Kennedy Ballpark Tour: Pittsburgh

Our latest ballpark trip was extra special because we had two extra travelers with us: Grammy and Grandpa! Several years ago as the Kennedy Ballpark Tour was just getting started, my dad expressed interest in tagging along when we went to his home state to see the Pirates. As soon as the 2025 MLB schedule was released, I noticed that the Pirates had a home stand over the Easter weekend, and I asked Mom and Dad if they would like to join us. The response was a very enthusiastic "yes!" and the planning began. With three generations on board, it sure was a memorable edition of the Kennedy Ballpark Tour. 

Day 1 (Thursday, April 17th): Driving to West Virginia

With our total number of travelers being six instead of four, we rented a mini-van - a bright RED mini-van - which we picked up on Wednesday evening. Boomer and I carpooled in the van to work on Thursday, and once the workday was done, we picked up the kids and Grammy and Grandpa, and we hit the road. We broke up the drive to Pittsburgh by driving 3.5 hours to Summersville, West Virginia, where we finally pulled off the road around 10PM that night. The kids stayed awake the entire drive and were excited to spend our first night in the hotel. After unloading, I parked the car while everyone else headed up to the rooms. When I came back into the lobby, there was Dad, waiting for me, to make sure I made it in safely. I may be 39, but I am still his little girl. We rode the elevator up together and called it a night. 

Day 2 (Friday, April 18th): Visiting Jumonville, PA and Brownsville, PA

We gathered in the hotel lobby at 8AM, and after eating the continental breakfast, we got on the road around 9AM. It was a two hour drive to Jumonville, PA, where we journeyed to the top of the mountain to the large white cross. It had been two years since we went to Jumonville to spread Great Gma and Gpa's ashes. Even then, we were not sure if we would have the opportunity to come back again, and I am glad that we were able to do so. There is a beautiful view from the top, and we took a few pictures before making the walk back down. We then drove about 30 minutes to Brownsville to my dad's hometown. We drove by his old house and through the downtown area. There are not many businesses still open in downtown Brownsville, so it was quite a surprise when we stumbled upon an adorable deli and coffee shop. We had lunch there and then continued our drive through Brownsville, including the Little League field where my dad used to play. We were able to walk onto the field and even run the bases. With our visit to Grandpa's hometown complete, we finished the rest of the drive into Pittsburgh. Our hotel was in a convenient location near the Market Square. After parking and checking in, we walked for about an hour to Point State Park and along the riverwalk. We got great views of the football and baseball stadiums, as well as all the iconic Pittsburgh bridges. We ended our evening with dinner at Primanti Brothers, which was just steps from our hotel. The restaurant came recommended by several people, and although we weren't too hungry from our earlier lunch, we enjoyed some wings, onion rings, chicken tenders, and drinks. We were settled back at our hotel by 7:30PM and looking forward to our game the next day.  

Day 3 (Saturday, April 19th): Pittsburgh Pirates' Game

Even though we had a full itinerary for Saturday, we didn't have to set an alarm, which was nice, and we woke up around 7:30AM. With adjoining rooms, Grammy and Grandpa watched the kids while Boomer and I had a 'date' at the hotel fitness center. We worked out for about an hour, which was an unexpected bonus of bringing along the grandparents. After quick showers, we set off into the city for our 10AM reservation at Waffles INCaffeinated. It was only a short walk away on 5th Avenue. We had a hearty breakfast for a big day ahead. I had the Bananas Foster; Boomer had "The Carnivore" omelet; Grammy had "The Benny"; and Grandpa had a breakfast platter of eggs, bacon, toast, and potatoes. With full bellies, we walked over the Smithfield Street bridge to the docks, where we boarded a 12:30PM river cruise on the Gateway Clipper. The cruise travels along the three rivers: the Monongahela, Alleghany, and Ohio. We learned a lot about the city of Pittsburgh, including its claim to fame as the Steel City and the City of Bridges, since it has more bridges than any city in the WORLD. After the cruise, we made our way to the ballpark. It was a 30+ minute walk, and the kids and adults alike were good sports. As we neared PNC Park, we were surprised to see the line wrapped all the way back to Heinz Field! For this game, they were giving away Paul Skenes bobbleheads to the first 20,000 fans, hence the big crowds even two hours before the first pitch. Earlier in the week, it was rumored that Skenes would pitch on Sunday, but we lucked out that he pitched a day early on Saturday. Skenes was on the mound for the first 7 innings, but unfortunately the Guardians took a 2-0 lead and then added another run for a final score of 3-0. We stayed until the very end in case the Pirates pulled off a comeback, but no such luck. Despite the final score, we were excited to see Skenes and to have beautiful weather for the game. We arrived back at our hotel around 8PM, after enjoying some ice cream at a little spot called Millie's. With this visit to PNC Park, we successfully checked off our 22nd ballpark!

Day 4 (Sunday, April 20th): Easter and Driving Home 

On Sunday, there was one last bit of excitement before hitting the road back to Kernersville. The Easter Bunny managed to find us after all, even on the 8th floor of our hotel! At first, the kids thought perhaps they had been missed, but after a thorough search of the room, they found their surprises on the windowsill, hidden behind the curtain. A monster truck for Eli and a mini Squishmallow for Emmy, plus some candy of course, which made for a good snack on the drive home. We pulled away from Pittsburgh shortly after 8AM and had a smooth journey south back through West Virginia. We pulled into our driveway around 4:30PM after dropping off Grammy and Grandpa. It was a quick vacation, and we all wish it could have lasted longer. As we added the Pirates photo to our frame this evening, there aren't too many holes left. Let the planning begin for the next one!

Celebrating 39

Get ready for lots of baseball pictures over the next two months! The season officially kicked off with Opening Day for Walkertown Little League on Saturday, April 5th. There were introductions of all the players and coaches, and then the ceremonial first pitch was thrown. Emmy's team played a game at 10AM, and then Eli had his game at 11AM. I made my way back and forth between the two fields, trying to catch all the action in both games. Emmy and Eli continue to show good effort and focus on the field. We are so proud of them! I can tell it is going to be a fun spring season. 

Besides watching the kids play baseball, we have watched a lot of other baseball, on TV and in person. On Wednesday, April 2nd (a school night!), we went to the Future Sox Exhibition game at the Dash. We met up with the Houstons, and the kids loved being with their cousins. After a trip to the concourse with Uncle Zack, both Emmy and Eli got to go home with souvenirs - a Dash bat for Eli and a small stuffed dog for Emmy. (Thank you, Uncle Zack!) Emmy named her new stuffed animal Nash and even made him a special bed at home. I imagine there will be many more Dash games in our future. Boomer once again renewed our 30-ticket Flow Club package, so it won't be too long until we are back at the ballpark. 

The kids have had lots of fun spring activities at school. Eli's class went for a scavenger hunt on one of the sunny days. Then they had an indoor Easter egg hunt on a rainy day. Last Sunday afternoon, we went to Emmy's friend Casey's house for an Easter egg hunt. There were other yard games and even a bounce house. The kids had lots of fun and came home with a haul of candy. Here are a few other pictures from the first half of April, including a lost tooth and the Forbush Prom. Before Prom, we had a nice dinner at 1703 in Winston-Salem. There was a short period of time when we thought a rescheduled softball game was going to force us to cancel our reservations. Luckily we were able to follow through with our plans, and we sure enjoyed our meal. We both ordered salads, plus crab dip for an appetizer; then we ordered separate entrees to share: the filet mignon and the scallops. We had some extra time before my prom shift, so we ordered dessert: the blueberry lemon goat cheese tart for me and crème brulee for Boomer. Yum! We are looking forward to another date night soon for the Starmount Prom on the 26th. 

Today I celebrated turning 39 by....going to work! It was a little different than a normal work day though; I took a field trip with a group of seniors to the community college to register for next year's classes. After the school day was over, we met up at East Coast Wings for dinner with the rest of the Bakewell-Houston-Kennedy crew. Megan and Zack have returned from their trip to Hawaii, so it was all ten of us again. After dinner, we rushed home for baths and laundry. As I type this, we are preparing to go out of town for the long Easter weekend. Hopefully the Easter Bunny will find us at our hotel. Stay tuned for the next edition of the Kennedy Ballpark Tour!

One more photo...Boomer's dad sent a few pictures in our family text thread. Do you see any resemblance to another little blond boy?