A Baseball Weekend in Cincinnati
Leanne and I have always loved travel, but were very ok with the fact that having kids meant slowing down on that (at least as many as we have!). Nonetheless, when an opportunity arises to get away for a week or a weekend, we’re thrilled to take it.
My wife’s parents gifted us a weekend away in Cincinnati, Ohio to see a Reds game and to tour their stadium and hall of fame. It was an insanely cool experience. We’d visited Cincinnati a year or so prior on a bit of a whim but were mostly holed up inside a cheap hotel room because the weather was so rainy and cold. We ere excited to return and make up for that.
We got the opposite of cold rain: sweltering heat! It was hot hot hot in Cincinnati but we did our best to make the most of it.
There were a few neighbourhoods we were able to explore on foot the first evening we’d arrived. After a Greek dinner out, we walked through some of the local parks and different areas (where there was some sort of festival and live music going on). Tons of cool architecture to see and a lot of charm throughout the city. It’s clear the residents are proud to be there.
The next morning before our baseball game, we headed up to the Findlay Market, which was a really happening spot. Lots of cool vendors and delicious food to enjoy. We also hit up some different toy stores (always on the hunt for something cool for the kids) and enjoyed a sweet treat out.
One of the things that surprised us most about the Reds game was how packed it was in the upper stands. We were happy to be sitting along the first base line overlooking the stadium, but couldn’t get over how knee-to-knee the crowd was even up there. No doubt Cincinnati has a strong fanbase, not the least of which must be because of its long history as one of the oldest baseball teams playing today.
The day after our game, we headed back to the stadium for a tour of the facility and admission to their Reds Hall of Fame. Any time you get to tour a baseball stadium is a good day (thankfully nowhere near as hot!!). We got to see the dug outs, walk along the edge of the field behind home plate, and see some of the lounges and exclusive zones for fans much wealthier than us. The Hall of Fame was a real treat to walk through, particularly for the graphic designer in me. Tons more photos of various ephemera in my personal collection but I’ve pulled out some of the best here.
Overall, a really fantastic trip and a place I would still love to return to again. We both loved it and said we’d come back at a later time when we could stay the entirety of a game (a pregnant wife in a dense crowd in the middle of a heatwave isn’t super into the idea of sticking around for 9 full innings. To be honest, neither was I).
Oh ya: our trip began with Leanne’s first time trying Dave’s Hot Chicken (so glad these are in Canada now).
And our trip concluded back home by adding another baseball to our collection of MLB parks we’ve visited. Only 20-some left to go.
