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Getting There · Step 1
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Stay Tonight · Cincinnati, OH
Hotel
Cincinnati Overnight
Book near downtown or the ballpark so your first-game arrival stays simple.
DAY 1
Saturday, August 1
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.
Stop 01 of 05
Cincinnati, OH · Sat Aug 1
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
First pitch tomorrow at 6:35 PM ET. Leave by 7:59 AM.
Tue Morning
Long drive — consider stopping overnight in Cincinnati overnight.
Breakfast Stop · Cincinnati, OH
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
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 4
Tuesday, August 4
First pitch at 6:35 PM ET — Baltimore Orioles vs. Los Angeles Angels at Oriole Park at Camden Yards tonight. Field of Corn (Cornhenge) is worth 10 minutes off the highway.
Stop 02 of 05
Baltimore, MD · Tue Aug 4
Baltimore Orioles · MLB
6:35 PM ET
vs. Los Angeles Angels
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
First pitch tomorrow at 7:15 PM ET. Leave by Previous evening — overnight drive recommended.
Thu Morning
Long drive — consider stopping overnight in Baltimore overnight.
Breakfast Stop · Baltimore, MD
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 · +5 min
A million-gallon water tower shaped like a giant peach on the South Carolina border along I-85. Featured in House of Cards. Debated endlessly for resembling something other than a peach.
Gaffney, SC · 5 min detourBaltimore → Cumberland
718 mi · 12.4h · long haul
DAY 6
Thursday, August 6
It's a 12.4h haul from Baltimore — plan to break this into two days or drive the night before. First pitch at 7:15 PM ET — Atlanta Braves vs. Miami Marlins at Truist Park tonight. The Giant Peachoid Water Tower is worth 5 minutes off the highway.
Stop 03 of 05
Cumberland, GA · Thu Aug 6
Atlanta Braves · MLB
7:15 PM ET
vs. Miami Marlins
Must Eat at the Park
Georgia Chop Burger
Ground beef from Georgia farms, local cheese, house-made pickles on a brioche bun. Genuine farm-to-table ballpark burger.
Local Beer
SweetWater 420 EPA
Atlanta's flagship craft brewery. The 420 EPA is the most recognized Georgia craft beer.
SweetWater Brewing Co.
Stay Tonight · Cumberland, GA
First pitch tomorrow at 6:45 PM ET. Leave by 5:37 AM.
Sat Morning
Long drive — consider stopping overnight in Cumberland overnight.
Breakfast Stop · Cumberland, GA
The Silver Skillet
Atlanta institution open since 1956 on 14th Street NW. The most authentic Southern breakfast left in Atlanta. Real grits, biscuits made from scratch, country ham. Not changing for anyone.
Country ham + red-eye gravy + biscuit + grits
Open 6 AM–2 PM Mon–Fri, 7 AM–2 PM Sat
Worth the Detour · +5 min
A million-gallon water tower shaped like a giant peach on the South Carolina border along I-85. Featured in House of Cards. Debated endlessly for resembling something other than a peach.
Gaffney, SC · 5 min detourCumberland → Washington
675 mi · 11.6h · long haul
DAY 8
Saturday, August 8
It's a 11.6h haul from Cumberland — plan to break this into two days or drive the night before. First pitch at 6:45 PM ET — Washington Nationals vs. Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park tonight — Hawaiian Shirt and Shorts Set tonight. The Giant Peachoid Water Tower is worth 5 minutes off the highway.
Stop 04 of 05
Washington, DC · Sat Aug 8
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
Stay Tonight · Washington, DC
First pitch tomorrow at 1:35 PM ET. Leave by 7:56 AM.
Sun Morning
Leave on time to allow for fuel, food, and parking.
Worth the Detour · +15 min
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 detourWashington → Pittsburgh
241 mi · 4.2h · easy leg
DAY 9
Sunday, August 9
Washington to Pittsburgh is 4.2h — a solid drive, so leave early and plan a stop along the way. First pitch at 1:35 PM ET — Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets at PNC Park today — Family Fun Day: 500-Piece Puzzle (Kids 14 & under) today. The Graffiti Warehouse is worth 15 minutes off the highway.
Stop 05 of 05
Pittsburgh, PA · Sun Aug 9
Pittsburgh Pirates · MLB
1:35 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
Shift 2 days to catch Hawaiian Shirt and Shorts Set at Nationals Park.
• Hawaiian Shirt and Shorts Set at Nationals Park
• Family Fun Day: 500-Piece Puzzle (Kids 14 & under) at PNC Park
• Kids Lunch Box (12 & under) at Nationals Park
Estimates only — prices vary by availability
* 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 ...
MLB · Road Trip · Aug
A 5-park baseball road trip for August