Cactus League MLB Spring Training 2024 Trip Report
- Thread starter bama_ed
- Start date
Part-Time Paradise
Is it camping season yet?
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2019
bama_ed
It's kind of fun to do the impossible-Walt Disney
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2004
As a kid growing up in northeast Ohio in the early 1970s, the Cleveland Indians were my team. I would follow the daily progress in the newspaper, could read box scores and talk stats at an early age, and grew to love listening to the game on the AM radio at night (home/away). The Tribe were loveable losers but they were MY team so I've loved them none the less.
So as an old guy, it was a bucket list item to go to Arizona (where Cleveland currently operates spring training in the "Cactus League") to follow my team and the first game is Saturday, February 24 and we will be there. In fact, I have 7 games (tickets) in 7 days for our stay out there to follow the Tribe.
Arizona is 1800+ miles from Alabama via I-10 (so we can see DS#2 in San Antonio) so I plan to make it a 4 day drive. Leave tomorrow Mon Feb 19 and get to the Phoenix area Friday Feb 23. Return plans are not locked in but will go through Dallas (shorter and more direct) but in 3 or 4 days.
I won't post much during travel out/back because Texas has 100's of miles of interstates with little to see. But once in Arizona, I hope to have game pics, food pics, and tourism pics.
I want to make Chief Wahoo proud.
Bama Ed
So as an old guy, it was a bucket list item to go to Arizona (where Cleveland currently operates spring training in the "Cactus League") to follow my team and the first game is Saturday, February 24 and we will be there. In fact, I have 7 games (tickets) in 7 days for our stay out there to follow the Tribe.
Arizona is 1800+ miles from Alabama via I-10 (so we can see DS#2 in San Antonio) so I plan to make it a 4 day drive. Leave tomorrow Mon Feb 19 and get to the Phoenix area Friday Feb 23. Return plans are not locked in but will go through Dallas (shorter and more direct) but in 3 or 4 days.
I won't post much during travel out/back because Texas has 100's of miles of interstates with little to see. But once in Arizona, I hope to have game pics, food pics, and tourism pics.
I want to make Chief Wahoo proud.
Bama Ed
team bradfield
Happy Campers
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2009
Enjoy it, so happy baseball is back!!!
Part-Time Paradise
Is it camping season yet?
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2019
Those temp highs are amazing. Enjoy
bama_ed
It's kind of fun to do the impossible-Walt Disney
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2004
When I was a kid it was always a thing around the 1st of February when the team loaded the two 18 wheeler equipment trucks with hundreds of bats, balls, jerseys, and the manager's moped and drove out of cold downtown Cleveland headed to the sunshine of spring training a few weeks before catchers and pitchers checked in (the first players to arrive). There would be a picture in the paper and it was a sure sign that winter would soon end and baseball would be coming soon.
Similarly, I loaded up my truck with my gear for spring training this morning.
Here is my truck and trailer at a soda stop in Scott, LA.
It was a beautiful blue sky with high clouds, temps in high 60s but a little breezy.
We made a 7h 45m drive to a western Louisiana state park along I-10 ($35 for the night total) pretty easily. Got 15.5 mpg at 70-72 mph.
Our site overlooks "de bayou" and the comfort station feels/looks brand new and the pavement appears newly poured. Wonder if this was a rebuild after a hurricane (likely)? Only 30 campsites but they are full - I reserved a site end of last week thinking winter/weeknight no problem getting a site and got the last reservable site available for tonight (other than an accessible site).
Tomorrow is a short-ish drive about 5.5 hr to San Antonio to see DS#2 on the way to Arizona. Have to drive straight through Houston on I-10 so going to try to time my arrival after the morning commute time (about 930am) but I've quickly learned Houston traffic is generally hosed all the time worse than Atlanta with no real good way around it (alternate routes usually equally bad).
Bama Ed
PS - the state park provided wifi speed tested out at 3mpbs.
So glad I can hot spot instead.
Similarly, I loaded up my truck with my gear for spring training this morning.
Here is my truck and trailer at a soda stop in Scott, LA.
It was a beautiful blue sky with high clouds, temps in high 60s but a little breezy.
We made a 7h 45m drive to a western Louisiana state park along I-10 ($35 for the night total) pretty easily. Got 15.5 mpg at 70-72 mph.
Our site overlooks "de bayou" and the comfort station feels/looks brand new and the pavement appears newly poured. Wonder if this was a rebuild after a hurricane (likely)? Only 30 campsites but they are full - I reserved a site end of last week thinking winter/weeknight no problem getting a site and got the last reservable site available for tonight (other than an accessible site).
Tomorrow is a short-ish drive about 5.5 hr to San Antonio to see DS#2 on the way to Arizona. Have to drive straight through Houston on I-10 so going to try to time my arrival after the morning commute time (about 930am) but I've quickly learned Houston traffic is generally hosed all the time worse than Atlanta with no real good way around it (alternate routes usually equally bad).
Bama Ed
PS - the state park provided wifi speed tested out at 3mpbs.
So glad I can hot spot instead.
Last edited:
Part-Time Paradise
Is it camping season yet?
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2019
Houston is the worst
bama_ed
It's kind of fun to do the impossible-Walt Disney
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2004
I got lucky today, Jack. I sailed through Houston about 1030am (later than planned) but didn't have to slow below 50mph.
Beautiful day for travel. Temp was in high 70s this afternoon when we reached the San Antonio KOA (just down the street from DS#2). In fact, had to turn the AC on in the truck before we pulled in. Took a little over 5.5hrs.
Visited with DS and took him to dinner. Now back at the site and chillin'.
Turns out there is a rodeo taking place nearby which filled the KOA. I have a pull thru electric/water site which is nice because it's on the end of the row and I don't have to look at the side of the trailer next to me. We have a grassy tree view and a stream/city bike/walking trail beyond.
Tomorrow going to do some camper repairs, grocery shop at WalMart, and get the truck washed. Will see DS tomorrow night then leave out on Thursday morning early still headed west on I-10.
That's all for today.
Bama Ed
Last edited:
champagne&disney
Holding out hope for a Mary Poppins Attraction
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2021
I'm a Braves season ticket holder so I'm following your adventures in the spirit of "yessssss baseball is back!!" So have the best time and can't wait for more updates!!
PS We can nerd talk baseball when we are at the Dismeet at the Fort in November!
PS We can nerd talk baseball when we are at the Dismeet at the Fort in November!
bama_ed
It's kind of fun to do the impossible-Walt Disney
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2004
To get caught up,
Yesterday not much happened. But I did try something new.
We are travelling with our electric skillet and recently got a baking rack to try with it.
Used a 5-pack of Wal-Mart biscuits in the experiment. Label says 375F for 13-17 minutes. I turned the skillet up to 400F, preheated it, then put the pan in and covered with a lid (expected some heat loss of course).
AN HOUR LATER, they were done and tasted pretty good.
Will refine the technique and try to minimize heat loss on future attempts to shorten time required.
Did a camper repair (it was a repair to a repair I made last fall which I obviously did inadequately). The microwave in the cabinet was coming loose from its face plate and sliding back into the hole/compartment when I was driving (turning, etc.). Bigger sheet metal screws this time to attach microwave top to face plate and corner brackets on the wood surface on the rear of the microwave to prevent it from moving. Hope it's wedged in there pretty firmly (felt like it was).
Also went to the grocery store, bought gas, and got a badly needed car wash for the truck. We said good bye to sonny boy.
Today was a 600 mile drive (ended up being 11 hrs) with a night stop at a hotel (planned). Oh for the record, I-10 is LONG across Texas: at the Louisiana border, the Texas Welcome Station is at mile marker 880. Sonny Boy's exit in San Antonio was mm 580. We drove 25 miles into New Mexico to stop for the night.
First, I think I drove through the Texas Hill Country west of San Antonio after we pushed off at 6am. Because it was hilly on the highway. But I planned a detour at the I-10 exit at Junction, TX because I wanted to see an historic place.
As an Alabama fan, we all know the story of Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant" and his first year (1954) coaching at Texas A&M (before he came home to coach at Alabama). He took his first A&M team to the agricultural branch A&M campus in Junction for a little hard nosed football training camp before fall practice started. Bryant worked them hard - and it was hot. He arrived in Junction with over 100 players and came back to A&M 10 days later with just 35 or so (the rest had quit and run off and found their own way home from Junction - usually in the middle of the night). A&M went 1-9 in the 1954 season but by 1956 they won the Southwestern Conference Championship with the core of leaders on the team being Junction Boys.
The Junction campus was transferred to Texas Tech University in the 1970s but there is an historical plaque at the campus entrance to recall the events of the summer of 1954.
The team slept in bunk houses that were screened in with bunk beds that are still on the campus preserved and maintained to their 1950s appearance and furnishings still. They were closed up now in February but are used in better weather. It was hot even at night.
The scrub field the team practiced on for 10 days is still there. Bet it's hot in August.
But the survivors (The Junction Boys) held a special place in Bryant's heart. In 1979 he attended a reunion of the Junction Boys at Junction and each player and the coach had custom rings handed out to them to commemorate the Junction Boys.
It was the only piece of jewelry Coach Bryant was wearing the day he died in January 1983 (4 years later).
West of Junction it's just flat dry desert.
Went thru El Paso (dry desert there too) and sat through some construction delays on the interstate and got up to Las Cruces, NM for the night. We have about 6.5 hours tomorrow to get up to the Phoenix western suburbs and set up the trailer for the next week. Then the fun begins.
Bama Ed
Yesterday not much happened. But I did try something new.
We are travelling with our electric skillet and recently got a baking rack to try with it.
Used a 5-pack of Wal-Mart biscuits in the experiment. Label says 375F for 13-17 minutes. I turned the skillet up to 400F, preheated it, then put the pan in and covered with a lid (expected some heat loss of course).
AN HOUR LATER, they were done and tasted pretty good.
Will refine the technique and try to minimize heat loss on future attempts to shorten time required.
Did a camper repair (it was a repair to a repair I made last fall which I obviously did inadequately). The microwave in the cabinet was coming loose from its face plate and sliding back into the hole/compartment when I was driving (turning, etc.). Bigger sheet metal screws this time to attach microwave top to face plate and corner brackets on the wood surface on the rear of the microwave to prevent it from moving. Hope it's wedged in there pretty firmly (felt like it was).
Also went to the grocery store, bought gas, and got a badly needed car wash for the truck. We said good bye to sonny boy.
Today was a 600 mile drive (ended up being 11 hrs) with a night stop at a hotel (planned). Oh for the record, I-10 is LONG across Texas: at the Louisiana border, the Texas Welcome Station is at mile marker 880. Sonny Boy's exit in San Antonio was mm 580. We drove 25 miles into New Mexico to stop for the night.
First, I think I drove through the Texas Hill Country west of San Antonio after we pushed off at 6am. Because it was hilly on the highway. But I planned a detour at the I-10 exit at Junction, TX because I wanted to see an historic place.
As an Alabama fan, we all know the story of Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant" and his first year (1954) coaching at Texas A&M (before he came home to coach at Alabama). He took his first A&M team to the agricultural branch A&M campus in Junction for a little hard nosed football training camp before fall practice started. Bryant worked them hard - and it was hot. He arrived in Junction with over 100 players and came back to A&M 10 days later with just 35 or so (the rest had quit and run off and found their own way home from Junction - usually in the middle of the night). A&M went 1-9 in the 1954 season but by 1956 they won the Southwestern Conference Championship with the core of leaders on the team being Junction Boys.
The Junction campus was transferred to Texas Tech University in the 1970s but there is an historical plaque at the campus entrance to recall the events of the summer of 1954.
The team slept in bunk houses that were screened in with bunk beds that are still on the campus preserved and maintained to their 1950s appearance and furnishings still. They were closed up now in February but are used in better weather. It was hot even at night.
The scrub field the team practiced on for 10 days is still there. Bet it's hot in August.
But the survivors (The Junction Boys) held a special place in Bryant's heart. In 1979 he attended a reunion of the Junction Boys at Junction and each player and the coach had custom rings handed out to them to commemorate the Junction Boys.
It was the only piece of jewelry Coach Bryant was wearing the day he died in January 1983 (4 years later).
West of Junction it's just flat dry desert.
Went thru El Paso (dry desert there too) and sat through some construction delays on the interstate and got up to Las Cruces, NM for the night. We have about 6.5 hours tomorrow to get up to the Phoenix western suburbs and set up the trailer for the next week. Then the fun begins.
Bama Ed
bama_ed
It's kind of fun to do the impossible-Walt Disney
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2004
We. Have. Arrived.
The Bama Ed Aliner RocketShip has landed in Buckeye, Arizona in the western 'burbs of Phoenix. Got in about 215pm this afternoon. Glad to finally sit my big but down after setting up in a location that I will spend several days at.
Some travel observations first:
- In west Texas between Junction and El Paso along I-10, the speed limit is 80mph in the rural areas.
- In New Mexico and Arizona rural areas, the speed limit is 75mph.
- In west Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona along I-10, you will see symmetrical rows of trees in an orchard setting. They are pistachio trees and are smaller than the similar orchards with taller trees (pecan) along the Gulf Coast region. Pistachios like dry climates and hot summers (this is the place). But Caly grows the most pistachios.
- little known fact: pistachios are Bama Ed's favorite snack at Bama baseball games.
- west of Las Crusces, NM on I-10, ALL traffic is diverted off the interstate thru a US Border Patrol Inspection Station. The serious young man in green fatigues and a bullet proof vest looked into our truck, asked if we were the only passengers, and waved us through. Serious business. And I mean EVERY vehicle had to go through the inspection station.
- lots of BNSF trains with long double stacked container cars.
- paid $2.79 for gas in El Paso. Paid $3.29 in Arizona.
Enough yada yada - I bet you want pix.
At the Arizona Welcome Center along I-10, there are snow capped mountains to the south in view.
Most BNSF trains were creeping along at low speeds but I had a hard time overtaking one train of double stacked container cars. I was running 75-77mph and it took several minutes to move overtake the westbound train from the last car to the locomotives. Small wonder since there were 5 of those bad boys pulling about 70mph.
I am in a campground in Buckeye, AZ which is an Ohio reference to the legacy of Ohio here. The Cleveland Indians (and Cincinnati Reds) share a spring training facility in the town next door towards downtown Phoenix, Goodyear AZ. (Goodyear Tire and Rubber owned cotton fields in the area in the 1940s to supply cotton for their WW2 airplane tire manufacturing division.
Actually, few campgrounds to choose from. This one (Leaf Verde) has been here under various names for decades and the suburban sprawl has grown out and surrounded it. It has full timers, seasonal (winter) campers, and a few short-timer (LT 14 days) sites like what I'm on. Sites are close together but we are near the office/laundry/bathrooms.
Convenience are just on the other side of the playground.
The air is so dry and clear here, the mountains appear closer than they really are.
The free wifi here is surprisingly fast but woefully intermittent.
I listened to the Bama baseball game this afternoon and the signal would drop for a few seconds often.
BTW, we are in Mountain Time Zone here (1 hour behind our home Central Time).
However, we are not the smallest camper around. Across from us is a small fiberglass Casita trailer.
Made a shrimp scampi for dinner tonight while the sun set to the west beyond the Aliner.
Clear moon coming up over the Casita.
Got the EZ up out to cook under and do PC stuff. Will drop it down when we go to the game tomorrow.
Cleveland starts Spring Training tomorrow against the Cincinnati Reds at their shared facility at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, AZ. Game times are mostly 1pm local time but we have one night game during our stay here. Three games at Goodyear, four games at visiting stadiums.
Let the games begin.
Bama Ed
PS - oh and for @jbrostek if he's reading, I too had a birthday this week (as he recently did in the Chit Chat thread). I turned a milestone which I don't like but instead of saying I turned sixty after being fifty nine, my claim is that I turned fifty ten. And next year I will turn fifty eleven. So I can with a straight face claim that I am still in my fifties.
The Bama Ed Aliner RocketShip has landed in Buckeye, Arizona in the western 'burbs of Phoenix. Got in about 215pm this afternoon. Glad to finally sit my big but down after setting up in a location that I will spend several days at.
Some travel observations first:
- In west Texas between Junction and El Paso along I-10, the speed limit is 80mph in the rural areas.
- In New Mexico and Arizona rural areas, the speed limit is 75mph.
- In west Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona along I-10, you will see symmetrical rows of trees in an orchard setting. They are pistachio trees and are smaller than the similar orchards with taller trees (pecan) along the Gulf Coast region. Pistachios like dry climates and hot summers (this is the place). But Caly grows the most pistachios.
- little known fact: pistachios are Bama Ed's favorite snack at Bama baseball games.
- west of Las Crusces, NM on I-10, ALL traffic is diverted off the interstate thru a US Border Patrol Inspection Station. The serious young man in green fatigues and a bullet proof vest looked into our truck, asked if we were the only passengers, and waved us through. Serious business. And I mean EVERY vehicle had to go through the inspection station.
- lots of BNSF trains with long double stacked container cars.
- paid $2.79 for gas in El Paso. Paid $3.29 in Arizona.
Enough yada yada - I bet you want pix.
At the Arizona Welcome Center along I-10, there are snow capped mountains to the south in view.
Most BNSF trains were creeping along at low speeds but I had a hard time overtaking one train of double stacked container cars. I was running 75-77mph and it took several minutes to move overtake the westbound train from the last car to the locomotives. Small wonder since there were 5 of those bad boys pulling about 70mph.
I am in a campground in Buckeye, AZ which is an Ohio reference to the legacy of Ohio here. The Cleveland Indians (and Cincinnati Reds) share a spring training facility in the town next door towards downtown Phoenix, Goodyear AZ. (Goodyear Tire and Rubber owned cotton fields in the area in the 1940s to supply cotton for their WW2 airplane tire manufacturing division.
Actually, few campgrounds to choose from. This one (Leaf Verde) has been here under various names for decades and the suburban sprawl has grown out and surrounded it. It has full timers, seasonal (winter) campers, and a few short-timer (LT 14 days) sites like what I'm on. Sites are close together but we are near the office/laundry/bathrooms.
Convenience are just on the other side of the playground.
The air is so dry and clear here, the mountains appear closer than they really are.
The free wifi here is surprisingly fast but woefully intermittent.
I listened to the Bama baseball game this afternoon and the signal would drop for a few seconds often.
BTW, we are in Mountain Time Zone here (1 hour behind our home Central Time).
However, we are not the smallest camper around. Across from us is a small fiberglass Casita trailer.
Made a shrimp scampi for dinner tonight while the sun set to the west beyond the Aliner.
Clear moon coming up over the Casita.
Got the EZ up out to cook under and do PC stuff. Will drop it down when we go to the game tomorrow.
Cleveland starts Spring Training tomorrow against the Cincinnati Reds at their shared facility at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, AZ. Game times are mostly 1pm local time but we have one night game during our stay here. Three games at Goodyear, four games at visiting stadiums.
Let the games begin.
Bama Ed
PS - oh and for @jbrostek if he's reading, I too had a birthday this week (as he recently did in the Chit Chat thread). I turned a milestone which I don't like but instead of saying I turned sixty after being fifty nine, my claim is that I turned fifty ten. And next year I will turn fifty eleven. So I can with a straight face claim that I am still in my fifties.
Last edited:
Leaving March 2 for home.
Teamubr
From somewhere outside StL
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2010
Happy Brtirthday, Ed.
Looks like great weather and a nice trip. We'll pick up the baseball threads when you are getting ready to head home.
It's too bad you aren't staying a little longer. The Cardinals are out in AZ playing the Cubs at the end of Spring training. (and everyone should be a Cardinals fan
)
j
Looks like great weather and a nice trip. We'll pick up the baseball threads when you are getting ready to head home.
It's too bad you aren't staying a little longer. The Cardinals are out in AZ playing the Cubs at the end of Spring training. (and everyone should be a Cardinals fan
)j
bama_ed
It's kind of fun to do the impossible-Walt Disney
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2004
Back from the game today. I'll include spring training events from today after I show where we are.
We are at Leaf Verde RV resort in Buckeye, AZ.
They have a covered (shaded) playground, pickleball courts, pool, courtyard, showers and restrooms, a BIG laundry room ($2 per load), and a lounge room with card tables, lots of loaner books, and pool tables. I admit we did shoot some pool this morning.
Okay, onto the game today. Opening Day for both teams (a few games were played yesterday by other teams) and we drove over to Goodyear Ballpark (in the town of Goodyear, AZ). They have their own statue out front.
We took our place in line.
And approached the gate.
Today was a promo event celebrating the 15th year of the Indians and the Reds sharing the Goodyear facilities and we (literally) got the last two freebee hats available before they ran out.
We were seated behind home plate in the shade and got to our seats about 45 minutes before the start.
The stadium seats a little over 10,000. More in the next post.
Bama Ed
We are at Leaf Verde RV resort in Buckeye, AZ.
They have a covered (shaded) playground, pickleball courts, pool, courtyard, showers and restrooms, a BIG laundry room ($2 per load), and a lounge room with card tables, lots of loaner books, and pool tables. I admit we did shoot some pool this morning.
Okay, onto the game today. Opening Day for both teams (a few games were played yesterday by other teams) and we drove over to Goodyear Ballpark (in the town of Goodyear, AZ). They have their own statue out front.
We took our place in line.
And approached the gate.
Today was a promo event celebrating the 15th year of the Indians and the Reds sharing the Goodyear facilities and we (literally) got the last two freebee hats available before they ran out.
We were seated behind home plate in the shade and got to our seats about 45 minutes before the start.
The stadium seats a little over 10,000. More in the next post.
Bama Ed
bama_ed
It's kind of fun to do the impossible-Walt Disney
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2004
I walked around the field in a circle before the game started.
Since both teams train at this facility, they took batting and fielding practices at their own practice fields, dressed, then came over to the main ballpark for the game. Not much of an opportunity for autographs.
Continuing around the field.
Before the game started there was a ceremony to recognize those employees who have worked at the Goodyear Baseball Facility since it started 15 years ago.
Then a Naval Master Sargent gave a HECKUVA National Anthem.
And it was time to play ball (Cleveland was the home team in blue shirts) .
One more post to wrap up today's events.
Bama Ed
Since both teams train at this facility, they took batting and fielding practices at their own practice fields, dressed, then came over to the main ballpark for the game. Not much of an opportunity for autographs.
Continuing around the field.
Before the game started there was a ceremony to recognize those employees who have worked at the Goodyear Baseball Facility since it started 15 years ago.
Then a Naval Master Sargent gave a HECKUVA National Anthem.
And it was time to play ball (Cleveland was the home team in blue shirts) .
One more post to wrap up today's events.
Bama Ed
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