With the Phillies in Clearwater on and spring in the air, the Just Get in the Car crew is getting excited for the best time of the year…baseball season!  We love the Phillies (and are looking forward to several trips to the Bank), but we are also planning to check out as many major and minor league ballparks as we can this season.

To prepare for baseball season, we have been researching day trips from Philadelphia to as many minor and major league ballparks as we can.  Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing our research with all 15 people reading this blog (thank God for large Irish families!)  We have been looking at travel time, things to do near the ballpark, places to eat, what to eat at the game, the best local beer, and the best giveaways for you and the kids.  First up is the Wilmington Blue Rocks.  Let us know what you think!

WILMINGTON BLUE ROCKS
The Blue Rocks are the current Carolina League A level farm club of the Kansas City Royals.  They have been playing baseball in at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington since 1993.  Its only about 40 minutes south of Philadelphia, and right off I-95.  You can get tickets for $6-$12 each, which is not bad.  Especially when you realize you are planning to spend your day in Wilmington.

THINGS TO DO IN THE CITY
Sorry, but no visits to the Screen Factory are in store for the JGIT Car crew.  If you are coming down to Wilmington for the game, you can find plenty to do in the area right around Frawley Stadium.  If the weather is nice, take the family on the RiverWalk.  The River Walk is a paved walking area along the Christiana River.  The area is a revitalizing industrial area, so views aren’t that scenic, but our kids enjoy looking at the giant cranes along the walk.  Like everything else in Delaware, the  Environmental Education Center is named after a DuPont.  It offers a small museum and walkway around a “pond” (more like a swamp) at one end of the walk.  It’s also free, so that is a plus.   Not far from there is a mini golf course as well. 

If you don’t feel like spending any additional time outside, check out the Delaware Children’s Museum.  It’s like a light version of the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, and is a great way to let the kids use up some energy before going to the game.   All of these activities are within sight of the stadium.

WHERE TO EAT IN THE CITY
We try to stay away from chain restaurants when we travel around, so we can try something more local, but sometimes it is easier with the kids to go someplace where you know the menu has Kraft mac & cheese.  Around the RiverWalk and Frawley Stadium, there are a handful of places you can grab a bite to eat before the game.  Seafood lovers should try Big Fish Grill, which is both on the river and near the stadium.  They have a good selection of fish, seafood, and crab.  The kids will love looking around, as the restaurant has a ton of giant fish hanging all over the walls, and a reasonable kids menu that is not all seafood.
If you are not a seafood lover, dad would recommend the Iron Hill Brewery.  Sure for Philly people this is a chain, but they have some great beer and food, and it’s in walking distance to the stadium (depending on how old your kids are).

WHAT TO EAT AT THE BALLPARK
Everyone is familiar with the standard ballpark food offerings: hot dogs, burgers, pizza, cracker jacks, etc.  But a lot of stadiums try to offer something unique.  If you don’t mind calories and an early death, we would give the Sweenie Dog a try on the trip to Wilmington.  Like hot dogs?  Donuts?  Bacon?  How about adding some raspberry jam and getting it all in one delicious, heart-attack inducing treat?  If that sounds appealing, stop by the Grill Cart on the third base side to give it a try. 

WHEN TO GO
Kids love getting free stuff, so we have scanned the promotional schedule for the Blue Rocks to give you some suggestions as to when to go.  On May 27th, they give away a sweet looking digital camo hat to the first 1,000 fans (the stadium holds 6,500 people).  But Saturday, August 19th is Star Wars night!  Get a free galactic themed baseball, and get to meet all the nerds dressed up like Boba Fett, Stormtroopers, and other characters guaranteed to protect their virginity!

They also have some bobblehead offerings if you collect them: Johnny Damon on June 17th, Carlos Beltran July 16th, Zach Grienke August 5th, Eric Hosmer September 12th, and Senator Chris Coons on August 3rd.  The perfect complement for the Chuck Shumer bobblehead in your collection!

BEER
Ah, the most important part of any ballpark visit: the brew.  As beer lovers know, one thing Delaware has going for it is one of the best microbrews there is: Dogfish Head.  Frawley Stadium has the Dogfish Head Off-Centered Fan Deck out in right field.  Do yourself a favor, and sneak away from the wife and kids when you have to go to the “bathroom” and get yourself one of their awesome IPAs.