Rental Car
Pick Up Your Rental
Pick upSt. Louis · Aug 8
Drop offMinneapolis · Aug 11
Total miles809 mi
Getting There · Step 1
Stay Tonight · St. Louis, MO
Hotel
St. Louis Overnight
Check-inSat, Aug 8
Check-outSun, Aug 9
First pitch7:15 PM ET
Book near downtown or the ballpark so your first-game arrival stays simple.
DAY 1
Saturday, August 8
First pitch at 7:15 PM ET — St. Louis Cardinals vs. Colorado Rockies at Busch Stadium tonight — Fireworks Saturday tonight.
Stop 01 of 03
St. Louis, MO · Sat Aug 8
Busch Stadium
St. Louis Cardinals · MLB
7:15 PM ET
vs. Colorado Rockies
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-inSat, Aug 8
Check-outSun, Aug 9
First pitch tomorrow at 2:10 PM ET. Leave by 7:39 AM.
Sun Morning
When to Depart
Leave by7:39 AM
Drive to Kansas City291 mi · 5h
Game time2:10 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 · +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 detourSt. Louis → Kansas City
291 mi · 5h · regional run
DAY 2
Sunday, August 9
St. Louis to Kansas City is 5h — a solid drive, so leave early and plan a stop along the way. First pitch at 2:10 PM ET — Kansas City Royals vs. Chicago Cubs at Kauffman Stadium today. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard Route 66 is worth 15 minutes off the highway.
Stop 02 of 03
Kansas City, MO · Sun Aug 9
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City Royals · MLB
2:10 PM ET
vs. Chicago Cubs
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-inSun, Aug 9
Check-outMon, Aug 10
First pitch tomorrow at 7:40 PM ET. Leave by 9:14 AM.
Tue Morning
When to Depart
Leave by9:14 AM
Drive to Minneapolis518 mi · 8.9h
Game time7:40 PM ET
Long drive — consider stopping overnight in Kansas City overnight.
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 · +10 min
Largest Ball of Twine
17,400 pounds of twine wrapped by one man for 29 years. The qualifier matters.
Darwin, MN · 10 min detourKansas City → Minneapolis
518 mi · 8.9h · long haul
DAY 4
Tuesday, August 11
It's a 8.9h haul from Kansas City — plan to break this into two days or drive the night before. First pitch at 7:40 PM ET — Minnesota Twins vs. Baltimore Orioles at Target Field tonight — North Dakota State University Night tonight. Largest Ball of Twine is worth 10 minutes off the highway.
Stop 03 of 03
Minneapolis, MN · Tue Aug 11
Target Field
Minnesota Twins · MLB
7:40 PM ET
vs. Baltimore Orioles
Must Eat at the Park
Kramarczuk's Bratwurst
Kramarczuk's, the northeast Minneapolis sausage institution since 1954, supplies the best bratwurst at any AL Central park.
Local Beer
Surly Furious IPA
Minnesota's flagship craft IPA. The Surly Tap Room at Target Field is the best brewery bar in the AL Central.
Surly Brewing
The Metrodome, the Homer Hankies, and Kirby Puckett
Pilgrim Notes · Minneapolis Baseball History
Shift 2 days to catch University of North Dakota Night at Target Field.
• University of North Dakota Night at Target Field
• North Dakota State University Night at Target Field
• Replica Jersey Giveaway at Busch Stadium
• Kids Backpack Giveaway at Target Field
What to Budget
Estimates only — prices vary by availability
Tickets · 3 games (avg $46)$138
Hotels · 3 nights (avg $155)$465
Fuel · 809 mi at $0.18/mi$146
Ballpark food & drinks$150
Total Estimate$899
* 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 ...