The Baseball Trip 2026

Day 11 - Thursday, August 13

We are on our way to fantastic LA, but first, breakfast at the Cowgirl Cafe.

On the way, some shots from the Pacific Coast Highway:

Along the way, I took a wrong turn at one point along the way and entered straight into the ID checkpoint of the Vandenberg Space Force Station. This isn't me below because I was too embarrassed to ask for a photo. But this is exactly what happened to me:

Dumbass!

But we did make to Dodger Stadium without getting arrested. The Dodgers are hosting the Milwaukee Brewers. God knows I don't root for the hated Dodgers, but if they could just beat the Brewers this evening it would be okay. They were up 4-2 in the eighth inning, and then all hell broke loose in the ninth. They lost 5-4.

Concourse behind center field

From our seats in left field,

Left field.

Home plate and the first base line.

Dodger bullpen before the game.

Wide view from left field.

Center field video board.

Players taking the field.

Everybody loves Ohtani!

LA : Palm trees and traffic. It took 75 minutes to go twenty miles on the 101. Never again!

Random Observation from Randy: This Dodger Dog is good, but it will never top the Vienna all beef dog. Actually, the Vienna Polish is the best.

Favorite Town Name: Oxnard, CA

Favorite Signs: Suburban Avenue

                          Telephone RD.

                          Auto Center Drive

Things we cannot hang around for: Monterrey Car Week, Monterrey Peninsula

Next: Del Mar Racetrack

The Baseball Trip 2026

Day 10 - Wednesday, August 12

We are leaving Pollock Pines, California, and heading slightly west to Placerville for breakfast at Sweetie Pie's Restaurant and Bakery.This place is awesome. Even their home-made wheat bread toast was special!

Random Observation from Randy: You have to try my biscuits and gravy. You can tell they are home-made, made from scratch.You have to!

I have never been offered that gift before.

Onward to Sacramento and the (Oakland, Sacramento, Las Vegas?) Athletics. Anyways, The A's are hosting the Tampa Bay Rays...the only 2 teams currently playing home games at minor league ballparks. The A's didn't renew their lease at the Coliseum, and the Rays had their roof blown off by a hurricane.  Unfortunately for the A's, the Rays are one of the best teams in baseball.

The Rays destroyed the A's 8-4.

Here are a few pix from the ballpark, Sutter Health Park: The minor league team, the River Cats, still play here:

My first photo with a MLB mascot! Stomper! (Of course, it was at a minor league field.)

Onward to LA. We are going to see the Dodgers play the Brewers. God help me, I have to root for the Dodgers. Heading for San Luis Obispo for the night.

Along the way:

Vineyards.

Sacramento River.

Our trail.

Last hill.

Favorite Town Names: Shingle Springs, CA

Favorite Signs: Rough and Ready Island

                          T. W. Bonkers Toy and Candy Emporium

Things we cannot hang around for: El Dorado Stampede, Auburn, CA

                                                             Hollister Peace Vigil, Hollister, CA

Random Observation from Randy: If I ever suggest a road like this again, hit me in the head.

Fire Hazard Signs - 1

One-Lane Highways - 0

Next: LA!

The Baseball Trip 2026

Day 9 - Tuesday, August 11

We are leaving Welles, Nevada, but not before breakfast at the Iron Skillet. I didn't get a picture of the joint,because it was inside a slots casino. But, I'll show you what I ordered:

Pretty tasty.

Random Observation from Randy: If you have to use the bathroom, I'd advise you to hold it for later.

Before we left town, we stopped for road-trip coffee at the Buckaroo Coffee House. Pretty cool interior.

We traveled south and west toward Reno. The scenery was pretty much the same as days earlier,with a few nice shots.

We didn't stop in Reno to gamble, but we did circle around Lake Tahoe for some pictures:

Tahoe National Forest

Favorite Town Names:  Deeth, NV

                                        Pumpernickel Valley, NV

                                        Strawberry, CA

Favorite Signs: Prison Area - Hitchhiking Prohibited

                          Report Shooting Across Highway (Apparently, this is necessary out west.)

Things we cannot hang around for: Diana Ross at the Grand Theater in Reno

Fire Hazard Signs - 1

One-lane Highways - 2

Next: Sacramento for Major League Baseball!

The Baseball Trip 2026

Day 8 - Monday, August 10

We leave Hamilton, Montana and head south into Idaho and parts unknown. We'll keep you posted. But first, breakfast at the Coffee Cup Cafe:

We were going to stop here, right next to our motel, but it has been closed for a few months. If you know...

Nonetheless, we soldier on. We head south through the Idaho Rockies, the Salmon River-Challis National Forest, and the Salmon River Basin. A few photos:

Salmon River.

Random Observation from Randy: I have no idea where that tree came from. I was just trying to get a shot of the valley, you know... good composition. This will be my Christmas card next year.

We were alerted to the fact that Craters in the Moon was only 15 miles ahead, and, of course, we had to find out what the heck that was.

Well, here you go...

Apparently, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is a vast, surreal ocean of basaltic lava flows, cinder cones, and rugged volcanic features in central Idaho along US-20/26/93 between Arco and Carey. Formed by ancient eruptions along the Great Rift, this 750,000-acre geologic wonderland mimics an otherworldly lunar landscape.

Ok, so everything after "Apparently" is AI.

But wait! We're not done! As we head south through Idaho into Nevada, we take a little side trip through Twin Falls, Idaho, to the scenic byway of the Snake River Canyon.

Favorite Towns: Wisdom, Idaho

                             Jackpot, Nevada

Favorite Signs: Bighorn Sheep Crossing - Next 5 miles

                          Rocky Knob Restaurant - Visit The Knob!

Things we cannot hang around for: Back to School BBQ - Darby, Montana.

Fire Hazard Signs - 3

One lane highways - 0

Next: Not sure. This is a big nation!