Rental Car
Pick Up Your Rental
Pick upChicago · Jul 31
Drop offPittsburgh · Aug 14
Total miles867 mi
Getting There · Step 1
Stay Tonight · Chicago, IL
Hotel
Chicago Overnight
Check-inFri, Jul 31
Check-outSat, Aug 1
First pitch2:20 PM ET
Book near downtown or the ballpark so your first-game arrival stays simple.
DAY 1
Friday, July 31
First pitch at 2:20 PM ET — Chicago Cubs vs. New York Yankees at Wrigley Field today. Don't leave without Chicago-Style Hot Dog.
Stop 01 of 04
Chicago, IL · Fri Jul 31
Wrigley Field
Chicago Cubs · MLB
2:20 PM ET
vs. New York Yankees
Must Eat at the Park
Chicago-Style Hot Dog
A Vienna beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun, dragged through the garden: yellow mustard, bright green relish, onions, tomato wedges, a pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt. No ketchup. Ever.
Local Beer
Old Style Lager
Served at Wrigley since 1950. The single most identified brand with Cubs baseball. The bleachers run on Old Style.
Pabst Brewing
The Friendly Confines and the Longest Drought in Sports
Pilgrim Notes · Chicago Baseball History
Stay Tonight · Chicago, IL
Chicago Overnight
Check-inFri, Jul 31
Check-outSat, Aug 1
First pitch tomorrow at 6:40 PM ET. Leave by 11:44 AM.
Sat Morning
When to Depart
Leave by11:44 AM
Drive to Cincinnati315 mi · 5.4h
Game time6:40 PM ET
Leave on time to allow for fuel, food, and parking.
Breakfast Stop · Chicago, IL
Before You Hit the Road
Ann Sather
Boystown since 1945. The cinnamon rolls are mythological — the size of your head, fresh every morning. Swedish-American diner that has defined Wrigleyville breakfast culture for 80 years.
Giant cinnamon roll + eggs
Open 7 AM daily
Lunch Stop · I-65 S to IN-43, Chauncey Hill, W Lafayette
Midway Fuel-Up
Triple XXX Family Restaurant
West Lafayette, IN since 1929. Diner on the Purdue University strip open for nearly 100 years. The Duane Purvis All-American burger (peanut butter on a burger) is the reason people stop here. Sounds wrong. Is right.
Duane Purvis All-American burger
Open 7 AM–10 PM daily
Worth the Detour · +10 min
Tower of VW Bugs
Five colorfully painted 1960s Volkswagen Beetles stacked on top of each other in a pawn shop parking lot in Defiance. A mannequin climbs out of the fourth one. This is art.
Defiance, OH · 10 min detourChicago → Cincinnati
315 mi · 5.4h · regional run
DAY 2
Saturday, August 1
Chicago to Cincinnati is 5.4h — a solid drive, so leave early and plan a stop along the way. First pitch at 6:40 PM ET — Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park tonight — Replica Jersey or Hat Giveaway (TBD) tonight. Tower of VW Bugs is worth 10 minutes off the highway.
Stop 02 of 04
Cincinnati, OH · Sat Aug 1
Great American Ball Park
Cincinnati Reds · MLB
6:40 PM ET
vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Must Eat at the Park
Cincinnati Chili Dog (Skyline)
Cincinnati chili served over a hot dog (the Cheese Coney). Skyline Chili has operated in Cincinnati since 1949.
Local Beer
MadTree Axis IPA
Cincinnati's most celebrated craft brewery. Axis IPA is their flagship.
MadTree Brewing
The Big Red Machine
Pilgrim Notes · Cincinnati Baseball History
Stay Tonight · Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati Overnight
Check-inSat, Aug 1
Check-outSun, Aug 2
First pitch tomorrow at 6:40 PM ET. Leave by 12:04 PM.
Tue Morning
When to Depart
Leave by12:04 PM
Drive to Detroit296 mi · 5.1h
Game time6:40 PM ET
Leave on time to allow for fuel, food, and parking.
Breakfast Stop · Cincinnati, OH
Before You Hit the Road
Price Hill Chili
Price Hill neighborhood. Cincinnati chili for breakfast is the move — a 3-way at 8 AM has no business working and yet it does. Open early for the pre-work crowd.
3-Way chili + coffee
Open 7 AM Mon–Sat
Worth the Detour · +10 min
Field of Corn (Cornhenge)
109 concrete ears of corn arranged in rows like Arlington National Cemetery outside Columbus. Each one weighs 1,500 lbs and stands 6 feet tall. There is no satisfying explanation.
Dublin, OH · 10 min detourCincinnati → Detroit
296 mi · 5.1h · regional run
DAY 12
Tuesday, August 11
First pitch at 6:40 PM ET — Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park tonight — Eastern Michigan University Night tonight. Field of Corn (Cornhenge) is worth 10 minutes off the highway.
Stop 03 of 04
Detroit, MI · Tue Aug 11
Comerica Park
Detroit Tigers · MLB
6:40 PM ET
vs. Cleveland Guardians
Must Eat at the Park
Detroit Coney Dog
Natural-casing beef frank with beanless meat chili, mustard, and white onion. The Detroit Coney Dog.
Local Beer
Bell's Two Hearted Ale
Voted America's best beer multiple times. Available throughout Comerica Park.
Bell's Brewery
Ty Cobb, Tiger Stadium, and the Long Goodbye
Pilgrim Notes · Detroit Baseball History
Stay Tonight · Detroit, MI
Detroit Overnight
Check-inTue, Aug 11
Check-outWed, Aug 12
First pitch tomorrow at 6:40 PM ET. Leave by 12:45 PM.
Fri Morning
When to Depart
Leave by12:45 PM
Drive to Pittsburgh256 mi · 4.4h
Game time6:40 PM ET
Leave on time to allow for fuel, food, and parking.
Breakfast Stop · Detroit, MI
Before You Hit the Road
Dulys Place
Springwells neighborhood since 1921. A coney island diner barely changed in 100 years. The best Coney dog in Detroit — and that is not a small claim in a city that defines itself by this dish. Opens at 4 AM.
Coney dog + coffee
Open 4 AM–3 PM daily
Worth the Detour · +10 min
Zanesville Y-Bridge Ohio
The only Y-shaped bridge in the world. Cross it from any side, end up where you started.
Zanesville, OH · 10 min detourDetroit → Pittsburgh
256 mi · 4.4h · easy leg
DAY 15
Friday, August 14
First pitch at 6:40 PM ET — Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Boston Red Sox at PNC Park tonight. Zanesville Y-Bridge Ohio is worth 10 minutes off the highway.
Stop 04 of 04
Pittsburgh, PA · Fri Aug 14
PNC Park
Pittsburgh Pirates · MLB
6:40 PM ET
vs. Boston Red Sox
Must Eat at the Park
Primanti Brothers Sandwich
Pittsburgh's most iconic food in its natural habitat. Meat and cheese on airy Italian bread loaded with tomatoes, coleslaw, and french fries inside the sandwich. Designed for Pittsburgh truckers in 1933.
Local Beer
Fat Head's Bullpen Tap Bar
Eight rotating taps positioned directly above the Pirates bullpen. The only bar in baseball where you can watch a reliever warm up while drinking a Head Hunter IPA. Arrive before first pitch for a seat at the rail.
Fat Head's Brewery · North Olmsted, OH
Maz, Clemente, and the Most Beautiful View in Baseball
Pilgrim Notes · Pittsburgh Baseball History
Shift 2 days to catch Family Fun Day: 500-Piece Puzzle (Kids 14 & under) at PNC Park.
• Family Fun Day: 500-Piece Puzzle (Kids 14 & under) at PNC Park
• Eastern Michigan University Night at Comerica Park
• Central Michigan University Night at Comerica Park
• Fireworks Friday at Great American Ball Park
What to Budget
Estimates only — prices vary by availability
Tickets · 4 games (avg $46)$184
Hotels · 14 nights (avg $155)$2,170
Fuel · 867 mi at $0.18/mi$156
Ballpark food & drinks$200
Total Estimate$2,710
* Estimates only. Prices vary.
How This Trip Was Planned
Our Algorithm
We evaluate many stop orders (up to seven parks: every permutation; larger trips: smart samples plus nearest-neighbor paths from home) and keep the version that preserves the most ballparks on your list with the least driving between games, inside an expanded or standard date ...