After a beautiful 90min drive up from Binghamton, our first stop: the Cooperstown Dreams Park, where a bunch of Tyler and Nicholas’ friends are playing baseball this week. An amazing set up to say the least: 16 fields, lodging & food for 104 teams, including coaches and the umpires each team br0ught along. Arrive Friday/Saturday, play two games/day for three days, Sun-Tues, and then a single-elimination tournament beginning Wednesday and done by Thursday. Right before next 104 teams arrive Friday. Same schedule for 13 straight weeks every summer.
Between games, we visited one of the many (many) restaurants and breweries serving the families of those 104 teams. We were told to check out the Red Shed. Bags and beer: good call. Had a 10yr old ask if he could play bags with us. Long story short, he carried my team and we barely lost a game. Kid was a shark.
Every restaurant has a huge collection of pins from the various teams. This is the smallest collection we found. Most have these pins stuck to walls and wood beams everywhere. Can’t imagine the money spent on these pins by all the teams.
Finally, stay the night at Lakes n Pines Motel on Lake Otsego. Any place that still uses old-school keys is good with me. A classic up-north family-owned place that would fit perfectly in northern Minnesota.
