Month: April 2024

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”  Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu This summer, we’re embarking on an exciting quest to visit all 10 minor league baseball parks in North Carolina, and what better way to start than with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers? Our first stop on this baseball journey got us started on the right foot, from the electric atmosphere to the unbeatable ballpark food and a thrilling Woodpeckers win! As soon as we walked into Segra Stadium, we were impressed. The park is just the right size—big enough to feel the excitement of the crowd but intimate enough to make you feel like you’re part of the game.  One exciting aspect was the train station attached to the park. Gayle loves trains, and being able to watch a train go by during the game made it even more special. One of the highlights of our trip was definitely the ballpark food. The hot dogs were a home run! We acquired specialty dogs from Sgt. Stubbys (check out the hot dog review here), and they were amazing! There’s something uniquely satisfying about biting into a hot dog while watching America’s pastime, and Sgt Stubbys did not disappoint. The Woodpeckers hosted the Down East Wood Ducks from Kinston, NC. The game was pretty much a pitching duel with the Woodpeckers scoring 2 in the 7th to win 3-1. We didn’t forget the gift shop. Jenn’s goal is to get a t-shirt at each game and Gayle is looking for the rest of the story

On an average day in April a crazy summer adventure began with a simple question and conversation (that went very similar to this): “You know what we should do?” “What?” “We should see a game in all the minor league ballparks in North Carolina.” As the kids say (or text) IYKYK (if you know you know) that Gayle loves baseball, and Jenn is a sucker for Gayle’s hairbrained ideas and so this summer baseball adventure/goal began. Jenn didn’t take much convincing, especially when she decided that she could rate the hot dogs in each park for an added bonus.     And so the challenge was accepted, and the adventure began!         First step, how many minor league teams are there in NC?   (Take a guess before you look at the answer.)     ANSWER – 10 Here they are- Ashville Tourists Carolina Mudcats Charlotte Knights Down East Wood Ducks Durham Bulls Fayetteville Woodpeckers Greensboro Grasshoppers Hickory Crawdads Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Winston-Salem Dash We have been to ballgames in some of the parks previously the Winston-Salem Dash, the Durham Bulls, the Greensboro Grasshoppers, and the Wood Ducks in Kinston, but, in pure Tabor fashion, we decided it would be a fun idea to see a home game in each stadium in one season. And 10 is certainly a reasonable number to get to in one season, but it will take some coordination since summer is a busy time of life for us and this is not the rest of the story