 |
| A beautiful day for baseball.......just don't look at the thermometer! |
At this time of year, you can almost feel the state of Florida sinking a bit under the weight of the millions of people who make their way to our beaches and theme parks. Out here on Anna Maria Island visitors from up north are so happy. They tend to walk mindlessly down the middle of the road, ignoring the traffic and the third degree burns on skin that hadn't seen the light of day in several months. We're happy to have them and their dollars, especially since their stay is short and they leave their money behind.
Beth and I had somewhat of a different "spring break". Over the Easter weekend we flew to Binghamton, New York to spend four days with Ben and his sweet dog Allie. While the calendar said it was late March/early April, and that spring was officially here, it didn't quite feel like springtime..........at least the type of spring we're accustomed to enjoying, but we had a wonderful few days.
We flew from Orlando directly to Binghamton on Avelo Airlines. Avelo is one of the many low cost carriers that are out there these days. They currently offer non-stop service to and from Binghamton twice a week. They currently have service to 44 destinations and have announced expanded service that will be starting soon. The planes were clean, the flight attendants were courteous, and we made it safely and reasonably on time both on our flight up and back. No complaints about Avelo, just don't expect too much more than a smile. If you want something to drink (even water) buy it before you get on board!
We had to drive to Orlando for the early morning flight, so we made the best of it by going up a day early and roaming around Disney Springs for a few hours. Disney Springs is a mix of restaurants, shops and entertainment that is located on the Walt Disney World property. The beauty of Disney Springs is that parking is free and there is no admission fee. There are plenty of choices of places to eat, shop and keep yourself busy and entertained for a while. We enjoy visiting Disney Springs whenever we have a chance.
As is always the case with visiting Ben, we knew we'd be kept busy and have fun. He picked us up at the very small airport and we were off on our first adventure. We enjoyed a nice "southern style" breakfast and headed for Syracuse, which is just a little over an hour from Binghamton. Springtime means baseball, and it was opening weekend for the Syracuse Mets, the Triple A farm club of the New York Mets. The gametime temperature was 44 degrees. Thankfully it was a sunny day and there was no wind, which although it still wasn't truly baseball weather, it wasn't uncomfortable and we ended up staying the entire game.
After the game we made the short drive to Syracuse's Destiny Mall. The mall is one of the ten largest malls in the United States. Unlike many malls, it seemed to be doing a very brisk business, in part thanks to the fact that it is as much an "entertainment destination" as a "shopping destination", with plenty of restaurants and entertainment options including bowling, escape rooms, a trampoline park, a ropes course, a indoor go-cart track and much more.
We arrived in Binghamton around 10:30 AM and didn't check into our hotel room until around 9:00 PM. Just the kind of day we were expecting, fun and full of adventure.
The pace on Easter Sunday was a little less frantic, but very enjoyable. Based on a recommendation from Ben's friend, we attended an Easter Service at New Life Ministries Church. It was a very nice service and reminded all of us of the church (Pathway Church) that we attended in Burleson during the 20+ years that we lived there.
We were invited to join Moriah and Andrew for a really nice traditional Easter meal that was delicious. We enjoyed the food and visiting with both of them at the game on Saturday and again for lunch on Sunday!
The campground where Ben works opens for the season the first weekend of May. They're busy getting preparing for the opening and have made significant improvements that I'm sure the guests will enjoy. Ben had been keeping us posted with pictures and videos of the progress and it was nice to see be able to enjoy walking around the campground and seeing it firsthand. They're excited for the season to start and we're sure it's going to be a good one.
Ben had to work Monday which gave us time to explore a little more around the Binghamton area, which is made up of several small towns and communities (Endwell, Endicott, Johnson City, Vestal and a few others). It also gave us the opportunity to spend a bit of time with Allie who has the most amazing ability to spread morsels of love (dog hair) in copious amounts.
 |
| Ben and Allie! |
Ben was able to take Tuesday off and we had a very special day planned. The small village of Cooperstown is about an hour and a half from where Ben lives. Cooperstown's Main Street looks like it's right out of a Norman Rockwell picture.........incredibly charming. It is also the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Ben and I enjoyed visiting it a few years ago and were excited to make a return visit. Beth is a really good sport about our goofy sports passions and while she's a little less passionate, she does enjoy taking part in some of the activities.
As you would imagine, much of Cooperstown is dedicated to baseball with themed shops and restaurants. We shopped a bit and had lunch at the Doubleday Cafe before spending a few hours in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is fantastic. We spent about three hours roaming the three floors of exhibits and admiring the plaques of the 346 people who are enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Even if you have only a slight interest in baseball, Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame are well worth visiting if you're in the area. Depending on how big of a baseball geek you may be, I would recommend a minimum of two hours for the Hall of Fame.
 |
| Doubleday Field......just a few steps away from the Doubleday Cafe! |
 |
| Sign on one of the many baseball memorabilia shops in Cooperstown |
 |
| Watch out for flying bats in the Hall of Fame |
 |
| The first class enshrined into the Hall of Fame. Clockwise from the top right: Christy Matthewson, Honus Wagner, Walter Perry, Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb in the center. |
 |
| Statue in front of Doubleday Field. It's title is "The Sandlot". The young boy is barefoot and wearing overalls............... |
 |
| A few weeks ago, my niece Ashley sent me this picture of the 1934 Pierce Junior High Baseball Team. The young boy on the left front row is my dad. I've been told he was a heck of a player..........we're thinking he was the youngest on the team and that they ran out of uniforms. If you look closely, he's barefoot and wearing overalls...........I guess he made it to Cooperstown.........well done Dad! |
We flew up on Saturday morning. It was a whirlwind four days and it seemed like we were heading back to the airport in the blink of an eye. We love our children, grandchildren and grand dogs but with Ben and Allie in New York and Sarah, Joey, James, Emma and Scooter in California, seeing them often is a challenge and the time always goes by much too quickly.
