August 5, 2010

Boston July 30th – August 1st

The Destinations crew was home at Fenway Park for a late July series against the Detroit Tigers. The group was staying at both the Marriott Copley Place, centrally located in Downtown Boston, as well as the Hotel Commonwealth, located right at Fenway! The mid-summer baseball action was an exciting experience for Destinations travelers as many ventured to Fenway for their first time while other travelers were returning after years from their last visit.

Friday night’s game was a late innings thriller as the Red Sox had only scored one run until the ninth inning; they were losing to the Tigers 6-1 headed into their last at bat. Tigers’ pitching had kept the Sox offense quiet until a ninth inning rally nearly brought the hometown team back into the game. David Ortiz’ grand slam didn’t provide enough offense to tie the score as the Sox fell to the Tigers 6-5.

Saturday was a brighter day as Destinations travelers headed towards the historic Fenway Park for their VIP events! Fenway Park expert tour guides led fans directly onto the warning track and where the group had gained access inside the world famous, and extremely exclusive, Green Monster! Check out a few pictures below.

Next, the group headed on top of the Green Monster to see a unique view from the hottest seats in baseball! Tour guides led fans into the Red Sox press box. The group got to see behind the scenes spots of Fenway while being hearing the famed history of the park and the Red Sox baseball club.

The group then headed to the EMC Club, the premium restaurant at Fenway, where food and drink awaited. The 2004 and 2007 World Series rings were brought out and fans were able to take pictures wearing them.

Red Sox young reliever, Daniel Bard joined the group to pose for pictures, sign autographs and field questions from the Destinations travelers. Daniel was eager to meet the Destinations fans and happy to answer questions from the group. Travelers asked Daniel about his experiences in the major leagues, being on the Red Sox and playing in Boston. Check out a few of the pictures below.

After the event, Destinations travelers stuck around Fenway to catch a Saturday night matchup and hoped for a different ending than the night prior. The Tigers got off to an early lead and stayed ahead for almost the entire game. More ninth inning heroics by David Ortiz were needed as the DH powered a bases clearing double for a walk-off win! “Dirty Water” was played throughout Fenway as Sox fans rejoiced and Destinations travelers headed back to their hotels in a great mood!

Destinations travelers were hopeful Sunday that the Sox would pull off a win to take the series. Fans witnessed another close game as the Red Sox beat the Tigers 4-3 with another walk-off hit. Despite Papelbon blowing a three run lead in the ninth, Sox batters rallied to pull off another late inning victory. Destinations travelers witnessed some great baseball on their weekend visit to Boston. The historic setting of Fenway Park only added to the on-field success of the hometown team. Destinations were all pleased to have come to Fenway and each traveler had the experience of a lifetime!

Join us on your own adventure! All our upcoming trips are listed on redsox.com/redsoxdestinations.

July 29, 2010

Seattle July 23rd – 25th

Though perceived as being a cloudy city with frequent light rainfall, Seattle was nothing but sunshine for this late July weekend series. Red Sox faithful from all over joined to watch their Sox play the hometown Mariners this past weekend as the Red Sox DestiNations crew traveled to Seattle. The ideal weather and beautiful Seattle waterfront provided the perfect backdrop for the weekend baseball getaway. DestiNations travelers stayed at the centrally located Seattle Marriott Waterfront, located directly on the harbor and a short distance to many Seattle hotspots.

DestiNations travelers witnessed an exciting performance on Friday as Josh Beckett pitched his first return start since May. Beckett looked strong throwing 5 2/3 innings and allowing one run. The Red Sox were lifted as Bill Hall hit a home run in the 7^th innings to put the Sox ahead. The bullpen held strong as the Sox won 2-1.

DestiNations travelers arrived cheerful at Safeco Field on Saturday morning after the exciting win on Friday night. The events were kicked off by a tour of Safeco Field. Mariners’ experts guided fans through the park and onto the warning track, as well as into the dugouts, press box and the premium club areas. Check out the great Safeco Field pictures below.

Next, fans enjoyed a lunch reception, full of ballpark food and beverages. DestiNations staff brought the 2004 and 2007 World Series Rings and let fans pose with the impressive jewelry.

J.D. Drew joined fans at the reception where he signed autographs, posed for pictures and fielded questions from the group. Drew joked with the DestiNations group and travelers enjoyed Drew’s laid back personality and willingness to interact with everyone. Check out a few pictures from the reception below.

Saturday night’s game featured an exceptional outing by lefty Jon Lester, who pitched perfectly through 5 innings and struck out a total of 13 hitters. Though his pitching was outstanding, his perfection was ended in the sixth inning. The team unraveled in later innings and ended up losing the game 5-1 as David Ortiz’s home run in the fourth was not enough run support to win the game.

Leading the series 2-1, the DestiNations crew was still hopeful Sunday that the Sox could end with a win and take the series 3-1. Daisuke Matsuzaka gave a solid performance, as he left the game in the sixth with a 2-1 lead. Just six outs away from victory, the Sox surrendered 3 runs in the eighth inning with a bases loaded, two-run single that provided enough support for the Mariners to defeat the Sox 4-2.

Though the Red Sox had problems holding leads and providing enough offense, the starting pitching displayed a positive for the team. Nonetheless, DestiNations travelers experienced an exciting weekend full of baseball; the weather, Seattle waterfront and visits to Safeco Field were on an entirely different level than just watching the games from your living room couch.

Join us on your own adventure! All our upcoming trips are listed on redsox.com/redsoxdestinations.

July 16, 2010

Toronto July 9th – 11th

The Red Sox Destinations crew was in Toronto last weekend for the last series before the All Star break. During their visit to the lively city of Toronto, Destinations travelers stayed at the gorgeous Renaissance Toronto Hotel (http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/yyzbr-renaissance-toronto-downtown-hotel/) , which is actually attached to the Rogers Centre. Not only were guests able to enjoy a less than 5-minute walk from the hotel to the gates, but many got to take in some of the on-field activities from Arriba, which is the hotel’s lobby restaurant that overlooks the interior of the ballpark.

During Friday night’s game, Sox fans were treated to an offensive outburst that put the game away early, as the Red Sox scored 13 runs in the first 4 innings before going on to win 14-3. Jon Lester pitched 6 strong innings to secure his 11^th win.

Sunday’s game was a nail-biter, as the Red Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead and were cruising before surrendering a homerun that cut the Red Sox lead to 3-2. Thankfully, Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon were more than ready to seal the game in tidy fashion and secure a series victory for the Red Sox as they headed into the All-Star Break. Destinations travelers were excited to end the trip on a high note. Being able to take in a weekend of baseball in a unique city with other die-hard Red Sox fans is something that will stick with them for a lifetime!