Baseball - ⚾️ - Fun things to do

My nephews love baseball. ⚾️  This post includes ideas of fun things to do for baseball lovers.

Washington DC

Baseball Walking Tour. Learn about the history of baseball. Great two hour walking tour. See AirBnB listing. https://www.airbnb.com/slink/ctQ2pLwi

Baseball Stadiums 🏟️ 

Stadium Tours. Most baseball stadiums offer tours of the stadium. These are interesting and you learn a lot of fun facts about each stadium.

Want to purchase baseball tickets in the shade? Check out this site.https://www.rateyourseats.com/mobile/blog/cheap_seats/shaded-and-covered-seating-finder-faqs

Tags

#baseball

#baseballtours

#baseballwashingtondc

#baseballhistory

Traveling to London Covid Style

Did you have a trip to London that got cancelled? Or want to "travel" to London while staying at home? The itinerary below was designed for my 13 year old niece after our trip got cancelled. 

London:  Day 1

Private Zoom tour of London - 1 hour. I used London Walks and our guide was Adam. It was great--we got to tour London in a black cab on a wet rainy day. You can get much more British than this.

London Walks: https://www.walks.com/ 

Meet Adam: https://www.walks.com/guides 

View Map of London & Tube  

London Phone Booth. Take Photos! 

Dimensions for Telephone Booth:  8 feet x 3 feet.  We made ours smaller.  

Send postcards! 

Harry Potter Activities

Walking Tour:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBZAv-a7crQ Oxford 

  

Rick Steeve’s Oxford: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzSoPYDiefw 

Eat British Dinner -  Fox & Goose - Pub Food Dinner and buy scones.  

https://foxandgoose.com/lunch-menu/ 

Go to the Theatre 

Hamilton https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCKhSqWRvBtjlivrs_xeT5aQ 

Disney Plus:  Watch Hamilton

Shop at Harrod’s - shopping/gift

I purchased food and souvenir items and had them wrapped up to let my nice "go shopping."

Tour:  https://youtu.be/rSnpVgxpAUE 

Watch British TV 

The Big Flower Fight

Other options: Mary Poppins, About A Boy 

London:  Day 2

Breakfast - Scones

Tour with Rick Steeve

London: Historic & Modern 24:57. https://youtu.be/4p1rzw-7Jho

London:  Modern & Traditional 26:06  https://youtu.be/IUyQzpMODBI

Tower of London Jewels

https://youtu.be/ZsuSGrZAhmM

https://youtu.be/xNZ_DRahMSo

Watch Queen Elizabeth’s coronation

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=inKSvLk7kiI

Make crowns. 

https://www.firstpalette.com/printable/king-queen-crown.html

Get Inspired:  Best Bakeries London 6:30 - https://youtu.be/fhf8xJ-4uR0

Have a tea!

Make shortbread. Eat with strawberry jam and clotted cream.

Go to Kew Gardens 

Drone View.  1:17 - https://youtu.be/8IV-YANXP8g.

More gardens.   6:33 - https://youtu.be/8IV-YANXP8g

Top 10 attractions at Kew. 6.00. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ioG_Vfh0Kxw

Dinner at Elk Grove Fish & Chips

Watch British TV: 

Great British Baking Show

New York 2009 with Megan

I have a tradition of taking each of my nieces or nephews to New York City when they turn 11.  They love the trip--except the Guggenheim!  Here is the itentary for our trip.  It was a busy 8 days! 

July 1—Wed

·         Flight –Depart 11:59 pm Sacramento  Confirmation #Q54ZCS  JetBlue

July 2 –Thursday

·         Flight – Arrive 8:15 am JFK

·         Hotel Belvedere    319 W 48^th St (48^th/9^th Ave)

·         Time Square (43^rd St/7^th Ave): Toys R Us (1514 Broadway), M&M ‘s World       (1600 Broadway & 48^th)  Area--42nd Street at 7th Ave. & Broadway.  

·         Canal Street

·         Whole Foods …Pizza

July 3—Friday

·         Manhattan Comprehensive –Motor Coach Tour #193034 9am – 6 pm

·         Gray  Line, New York Sightseeing.  49 W. 45 St.

o   Ground Zero; St. Paul’s Cathedral

o    Rockefeller Center:  St  5th & 6th Ave., between 48th and 51st Sts.

o   Boat to Statue of Liberty

o   Bronx

·         Theatre

July 4—Saturday

·         Guggenheim 1071 5^th Ave 10:00 – 5:45 (Closed Thur)

·         Fireworks –4:30 at Pier 83 @ 42nd

July 5 – Sunday

·         11:00  A Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour

       Girimaldi's Pizzeria, 19 Old Fulton Street

Gr      Coney Island, Cyclone

July 6 –Monday

·         1:05 Yankees Game, Section 212 (shady side of ballpark)

July 7 –Tuesday

·         9:30 American Girl Brunch (arrive 15 min early); 609 5^th Ave/49^th St.

      Shopping in Manhattan  

·        5^th Ave:  Apple (R); FAO Schwartz 58^th St (R), Bergdorf Goodwan 58^th (L), Tiffany & Co 57^th  ( R), Trump Tower (R), The Disney Story: 711 5^th Ave/56^th (R), Takashimaya 55^th (This is a fantastic place! Japanese Dept Store)(R ), St Patricks Cathedral 50^th (R ), Saks Firth Ave 12 E. 49^th (R )

·         Madison Avenue:  Barney  at 6600 Madison at 61^st  (L), DKNY at 60^th (R ); Bally of Switzerland  58^th (L) and FAO Schwartz 58^th (L)

·         3^rd Ave:  Bloomingdale’s 1000 3^rd Ave; Dylan’s Candy Bar 1011 3^rd Ave (near Bloomingdale’s)

·         Central Park (Horse Ride) 59th to 110th Streets

·         Natural History Museum Park West/79^th St ..10:00 – 5:45 daily

·         Theatre

July 8-Wednesday

·         Bronx Zoo  2300 Southern Boulevard (10 – 5pm daily)  Note:  Do not go on “Free Wednesdays.”

o    Subway #2 or #5 train to East Tremont Ave/West Farms Square. At street level, walk straight ahead (follow train uptown) on Boston Road 21⁄2 blocks to the Zoo’s Asia gate entrance (Gate A).  

·        Macy's 151 W. 34^th Street   

      Theatre

July 9 – Thursday

·         10:00 NY FTB Office.  1212 Ave of Americas 6^th, between 47/48

·         Central Park Merry-Go-Round (Enter park @ 6^th)

·         Met 1000 5^th Ave (82^nd St/5^th Ave)  Friday & Saturday 9:30am to 9:00 pm

·         Ellen's Stardust Diner 1650 Broadway @51st.  Diner with theatre singers.  

·         Flight –Depart 7:51 pm JFK Confirmation #Q54ZCS  JetBlue

·         Flight—Arrive 11:02 pm Sacramento

  

Hawaii (Big Island)

http://hawaiiparadisebythesea.com/index.html

This is a fantastic rental near Hilo on the big island.  Sandy and Bob Nutt are very friendly.

Email:  4AlohaSandy@gmail.com
Phone:  808.963.6160

India: Local Villages

The people in India were so warm and happy.  Several times we'd stop along the way to view what local living was like.  This is a a woman from a village that made pottery.  Photo by Alan Kondo.
A local house which was very special due to the blue paint and drawings on the wall. 
The family who lived at this home. 
Another painted house.

IndIa: Town of Abhaneri

iABaoris, intricately carved step wells
These were so amazing!  The 13 stories of a step well which have been beautifully restored.  
After the Taj, this was my favorite site in India.     

India: The Taj

All trips to India include a trip to the Taj Mahal.  Here are pictures with proof that I was  there too.

A tulip carving at the Taj.
Precious jewels inset at the Taj

School...India Style

We stopped by a local school.  Just before we left, the kids sang the National Anthem of India for us.

India: The Roads

Watching traffic is an entertaining "event" in India.  First, you are never sure which type of  vehicle you will see on the rode...it can be a car, bicycle, truck, rickshaw, or someone just walking along the road.  An "organized chaos" is the best way I can describe it.

Anytime you pass anyone, trucks all "blow horn."

A bicycle that has been modified.

Rickshaws.

Jeeps.

Tucktucks.
 
Traffic jams. 

India: Pushkar ... The camel fair!

A look at the festival grounds.

Another view of the camels.

Twins.

A decorated camel.
 
The camel I rode!
Ed on a galloping camel.

India: Jaipur...The pink city

Jaipur is known as the pink city because of the color of the buildings in the old city.  The maharajah chose this color for all the buildings when they were preparing for Prince Albert's visit. 
This is known as the Palace of Winds. It has 956 windows and niches.  This was built so the women could watch everyday life and processions of the city.   

A pink tower...

One of the 7 city gates.

Homes above the city street.

The public library.

The city has the flavor and ambiance of the old times.  The downtown is jam packed with cars, rickshaws, bicycles, tuktuks, motorbike and carts with merchandise for sale. 

India: Trip to Jaipur/Samode Palace

The trucks in India are all painted with the drivers preference.  Nearly all of them say "blow horn."  This is not just a saying but how I would say was the most common sound we hear when we are on the road or even in your hotel.  I am going to try and get some video of the driving experience.  It is unbelievable!  It is a mixture of people walking, motorbikes, cows, camels, cars and trucks.  You add to all of this...no one stays in their lane!  I found one sign that said, "Lane driving is safe driving."

This is the Samode Palace that is owned by the royal family of Jaipur.  It is now a hotel that you can stay at for only $800 per night!  That was not in the budget so we ate lunch there.

Our waiter.  The turban is 12 meters of cloth placed on his head.

A room in the palace...

A hallway decorated with lots of mirrors.

We went into the local town. It was so interesting.  These men are making bracelets from bamboo.  

The local fruit market.
The local barber.
The market and cow.  Marigolds and sarees for sale.