Chase Field: Diamond in the Desert

Los Angeles Dodgers 7, Arizona Diamondbacks 4 Ben's pregame pick: Dodgers Pick record 3-7 Nick's pregame pick: Dodgers Pick record: 6-4 Nate's pregame pick: Dodgers Pick record: 4-3

Date: June 14, 2016 Overall trip rating: 8.2 Streak: Consecutive days without In-And-Out- Burger — 3 (a record on this trip) Trip record: First 100 degree game

Welcome to Snake's Bend

The final leg of our journey was a quick one, and we feel bad about that because Phoenix seemed like a fun place to be, especially on game days.

We left San Diego early in the morning and traveled through the desert en route to Arizona. The scenery was interesting and cool to look at for the first hour or so, but after, looking at nothing but sand and rock became somewhat monotonous. There were some small towns along the way, and it amazed us how they function so well with the hot temperatures and seemingly nothing around them, including water.

We arrived in Phoenix late afternoon, as a traffic accident on the interstate caused a major delay. We only had enough time to check in at our hotel, rest for a bit and then leave for the game.

The game

The ball park wasn't too far from our hotel, but with temperatures in the triple digits, we decided against walking and just paid a few dollars for an Uber.

Petco Park: You stay classy, San Diego

Miami Marlins 13, San Diego Padres 4 Ben's pregame pick: Padres Pick record 2-7 Nick's pregame pick: Padres Pick record: 5-4 Nate's pregame pick: Marlins Pick record: 3-3

Date: June 13, 2016 Overall trip rating: 8.9  Number of total trips to In-And-Out Burger: Three (and counting) Home run balls touched during batting practice: One.

Let the adventure begin

Settle in. Ron Burgundy's home city of San Diego had a lot for us to explore, and when it was all said and done, we barley scratched the surface of the city's potential.

Leaving Anaheim en route to San Diego, we ran into a familiar scene: traffic. When we finally arrived, we tried another West Coast fast food chain, Del Taco. It wasn’t too bad for the price.

Angels Stadium: Angels in the Outfield

Cleveland Indians 6, Los Angeles Angels 2 Ben's pregame pick: Angels Pick record 2-6 Nick's pregame pick: Angels Pick record: 5-3 Nate's pregame pick: Indians Pick record: 2-3

Date: June 10, 2016 Overall trip rating: 8.3  Number of total trips to In-And-Out Burger: Three Streak: Second consecutive game purchasing souvenir super nacho helmet

Almost famous

We had big plans for our second day in Los Angeles. We were going to see all of the touristy sites and walk the same sidewalks as movie stars before heading to Anaheim for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim game at Angels Stadium. But first, we said goodbye to Shelley and thanked her for graciously letting us stay at her house.

We followed through on some of those plans. The first thing we did was, of course, go to In-And-Out Burger for an early lunch. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s three times we’ve had it on our journey.

Dodger Stadium: It's time for Dodger baseball

Colorado Rockies 1, Los Angeles Dodgers 0 Ben's pregame pick: Dodgers Pick record 2-5 Nick's pregame pick: Dodgers Pick record: 5-2 Nate's pregame pick: Dodgers Pick record: 1-3

Date: June 8, 2016 Overall trip rating: 6.2   Number of trips to In-And-Out Burger: Two Number of oceans played in: One. One huge, awesome ocean

The game

The second leg of our journey began with the 4 1/2 hour trip from Vegas to Los Angeles, with nothing but desert to look at virtually the whole way. We got a little bit of a late start after Enterprise didn't have a vehicle to fulfill our reservation. They tempted us with a Mustang convertible, but we had to fight off our dreams of cruising down the coast of California in such a hot rod and think more practically — there was no way we could fit our luggage in that hot rod.

Enterprise upgraded us to a small SUV if we would drive a larger SUV to another Enterprise location. Of course it was the opposite way we intended on going, but we had no other option. In all, the mishap added about an hour to our trip.

It was late in the afternoon when we finally arrived at Nate's Aunt Shelley's house, where we were staying for the next two nights, and after catching up and receiving some last minute advice on getting to the stadium, we hit the busy streets of L.A. to go the game.

The traffic wasn't as bad as we thought it would be, though there was no shortage of commuters by any means. We started questioning where our phones were taking us when they said we were right by the stadium but still in a park (called Elysian Park). But after following the windy road thick with trees on both sides, the parking lot for the stadium seemed to come out of nowhere to surprise us. It was $20 to park, which was about what we had expected.

The outside of the stadium wasn't too flashy. Early on, we believed it to be similar to Wrigley Field in that much of the mystique about Dodger Stadium was due to the history and tradition it has — after all, it is the third oldest stadium in the majors (built in 1962).

Las Vegas: What happens on the journey, stays in the blog

Into the desert

How do you travel to the West Coast and not stop in Las Vegas along the way?

Well, we can’t answer that question, because Sin City was our first destination on this year’s journey.

Our flight to Vegas was uneventful, which is a good thing. Aside from a bumpy landing and not being able to talk to each other due to the noise of sitting next to the engine, it was a successful start to our adventure.

McCarran International Airport is right by the Las Vegas Strip, so we got to see a lot of the big time casinos and attractions as we were landing.

Our guest journey man for the first leg of this trip was Jacob. A classmate of Nate and Jacob, Grant, lives in Vegas, so we were able to save money on lodging by staying with him. Grant picked us up from the airport and treated us to our first taste of Vegas: In and Out Burger.

The five of us each got a burger, fries and a milkshake, and it was all delicious. Insider tip: If you ask for a burger “animal style” you’ll get caramelized onions on the burger.

After dinner, we went back to Grant’s and celebrated his birthday with a few cold ones. Jacob and Nate stayed at Grant's house, catching up and putting on the putting green that makes up Grant's backyard.

Meanwhile, Ben and Nick got an early look at the inside of one of many Vegas casinos. We went to the Golden Nugget, which is in the "Downtown" part of Vegas. It was a very successful night on the craps tables, causing us to believe we were better at gambling than we really are. We took an Uber ride to Downtown from the outskirts of Vegas, which was very reasonably priced. Ubers are scarce in the suburbs of Vegas late at night. But on the way back to Grant's from the casino, it was easy to find a ride.

The next morning began our first full day in Las Vegas, and we were anxious to get out and experience some of the attractions.

We started the day by visiting the Red Rock Canyon National Park, which had some very scenic views.

California Dreamin'

Are you starting to get that itch? Have you found yourself yearning for a hot dog, peanuts and a beer? Do you hear the roar of a crowd as a bat connects with the ball, sending 400-plus feet over the outfield wall?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, your are one of many suffering from the MLB offseason. But fear not! The 2016 season is drawing near!

The countdown

Pitchers and catchers report: 7 days (Some teams begin as early as Feb. 17)

First spring training game: 18 days (Phillies exhibition game)

MLB Opening Night: 53 days (Cardinals @ Pirates; Blue Jays @ Rays; Mets @ Royals)

First game of our 2016 tour: 119 days

We are definitely feeling the anticipation that comes with a new baseball season, and as we begin planning our trip, our excitement builds even more!

Alright! This season we are visiting four stadiums — the most we've done in one trip since we began this journey. Those ballparks are: Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers), Angel Stadium of Anaheim (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), Petco Park (San Diego Padres), Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks). In addition, we are making a stop in the city of Las Vegas.

We have already picked out the dates and the games we are going to see. Now, if you have any sights, activities, or attractions you would like to suggest we partake in, please let us know! Leave a comment, Tweet at us, or, if you know us, text us!

We are so excited to get this journey underway! We'll post some updates on the season, some information on the stadiums we are going to visit, and maybe even relive some of the past adventures from our journey.