Midwest Baseball Roadtrip: Advice on fun areas to stay/go out in

[cm2283a]

Hey everyone! First time poster, long time lurker. I'm leaving next Tuesday to meet up with some high school friends to hit up 5 midwest stadiums in 6 days. Since I have never been to some of these cities, I was hoping some of you have, and could impart your knowledge on good areas to stay (either close to the stadiums, or close to some good watering holes). We are all 25-26 and plan on raging our faces off, so if you know any good bars, that would be awesome too. Having said that, these are the cities we'll be visiting:

Milwaukee 1 night
Chicago 2 days 1 night
St. Louis 2 days 2 nights
Cincinnati 1 night
Cleveland 2 days 1 night

Some cool things to do in those cities would be useful knowledge too (i.e. if one city has a place that serves monster burgers, or another city has a bar with the most beers on tap). Think meat, potatoes, and beer...that's us.

Thanks!

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

This is exactly the kind of trip I love, and have done several times. I don't, however, spend a lot of time at bars so I'm not going to have a lot of great knowledge in that area.

I will also say that you should keep in mind that there isn't a ton of downtime on a trip like this. Between the time spent getting to and at the ballpark, and the time spent driving between cities, the hours fly by pretty quickly.

Milwaukee - The one thing that sets Miller Park apart is the tailgating. Show up early and enjoy the party in the parking lots. There are several bars on Bluemound Road within a mile of the park that also offer shuttles, but then you'd miss the tailgating. The park isn't far from the Miller Brewery, if you want to do a tour, although the locals would direct you to Lakefront or Sprecher Breweries for a less corporate experience.

Chicago - Wrigley or the Cell? Wrigleyville is legendary for its nightlife of course, but there's really nothing on the south side. In either case, get familiar with the CTA and your transit options.

St. Louis - One of my favorite parks. Try parking at the Arch to save a couple bucks, and of course, try to make time to go up in the Arch. There are several bars/restaurants between the Arch and the park.

Cincinnati - Another of my favorites, that is an underrated park in my book. Fountain Square is just a few blocks away that often has concerts and other events, as well as bars/restaurants in the neighborhood. Of course, having some Skyline Chili (or other local brand) should be a part of your day.

Cleveland - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is about a mile from the ballpark, and the park is downtown with a bunch of options for food and drink.

Of course, the other real gem or a park that's not on your plan is PNC in Pittsburgh. Seems a shame to come so close...