacts that tell the story of the franchise and its most notable players. Here’s a look at one of the display cases:

There was also a Knights jersey signed by Sharon Robinson, the middle child of Jackie Robinson, from Jackie Robinson Day in 2018:

After taking a lap through the suite level, I went back down to the concourse and began a slow walk down the third base side — rarely taking my eyes away from the city skyline beyond the outfield fence.

One thing that I thought was neat was the food and drink rail that runs along the concourse. It makes for a handy place to put refreshments for fans who wish to stand, and also keeps them a few feet back from the fans who are sitting — because who likes the feeling of someone looming behind them, right? (Or pouring drinks down their back. I should know, as a kid once spilled a neon red slushie down the back of my shirt at a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders game.) Here’s how this area looks:

I eventually made it to the left field corner, where I took this shot of the bleacher seats:

Buying a ticket in this section gives you a good chance of snagging a home run, and a nice view of the action on the field, but you don’t get the skyline view unless you turn your head. What do you think? If I were buying season tickets at Truist Field, I’d certainly want to enjoy the view from home plate.

I made my way around the outfield and arrived at the home run seats in right field:

I spent a few minutes in this area, before continuing along the main concourse and walking over to the team shop. It’s one of the nicer team shops in the International League, and I was eager to browse the new items that are now available after the team changed its logo and colors after the 2022 season. I took some time to check out the new jerseys …

… and hats …

… and even a Truist Field pillow …

… before electing to buy a magnet that depicts Truist Field’s iconic view. I’ve recently started to buy magnets at each ballpark I visit, and was happy to find one with this ballpark’s most noteworthy sight.

Speaking of sights, how’s this one? This is the view that I enjoyed next from the third base concourse, in a panorama that doesn’t seem to do justice to the actual scene:

Upon taking that photo, I grabbed a seat along the concourse and just soaked it all in. There was still lots of exploring to do, and two games in which to do it, so I was content to relax and just be present in this glorious environment. I sat until that gates opened, and then took another lap of the concourse to enjoy the sights. Eventually, players began to appear on the field, and I returned to the third base side to watch Tyler Glasnow get warmed up. He was rehabbing for the Durham Bulls, and I took a spot a few rows up from the field and snapped photos like this one:

(The last time I saw Glasnow in person was in 2013. He was a heralded prospect in Pittsburgh’s system at that time, pitching for the West Virginia Power in just his second year of pro baseball. As I think back to that game, I realize it’s a decade ago. Yikes.)

With just a short amount of time until first pitch, I decided to grab something to eat. I’d barely eaten anything since my two loaded hot dogs for breakfast in Greensboro, so I had more of an appetite than usual. I’d enjoyed my food at Truist Field during my last visit, but wanted to try something new this time — and was drawn to the Tender and Smoky BBQ stand on the third base side. Its menu offered lots of appealing options, and I chose the chopped brisket bowl. It featured a trio of chopped brisket, mac and cheese and coleslaw, and looked like this:

The quality of everything was really good, but I found the serving size a bit small. As you might’ve noticed above, there was an odd open space in my bowl, which I think would’ve been better served with more brisket as the serving of meat honestly seemed a little sparse. If this bowl had been a little more loaded, it would’ve been one of my favorite meals from the last few years.

The game began while I was eating, and after I finished my meal, I settled into a seat on the third base side. One of the nice things about being on this side of the park, as you’ll see in the next photo, is that even when you aren’t turned to look at the skyline beyond the outfield fence, you have a nice backdrop of buildings beyond first base and the right field corner:

After a few innings, I went over to the Home Run Porch and stood directly behind the right field foul pole, which gave me this view as the sun began to set:

I then made a quick, between-innings return to the team shop, where I bought a 1:64 scale NASCAR diecast car of Noah Gragson. The car was noteworthy because of its Charlotte Knights livery. Gragson drove the real version of this car in the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and I’d had my eye on this diecast since it was released last year. I was relieved to see a large selection of them at the team shop, so I happily bought one for my collection and took it to the outfield for this photo:

The sky was so picturesque in the background of the above shot that I elected to sit in the outfield for an inning, even if that meant that the Charlotte skylight was out of sight behind me:

I next moved over to the grass berm behind left field. It’s probably the biggest berm I’ve ever seen at a ballpark, and offers a nice view of the game if you sit on the center field side of it. If you’re on the left field side, a picnic area and one of the video boards obstructs your view. Here’s the view from where I sat in the grass for an inning:

In the game’s closing innings, I moved to a seat on the third base side of home plate. As impressive as the skylight is during the daytime hours, it’s arguably even more beautiful as the sky darkens and the buildings’ lights come on. As soon as sat down, I knew that I was done exploring for the night. I wanted to sit and enjoy this perfect view until the game’s final out. Here’s the view when I first took my seat:

And here’s what the field looked like as the Knights celebrated a win:

Given how much I was enjoying the view, I was in no hurry to leave, and remained standing in the seating bowl until all of the players had left the field. Then, I slowly made my way along the third base concourse and out to the sidewalk via the gates beyond center field. From there, I turned and snapped this last shot of the ballpark:

After a long day with two ballgames in two cities, I was thankful that I had just a short walk back to my hotel. The hotel was just perfect for a baseball traveler — and, I’d argue, any other type of traveler. Not only was I close to the ballpark, but I was an easy walk to many different tourist attractions around the Uptown district. Walking between the hotel and ballpark gave me a chance to explore the city, which is something that always augments my travels.

I was not only thankful for its location, but also for its comfy bed — which beckoned me after a long and fun day of baseball.

If you’re planning a visit to Charlotte, be sure to check out the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority to learn everything you need to know about this city. Thanks to the CRVA for their help with my visit.

I ended my first day in Greensboro by enjoying my view of First National Bank Field from the balcony of my room at the Hyatt Place Greensboro / Downtown.

And I’ll give you one guess about how I began my second day in town.

If you answered, “Got up at 5 a.m. and hurried to the balcony to check out the ballpark before dawn and record a time-lapse sequence,” you’d be correct.

Good news: The ballpark was still there.

Even better news: I’d be enjoying it again in just a few hours.

One of the things that I often do when planning my baseball trips is look for matinee games. A matinee game after a game the night before is a bonus, and I can then hop in the car and head to my next city — perhaps even in time for a game that same night. Make sense?

The knock on matinee games for some fans is that they’re often Education Days or Camp Days, which means that thousands of children descend on the stadium. That doesn’t have to be a bad thing, though, as you’ll hopefully understand as you read this post.

I spent a bit of time sitting in the darkness of the balcony and enjoying watching the sky get bright above the ballpark. By shortly after 6 a.m., the scene looked like this:

When I’d taken an evening swim the night before, I noticed a fitness center adjacent to the pool deck, and it offered a good view of the park. Its presence prompted me to head down and start a workout at about 6:30 a.m., which was all worth it for the view I had:

After working out, I returned to the balcony to keep an eye on the field. One thing I noticed was the steady arrival of players after 8 a.m. The players’ parking lot is behind the center field fence, which means that after parking, the Greensboro players walk from center field to their dugout on the third base side. Here’s a few of them making this journey at exactly 8:17 a.m.:

Less than an hour later, the field was much livelier, as players from both teams took part in drills and meetings:

This was the type of hotel room I’d have loved to hang out in until checkout time, but with the Grasshoppers game set to begin just after 11 a.m., I also wanted to get down to the ballpark before long. So, at about 9:30 a.m., I checked out and made the short walk over to First National Bank Field. Before entering, I took a look at the four plaques that honor various parts of baseball history in the area:

The plaque on the left recognizes Joe Siddle, a native of Guilford County who played for the Negro Leagues’ Kansas City Monarchs in 1946.

The first place I visited when I entered the ballpark was the right field corner, where I spent a few quiet minutes watching the visiting Jersey Shore BlueClaws perform various drills and play catch. There’s something so peaceful about the steady popping sound of baseballs hitting gloves, which is a soundtrack I always make a point of enjoying when I’m at a ballpark:

I then followed the concourse to behind home plate, where I stood and watched the grounds crew put the finishing touches on the infield:

As I mentioned earlier, it was Education Day, and it wasn’t long before the concourse started to fill with school kids. I later learned that there were more than 5,500 second graders in attendance! Although I was eager to continue wandering around, I decided that it’d be wise to grab my meal right away. Before long, kids and teachers would be lining up at concession stands around the concourse, and I knew I wanted to avoid the crowds. My plan to eat early was both good and bad. I got my order into the queue before the concessions got too busy, but I was so early that some of the food wasn’t yet ready. I ordered a Carolina Dog — a beef hot dog topped with chili, coleslaw and onions. The concession worker said it’d be about 10 minutes, which gave me some time to continue wandering, and when I returned he handed me two of these hot dogs to compensate for the delay. This was something I hadn’t remotely anticipated, and appreciate the outstanding customer service. I ate my meal in the outfield:

The hot dogs themselves — which served as my breakfast, technically — fit into the same category as my hot dog from the night before. Fine, but not particularly memorable.

After eating, I took a spot above the home bullpen. It provides a really good view of the pitcher warming up, and I stood to watch the entirety of the bullpen session:

From this vantage point, you also have an interesting overhead view of the other pitchers as they sit in the shade and watch the action:

After the anthem, I took a spot in an empty section of the private grandstand box seating section. I wanted to stay away from the main seating bowl, as it was absolutely brimming with kids, and the box seating area still provided a good view of the action:

(Take a look at just how packed the stands are in the photo above!)

That brings me to some thoughts about Education Day promotions. It’s easy for adult baseball fans to gripe about these dates on the calendar. They’re crowded. They’re loud. The concession line-ups tend to be long. Did I mention they’re loud? I can’t deny having all of these thoughts in the past. But it’s worth thinking about what these outings mean to the students. Lots of children who attend Education Days come from families that simply don’t have the resources to attend baseball games on their own. Visiting a ballpark with a class — on top of being a way better school outing than going to a museum or art gallery — might be a child’s only chance to see live baseball. If you scan the ballpark and look at the kids, they’ve having an absolute blast eating popcorn, laughing with classmates and, yes, screaming at the tops of their lungs when the PA announcer says, “We can’t heaaaar you!” From now on, I’m going to focus on Education Days being a special memory for the kids who are involved, rather than considering my own inconveniences about crowds and line-ups.

Since my various seating options were fairly limited because of the packed house, I ended up sitting in this spot for the first few innings. Greensboro assistant GM Tim Vangel joined me at one point, and we talked baseball and I shared my many positive impressions about the ballpark.

After he headed on his way, I went up to the party deck to check out the view. I’d learned from Tim that season ticket holders give up their seats on Education Days and get to use the party deck, which I think is a cool idea. Plus, on this sunny day, the shade of the deck was probably welcome for most of the fans. Here’s the view I had from this area for half an inning:

I then took a lap of the concourse, navigating my way around the school kids but appreciating how excited most of them seemed to be about this outing. I ended up on the concourse on the first base side, where I had this view for a few minutes:

Eventually, I made my way back to the seat that I’d taken at the start of the game, where I continued watching until the sixth inning:

Although I have mixed feelings about leaving ballgames early, that’s what I did midway through the sixth — after all, another city and another ballpark were calling my name in my first one-day, two-city doubleheader since last November’s Arizona Fall League adventure.

I was sad to leave the ballpark, as well as my hotel. Both had played a huge role in my enjoyment of the first part of this baseball trip. If you’re planning to visit Greensboro for baseball, I can’t recommend the Hyatt Place Greensboro / Downtown enough. The hotel’s proximity to the ballpark and its field-facing rooms make this upscale hotel a no-brainer choice for baseball travel fans, but I discovered plenty of other reasons to visit during my stay. Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast, a 24-hour gym and an outdoor pool — with a view of the ballpark, of course. I’m not sure when I’ll be back in Greensboro, but I know I’ll be staying in this hotel whenever I return.

If you’re planning a visit to Greensboro, be sure to check out the Greensboro CVB to learn everything you need to know about this city. Thanks to the Greensboro CVB for their help with my visit.

Checking into a hotel during a baseball trip is equal parts relief and excitement.

Relief, because the days are often long, filled with walking thousands of steps while carrying a heavy backpack and pulling a suitcase.

Excitement, because I’m one step closer to visiting a ballpark.

There are times that the hotel itself brings an unusually high level of excitement, and my hotel on day #1 of this baseball trip more than fit this description.

After a travel day that began at 3:30 a.m., I arrived in Greensboro, NC, almost exactly 11 hours after my alarm beeped.

To say I was eager to get checked in and go up to my room would be an understatement. Not only was I looking forward to finally shedding the backpack and suitcase that I’d lugged through three airports, but I also couldn’t wait to check out the view from my room.

I’ve often written about my not-so-secret love for field-facing rooms at ballpark hotels, and the Hyatt Place Greensboro / Downtown is the latest field-facing hotel that I’ve had the fortune of experiencing on my travels.

I could see the view as soon as I stepped through my door, and hurried to set my luggage down so that I could run not to the window, but to the balcony that offered an unimpeded look at First National Bank Field, home of the South Atlantic League’s Grasshoppers. Here’s the first picture I took from the balcony:

Wow! It was awesome to not only see the ballpark from this vantage point, but also to immediately hear the sounds of the park. Rather than getting unpacked, my first priority quickly became to lie back on one of the balcony’s lounge chairs for several minutes and just soak everything in.

Here’s a look at the balcony that I enjoyed using several times throughout my stay:

One of the best things about being in a field-facing room is watching the ballpark come to life in the hours that lead up to game time. There are always a multitude of stadium employees preparing the facility — wiping down seats, emptying garbage cans and even using leaf blowers to make the concourses pristine — and it’s all fun to watch. Eventually, the Grasshoppers and the visiting Jersey Shore BlueClaws came onto the field and I had a good view of it all:

I took a brief pause to grab a selfie from this unique position …

… and then continued watching as the players played catch, coaches ran meetings and small groups of players worked on a variety of interesting drills.

As much as it was tempting to get down there and begin exploring the ballpark, I was also happy to just relax for a little while longer and appreciate this view.

After a while, I somewhat reluctantly left the balcony, snapped this shot from inside the room to show the balcony and the view beyond it …

… and then went down through the lobby and outside to the street. The hotel’s lobby is essentially across the street from the ballpark’s right field corner, so that’s where I began my tour. There’s actually an office building on the right field corner that houses a First National Bank branch and offices, as well as offices for other businesses, but the building matches the look of the ballpark so well that I initially thought I was looking at the ballpark itself. After a few more steps along Bellemeade Street, I reached the one of the gates, which features a statue of Guilford, the team’s friendly looking mascot, and a series of plaques about Greensboro’s baseball history:

I eventually made it to the ticket office behind home plate …

… and then walked up N. Edgeworth Street, enjoying the old-time look of the park from the exterior:

First National Bank Field opened in 2005, but I think you could be fooled upon looking at the photo above into thinking this was a park that dates back 50 or more years — and that’s a good thing, in my mind. The combination of the red brick and vintage-looking light sconces offered a throwback feel that I loved immediately.

I made a right turn midway up Edgeworth to find a parking lot and the aptly named Edgeworth Gate, which provides entry into the concourse in the left field corner:

Interestingly, I soon found that you can’t cut directly across behind the outfield. This area is comprised of a parking lot for a church and some luxury condos, so I had to walk a little farther before I made it to N. Eugene Street and had this view:

The building you see in the distance is the bank/office building at the right field corner. You can also see the green outfield fence along the right and a walkway between it and the gate. I soon noticed a spot on the sidewalk that has a clear sightline to much of the field, and I later saw fans standing here to watch a few minutes of the game. Here’s a look through the fence:

Before I continued on my way, I couldn’t help turning 180 degrees to check out my hotel again and specifically look for my room. Its balcony made it easy to spot; it’s the lone balcony on the top floor of the building:

Being in this area meant that I’d completed my slow lap around the ballpark, so I entered through the team shop and immediately met up with Tim Vangel, the team’s assistant general manager, who spent about 20 minutes giving me a tour of the park. I opted not to take photos on the tour, simply because I wanted to listen and ask questions, rather than be fussing with photos. Plus, I’d soon be revisiting each of these areas and would have time to thoroughly document them with pictures.

After Tim and I parted ways, I set my rights on the right field corner. It’s an area of the park that I’d seen clearly from my hotel room, and I was intrigued by the design of this space. You access it via a zig-zag ramp, and can then enjoy any of the large tables and chairs that offer a good view down the line and a prime spot to watch the visiting team’s bullpen:

Here’s an additional shot of this space that shows the seating arrangement:

Here’s a selfie of me from the concourse near this area:

In the background, you’ll see a large grass berm — one of two in the park — and the seating bowl. Since I was in the area, I also stopped to check out the kids play area. It’s got lots of forms of entertainment, and the big thing that stood out to me is how it’s fully enclosed by netting to keep those who use it safe from long foul balls:

Since I mentioned the berm, here’s a look at it from another angle:

And here’s a good look at the building in this area:

The four corner balconies are designed to be adjacent to the break/lunch rooms, which allows employees to step outside for a few minutes and not only enjoy a view of the ballpark, but also watch some of the action if the Grasshoppers are playing an early game. I love thoughtful ideas like this.

After spending several minutes in the right field corner, I began to make my way through the concourse. Like many modern parks, FNBF has an open concourse that allows fans to keep an eye on the field whether they’re standing in line at a concession stand or simply walking to their seats. Arguably one of the most important features of the “new” ballpark design, this means that fans won’t miss the action because they’re walking beneath the seats.

One of my favorite unique features along the concourse was the set of three gates that face Bellemeade Street. As you can hopefully tell in this photo, many of the bars are designed to look like a baseball bat that stretches across each gate. Just beautiful! The Bellemeade Gate is one of my favorite features at this park. Click here to read my post, “Five Things I Love: First National Bank Field.”

There were lots of things to see when I got to the left field corner, including these stylish seating boxes …

… a huge bar area called the Bud Light Grandstand …

… and two levels of group seating immediately behind the fence — the lower of which you can see here:

When I first saw this area with Tim, I was happy to learn that when there aren’t groups occupying these spaces, they’re open to any fan with a game ticket. I always love to hear things like this; it seems unfriendly when teams block off access to group party areas that aren’t in use during a particular game.

I next went to the grass berm in left-center field, which looks like this:

The gates hadn’t yet opened, so I took advantage of the relatively empty park to go up to the suite level. In particular, I wanted to revisit the party deck that Tim had taken me through earlier, which is situated on the third base side. It not only provides a nice, bird’s-eye view of the field, but also gives a clear view of the variety of seating options around left field:

I walked the length of the suite level and then descended to the main concourse to check out the team shop. It was really impressive by High-A standards: Large, pleasantly air conditioned and containing all sorts of Grasshoppers items:

When the gates opened, I took another full lap of the concourse, stopping to pick up two baseballs that had obviously been hit during batting practice. One was under one of the tables in the right field corner, and bonus points to anyone who knows where the second one was. (It was visible in one of my earlier photos.) I have to abstain from accumulating baseballs on this trip, given that my suitcase is already brimming, but I couldn’t resist keeping one as a souvenir because it’s my first Official Minor League Baseball with Rob Manfred’s name on it:

I gave the other baseball to a young kid who was watching the Greensboro players warm up near the bullpen with his mother. He was speechless as he stared at the baseball, his mother was hugely appreciative, and I felt happy to do a good deed.

It seemed like a good time to grab something to eat, so I took a walk past the three large concession stands around the concourse, as well as browsed each of the stand-alone kiosks, to assess my options. There was a good selection of items, and I chose a hot dog that was creatively named “This Dog Willie Mays You.” (Say it out loud to yourself and the name will make more sense.) It featured sauerkraut and beer cheese:

The hot dog wasn’t overly memorable. The sauerkraut moistened the bun quickly and the beer cheese tasted suspiciously like standard stadium nacho cheese. Despite this, and the fact that it appeared to have been thrown together hastily despite me being the only fan at the concession stand, I was extremely happy to be sitting outside and munching on a hot dog at another new-to-me ballpark — my 82nd different affiliated park since 2010.

I ate my dinner under one of the umbrellas on the outfield concourse, and then sat for a few minutes to enjoy the shade, feel the breeze and watch the players warm up on the field below me.

Next, I decided to return to the right field corner to enjoy the view and watch the BlueClaws starting pitcher, Gabriel Cotto, get loosened up. Cotto, a lanky lefty (6’5″ and 175 pounds), was a seventh-round pick in 2016. It was neat to be able to stand just a few feet behind him and watch the trajectory of his pitches. Seeing how they moved made me feel grateful that I write about ballparks instead of try to hit baseballs for a living.

After Cotto finished his tosses, I continued to the walkway behind the outfield fence. It’s an interesting area that might lead you to believe that it wraps around the entire field:

That’s not the case, however. It runs to center field, and your path is blocked by a gate. Beyond the gate is the players’ parking lot, the groundskeeping crew’s area and other assorted things. I’m a big fan — as I think we all are — of 360-degree concourses, but I still appreciated behind able to walk behind the outfield fence even though I had to soon make a 180-degree turn and retrace my steps.

I found a spot on the concourse behind home plate in time for the national anthem, which was played by a kazoo ensemble …

… and then headed off in search of dessert after watching the first couple of batters. I don’t normally eat desserts at ballgames, but I thought the start of my May baseball trip was an occasion worth celebrating. I chose a serving of vanilla and chocolate frozen custard from the Freddy’s Frozen Custard stand, which I adorned with M&Ms:

I spent the first few innings enjoying the action from several vantage points, including the first base side, the third base side and the concourse behind the outfield berm where I’d eaten my dinner. Here’s a view from the third base side:

And here’s my view from behind the berm:

I moved from spot to spot throughout the game, spending time in several areas — the right field corner, down the left field line and on the concourse behind home plate. Late in the game, I hatched an idea. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see a little of the action from my hotel balcony, so I left the ballpark in the eighth inning and returned to my room and had this view of the last bit of the game:

Outstanding!

Of course, the conclusion of the game didn’t deter me from keeping an eye on FNBF throughout the evening. Here’s how it looked at 8:46 p.m.:

A few minutes after taking that picture, I came up with another plan. The hotel has an outdoor pool on the second-floor deck, and I ran down to find it quiet and empty at this time. The opportunity was simply too good to pass up, so I went back to my room, changed and returned for an evening swim with a ballpark view. Here’s a shot from the pool deck …

… and another from when I was in the water:

I swam for maybe 20 minutes, appreciating the feel of the water and the cool night air after spending the last few hours in the sun. More often than not, I kept my eyes trained toward the ballpark, thoroughly enjoying the view and occasionally recalling doing the same sort of thing during a visit to El Paso back in 2016.

After swimming, I returned to my room and relaxed on the balcony for a bit. Just before 11 p.m., I took one final nighttime shot of the ballpark after the main lights were off:

First National Bank Field is a ballpark I didn’t know much about prior to visiting, but I’m sure glad to have checked it out. While some other parks in North Carolina get a lot more attention from fans, don’t overlook Greensboro if you’re planning a baseball trip in this state. And if you’re going to visit, be sure to consider the Hyatt Place Greensboro / Downtown. It’s not only the closest hotel to the ballpark, but will also offer you a view that can really augment your overall experience.

Fortunately, this wouldn’t be my lone visit to FNBF on this trip. I’d be headed back to the park less than 12 hours after taking the above photo.

If you’re planning a visit to Greensboro, be sure to check out the Greensboro CVB to learn everything you need to know about this city. Thanks to the Greensboro CVB for their help with my visit.

On July 28, 2022, the Toronto Blue Jays announced that they’d be embarking on a two-year, $300 million renovation to Rogers Centre.

Also on July 28, 2022, I decided that I’d be visiting the Toronto ballpark early in 2023.

April baseball road trips can be iffy because of weather-related postponements, but that’s nothing to worry about when you’re visiting a stadium that has a roof. After getting lucky with great weather for two days in Chicago, I made the short flight from O’Hare International Airport to Toronto Pearson Airport to begin a stay in Toronto that lasted just 24 hours.

As I’d done when I visited Toronto in 2021, I rode the Union Pearson Express train from the airport to the city’s downtown. About half an hour after leaving the airport terminal, I was standing outside of Toronto’s iconic Union Station with an even-more iconic structure in front of me:

It was still a little early to check into my hotel, and I was starving because I’d left my hotel in Chicago at 4:30 a.m. and hadn’t eaten anything but a protein bar in the seven hours since. So, I grabbed lunch near Union Station and then made the short walk to my hotel, where I was fortunate to check in well before check-in time. I spent the next couple of hours working on my blog about my first visit to Wrigley Field. As I wrote, I felt like a kid waiting for Christmas morning — I was absolutely pumped to check out Rogers Centre.

Even though I’ve been a Blue Jays fan for my entire life, Rogers Centre hasn’t historically been one of my favorite parks to visit. As I’ve often written in this blog, the park has a dated feel that puts it far behind many of its MLB counterparts. The feeling I had as the hours counted down to first pitch was completely different on this trip. The photos and video clips I’d seen of the renovation thus far had looked absolutely fantastic, and I was itching to check everything out.

Just before 4 p.m., more than three hours prior to first pitch, I could wait no longer and made the short walk to the stadium. The gates wouldn’t open for another 90 minutes, so I had plenty of time to walk around the park’s exterior and soak in the sights.

I decided to approach the park by walking over the Rod Robbie Bridge, which spans over several rail lines. Named in honor of the architect who designed Rogers Centre, it’s my favorite way to get to the park. Here’s a shot of Rogers Centre from the bridge:

Did you notice the funny-looking figures sticking out of the side of the building? They’re part of a pair of sculptures called The Audience. The figures you see are on the northeast side of the stadium, and there’s a group of similar characters on the northwest side. I remember enjoying these sculptures immensely as a kid, and now they amuse me because they simply scream 1980s. Here’s a closer look:

Considering how early it was before the game, I was a little surprised to see a decent number of fans around the building. And I couldn’t help but notice an excited vibe that I hadn’t felt in years — perhaps due to a combination of people eagerly anticipating the new changes and the fact that the team looks promising again this season. Here’s my view as I walked along the north edge of the park, which is adjacent to the railway lines that I’d crossed over a few minutes earlier:

Much of Rogers Centre’s west side consists of steps that take you toward Bremner Boulevard, which runs in front of the stadium. As I walked through this area, I enjoyed checking out the new player banners that are on display:

Soon enough, I crossed Bremner and wandered into a small, pricey parking lot that gave me a good view of the ballpark and the CN Tower:

To complete my lap of Rogers Centre, I turned left and walked up the east side of the stadium, which was also adorned in player banners:

Here’s a look back toward Bremner, which shows a handful of keen fans already starting to line up:

I took another lap of the stadium’s perimeter for good measure, and then found a gate at which there were no fans, which give me the opportunity to be the first in line. Although it would’ve been nice to spend a little more time walking around the area, I wanted to line up so that I could get inside quickly and be one of the first fans to check out the new areas.

Eventually, the gates opened and I walked inside — and then quickly broke into a run as I heard the hurried footsteps other fans running, too. This added to the excitement that was already in the air. The new areas of the ballpark are first-come, first-served, so it was clear that people were hustling to claim their spots. Again, this was an atmosphere that I hadn’t seen at Rogers Centre in some time.

It was pretty fun to run through the mostly empty concourse. In no time, I’d made it to right-center field and to the first place I wanted to check out — the bleacher seats behind the visitors bullpen. In its previous design, Rogers Centre’s bullpens were positioned well below the outfield seats. As part of the renovation, the fences were lowered, the bullpens were raised and seating/standing areas were built around the ‘pens. The visitors bullpen has several rows of bleachers that are open to all fans. The idea is that this area can get raucous and fans can offer some “verbal discouragement” to the visiting pitchers as they warm up. Here’s a look at the area:

And for good measure, here’s an idea of how much bleacher space is available:

There’s a new upscale bar behind the bleachers called The Catch Bar, which was protected by netting because batting practice was taking place:

Next, I went around to the deck above the other end of the visitors bullpen, which now features a standing-room area and bar-style railing that gives fans this view:

Then, I went down to check out Rogers Landing, which allows you to look at the bullpen from behind the home plates:

This area kind of reminds me of the changes to the bullpen area at Progressive Field in Cleveland from several years ago, which I’ve liked since the first time I saw them.

Here’s the view of the field from Rogers Landing:

This area, like the other new spaces, is open to all fans. The only issue is that it fills up quickly, so you have to hurry to claim a space once the gates open.

I was so happy to be in this new area that I had to snap a selfie, even if the sun’s angle wasn’t the best:

I knew this area would soon get crowded, and I wanted to continue exploring, so I took another brief look at the pristine bullpen …

… and then went on my way. My next stop was the Schneiders Porch, which sells all sorts of hot dogs. Most importantly, it has a hot dog teeter-totter!

Here’s the view from this new section:

I then took a ramp to the upper deck so that I could visit the Corona Rooftop Patio, which seems to be the swankiest new addition to Rogers Centre. It replaces 500 Level seats that were mostly empty anyway, and is one of the reasons that the upper concourse of the ballpark no longer feels like a ghost town. Here’s a look at some of the many seating choices in this patio space:

And here’s a look at a few assorted scenes around the Corona Rooftop Patio:

From the Corona Rooftop Patio, it’s just a short walk over to Park Social, which is one of my favorite new spaces. It’s covered in turf, which is awesome, and has a number of casual seating options:

Everywhere I turned, I was surprised at the multitude of fun things to do:

Tailgating games, MLB The Show stations, a blackboard (well, technically, a blueboard) with chalk and a lot more. It was obvious that Park Social is the most family-oriented of the new areas, but there were plenty of groups of adults that were enjoying this space, too.

I then made my way into the 500 Level seats in the left field corner. The seats themselves are new for 2023, and are a lot nicer looking than the seats they replaced. They’re a nice blue color that ties into the team’s branding, and are no longer sun bleached after 30-plus years of use:

Here’s a shot of the field from where I stood, with the new areas visible:

One of the things I love about the upper deck on third base side is the view that it offers of the CN Tower, but if you turn your body a little, you can also enjoy a nice point of view of several of the tall buildings that make up the city’s downtown:

Since I’d been doing a lot of walking thus far, I decided to sit for a moment and soak everything in. The moment called for another selfie:

Eventually, I headed through the upper deck seats toward home plate, where I had this view of the park:

If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see that the new party areas were already full — not bad for a midweek game in April.

I figured that now would be a good time to grab something to eat. Eating early not only helps you to beat the lines at the concession stands, but also leaves room for a late-game snack if needed. Rogers Centre has introduced several new food items for 2023, including some that had created a buzz on social media in the weeks leading up to my visit. The most notable item is the poutine hot dog, which is available from a few concession stands around the park. Early in April, I polled my Instagram followers to see if I should eat this unique hot dog, and a resounding 94 percent of respondents voted in favor. So, I grabbed one and returned to the upper deck on the third base side to take this photo:

The poutine hot dog was surprisingly good. I figured it’d be more of a novelty than anything, but every part of it was tasty. The bun wasn’t soggy, the gravy had better flavor than I expected and the cheese curds were perfect. If you look carefully, you can see small French fry cubes, which I thought was a better choice than than using full-sized fries on the hot dog. The hot dog even looked better than I expected. I was thoroughly impressed with this concession option, and wholeheartedly recommend it.

I finished my meal just before the game’s opening ceremonies began, and enjoyed watching the Blue Jays pay tribute to Miguel Cabrera as part of his 2023 retirement tour. Cabrera wasn’t in the starting lineup, which was unfortunate because he’s been one of my favorite players for a long time, but I was glad to see him receive a framed print from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Victor Martinez, a longtime teammate of Miggy’s in Detroit who is now with the Jays in an advisory role:

I ended up watching the first inning from where I sat, simply because it was nice to just relax and enjoy some live baseball. After missing live baseball in 2020 and only seeing three games in 2021, I feel like I’m still catching up. Once the first ended, I continued exploring the park. Here’s a shot of the Bo Bichette banner from inside the park, with a fairly empty plaza below:

When I got down to the 100 Level, I took a walk through the team shop and Blue Jays Authentics shop, the latter of which had several items that caught my eye. The most unique one? How about a (presumably burnt-out) light panel from the Rogers Centre video board?

A big part of me would’ve loved to buy it and hang it in my home office, but the idea of dragging it home on my flight the following day wasn’t appealing. After browsing the shops for a bit, I returned to The Catch Bar to see it operating without its batting practice netting and looking busy:

And here’s a shot of the now-full bleachers behind the Detroit bullpen:

I’d been fairly focused on the visitors bullpen up to this point, simply because it went through the most changes in the renovation. While the home bullpen now looks a lot different than it once did, it’s surrounded by standard stadium seating instead of bleachers. Here’s a look at the Jays bullpen and the new party deck at the end of it:

And here’s a shot of the ‘pen from another angle — this time, from a handful of rows above it:

Next, I elected to go check out the WestJet Flight Deck. It was one of the most popular hangout spots when it was added a few years ago, but it feels as though it’s taken a bit of a back seat to the recent changes. It’s still a cool area from which to watch the game. It features two levels and offers a great behind-the-pitcher view:

After spending a couple of minutes on the Flight Deck, I went to the concourse behind the deck and noticed a number of retro arcade games. I don’t have much interest in present-day gaming, but couldn’t resist the urge to check out something from yesteryear. These games are free to play and available on a first-come, first-served basis, and there were surprisingly few players using them. I settled in at a vintage Pac-Man terminal and played a few levels — feeling more than a little amused that I was playing Pac-Man at a ballpark:

I could say that my Pac-Man playing worked up an appetite, but that wouldn’t exactly be true. What was true, though, was that I wanted to get something else to eat. While there were plenty of enticing new main course options, I was intrigued by a churro stand not far from the gaming station and decided to satisfy my sweet tooth. I’ve yet to have ballpark churros in my travels, so I scanned the menu and ordered a serving of peanut butter and jelly churros:

It consisted of three churros that were drizzled in peanut butter and jelly, and sprinkled with peanut pieces and sliced strawberries. The overall taste was fresh and fun — it’s not every day that you get strawberries at a ballpark, of course — but the churros were fairly overcooked and a little too hard for my liking.

After eating, I sat back and enjoyed the game for a couple of innings — and also enjoyed this view of the CN Tower:

Later in the game, I went down to the 100 Level concourse and watched an inning and a half from this vantage point:

I spent the game’s final innings in the same way that I spent the first part of my visit, browsing each of the new outfield areas and appreciating them thoroughly.

After the final out, I slowly made my way to the nearest gate and took a slow walk through the plaza along Bremner, enjoying the mild April night air and the energy around the stadium:

I enjoyed this Rogers Centre experience immensely. So much so, that I’d love to fit in a return visit this season. The renovation has completely transformed the experience of visiting the stadium, and I commend the team for making these long-overdue changes.

If you’re thinking about visiting Toronto for a Blue Jays game this season, whether it’s your first time or it’s a return visit, I can’t recommend the “new” Rogers Centre enough.

Get there early.

Check out each of the spaces.

Don’t be afraid to wander throughout the game to enjoy the park from different vantage points.

And eat a poutine hot dog.