March 18-20: Central Florida
Why wait till Opening Day? Get into the spirit with a spring training game. There are lots of choices, each of them a warm alternative to March in Washington. We suggest the weekend of March 18-20, when you can see Nats games in Melbourne and Vero Beach and a third, non-Nationals contest at the Disney Wide World of Sports complex, where everything is pristine and perfect.
Start your weekend by flying into Orlando on March 18 to watch the Atlanta Braves play the Cleveland Indians at Cracker Jack Stadium (built in 1997) in the Disney sports center in Lake Buena Vista.
On Saturday, drive about an hour southeast from Orlando to watch the Nats play the Indians at Washington's spring training site, Melbourne's futuristic Space Coast Stadium (built in 1993). This park was created for the Florida Marlins, which explains the teal-blue seats. First-base seats are best during spring training. Caution: The right-field bleacher seats are in direct sun.
On Sunday, just 53 miles farther down A1A in Vero Beach, you'll find Dodgertown, where everything is old and wonderful. The Nationals play Los Angeles there in 1953-era Holman Stadium. This is our favorite spring training field because of its quirky, '50s-style boomerang-shaped park and access to major league stars. Get there early for autographs: This is as close as most fans will ever get to their big league heroes. The players sit on aluminum benches just feet from the grandstand. No dugouts, no kidding. They hate the proximity; the fans love it.
TICKETS:
• Atlanta Braves vs. Cleveland Indians at Cracker Jack Stadium, March 18. Prices range from $13 (lawn seats) to $21 (lower level reserved seats). Info: 407-839-3900, www.ticketmaster.com.
• Nationals vs. Cleveland Indians at Space Coast Stadium, March 19. Tickets are $7 to $18. Info: the Nationals, 321-633-9200, www.nationals.com.
• Nationals vs. L.A. Dodgers at Holman Stadium, Dodgertown, March 20. Tickets are $15, or $8 for berm seats. Info: 772-569-6858, www.dodgers.com.
WHAT ELSE TO DO: Your ticket to the Braves game admits you to the rest of the Disney Wide World of Sports complex, including an interactive football playground. There's also Disney World, Epcot, SeaWorld, Animal Kingdom and MGM and Universal studios. For smaller-scale fun, try Gatorland in Orlando, with its alligators, snakes and tropical birds. In Vero Beach, get a culture fix at the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Info: Indian River County Chamber of Commerce, 772-567-3491, www.indianriverchamber.com; Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 407-363-5872, www.orlandoinfo.com; and Melbourne/Palm Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, 800-771-9922, www.melpb-chamber.org.
GETTING THERE: Fares from Washington to Orlando generally start at about $150 round trip. Independence Air currently has a sale fare of $49 one way from Dulles to Orlando. To reach Holman Stadium, take the Vero Beach exit off I-95 and go east on Route 60 to 43rd Avenue; turn left and continue to 26th Street. Dodgertown is on your right.
If you'd rather fly into Melbourne, 35 miles north of Vero Beach's Indian River County, Delta and Northwest offer connecting service from D.C., with round-trip fares at about $265.
April 4, 6 and 7: Philadelphia
Most of us won't really believe that major league baseball is coming back to the nation's capital until we see that first pitch to a batter with "Washington" stitched across his chest. The Nats' regular season opens on April 4 at Philadelphia's new Citizens Bank Park (built in 2004), with games also on April 6 and 7.
Once you're inside the ballpark, stroll along Ashburn Alley, the concourse beyond the centerfield fence that resembles Camden Yards' Eutaw Street and is named for Phillies Hall of Fame leadoff hitter Richie Ashburn. The park's best view of downtown is near the oversize neon Liberty Bell above Ashburn Alley.
You can enter Ashburn Alley early to watch batting practice. Take advantage of the ridiculously close view of the pitchers warming up in the bullpen. Before game time, head to Bull's BBQ in the stadium for sauce-drenched pork, turkey and beef, and an autograph from All-Star slugger Greg "The Bull" Luzinski. Just like Boog Powell in Baltimore, he's there nearly every game.
