Seven months after the holidays ended, my son finally had a chance to enjoy his gift – a trio of Major League Baseball games in sunny, Southern California.
At 9 years old, my son loves baseball and after visiting the ballparks close to our home in Pennsylvania, he started dreaming of a bigger adventure and had been asking for the last two years to go out to California. His grandparents being Los Angeles Dodgers fans may have influenced his location choice, but it’s his passion for the sport that started it all.
As we started planning for holiday gifts for both him and our 7-year-old daughter, we thought this would be the year that we would surprise him with the trip he had been dreaming about. The whole family joined us with our plan, which made answering those questions about “what the kids would like for Christmas” much easier. One set of grandparents bought them carry-on luggage for the airplane, other family members bought them shirts for the teams we would be seeing, and others added gift cards so they could purchase souvenirs to always remember their big adventure.
Finally, in late July, the time had come and we boarded the plane and headed west. The games we caught on our trip included:
Los Angeles Angels vs Boston Red Sox
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Minnesota Twins
San Diego Padres vs Pittsburgh Pirates
At each stadium we visited, we took photos, cheered our hearts out, and sampled ballpark eats (including the famous Dodger Dogs!). We also visited Guest Services since each MLB stadium presents some type of “First Game” recognition, which was a certificate at the Angels game and pins at the Dodgers and Padres. When we returned home, those items went right into the kids’ special treasure boxes along with our ticket stubs for safekeeping through the years.
Not only did this experience nurture his passion for baseball, it ignited in both our children an interest in traveling and learning about new places and new people. We crafted a full vacation around the baseball games, adding trips to the San Diego Zoo, USS Midway Museum, Knott's Berry Farm, and the Santa Monica Pier. These were places that the rest of us in the family wanted to visit, as it was our first trip to Southern California, too!
Next up on our family bucket list? Alaska in a few years!
As you start planning for the holidays this year, think about an experience you can gift to your children. Passes to a local museum, an overnight summer camp, a new class or activity they’ve been wanting to try – the ideas are endless and can be big or small. When you gift an experience, it creates memories that will be treasured forever!
