We Went to a Reds Game With Braves Fans. The Waiter Saw It Coming.

We walked into The Alcove for brunch — me and Jamie in full Reds gear, our friends in full Braves gear — and our waiter took one look at our table and said, "Well, I hope you all have fun at the game today."

Then he pointed at us.

"And I hope you two have more fun."

Sir. We have never felt so seen and so threatened at the same time.

That moment set the tone for the whole day. Which is honestly the best thing I can say about a baseball trip — that it had a tone. That it felt like something. That by the time we walked into Great American Ball Park that evening, we were already having the kind of day you tell people about later.

The Reds still lost, for the record.

But we had a really good time getting there.

How We Did Cincinnati

This is the part where I tell you that Cincinnati is a full city with great food and a beautiful riverfront and you should stop flying past it on your way somewhere else.

We started at The Alcove for brunch, and it was exactly what a pre-game brunch should be — pretty, relaxed, the kind of place where you linger a little longer than you planned because the atmosphere earns it. There are better ways to start a game day. I haven't found them.

(This is also where the waiter incident happened, and I will be telling that story forever.)

From there we made our way to Sam Adams Brewery for drinks — because if you're going to spend an afternoon with people rooting for the wrong team, you might as well do it with a beer in hand. Good call on our part.

Then dinner at Cincinnati Lager House, which had a full dining room and a view of the Ohio River that genuinely stopped conversation for a second when we sat down. Busy the way a good restaurant is busy — alive, not chaotic. And if you go, look for the base plaque by the host stand. It's one of those details that reminds you the whole city is in on this.

View from rooftop of Cincinnati Lager House

The Game

Great American Ball Park is one of the most underrated stadiums in baseball. I will say this every time until people believe me.

The Reds lost. Our friends were delighted. Jamie and I were dignified about it, mostly.

What I will say is this: there is something genuinely fun about watching a game with people who are rooting against your team — as long as those people are people you actually like. The banter is better. The stakes feel lighter. You stop watching the scoreboard so much and start watching everything else.

The river. The skyline. The very serious man somewhere nearby who definitely had a scoring notebook.

That's the trip.

The Comeback That Mattered

Here is the part I need the Braves fans to read carefully.

The Reds won the next day.

Not swept. We were not swept. Whatever hopes our friends had of a clean series sweep evaporated, and Jamie and I were completely gracious about it.

We said nothing.

(This blog post is the only thing we're saying.)

Great American Ballpark. View from section 528.

Why This Kind of Trip Works

I started the Baseball City Trip series because I believe the game is the excuse, not the destination.

The destination is brunch with a waiter who takes one look at your table and already knows how your day is going to go. It's drinks at a brewery with people you don't get to see enough. It's a river view at dinner and a base plaque that makes you smile before you even sit down.

The Reds may break your heart. The city won't.

Want to Plan Your Own Cincinnati Trip?

I've got a full guide — where to stay, how to build the day, what to do beyond the game.

👉How to Plan a Cincinnati Reds Weekend Trip

And if you want something to take with you — a planner built specifically for baseball travel, with space for every city you visit — I made that too.

👉 The Away Game Planner — $14.99

👉 Join the interest list for future Reds road trips

The waiter at The Alcove was right. I hope you have more fun.

Tracy is a travel agent and the founder of Harmony Horizon 360, a travel brand built around slower, more intentional trips for real people. She grew up in Cincinnati and has feelings about the Reds that she considers completely reasonable.

Why I Made a Reds Road Trip Planner (And What's Actually In It)

Spoiler: I showed up to one too many away games with a dead phone, no restaurant plan, and a complete vibe. The planner was born from that chaos.

Let me paint you a picture.

It's game day. You're in the city, wearing your Reds gear, absolutely thriving on the energy — right up until you realize it's 5:30 PM, you have no idea where to eat before first pitch, your phone is at 12%, and you're standing on a sidewalk Googling "restaurants near stadium" like a person who definitely did not plan this trip.

That was me. Multiple times. Enthusiastically, unapologetically me.

I love Reds road trips more than I can reasonably explain. New York. DC. Cincinnati when we're playing home. There's something about following your team into someone else's ballpark — in full Reds gear, fully outnumbered, completely unbothered — that just does something for the soul.

But I kept showing up underprepared for everything that happens around the game. The hotel. The food. The getting-around-without-losing-your-mind part. The "wait, can I bring this bag in?" panic at the gate.

So I built the thing I wish I'd had.

Introducing the Away Game Weekend Planner

It's a printable trip planner designed specifically for Reds fans doing road trips — whether that's a quick overnight or a full weekend away. And it's not just a list of fields to fill in. It's actually useful. Grab it in the shop here ($14.99) — or keep reading to see what's inside.

Here's what's inside:

Trip overview + hotel notes. Confirmation numbers, check-in times, parking info, distance to the stadium, and a little space for hotel perks because yes, blackout curtains are important information.

A packing checklist that actually makes sense. Two sections — stadium bag (MLB-compliant clear bag requirements included, you're welcome) and your overnight bag. There's even a line that reads: "Pack what you need. Then remove one thing. Then add it back because you know yourself." Because we all do it.

Dining + food notes. Pre-game meal. In-stadium must-eats. Post-game eats. Coffee spots. And most importantly: a dedicated line for "the best thing I ate this trip." Because every ballpark has a signature food and you should absolutely find it.

A trip reflections page. For people who want to remember more than just the score. It's gentle — answer what feels right, skip what doesn't. One of the prompts is "one word for this whole trip," which I find surprisingly hard to answer and also kind of love.

City Spotlights — filled in from real trips I've actually taken. This is the part I'm most proud of, honestly.

I wrote detailed guides for Cincinnati, Queens/NYC, and Washington DC — based on places I've actually been, stayed, eaten, and wandered around in Reds gear. Real recommendations from someone who has done the thing.

For Cincinnati: the free Connector streetcar that gets you everywhere (yes, free), the bag policy at GABP (soft cooler allowed — use it), where to stay downtown, and why Cincinnati Lager House is the pre-game move. There's even a note about the plaque near the host stand that marks where first base used to be at old Riverfront Stadium. Because details like that are why we travel. Read my full Cincinnati Reds weekend guide here.

For New York: where to stay in Queens so you're not losing your mind, why the 7 train to Citi Field is genuinely easy, the Shea Stadium bases embedded in the parking lot pavement that you need to walk before the game, and why you should build in a full extra day because New York will eat your schedule in the best possible way.

For DC: why I will die on the hill of staying in Old Town Alexandria instead of DC proper, how to get literally everywhere on the Metro, the Smithsonian museums (free — all of them), and why Chinatown dinner should be on your list.

If you want the full story on the New York and DC legs, I wrote about our Reds road trip from NYC to DC here.

Plus a blank city template at the end — because eventually you'll go somewhere I haven't covered yet and you'll want to do it right.

Ready for some baseball!

Who this is for

This planner is for the fan who loves the game and loves the trip around it. The one who wants to eat well, stay somewhere good, know how to get around, and actually remember the experience when it's over.

It's for the person who has shown up underprepared one too many times (hi, same) and wants a simple system that does the thinking ahead so they can just enjoy being there.

If you're already planning a Reds road trip this season — or thinking about one — grab it before you need it. Future you, standing calmly at the stadium gate with a legal bag and a dinner reservation, will be very grateful.

And if you find a ballpark food situation that genuinely changes your life while using it, I want to know. That's not a joke. I want to know.

Go Reds. ❤️

The Away Game Weekend Planner is $14.99 — a printable trip planner for Reds fans who want to actually enjoy the whole trip, not just the game.

Grab it in the shop at harmonyhorizon360.com/store →

Not ready to plan solo? I host Reds road trips too — you show up, I handle the details. Get on the interest list here.

And if you want more travel tips, trip stories, and planning tools in your inbox, join the newsletter here.