Boomer and I weren't sure if we would be able to continue our tradition of seeing a different baseball stadium this summer. Now that we have a little one, we debated taking a break for a few years or trying to find ballparks within driving distance. Turns out, there aren't too many parks close by, and since I'm a stickler about keeping traditions, we began planning our 2017 trip in early February. Here is a recap of the Kennedy Ballpark Tour up until this point:
2011: Baltimore Orioles
2012: Atlanta Braves
2013: Boston Red Sox
2014: Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox
2015: Seattle Mariners
2016: Toronto Blue Jays
We were very strategic about our choice this year -- wherever we went, it had to be a direct flight from our Greensboro airport. With that in mind, Kennedy Party of 3 was heading to Texas! There are two teams in Texas -- Texas Rangers and Houston Astros -- so with careful planning, we could check off two stadiums.
I've been known to make a long story long, so in true Lindsey-fashion, I will probably be too wordy with my vacation re-cap. If you'd like just the highlights, the bold titles and the pictures will probably suffice! :)
Day 1 (Friday, June 16th): Flying to Dallas - Emerson's 1st Time on a Plane
Prep for the trip started several months ago. I reached out to some of my friends that have traveled with little ones to get all their tips: 1) be prepared with extra clothes, 2) feed during take-off and landing, 3) use a small umbrella stroller, 4) bring a carrier to 'wear' the baby if necessary, and 5) request a car seat for the rental car. Boomer and I were realistic about having a slower pace this year and budgeting in time for naps, feedings, and diaper changes. In the days leading up to the trip, I was anxious with all the packing and preparations. As I stared down at our luggage on Friday morning, it seemed like I had packed our whole house in these two carry-on suitcases, two book bags, and diaper bag. In the end, I only forgot two things: dishwashing soap and baby bath wash. And it turns out, they have stores in Texas! There was a CVS very close to our hotel where we were able to pick up both of these items.
Our flight on Friday wasn't until 4:30PM, so we actually had the morning at home in Kernersville. Since Boomer and I aren't ones to waste downtime, we fit in a visit to Emerson's daycare. In August, she will be going to 'school' where her cousins Zander and Maddox first attended. I had only been to the daycare once, and Boomer had never been at all, so I arranged a meeting with the director and an official tour. It was helpful to see the center together. It really looks a lot like a school, especially in the older classrooms, with tables, cubbies, artwork, and crafts, so that put my mind at ease. We have some paperwork to fill out, and then Emerson's official start date will be August 7th. After the visit (and brunch at Waffle House), we then gathered our things to head to the airport. Everything went pretty smooth on our flight to Dallas. Em did great on the plane; she even took a little nap. We only had two small mishaps: we didn't realize that, in the rental car, you had to install the car seat yourself (which was no fun in the 90+ degree Texas heat) and the crib wasn't in the hotel room when we first got there. No worries though; Daddy came to the rescue both times. He was able to wrestle the car seat in, and then he played with Emmy on the big king-sized bed while we waited for the crib. All in all, Day 1 was a success. We had arrived in Texas!
Day 2 (Saturday, June 17th): Tex Mex and a Texas Rangers Game
On that first morning, we found a routine that we then duplicated each morning after that. We woke a little before 7AM, which would be 6AM in North Carolina. After feeding Em, we would go downstairs to get breakfast for ourselves. (Gotta love that Hampton Inn hot breakfast!) Then, with Em in the stroller, we would go for a morning walk around our hotel. The heat wasn't too bad yet, and it was a fun way to see our surroundings. We stayed right in downtown Dallas, so there were lots of tall buildings, fun shops and restaurants, and spontaneous parks squeezed in among the skyscrapers. After our morning walk, we returned to the room to feed Em her rice cereal and baby food. Then Em would nap while Mommy and Daddy got ready for the day. We set out again around 11AM. On recommendation from our Dallas-native friends Matt and Virginia, we went to a restaurant called Mi Cocina in Highland Park Village. Em napped during most of our meal, and I enjoyed a Mambo Taxi, another recommendation from Virg. Yum! After finishing lunch, we walked around the shopping area for a little bit. There were a lot of high-end stores, so we mostly just window-shopped. We went back to our hotel just briefly before heading to the baseball game. The Texas Rangers play in Arlington, about 30 minutes outside of Dallas. The game started at 4:05PM, and it was a hot one! In fact, on the news that morning, the weatherman said that it was going to be the hottest day of the year so far. And I believe it! We did our best to stay cool and move into the shade. We even took advantage of the First Aid Station, which had a 'nursing mother's area', so all three of us could enjoy some A/C while feeding Em and changing her diaper. Two small mishaps on this day: we lost Em's pink sun hat (last seen in these photos) and our misting fan broke (after keeping us cool for several innings). The Rangers won 10-4, and the Kennedy Ballpark Tour crossed off #8.
Day 3 (Sunday, June 18th): Father's Day, BBQ, and a Houston Astros Game
When we first scheduled the trip, I did not realize that it would be during Father's Day. I tried to make it a special day for Boomer with two of his favorite things: BBQ and baseball. Another Matt-and-Virg recommendation was a barbecue restaurant called Pecan Lodge. They said to arrive early and be prepared to wait. I found out later that the restaurant had been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, one of my favorite shows! Knowing that parking would be difficult, we opted to take an Uber there. As we were getting close, we could see the line of people waiting on the sidewalk. The restaurant opened at 11AM, and even though we got there a few minutes before that, it wasn't until almost 1PM that we were eating. But it was so worth it! Luckily Em slept in her stroller for most of the wait and was very good while we ate. Boomer got a 3-meat plate with ribs, pulled pork, and brisket plus a side of mac-n-cheese topped with bacon. I got the "Pitmaster" sandwich, also with mac-n-cheese. It was definitely some of the best barbecue I have ever had. With full bellies, we went back to the hotel to prepare for the drive to Houston. Houston is about 3.5 hours away from Dallas. We knew that it would be a long day driving there and back, but we did not want to move hotels or fly out of a different (non-direct) airport. So a road trip it was!
Disclaimer: When we first purchased the tickets, the Astros game was originally scheduled for 1PM. Then, ESPN decided to feature it as its Sunday-night game, so the start time was moved to 7PM.
When we found out the start time was moved, we were bummed. We considered staying overnight in Houston, but (again, because of the above mentioned reasons), we decided to make the drive back after the game. To my surprise, Boomer had splurged on club-level tickets, which meant the concourse behind the seats was enclosed, i.e. air-conditioned! With the game originally being set for 1PM, he thought it would be a nice treat for his girls. When we arrived, it was to both of our surprise that the Astros stadium is indoors! It was my first time being in an indoor stadium, and it was a whole new experience. The temperature, for one, is different! Boomer jokes that the Astros are my favorite team now! We shared a fried chicken and waffle sandwich and cheered for the 'Stros. The later game time was the only drawback. We changed Em into her pjs around 8:30PM, and then I tried to get her to fall asleep. She finally did, but it took awhile -- there was just so much for her to look at. We ended up leaving during the 7th inning. I don't think either Boomer or I wanted to leave; it was an exciting game, but we had to be realistic about the drive back to Dallas. We got on the road around 10PM, and Boomer and I kept each other awake as best as we could, singing to the radio and even playing 'guess the Sour Patch flavor.' We stopped for coffee and switched drivers halfway, with Em sleeping the whole time. We got back to our hotel just after 1:30PM. Whew! What a day!
Since it was Father's Day, I have to include a funny story about my dad. I sent texts and pictures all throughout the trip to keep him and my mom updated on our travels. In one text on our way to Houston, I didn't clarify my use of the word 'blowout'...I'm pretty sure my parents were en route to Texas during the 30-seconds that he thought we were stranded on the side of the road!
P.S. The family restroom at the I-45 rest stop was a lifesaver for this disaster!
Day 3 (Monday, June 19th): Dallas Aquarium and more Tex Mex
We had a slower start to our day as we were all recovering from our trip to Houston. Initially, we discussed going to the Dallas Zoo, but we opted for the cooler, indoor option: the Dallas Aquarium. We took the hotel shuttle to the Aquarium; we arrived around 2PM and spent a couple of hours walking around the exhibits and tanks. There was a lot of marine life, and there were other animals, too: monkeys, sloths, and even a panther. Em enjoyed all the bright colors and movement. We then had one more authentic, Tex Mex meal at Mia's on Lemmons Street. They are especially known for brisket tacos. We were about 3 miles away from our hotel at this point, so we started to walk back but then called the shuttle to take us the rest of the way. It was an early evening, which was much needed after our busy Sunday.
Day 4 (Tuesday, June 20th): Making the Trip Home
The last day of vacation is always a little sad. Something you have looked forward to for so long is coming to an end. In some ways, I was happy to have the trip behind us, to say that we did it; we traveled with a baby and we survived. Even so, I always have the blues when vacation is over. On Tuesday, we basically did in reverse everything that we did on Friday: checked out of our hotel, returned the rental car, boarded our flight, and traveled home. It was a nice sight to see Grammy and Grandpa waiting for us at the airport. They welcomed us with big hugs, and they sure missed their little Emmy!
Just a few final thoughts about traveling with a baby:
- the sinks in hotels are very small;
- on public transportation, hold on tight -- there are no car seats;
- find the family restrooms -- they are great for pumping, changing a diaper, and just generally having more space;
- everything is new to a baby, so even watching the cars go by in your jammies can be an entertaining activity.
Emerson was a great traveler, and I think we have many years ahead of us for checking off ballparks on the Kennedy Ballpark Tour! Only 21 more to go! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment