The trip from San Diego Padres stadium to Angel Stadium in Anaheim to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to Chase field in Phoenix Arizona is a long one. You will see the beautiful scenery of Southern California and Arizona along the way. The home of the Padres is one of the most beautiful stadiums in all of baseball. Anaheim Stadium has been the home of the Angels since their move from Los Angeles. Dodger Stadium is located in Chavez Ravine which is a beautiful area with scenic views of downtown LA. Chase Field is located in downtown Phoenix and has a retractable roof which can be opened or closed depending on the weather. However, with so much to do along the way and all that beautiful scenery you will hope the trip never ends. We begin this road trip in San Diego, home of the San Diego Padres.
Petco Park
Petco Park is in Downtown San Diego, California. The stadium is architecturally magnificent and celebrates the sea, the sky, the natural beauty, cultural diversity and unique spirit of the region. Innovative design features evoke the timeless traditions of baseball in this truly unique and intimate setting, with state-of-the-art fan amenities. The stadium has a large green space and pedestrian plaza located beyond the outfield called Park at the Park or Gallagher Square. It contains a grassy hill, a stage with a large screen, food and beverage stands, a play area for kids, and statues of former Padre greats, including an impressive one for Tony Gwynn.
Often considered one of the top baseball stadiums in the country, Petco Park is a must-visit for San Diego Padres fans or for anyone who wants to witness a baseball game and take in the striking San Diego skyline. The park, which was built in 2004, sits beside the city’s historic Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego’s East Village. The stadium reflects its Southern California location through the light sandstone exterior and decorative palm trees and vegetation. San Diego’s sunny and dry weather makes Petco Park an ideal baseball stadium as home games are rarely rained out.
While in San Diego, you will never want for something outdoors to do. Consistently sunny weather and 70 miles of magnificent coastline are a draw for the region, along with mouthwatering Mexican cuisine, thriving nightlife and one of the country’s favorite zoos. And then there are the beaches: Retreat to Mission Beach to catch a wave, to La Jolla to soak up the sun and to Coronado for a leisurely seaside stroll. What’s more, San Diego offers some of the best California tours, including whale watching tours, boat tours and fishing charters. When you’re ready to change into your evening attire, you’ll find lots of vivacious nightlife, especially near the historical Gaslamp Quarter.
Balboa Park
Spend a day at world-famous Balboa Park and soak up the one-of-a-kind setting while exploring the many museums, theaters and gardens that call this 1,200-acre park home. Home to the renowned San Diego Zoo, this 1,200-acre park is the city’s cultural hub. Located in downtown San Diego, Balboa Park is a great place for a stroll, a bike ride or a picnic. The Botanical Building is a great starting point in Balboa Park. The building is one of the most photographed places in Balboa Park. The famous botanical building features more than 2,100 permanent plants, including collections of tropical plants and orchids. Balboa Park also features a cactus garden, a rose garden, a Japanese-style garden.
La Jolla Cove
La Jolla Cove is the jewel of La Jolla. Located across the water from La Jolla Shores, La Jolla Cove may not be much in terms of a beach, but its striking beauty and snorkeling reputation more than make up for it among recent visitors. The site is an ecologically protected area that is home to vibrant wildlife both in and out of the water. Even if you don’t plan on swimming or snorkeling, you should still visit the attraction for its picture-perfect setting.
Mission beach
Mission Beach – one of the top San Diego beaches – is popular with families thanks to its variety of amenities and laid-back vibe. In addition to its approximately 2-mile-long boardwalk, the beach is also home to Belmont Park, a beachfront amusement park featuring arcades and numerous rides, including the Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster – a nearly 100-year-old National Historic Landmark.
Old Town San Diego
Take a trip back in time at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, an approximately mile-long and half-mile-wide area contained stretch of preserved or reconstructed shops and houses on the grounds of the first European settlement in California. Widely considered the “birthplace of California,” Old Town San Diego shows visitors what it was like to live through different eras of California history, from the time of Spanish explorers to the California gold rush. Some important stops include the adobe Casa de Estudillo, a house built in the 1820s that is one of the oldest surviving Mexican-Spanish-style structures of its type in the state. The park also shelters a reconstruction of San Diego’s first brick building, a courthouse first built in the mid-19th century. Pacific Ocean. The Whaley House, another of the city’s early brick buildings (and one some believe to be haunted), also sits near the park.
Gas Lamp Quarter
The Gaslamp Quarter’s 16 blocks are peppered with Victorian-style buildings that now house a variety of shops, art galleries, theaters and trendy restaurants, not to mention plenty of bars and clubs. The best place to start your tour of the Gaslamp Quarter is at the Gaslamp Quarter Gate itself, located at L Street and Fifth Avenue. Fifth Avenue is considered downtown San Diego’s main thoroughfare. You’ll find the most action here, especially at night. Thanks to all of its amenities, the Gaslamp Quarter is San Diego’s premier nightlife destination.
Making our way north we are on route to visit the Los Angeles Dodgers and The Los Angeles Angels. With so many things to do in LA, you’ll need to strategically plan your time.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is a a sprawling metropolis with heavily congested freeways, but it also contains diverse and unique neighborhoods. La-La Land is filled to the brim with the glamour of chic Hollywood name brands and movie set backdrops, yet it’s also home to renowned art galleries and behind-the-scenes looks into the world of filmmaking and television broadcasting. There are also many wonderful outdoor activities that will make for a great day
Griffith Observatory and Griffith Park
If you’re looking to spend some time outdoors (without fighting traffic to get to the beaches), Griffith Park is the place to be. Encompassing more than 4,200 acres, the park features more than 50 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails, soccer fields and more. You will also find a variety of attractions here, including the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, the Hollywood sign, the Autry Museum of the American West and, of course, the observatory.
Santa Monica Pier and Beach
West of downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica contains one of the most legendary beach scenes in the United States. It also boasts an abundance of great restaurants and excellent nightlife spots. Its more than 3 miles of shoreline are renowned as some of the best in the area thanks to the soft sands, ideal weather and bevy of attractions. Santa Monica is a very walkable part of town. Try exploring the area by bicycle. One of the most scenic bike rides is along the 22-mile paved path, known as The Strand, which runs parallel to the Pacific Ocean and takes riders through Marina del Rey and Playa del Rey along with Venice, Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo beaches.
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
You could spend an entire day at this property that includes a research library with 11 million items, an art museum with more than 42,000 pieces and a 130-acre botanical gardens with more than 12 themed gardens. The Huntington opened in 1928 and is a nonprofit that provides humanities scholarships, fellowships and special exhibitions. The Botanical Gardens include themed gardens – such as the California garden, jungle garden, rose garden and Japanese garden – botanical living collections and is the site for botanical conservation and research. Most visitors enjoyed touring the gardens the most and said that the gardens alone can be a full-day excursion.
La Brea Tar Pits
If you go crazy for dinosaurs then a visit to La Brea Tar Pits is sure to be the highlight of their trip. Although the pits look like the set of a cheesy PG movie, hot tar has been bubbling from the earth at this spot along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile for about 50,000 years. And from the gooiest part of LA, more than 3.5 million fossils have been discovered. The adjoining museum houses many of the artifacts found at the tar pits; consequently, it is home to one of the largest collections of Ice Age fossils in the world.
Grand Central Market
Grand Central Market, or foodie heaven according to visitors, is located in downtown Los Angeles by the Walt Disney Concert Hall and The Broad. The venue features high ceilings and an open layout, with food vendor stalls offering different cuisines that represent cultures from the Los Angeles area and beyond. The market has been in operation since 1917 and serves everything from coffee and pressed juices to deli fare, egg sandwiches, falafel, tacos and chow mein.
Los Angeles Angels Anaheim Stadium
Anaheim Stadium had been the home of the Angels since their move from Los Angeles following the 1965 season. The stadium opened April 9, 1966, as the California Angels hosted the San Francisco Giants in an exhibition game. The franchise’s first American League game was April 19, 1966 vs. the Chicago White Sox. The Los Angeles Angels played at Wrigley Field in 1961 and Chavez Ravine from 1962-65. On Dec. 29, 2003, the Angels announced the stadium would be renamed Angel Stadium of Anaheim
The stadium is affectionately known as the “Big A” and is one of the most iconic ballparks in Major League Baseball. It has hosted pro-football games, soccer matches, concerts, and pretty much every spectacle imaginable.
Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium
Baseball fans will absolutely enjoy a visit to Dodger Stadium, which is home to the LA Dodgers and is Major League Baseball’s third oldest continually used park. The stadium is carved into Chavez Ravine and overlooks downtown LA to the south and the San Gabriel Mountains to the north, making this ballpark quite unique. Try and peek into the Dugout Club which houses the team’s World Series trophies and various other awards. Dodger Stadium has been the home of unique and special moments, Hall of Famers and World Champions. From no-hitters to Nomo-mania, Most Valuable Players and Cy Young Award winners to World Series victories, Dodger Stadium has a rich history that places it among the truly great venues in sports history.
Heading east we are now traveling our final leg of this journey. While we are in Phoenix, there is plenty to do along with our visit to Chase Field.
Referred to as “LA without the Pacific,” Phoenix combines high-end shopping, a flourishing restaurant scene and resort life in the Sonoran Desert. Instead of golden beaches and palm trees, you’ll encounter vibrant red mountains and cacti-lined boulevards. Phoenix’s setting is so attractive that the one-time ranch town has morphed into the fifth most populated city in the U.S. Also known as “The Valley of the Sun,” Phoenix attracts adventurous travelers with its unique desert landscape and numerous hiking trails. You’ll want to start your time in the Valley of the Sun with a visit to downtown Phoenix, which is home to some of the city’s top attractions, including the Phoenix Art Museum, Heritage Square, the Japanese Friendship Garden and the Heard Museum.
The Musical Instrument Museum
The Musical Instrument Museum, located about 20 miles north of downtown Phoenix, invites visitors to check out its collection of more than 8,000 instruments from around the world. Travelers will find instruments, concert footage, clothing of renowned musicians and more. Visitors can even see how instruments are preserved and restored in the Conservation Lab before actually playing instruments in the Experience Gallery. The Geographic Galleries house a unique collection of instruments from regions around the world, including Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Europe. In each section, instruments are accompanied by streaming audio and video of the instruments being played to help put them in cultural context.
The Desert Botanical Garden
The Desert Botanical Garden is home to more than 50,000 plants from around the world. The Desert Botanical Garden is home to thousands of species of cacti, trees and flowers from all around the world. The garden’s brightly colored plants sharply contrast the Sonoran Desert’s cinnamon-red buttes, and numerous hiking trails and allows you to experience the region’s natural wonders the way early settlers once did. The Desert Botanical Garden also hosts numerous events, including culinary demonstrations and outdoor concert series.
Papago Park
Home to the Desert Botanical Garden and the Phoenix Zoo, Papago Park is located near downtown Phoenix and its massive red butte formations. There are options for all activity levels, from the west side trails to the east side trails to the popular Hole-in-the-Rock trail. Dogs are welcome, too. Hiking is not the only activity here: you can also fish, picnic and visit Hunt’s Tomb, a pyramid-shaped tomb that serves as the final resting place for Arizona’s first governor, George W.P. Hunt.
Arizona Diamondbacks Chase Field
Chase Field is a baseball stadium in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. It opened in 1998, the year the Diamondbacks debuted as an expansion team. Chase Field has several unique features including one of the largest high-definition video scoreboards in MLB, a retractable roof to keep fans cool during the summer months, the D-backs Pool in right field and the Coors Light Strike Zone. Watching the Arizona Diamondbacks play at Chase Field is a worthwhile experience.
https://www.mlb.com/Diamondbacks
Enjoy the journey!