How We’re Choosing Our Next Reds Road Trip (And What We’re Doing Differently This Time)
There’s something about planning a trip that starts long before anything is booked.
It usually begins with a feeling.
For us right now…
it’s simple:
We need something to look forward to.
Not a big, complicated vacation.
Not something that takes weeks to recover from.
Just a trip that feels easy…
fun…
and a little like us again.
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We haven’t planned everything yet.
We haven’t mapped every stop or booked every detail.
But we have decided something more important:
how we want the trip to feel.
Walkable.
Simple.
Walkable. Simple. Room to wander.
Time to sit somewhere with a drink and just take it all in.
A game in the middle of it all…
not the only thing.
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That’s the shift for us.
We used to plan around the game.
Now we’re planning around the experience…
and letting the game be part of it.
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We’re starting with the basics.
Looking at schedules.
Picking a city that makes sense.
Finding a place we can stay where we don’t have to drive everywhere.
Because we’ve learned…
how a trip flows matters more than how much you fit into it.
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There’s something else we’re doing differently too.
We’re not trying to get it perfect before we go.
We’re letting some of it stay open.
Because some of our favorite moments on past trips…
weren’t planned at all.
They were the in-between moments.
The walk to nowhere in particular.
The random conversation.
The place we almost didn’t stop.
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So this trip?
It’s still coming together.
We’ll choose the game.
We’ll lock in the stay.
We’ll sketch out a loose plan.
But we’re leaving space.
For fun.
For connection.
For whatever the trip turns into once we’re actually there.
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And honestly… that’s part of what I love most about this.
The planning isn’t just logistics.
It’s a reminder that we get to choose how we spend our time.
That we can build something to look forward to…
even in the middle of regular life.
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If you’re thinking about taking a trip this year…
especially something simple like a weekend away…
you don’t have to have it all figured out.
Start with how you want it to feel.
Then build from there.
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What We’re Prioritizing This Time
Walkable location
One anchor event (the game)
Open time built in
Simple plans over packed schedules
Reds Road Trip: From New York to DC
Baseball has always been more than a game for us.
It’s a reason to travel, a way to mark time, and a thread that keeps pulling us back together, no matter where the Reds happen to be playing.
This summer, that thread took us on a simple road trip: New York City to Washington, DC. Two cities we already knew. Two ballparks. A few days carved out just to follow our team and enjoy being together along the way.
No big agenda. No pressure to see everything.
Just baseball and the road between.
Cheering on the Reds at Citi Field — the first stop on a simple road trip from New York to DC. Baseball, familiar cities, and time together.
🗽 New York City | Citi Field
Our first stop was New York, where the Reds were playing the Mets at Citi Field.
Walking into the stadium, the energy hit immediately. Mets fans everywhere, the buzz of game night in the air, and us in our Reds gear, proudly outnumbered but completely unbothered.
Citi Field feels big and modern, but what stood out most was the sense of history woven throughout the park. The Jackie Robinson Rotunda sets the tone before you even see the field.
View from the stands at Citi Field during Reds vs. Mets — a packed stadium, summer sky, and the energy of game night in New York City.
After the game, we wandered, grabbed food, and let the city carry us for a bit.
Washington, DC | Nationals Park
From New York, we headed south to Washington, DC.
Nationals Park sits along the Anacostia River and carries a calmer, more reflective energy.
Walking toward Nationals Park on game day — fans filling the streets and the energy building before first pitch.
Inside the park, we took our time noticing the murals, history, and the Presidents Race.
Outside the stadium, we slowed down even more, walking monuments and enjoying familiar streets.
🚗 Why This Road Trip Stuck With Us
It wasn’t about chasing highlights or packing the days full. It was about choosing one shared interest and letting it shape the trip.
Two cities. Two ballparks. A few nights away.
That was enough.
Reflection:
If you planned a one- or two-night getaway around something you love, where would it take you?
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