Rental Car
Pick Up Your Rental
Pick upCincinnati · Jul 31
Drop offWashington · Aug 8
Total miles1015 mi
Getting There · Step 1
Stay Tonight · Cincinnati, OH
Hotel
Cincinnati Overnight
Check-inFri, Jul 31
Check-outSat, Aug 1
First pitch6:10 PM ET
Book near downtown or the ballpark so your first-game arrival stays simple.
DAY 1
Friday, July 31
First pitch at 6:10 PM ET — Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park tonight — Fireworks Friday tonight.
Stop 01 of 04
Cincinnati, OH · Fri Jul 31
Great American Ball Park
Cincinnati Reds · MLB
6:10 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-inFri, Jul 31
Check-outSat, Aug 1
First pitch tomorrow at 1:35 PM ET. Leave by Previous evening — overnight drive recommended.
Sun Morning
When to Depart
Leave byPrevious evening — overnight drive recommended
Drive to Baltimore528 mi · 9.1h
Game time1:35 PM ET
Long drive — consider stopping overnight in Cincinnati overnight.
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 → Baltimore
528 mi · 9.1h · long haul
DAY 3
Sunday, August 2
It's a 9.1h haul from Cincinnati — plan to break this into two days or drive the night before. First pitch at 1:35 PM ET — Baltimore Orioles vs. Philadelphia Phillies at Oriole Park at Camden Yards today. Field of Corn (Cornhenge) is worth 10 minutes off the highway.
Stop 02 of 04
Baltimore, MD · Sun Aug 2
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Baltimore Orioles · MLB
1:35 PM ET
vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Must Eat at the Park
Boog's BBQ Pit Beef Sandwich
Boog Powell — former Orioles MVP — has operated his BBQ stand at Camden Yards since 1992. The pit beef sandwich is Baltimore.
Local Beer
Dempsey's Brew Pub
Full-service brew pub on the right field lower concourse that brews its own beers on site.
Dempsey's Brewing
Camden Yards Changed Everything
Pilgrim Notes · Baltimore Baseball History
Stay Tonight · Baltimore, MD
Baltimore Overnight
Check-inSun, Aug 2
Check-outMon, Aug 3
First pitch tomorrow at 6:40 PM ET. Leave by 12:56 PM.
Fri Morning
When to Depart
Leave by12:56 PM
Drive to Pittsburgh246 mi · 4.2h
Game time6:40 PM ET
Leave on time to allow for fuel, food, and parking.
Breakfast Stop · Baltimore, MD
Before You Hit the Road
Attmans Delicatessen
Corned Beef Row, East Baltimore, since 1915. The last great Jewish deli on what was once Baltimore's deli corridor. Corned beef sandwich before an Orioles game is a rite of passage.
Corned beef on rye + pickle + coffee
Open 8 AM daily
Worth the Detour · +15 min
World's Largest Glacial Pothole
A coal miner set off explosives in 1884 and accidentally uncovered a 38-foot-deep Ice Age hole. It held 140,000 gallons of meltwater. You can look straight down into the Earth.
Archbald, PA · 15 min detourBaltimore → Pittsburgh
246 mi · 4.2h · easy leg
DAY 8
Friday, August 7
First pitch at 6:40 PM ET — Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets at PNC Park tonight. World's Largest Glacial Pothole is worth 15 minutes off the highway.
Stop 03 of 04
Pittsburgh, PA · Fri Aug 7
PNC Park
Pittsburgh Pirates · MLB
6:40 PM ET
vs. New York Mets
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
Stay Tonight · Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh Overnight
Check-inFri, Aug 7
Check-outSat, Aug 8
First pitch tomorrow at 6:45 PM ET. Leave by 1:06 PM.
Sat Morning
When to Depart
Leave by1:06 PM
Drive to Washington241 mi · 4.2h
Game time6:45 PM ET
Leave on time to allow for fuel, food, and parking.
Breakfast Stop · Pittsburgh, PA
Before You Hit the Road
Pamela's Diner
Multiple locations. Obama ordered here on the campaign trail. The hotcakes are thin, buttery, perfect.
Crepe-style hotcakes
Worth the Detour · +15 min
The Graffiti Warehouse
A massive legal graffiti mural wall in Baltimore's Station North arts district. Blocks of paint on brick that changes constantly. The city funded it. The art never stops.
Baltimore, MD · 15 min detourPittsburgh → Washington
241 mi · 4.2h · easy leg
DAY 9
Saturday, August 8
Pittsburgh to Washington is 4.2h — a solid drive, so leave early and plan a stop along the way. First pitch at 6:45 PM ET — Washington Nationals vs. Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park tonight — Hawaiian Shirt and Shorts Set tonight. The Graffiti Warehouse is worth 15 minutes off the highway.
Stop 04 of 04
Washington, DC · Sat Aug 8
Nationals Park
Washington Nationals · MLB
6:45 PM ET
vs. Cincinnati Reds
Must Eat at the Park
Ben's Chili Bowl Half-Smoke
A half-smoke sausage with Ben's chili, mustard, and onions. Ben's Chili Bowl has been a DC institution since 1958.
Local Beer
DC Brau Penn Quarter Porter
DC's first packaged craft brewery since Prohibition. The porter is excellent.
DC Brau Brewing
Baseball Returns to Washington After 33 Years
Pilgrim Notes · Washington Baseball History
Shift 2 days to catch Hawaiian Shirt and Shorts Set at Nationals Park.
• Hawaiian Shirt and Shorts Set at Nationals Park
• Kids Lunch Box (12 & under) at Nationals Park
• Family Fun Day: 500-Piece Puzzle (Kids 14 & under) at PNC Park
What to Budget
Estimates only — prices vary by availability
Tickets · 4 games (avg $46)$184
Hotels · 8 nights (avg $155)$1,240
Fuel · 1015 mi at $0.18/mi$183
Ballpark food & drinks$200
Total Estimate$1,807
* 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 ...