Thank you, Mastercard

Remember those old Mastercard commercials where the two guys piled into the van and made the ultimate baseball roadtrip? All 30 ballparks in one summer? Well, I'm not sure how many people were actually convinced to use Mastercard as their crediting service, but I know those spots inspired hundreds, maybe even thousands, to take their lives into their own hands and hit the road. Afterall, the weather in the summer is gorgeous, and whether or not you like the game of baseball is irrelevant. It's our national pasttime. It wreaks of what it means to be an American. It's a summer tradition you can find in the busiest of hectic cities, and the smallest of quaint towns.

My family never travelled much when I was growing up. As my 21st birthday approached, my state-count was a measley number. Maybe even as low as 7. So I decided to make a move. For my 21st birthday, I didn't want gifts, or stuff for my college house, or anything wrappable. All I wanted was to make a series of weekend roadtrips that would put me at baseball games all over the Eastern United States. So I bought the tickets months in advance, and away we went...

Me & Paul Teeple
Sat, June 7, 2003 (noon)- Yankees at Cubs, Wrigley Field, Chicago
Sat, June 7, 2003 (6 pm)- Red Sox at Brewers, Miller Park, Milwaukee
Sun, June 8, 2003- Orioles at Cardinals, Busch Stadium, St. Louis

Me & Mike Dunn
Fri, June 20, 2003- Indians at Pirates, PNC Park, Pittsburgh
Sat, June 21, 2003- Red Sox at Phillies, Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
Sun, June 22, 2003- Yankees at Mets, Shea Stadium, New York City

The results were stunning. A revitalization so intense, that it became addicting. I needed to go out and hit the road at every opportunity. I needed to get out and see the greatest country in the free world. I needed to do it by land, rather than by sea or by air. There's something about actually driving the whole way, and being connected to the ground, that brings a new appreciation for the vast greatness of the United States. And that's what I was going to do. I was going to drive to all of the 49 drivable United States.