Royalty Tours USA

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Royalty schedule w/o 9/4

Here's the game plan:

Monday September 4th Phillies at Mets 1:10PM

Tuesday September 5th Phillies at Mets 7:10PM

Wednesday September 6th Phillies at Mets 7:10PM

Thursday September 7th Reds at Mets 7:10PM                                

Friday September 8th Reds at Mets 7:10PM

Saturday September 9th Reds at Mets 7:10PM

Sunday September 10th Reds at Mets 1:10PM

Check back to see how it turned out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.  

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Royalty goes to Cincinnati, Ohio for the MLB Ballpark Pass-port Stampede!

Special Passport Stamp created by Stampeder Jeff Fiesta
A few months before the baseball season started, the founder of MLB Ballpark Pass-Port Program, Tim Parks decided that he was going to have his annual group meet up known as the Stampede at Great American Ballpark on August 5th free of charge as long as you had a Pass-Port book of some kind. Last year he held his inaugural one in July. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend. This time I was determined to make every effort to do so. Despite the fact the Mets were hosting the Dodgers at Citi Field that weekend, I decided I'll hit the road instead. Without Tim's brilliant idea, this wonderful group of people wouldn't even exist.

At the end of April, I went ahead & I made a reservation for a car rental. I also booked a few hotels in anticipation of the big weekend getaway. Three months later, the time finally arrived. After seeing a bunch of people from the group in Dayton, Ohio the night before I got to see three times as many in the Queen City of Cincinnati. I wound up parking the car I rented in downtown in a parking lot for the day around 11:30AM. I proceeded to walk over to Great American Ballpark, the home of the Cincinnati Reds where we had a day full of different events planned out for us.

Before I could even check in, I was approached by a gentleman named Jamison Speidel, who lives in the Columbus, Ohio area in a suburb called Pickerington. Back in June, he messaged me on Facebook. He asked me if I would be willing to back stamp his big Passport book from Yankee Stadium. He went there back on July 18, 2014 with his family. I told him it's not a problem. He wound up mailing me the page along with a picture of him & his family in their seats along with a copy of a ticket stub. Once I did the stamp for him, I sent him a picture of it. He was so grateful & appreciative. He told me he was going to talk to Tim Parks about getting me a gift for doing this for him. I didn't think nothing of it. I do things out of the goodness of my heart because that's truly who I am.

Jamison Speidel & I at the Stampede

When we finally met, I gave him back the page with the stamp. He gave me a little brown bag to show his deep appreciation for what I did for him. Before I opened it up, I thanked him. It wound up being a personalized stamp that said my name along the top of the circle with the date AUG 05 17 in the middle & my group nickname Stamp Champ along the bottom of the circle. He also got me a blue ink pad since he knows I like the Mets. Ironically I was given that moniker by fellow Stampeder Matt Angeli when we met up at Yankee Stadium back on June 5, 2015. I was caught off guard. I'm just an every day person who works hard. When I master a task, I just keep repeating the process to make myself even better at it. I always remember the saying, practice makes perfect which I learned in elementary school way back in the day.

After I finally got to check in, I got my name tag. I then had a line of people ask me to stamp their books with my new stamp. I gladly accommodated them all. When I got done, I proceeded to partake in the day's events.

My MLB Ballpark Stampede Validations

First up was the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. I got a special stamp from there then I walked around with my pal David Rothenberg aka Swag Man who decided to also pass up seeing the Mets at Citi Field that weekend. He left earlier in the week so he could finally get to some new ballparks he wanted to see. After we walked around & went down memory lane remembering the great history of the Reds franchise that goes all the way back to 1876, David & I as well as a number of others went outside to the batting cage to take some swings. I was all excited as I anxiously waited my turn to bat. When I finally stepped into the batter's box, I embarrassed myself sorry to say. After doing so, I said to myself, I better stick to stamping instead.

Group Photo on Field at GABP
Group Photo in Visitor's Dugout at GABP
After we finished, we wound up joining the tour of Great American Ballpark which started without us. We were having too much fun in the batting cage. Once we got in with the group we got to go up to the press box which is the best view in most ballparks. That's where the media who cover the game sit. They do keep the windows open there & occasionally foul balls fly in we were told so they have to keep their eyes on their work as well as the ball. After we spent some time in there, we went downstairs where we got to see the Scout Club which is a lounge area for the media as well those people who can afford to enjoy a game in style. After passing through, we continued the tour by getting the opportunity to go on the playing field behind the home plate area. We also got to sit inside the visitor's dugout which is located on the third base side. It was a cool experience seeing what actually goes on behind the scenes. When we got done, we went back into the seating area on the first level & we took a group photo.

Group Photo in the Stands at GABP

Shortly thereafter, we went back into the Scout Club again where we gathered for a question & answer session with former Reds pitchers Tom Browning & Bill Bray along with the Reds Chief Operating Officer Phil Castellini who handles the business operations for the Reds organization. Before the session started, I walked around the area. I went over to as many people in the group as I could so I could introduce myself. It was great to put a face to a name. Some people came with other family members which made it such a special occasion for those particular people. After all, this Pass-Port Program was designed to share memories from generation to generation. Once I finished acknowledging those I was fortunate to see, I sat down & I enjoyed the festivities. I really loved listening to Tom Browning talk about the day he decided to walk over to the roof tops across the street from Wrigley Field in his uniform to spend a few innings with the people who were sitting there that particular day. I also liked that he said he had fond memories of when the Reds came to Shea Stadium to play the Mets. As for Bill Bray, injuries cut his baseball career short but now he's in the process of going to Law school & he said he graduates in 13 months. That's quite an achievement. I wish him all the best in his future.

Me & Fellow Stampeder Wayne McBrayer

Once the question & answer session ended, we were given the option of watching the Reds take batting practice down by their dugout on the first base side or we could have left the ballpark to get something to eat outside then return. I decided to stay inside. By doing so, I was able to meet & greet more people I missed in the Scout Club. I also had people sign my Game Day Passport book which has room for autographs. After spending some time with these people, I went up to the concourse & I got my passport book stamped at guest services. I then walked down to the team store with some other people in the group.

Since I was starving, I decided to go to the upper deck by section 428 where I was able to buy the All You Can Eat Food deal they had for $20. It consisted of five hot dogs along with unlimited pop, soda if you will, peanuts, popcorn & potato chips. I wound up eating three hot dogs, some peanuts, popcorn & I had a cup of pop. When I had enough for myself, I decided to share with others in the group. I proceeded to get two more hot dogs I was entitled to as well as peanuts, popcorn & countless bags of Lay's potato chips. After all, you can't just have one as they say. I managed to squeeze whatever I could into my bag & I proceeded to go back downstairs to section 111 row Y where my seat was located in short left field. Before I went to my seat, I saw fellow Stampeder Matt Luca who was in the handicapped area in his wheelchair with his Dad, David. I asked them if they were hungry. They said they were so I gave them the hot dogs I had along with some peanuts, popcorn & potato chips. When I got down to my seat, I wound up sitting with fellow Stampeder Kim Clift who I got to meet & greet earlier during the ballpark tour. She was a real sweetheart & I really enjoyed her company. I got settled in & I got my score book  ready for the game to start between the Reds & the St. Louis Cardinals. After I did that, I offered whoever was sitting around me some peanuts, popcorn or potato chips. It was hilarious as I started throwing bags of chips all over the place. It wound up being such a good time.

Me & Stampeder Kim Clift

As for the game we saw, the Reds took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when first baseman Joey Votto hit a solo home run. In the top of the third inning, the Cardinals went ahead when their rookie shortstop Paul DeJong hit a two run homer to give the Redbirds 2-1 lead. They tacked on a few more runs in the seventh inning as they went on to beat the Reds, 4-1.

Ballpark Stampeders
Ballpark Stampeders
After the game, I said goodbye to those who were sitting around me. When I got up to the concourse I saw a number of others from the group hanging around. We wound up taking a few pictures together before we parted ways for the night.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman                                         

                                         

Monday, August 28, 2017

Royalty schedule w/o 8/28

Here's the game plan:

Monday August 28th Indians at Yankees 7:05PM

Tuesday August 29th Indians at Yankees 7:05PM

Thursday August 31st Red Sox at Yankees 7:05PM

Friday September 1st Braves at Cubs 1:20PM Central Time

                                     Rays at White Sox 7:10PM Central Time
                              
Saturday September 2nd Royals at Twins 6:10PM Central Time
                                                
Sunday September 3rd Nationals at Brewers 1:10PM Central Time

Check back to see how it played out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.  

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Friday, August 25, 2017

Royalty meets up with other Stampeders in Dayton, Ohio!

Early in the baseball season, Tim Parks, the founder of the MLB Ballpark Pass-Port Program, told Sandy Helton Smith & Erica Reniff in our Facebook group that if they can round up 25 people he would buy a block of tickets for a Dayton Dragon game. I decided to be one of the ones who would be interested in his creative idea. Due to overwhelming demand, they wound up getting 54 people who wanted to go. There was even more than that but those people had to be turned away.

That game took place on August 4th when the Dragons were hosting the Great Lakes Loons, the Los Angeles Dodgers Single A farm team. I drove there with my pal & fellow Stampeder Paul Sanders. We were followed by his brother Greg & his nephew Alex who put us up for the day. After arriving at 6:30AM that morning. We slept until 1PM. We get cleaned up & we drove 180 miles to downtown Dayton. Greg mapped out the best route from his house in Belpre, Ohio with the GPS on his phone. We left there at 2:15PM & we arrived in Dayton at 5:30PM.

We parked our cars in a lot up the block from Fifth Third Field, which is the home of the Dayton Dragons, the Single A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds in the Midwest League. It was my third time going to that ballpark which I consider one of the very best in all of minor league baseball. They always sell out their games. I haven't been there in a long time so it was nice to revisit again.

Brixx Ice Co. in Dayton, Ohio










Brixx Ice Co. Menu
Before we went over to the ballpark, we stopped off to have a pre game meal right across the street at the Brixx Ice Co. which is located on the corner of Sears Street & First Street. Thanks to Sandy Helton Smith who recommended this place. I looked at their menu online. It was extensive & it also catered to children 10 & younger. I told her it was a brilliant idea. With that being said, we posted the details in the Facebook group. A good number of people gave their approval & we arranged to all meet up there. Since we arrived after many others were there already, I didn't get to take a head count of how many actually showed up. It was a great way to start the mini Stampede if you will. I got to see some familiar faces & I also got to meet some people I only knew online. The best part was when my pal David Rothenberg aka Swag man went out to his car & he came back with a gigantic bag full of goodies.

Here are some of the Stampeders that joined us at Brixx Ice Co.
Since I didn't get to eat anything all day, I decided that I was going make up for it by having three meals in one if you will. With that being said, I decided to order the Brixx Giant Bacon Cheeseburger. See the picture for all the details. Mind you I wasn't trying to show any one how much I could eat. I was hungry & I wanted to indulge. Some people had finished eating & they wanted to get into the ballpark so they had left. However, some others stayed including the Cantus, Cindy & David who I met in June when they visited NYC from Corpus Christi, Texas & they watched to see if indeed I was able to finish my burger. Needless to say, I sure did. I hate to waste food.

Brixx Giant Bacon Cheeseburger
My Brixx Giant Bacon Cheeseburger with Broccoli
Me eating my Brixx Giant Bacon Cheeseburger
After I finally got done, I walked over to the ballpark where I got to meet up with Tim Parks & others who gave us our tickets for the game. We proceeded to go inside. Before going to our seats, a group of us stopped off at the team store to get our stamp on. After doing so, I proceeded to duck in behind home plate on the lower level to see the game's first pitch. After doing so, I went to my seat in section 206 where I got to see many people from the group. I settled in & we all enjoyed the game together.

Stampeders Outside Fifth Third Field - Home of the Dayton Dragons
First Pitch at Fifth Third Field
Jose Siri of Dayton Dragons
David Rothenberg, Cindy, David Cantu & I in section 206
As for the game we saw, the Dragons lost to the Loons, 4-2. The highlight of the game was in the bottom of the eighth inning when Jose Siri batted for the last time with his league record 39 game hitting streak on the line. He was held hit less in his first three at bats. Relief pitcher Ryan Moseley of the Loons was working his second inning. His first pitch went behind Siri who took exception to it by staring him down. Siri eventually wound up getting a walk. On his way to first base, the benches emptied. Luckily cooler heads prevailed as no punches were thrown. Once play resumed, Siri stole second base & he went to third on a throwing error. He wound up scoring on a wild pitch. Unfortunately, Siri didn't come to bat again so his hitting streak came to an end. In that regard, we saw history.

Post game Stampeder Group Picture in section 206
Afterwards we said our good byes to each other. Many of us were going to continue the weekend in Cincinnati that Saturday. Stay tuned for a recap of how that day turned out in the Queen City.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman                                              

Monday, August 21, 2017

Royalty schedule w/o 8/21

Here's the game plan:

Monday August 21st Diamondbacks at Mets 7:10PM

Tuesday August 22nd Diamondbacks at Mets 7:10PM

Wednesday August 23rd Diamondbacks at Mets 7:10PM

Friday August 25th Mariners at Yankees 7:05PM                                

Saturday August 26th Mariners at Yankees 1:05PM

                                      Cubs at Phillies 7:05PM

Sunday August 27th Mariners at Yankees 1:05PM

Check back to see how it turned out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.  

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Royalty is going to Chicago, Minneapolis & Milwaukee over Labor Day weekend!


2016 World Series Champions - Chicago Cubs
Here's the game plan:

The King, David Rothenberg aka Swag Man & I are flying to Chicago O'Hare Airport on American Airlines. We leave New York LaGuardia Airport on Friday, September 1st at 7:30AM Eastern Time, we arrive in Chicagoland at 9:09AM Central Time if we're not delayed for any reason. Upon arrival, I'm renting a car from Budget Rent A Car for the weekend. We'll be staying in Chicago for the day. After the doubleheader of baseball we have, we'll be driving towards the Twin Cities so we can be closer. I prefer to avoid any construction delays if possible. After the game in Minneapolis, we're driving to Madison, Wisconsin to spend the night before we continue on to Milwaukee Sunday. After the game there, we'll return to the Second City. We fly back home Sunday night. Our flight departs Chicago O'Hare Airport at 8:30PM Central Time. We're scheduled to land at 11:36PM Eastern Time at LaGuardia Airport if all goes well.    

Friday September 1st Braves at Cubs 1:20PM Central Time

                                     Rays at White Sox 7:10PM Central Time
                              
Saturday September 2nd Royals at Twins 6:10PM Central Time
                                                
Sunday September 3rd Nationals at Brewers 1:10PM Central Time

If you're interested in going or meeting up with us on this exclusive getaway royalty style just let me know so I can arrange to have you join us. We will be meeting some very special guests along the way which will only enhance the experience.  

It's going to be a blast so why not come for a "royal" ride.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

2017-2018 NBA Schedule

To all my readers and followers,

The 2017-2018 NBA schedule has been released:

Please see the link below for all the details:

http://www.nba.com/article/2017/08/14/complete-nba-schedule-early-start-recovery-time

If you need any assistance don't hesitate to ask or consult me that's why this blog is here.

If I can make a difference in your life I will, all I ask for is a fair opportunity to do so.

Stay tuned for my upcoming basketball road trips as well as other creative ones that others may be interested in taking.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Monday, August 14, 2017

Royalty schedule w/o 8/14

Here's the game plan:

Monday August 14th Mets at Yankees 7:05PM

Tuesday August 15th Mets at Yankees 7:05PM

Wednesday August 16th Yankees at Mets 7:10PM

Thursday August 17th Yankees at Mets 7:10PM

Friday August 18th Marlins at Mets 7:10PM                                

Saturday August 19th Marlins at Mets 7:10PM

Sunday August 20th Marlins at Mets 1:10PM

                                   New England Revolution at NYCFC 6PM

Check back to see how it played out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.  

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Friday, August 11, 2017

Royalty goes to Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore for annual visit!

Toyota Corolla
On Thursday morning, August 3rd, I took public transportation to go out to New Hyde Park which is just into Nassau County on Long Island. That's where the local Avis location is that I like to rent from when I get a great deal. I wound up getting a Toyota Corolla for five days. After I got the car, I proceeded to go back home to pick up my bags so I could finally hit the road again. After doing so, I met up with my pal who we affectionately call the King. He was visiting his mother before he went away for the day. After I picked him up, I drove to Staten Island so I could pick up fellow Stampeder & friend of mine, Paul Sanders. Quite amazingly, he finally got to meet the King for the very first time. I arrived at his house at 1:15PM. He got in & we proceeded to drive down to Baltimore, Maryland. We arrived in the neighborhood of Canton-Fells Point at 4:45PM. We wound up having dinner at Looney's Pub which has been a royal tradition thanks to our friend, Peter Agnew who lives a few blocks away from there. We all enjoyed our pre game meal before we headed over to Oriole Park at Camden Yards which as far as I'm concerned is the best of the modern retro ballparks. As for me, I had their grilled stuffed salmon which came with broccoli & I was able to substitute red skin bliss potatoes for the salad which is what it normally comes with it as you can see. It was delicious. After we finished eating, I drove us all there. I want to personally thank Peter for getting us the tickets & a parking pass which came in handy. As I like to say, teamwork makes the dream work.
Looney's Pub
Peter Agnew, The King, Me & Paul Sanders
Grilled Stuffed Salmon with broccoli & red skin bliss potatoes
Since Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened up in 1992, I've been fortunate to say I've seen at least one Oriole game there every year. It's been a difficult task the last few years for me to maintain that distinction. This season was no different. After exhausting all my options, I decided that August 3rd would be my best chance to extend the streak & keep my annual tradition in tact. The only thing that could prevent me from doing so was mother nature. She tried her very best to put a damper on my plan. Thankfully despite a few rain delays combining for an hour & 42 minutes worth of wasted time, the Orioles were able to get their game against the Detroit Tigers in. The Orioles fell behind 7-0 early. They fought back but their comeback came up short as the game ended just past midnight. Not what I had I mind with a long drive awaiting me. After the game, the King took a Greyhound bus back home & I wound up driving our friend Peter home. Thankfully he only lives a few miles from the ballpark. By the time I got back by the ballpark it was 12:50AM. Paul & I continued on our way towards Dayton, Ohio where we planned to be Friday night. 
View from Section 340 row 22 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards
We wound up driving to Belpre, Ohio which is 320 miles from Baltimore & a short distance from Parkersburg, West Virginia. Paul's brother, Greg lives there. He was kind enough to let Paul & I stay at his house. I was originally planning to arrive there around 4AM. Due to mother nature, we finally pulled onto his driveway at 6:30AM. He was outside waiting for us. I was totally exhausted. We wound up getting some sleep before continuing our the journey to Dayton.

Stay tuned for another special post that will go into further detail on how that day unfolded.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Royalty schedule w/o 8/7

Here's the game plan:

Tuesday August 8th Rangers at Mets 7:10PM

Friday August 11th Red Sox at Yankees 7:05PM                                  

Saturday August 12th Red Sox at Yankees 4:05PM

Sunday August 13th Mets at Phillies 1:35PM

                                    Red Sox at Yankees 8:05PM

Check back to see how it turned out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.  

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman