In 1994, now 65-year-old Ron Shufrin of Stoughton, Mass. was looking to go on a baseball trip when he came across an ad for Sports Travel and Tours. He’s been hooked on traveling with the company ever since, going on one or two trips a year.
In fact, Ron has gone on so many trips that he has seen all 30 major league baseball stadiums in the country. He was officially inducted into Sports Travel and Tours’ Stadium Hall of Fame in 2013 for this impressive accomplishment.
For the past few years, Ron has done volunteer work with Sports Travel and Tours writing up itineraries for their baseball trips. Last year, he helped plan the annual Windy City Plus trip, which featured three games at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
“I wanted to write up something that really featured Wrigley,” Ron says. “After I had written the itinerary, I couldn’t pass on taking the trip myself. Chicago is a really great place to watch baseball.”
This year’s Windy City Plus trip is scheduled from Friday, Aug. 7 to Wednesday, Aug. 12 and will feature four games at four different ballparks in Milwaukee, St. Louis and Chicago. However, because of the trip’s timing, Ron will not be able to attend. Instead, he intends to take advantage of the Stars and Stripes trip, which is scheduled from Tuesday, June 30 to Sunday, July 5.
Regardless, Ron says he will probably go on the Windy City Plus trip next year. Chicago and Wrigley Field are big personal draws for him and he enjoys the trip’s eclectic itinerary full of interesting experiences.
“The city tour of Chicago is always excellent,” he says. “The tour of Wrigley Field is not to be missed, it’s fabulous. You also get to stay in the Palmer House in Chicago, which is an excellent, historic hotel in a great location.”
“Plus, the schedule for the trip is well-balanced and not too hectic, leaving spare time for sightseeing,” Ron says. “I found some really great places last year, not just around Wrigley Field, but throughout the entire city.”
Ron always takes advantage of the spare time during Sports Travel and Tours’ trips. On last year’s Windy City Plus trip, he was able to visit the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee and, being a bit of a food connoisseur, had some tasty “culinary experiences” at the many restaurants Chicago has to offer.
However, last year’s trip didn’t feature a stop in St. Louis. This year’s group of travelers will be able to experience the extra city, watch the St. Louis Cardinals play at Busch Stadium and visit the iconic Gateway Arch.
Learn more about the Windy City Plus trip.