Rental Car
Pick Up Your Rental
Pick upHouston · Sep 15
Drop offSan Diego · Sep 20
Total miles1748 mi
Getting There · Step 1
Stay Tonight · Houston, TX
Hotel
Houston Overnight
Check-inTue, Sep 15
Check-outWed, Sep 16
First pitch8:10 PM ET
Book near downtown or the ballpark so your first-game arrival stays simple.
DAY 1
Tuesday, September 15
First pitch at 8:10 PM ET — Houston Astros vs. Kansas City Royals at Minute Maid Park tonight. Don't leave without Texas Smoke Brisket Sandwich.
Stop 01 of 04
Houston, TX · Tue Sep 15
Minute Maid Park
Houston Astros · MLB
8:10 PM ET
vs. Kansas City Royals
Must Eat at the Park
Texas Smoke Brisket Sandwich
Central Texas-style brisket sliced thick and served on white bread with pickles, onions, and sauce on the side.
Local Beer
Karbach Love Street
Houston's most popular craft blonde ale. Easy drinking for a retractable roof afternoon.
Karbach Brewing
The Astros and the Comeback City
Pilgrim Notes · Houston Baseball History
Stay Tonight · Houston, TX
Houston Overnight
Check-inTue, Sep 15
Check-outWed, Sep 16
First pitch tomorrow at 8:05 PM ET. Leave by 1:36 PM.
Wed Morning
When to Depart
Leave by1:36 PM
Drive to Arlington289 mi · 5h
Game time8:05 PM ET
Leave on time to allow for fuel, food, and parking.
Breakfast Stop · Houston, TX
Before You Hit the Road
Breakfast Klub
Midtown Houston since 2001. The wings-and-waffle combination redefined Houston breakfast culture. Line goes around the block on weekends. Worth every minute. One of the great American breakfast institutions.
Wings and waffles + fresh-squeezed OJ
Open 7 AM–2 PM Mon–Fri, 8 AM weekends
Worth the Detour · +25 min
Waco Mammoth National Monument
24 mammoths who died together in a Texas flash flood 67,000 years ago. Still in place.
Waco, TX · 25 min detourHouston → Arlington
289 mi · 5h · regional run
DAY 2
Wednesday, September 16
Houston to Arlington is 5h — a solid drive, so leave early and plan a stop along the way. First pitch at 8:05 PM ET — Texas Rangers vs. Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field tonight — Nathan Eovaldi 'Flying Ace' Bobblehead tonight. Waco Mammoth National Monument is worth 25 minutes off the highway.
Stop 02 of 04
Arlington, TX · Wed Sep 16
Globe Life Field
Texas Rangers · MLB
8:05 PM ET
vs. Boston Red Sox
Must Eat at the Park
Lockhart Smokehouse Brisket
Authentic Central Texas BBQ style brisket. Properly smoked, not steam-table. The jalapeño sausage is exceptional.
Local Beer
Shiner Bock
Czech-Texan amber lager brewed in Shiner, Texas since 1909. Cold, amber, distinctly Texan.
Spoetzl Brewery
Texas Baseball and the Ballpark in Arlington
Pilgrim Notes · Arlington Baseball History
Stay Tonight · Arlington, TX
Arlington Overnight
Check-inWed, Sep 16
Check-outThu, Sep 17
First pitch tomorrow at 9:40 PM ET. Leave by Previous evening — overnight drive recommended.
Fri Morning
When to Depart
Leave byPrevious evening — overnight drive recommended
Drive to Phoenix1085 mi · 18.7h
Game time9:40 PM ET
Long drive — consider stopping overnight in Arlington overnight.
Breakfast Stop · Arlington, TX
Before You Hit the Road
Normas Cafe Dallas
Dallas institution since 1956. Multiple DFW locations. Chicken-fried steak at breakfast is a Texas sacrament. Scratch biscuits, real gravy, pies under glass domes. Pre-Rangers game fuel done right.
Chicken-fried steak + eggs + scratch biscuit
Open 6 AM daily
Worth the Detour · +15 min
Terry Allen's Juarez Sculpture
Two bronze trees intertwined in a courtyard outside the Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock. The taller is a cottonwood. The shorter is a huisache. They represent the Texas borderlands. More moving than it sounds.
Lubbock, TX · 15 min detourArlington → Phoenix
1085 mi · 18.7h · long haul
DAY 4
Friday, September 18
It's a 18.7h haul from Arlington — plan to break this into two days or drive the night before. First pitch at 9:40 PM ET — Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Yankees at Chase Field tonight. Terry Allen's Juarez Sculpture is worth 15 minutes off the highway.
Stop 03 of 04
Phoenix, AZ · Fri Sep 18
Chase Field
Arizona Diamondbacks · MLB
9:40 PM ET
vs. New York Yankees
Must Eat at the Park
Sonoran Hot Dog
A bacon-wrapped hot dog topped with pinto beans, onions, tomatoes, jalapeño sauce, mustard, and mayo on a bolillo roll.
Local Beer
Four Peaks Kilt Lifter
Tempe-based craft brewery. The Kilt Lifter Scottish-style ale is the Arizona craft standard.
Four Peaks Brewing
The 2001 World Series and the Greatest Game Ever Played
Pilgrim Notes · Phoenix Baseball History
Stay Tonight · Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix Overnight
Check-inFri, Sep 18
Check-outSat, Sep 19
First pitch tomorrow at 4:10 PM ET. Leave by 8:13 AM.
Sun Morning
When to Depart
Leave by8:13 AM
Drive to San Diego374 mi · 6.5h
Game time4:10 PM ET
Long drive — consider stopping overnight in San Diego.
Breakfast Stop · Phoenix, AZ
Before You Hit the Road
Matt's Big Breakfast
The definitive Phoenix breakfast. Tiny corner diner open since 2004. Cage-free eggs, house-ground sausage, thick-cut bacon. The Griddle Cake plate is legendary. Line forms before it opens.
Griddle cakes + house sausage
Open 6:30 AM–2:30 PM daily
Worth the Detour · +30 min
Taliesin West
Frank Lloyd Wright's desert studio, school, and home — a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Scottsdale, AZ · 30 min detourPhoenix → San Diego
374 mi · 6.5h · regional run
DAY 6
Sunday, September 20
It's a 6.5h haul from Phoenix — plan to break this into two days or drive the night before. First pitch at 4:10 PM ET — San Diego Padres vs. Miami Marlins at Petco Park today — Kids Superhero Lunch Box (14 & under); Healthcare Appreciation Day today. Taliesin West is worth 30 minutes off the highway.
Stop 04 of 04
San Diego, CA · Sun Sep 20
Petco Park
San Diego Padres · MLB
4:10 PM ET
vs. Miami Marlins
Must Eat at the Park
Donut Bacon Cheeseburger
Beef patty, bacon, cheese between two glazed donuts — a national story when introduced. Randy Jones BBQ.
Local Beer
Stone Brewing IPA
Full tap program: IPA, Arrogant Bastard Ale, rotating seasonals. One of America's most influential craft breweries.
Stone Brewing
Shift 2 days to catch Nathan Eovaldi 'Flying Ace' Bobblehead at Globe Life Field, Arlington TX.
• Nathan Eovaldi 'Flying Ace' Bobblehead at Globe Life Field, Arlington TX
• 'All for Texas' Basketball Jersey at Globe Life Field, Arlington TX
• Texas State Fair 'Big Tex' Bobblehead at Globe Life Field, Arlington TX
• 2001 Arizona Throwback Jersey Replica; 25th Anniversary WS Reunion at Chase Field
What to Budget
Estimates only — prices vary by availability
Tickets · 4 games (avg $46)$184
Hotels · 5 nights (avg $155)$775
Fuel · 1748 mi at $0.18/mi$315
Ballpark food & drinks$200
Total Estimate$1,474
* 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 ...