Rental Car
Pick Up Your Rental
Pick upKansas City · May 18
Drop offChicago · May 20
Total miles616 mi
Getting There · Step 1
Stay Tonight · Kansas City, MO
Hotel
Kansas City Overnight
Check-inMon, May 18
Check-outTue, May 19
First pitch7:40 PM ET
Book near downtown or the ballpark so your first-game arrival stays simple.
DAY 1
Monday, May 18
First pitch at 7:40 PM ET — Kansas City Royals vs. Boston Red Sox at Kauffman Stadium tonight — Lights Out Lucas Bobblehead tonight.
Stop 01 of 03
Kansas City, MO · Mon May 18
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City Royals · MLB
7:40 PM ET
vs. Boston Red Sox
Must Eat at the Park
KC Burnt Ends
Kansas City-style burnt ends — the crispy, caramelized points of a smoked brisket. The defining food of KC BBQ.
Local Beer
Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat
Kansas City's defining craft brewery. The Unfiltered Wheat is a KC staple at the K.
Boulevard Brewing
George Brett and the Pine Tar Game
Pilgrim Notes · Kansas City Baseball History
Stay Tonight · Kansas City, MO
Kansas City Overnight
Check-inMon, May 18
Check-outTue, May 19
First pitch tomorrow at 7:45 PM ET. Leave by 1:14 PM.
Tue Morning
When to Depart
Leave by1:14 PM
Drive to St. Louis291 mi · 5h
Game time7:45 PM ET
Leave on time to allow for fuel, food, and parking.
Breakfast Stop · Kansas City, MO
Before You Hit the Road
Town Topic Hamburgers
Midnight diner on Broadway since 1937. Open 24 hours. The burger is the point but the breakfast menu has fueled Kansas City's night owls and early risers for 85 years. Order at the counter.
Eggs + hash + coffee
Open 24 hours
Worth the Detour · +15 min
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard Route 66
The Route 66 frozen custard stand held upside-down to prove its thickness since 1941.
St. Louis, MO · 15 min detourKansas City → St. Louis
291 mi · 5h · regional run
DAY 2
Tuesday, May 19
Kansas City to St. Louis is 5h — a solid drive, so leave early and plan a stop along the way. First pitch at 7:45 PM ET — St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium tonight. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard Route 66 is worth 15 minutes off the highway.
Stop 02 of 03
St. Louis, MO · Tue May 19
Busch Stadium
St. Louis Cardinals · MLB
7:45 PM ET
vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Must Eat at the Park
St. Louis-Style Toasted Ravioli
Pasta filled with meat, breaded and deep-fried, served with marinara dipping sauce — a St. Louis original.
Local Beer
Busch Beer
The stadium is literally named for this beer. Historically appropriate in every way.
Anheuser-Busch
Musial, Gibson, and the Cardinal Way
Pilgrim Notes · St. Louis Baseball History
Stay Tonight · St. Louis, MO
St. Louis Overnight
Check-inTue, May 19
Check-outWed, May 20
First pitch tomorrow at 7:40 PM ET. Leave by 12:34 PM.
Wed Morning
When to Depart
Leave by12:34 PM
Drive to Chicago325 mi · 5.6h
Game time7:40 PM ET
Leave on time to allow for fuel, food, and parking.
Breakfast Stop · St. Louis, MO
Before You Hit the Road
Goody Goody Diner
St. Louis breakfast institution. Pancakes and biscuits-and-gravy have anchored pre-Cardinals mornings for decades. No-nonsense diner that has stayed exactly itself while the city changed around it.
Pancakes + bacon + coffee
Open 7 AM–2 PM daily
Worth the Detour · +10 min
Gemini Giant Wilmington
A 28-foot spaceman on Route 66 since 1965. The drive-in still serves burgers.
Wilmington, IL · 10 min detourSt. Louis → Chicago
325 mi · 5.6h · regional run
DAY 3
Wednesday, May 20
St. Louis to Chicago is 5.6h — a solid drive, so leave early and plan a stop along the way. First pitch at 7:40 PM ET — Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field tonight — Mexican Heritage Jersey tonight. Gemini Giant Wilmington is worth 10 minutes off the highway.
Stop 03 of 03
Chicago, IL · Wed May 20
Wrigley Field
Chicago Cubs · MLB
7:40 PM ET
vs. Milwaukee Brewers
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
Shift 2 days to catch Lights Out Lucas Bobblehead at Kauffman Stadium.
• Lights Out Lucas Bobblehead at Kauffman Stadium
• AAPI Heritage Month Celebration at Wrigley Field
• Mental Health Awareness Cap at Wrigley Field
• Northwestern University Cap at Wrigley Field
What to Budget
Estimates only — prices vary by availability
Tickets · 3 games (avg $46)$138
Hotels · 2 nights (avg $155)$310
Fuel · 616 mi at $0.18/mi$111
Ballpark food & drinks$150
Total Estimate$709
* 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 ...