Beautiful architecture in Temple Square in Downtown Salt Lake City. Here’s the Assembly Hall

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Julie’s first day driving the RV and it was in the hot, hot desert of Death Valley, CA

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For most of the players, spring training is a time to get noticed, and to fight for a spot in the bigs. For the fans, it is a vacation away from the cold climate at home, and a glimpse into the future. It is hope. Hope that the new kid will turn out to be a superstar, hope that the past-his-prime player will have one more good year left in the tank, and hope that your team will finally put it all together and make a run into October.

If you head down to Florida, or out to Arizona, you’ll sport your team colors, the hat, the jersey, and you’ll root for the boys you know so well, even if most of them have a day off, and you can’t name half of the roster. No matter. These are your guys, and whether they have earned a name on the back of their jersey or not, you still pull for your guys.

But, the beauty of spring training goes beyond just wins and losses, in fact, wins and losses don’t matter much. It is the great double play, the hit and run, the home run that still hasn’t landed, and the new pitch your ace is showing off. Spring training is all about hope, and everyone has it.

For the third year, I attended Spring Training in Arizona. It is more than just baseball. It is about childhood dreams of making it to the bigs. It is remembering the days and years spent on the baseball diamond. It is a father and his two sons. It is about memories. Memories of the past.

But it is also about hope. Hope that the Dodgers will turn things around. Hope that Kershaw and Kemp can repeat last year. Hope that the playoffs, and maybe even a World Series are in the near future. Hope that next year, my father, my brother, and myself will be back in Arizona to enjoy another priceless weekend in late March. Hope that my father enjoyed his 60th birthday.

*As a side note, a guy I played Little League and Babe Ruth with, Doug Bernier, got an invite to Spring Training with the Yankees. With Derek Jeter hurt, Doug filled in and played exceptionally, earning the respect of Manager Joe Girardi, and was one of the last men cut from the big league club. At 31, his chances of superstardom are long gone. But, he still holds onto the hope. The hope that one day, he too will make it to the bigs. Congrats Doug… whether or not you make it, my dream still lives with you, and you give me that hope. Keep fighting!.

Bear in Yellowstone National Park – he looks hungry!

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Elk Horns Arch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

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Beautiful Sunset in Cannon Beach at Haystack Rock on the Oregon Coast

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Kenny enjoying the waters of the hot springs in Fairmont, Montana

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Caine’s Arcade in East Los Angeles, CA

Wow. I hope that you take the time to watch this video and this kid, it’s worth it.

Caine is 9 years old and built an elaborate arcade out of cardboard boxes in the front of his father’s used auto parts store. Caine poured all of his energy over the summer into building up this arcade, but he had no customers. That’s when the power of the Internet and its community surprised Caine one weekend… (watch the video!)

If you’re in Los Angeles, please go visit Caine and his rockin’ arcade. Especially since I can’t make it out there and I’m dying to go!

Here is where and when you can find him:
538 N Mission Rd., Boyle Heights, CA 90033
Saturdays 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Since he’s hit it big, Caine has some new ways you can reach him:

Help Caine’s Scholarship Fund: cainesarcade.com

Connect with Caine’s Arcade: facebook.com/cainesarcade and twitter.com/cainesarcade.

Izzy the RV in the Redwoods

Sometimes even our huge, 32-foot RV felt small….

During my childhood, my spring (and summer!) was filled with going back and forth to the baseball field to watch my brother play and to the softball field for my own games. We were always a baseball family.

And, of course, growing up in New England came along with a Boston Red Sox addiction. Compounded by my attending Boston University, and my dad’s family hailing from New Hampshire, Red Sox nation is in my blood.

Needless to say, Fenway Park is one of the most esteemed, old school baseball stadiums in the country. (It is the oldest operating ballpark in the country.) It holds a mere 37,000 patrons and sells out every game. It’s a unique place to watch a game and it makes it all the better when it’s your team out on the field.

Today is Opening Day at Fenway Park for the Red Sox, playing the Tampa Bay Rays.

Fenway Park celebrates its 100 year anniversary next week on April 20.

If you’re lucky enough to make it out to Boston for a game, don’t miss it. The ballpark has barely changed since it went up in 1912. The nostalgia of baseball’s history oozes out of the stadium, with the manually operated scoreboard, Green Monster, brick construction and much, much more.

If there doesn’t happen to be a game when you’re in Boston, you can always take a tour.

Kenny still blames me for the time we were in town and didn’t make it to the game. Don’t let this happen to you. Don’t miss out on Fenway Park.

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Green Monster pic via wallyg
Gate pic via thomasglobal.