NYC

Normally this drive back up I-95 is one of the worst around. Toll roads have returned - it seems that the Interstates in most of the country are free. Even the 10 mile long "Delaware Turnpike" charges you four bucks....Highway Robbery!

Finally, the 117 mile stretch of the NJ Turnpike, which usually feels like an eternity, passed by like it was nothing! Maybe this trip will make these "short" drives in the Northeast easier to tolerate. We'll see - I have Gina's birthday party 47 miles away on Long Island on Saturday and my nephew Jack's birthday party 90 miles away in South Jersey on Sunday.

In the end, my trip lasted 28 days, driving through 27 states (plus DC), covering 9,840 miles, and I stayed in 23 "cities/towns". I saw ten stadiums, nine games, and 16 different teams. The home team won 6 games and the visitors won 3. I visited six National Parks, plus Mt. Rushmore.

Favorite ballpark: PNC Park in Pittsburgh

Favorite ballpark food: Primanti Brothers Cheesesteak in Pittsburgh

Nicest fans: Rangers Ballpark at Arlington TX

Least favorite fans: Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO

Favorite Stadium Race: The original, Great Sausage Race in Milwaukee

Least favorite Race: The Dots in Arlington, TX

Favorite National Park: Grand Teton

Favorite Baby: Ava Marie Morgan

Favorite non-ballpark meal: Ribs at the Salt Lick outside of Austin, TX

Favorite music venue: Continental Club in Austin, TX

Longest drive: 855 miles from Houston, TX to Nashville, TN

Favorite hotel: Q Hotel & Spa in Kansas City, MO

Least favorite hotel: Days Inn St. Louis

Favorite campsite: Upper Lehman Creek in Great Basin National Park

Least favorite campsite: Well.....all of them in Yosemite, since I couldn't find an opening!

All in all, it was an incredible trip that I would do again in a heartbeat. Once you're out of the Northeast, driving is actually pretty stress-free. Next time, I'd consider beginning the trip by going through the South on the way out and the North on the return trip. But this will certainly be an experience that I'll remember (at least after re-reading the blog) forever!