Tagged: Cubs Fans

October 26, 2012

THANK YOU CUBS FANS! Final Trip of 2012: Cards @ Cubs, July 27th-29th

Hey Cubs fans! We’re shouting a huge THANK YOU for travelling with us during the 2012 season! With many ups a downs during the 2012 campaign, one thing remained a constant; the dedication of the Cubs Destinations fans throughout! We also need to thank David DeJesus, Bryan LaHair, Tony Campana and Darwin Barney for taking the time our of their busy schedules to hang out with us! We hope to see them compete in 2013 as well as all of you Cubs loyalists who are keeping the faith!!

Our last trip of the year was at Wrigley hosting those dreaded St. Louis Cardinals. Game 1 was an impressive display of offense from both dugouts. The Cards had home runs in each of the first 5 innings but the Cubs matched that with 3 runs in the first and third. The Cards’ bats turned out too much in the end, winning the game 9 to 3. The Saturday contest changed styles and was a rubber match. Joe Kelly threw 6 innings and Jeff Samardzija went 7 giving up only 2 runs each. The winning run you ask? An RBI bunt off the bat of Reed Johnson in the 7th, the only pitch he saw the whole game. “That was all on his own,” Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. “Reed is one of them baseball players that has those things in his toolbox. He’s just an ultimate baseball player that you love having around,” he said. Sunday’s game was an even better treat, Anthony Rizzo’s first walk-off homer in his entire baseball career! He hit a two-run shot in the 10th causing what seemed like an explosion in Wrigleyville. “This is the best,” an elated Rizzo said. “This is something I’ve always dreamed of doing since I was a little kid. I’ve never done it before. Not in the minors, not in little league, not ever. This is awesome.” What a series at Wrigley!! Our fans enjoyed an awesome VIP tour of Wrigley, a breakfast reception with All-Star Bryan LaHair, and a slew of autographs during batting practice before the gates opened! We had great accommodations at the Westin Michigan Avenue and gift bags waiting for everyone at check-in. Check out the testimonial from one of our fans on the trip, and some more pictures below!

“Thanks to Cubs Destinations, three generations of die hard Cub fans had a wonderful experience. The staff was excellent, professional and very accommodating. If it could be done, it happened! Especially gratifying was my Grandson’s first trip to Wrigley. I wanted this to be a memorable event for him and Cubs Destinations definitely made that happen. It doesn’t get any better when you have a Wrigley VIP tour in the morning, breakfast with a very courteous Bryan LaHair, autographs for my Grandson during batting practice time and then sing Go Cubs Go at the end of the game, especially when you beat the Cardinals. Just a perfect day. We unanimously recommend Cubs Destinations!” –Tom, Jeremy and Drew Stines – Chicago ’12

All-Star Bryan LaHair with a young fan

First visit to Wrigley!

The Legendary Ivy!

Some fans with “Mr. Cub”

Bryan with the group!

If you haven’t traveled with Cubs Destinations, scroll down to see some of the amazing adventures Cubs’ fans had for the past 4 seasons. You can also visit www.cubs.com/cubsdestinations to get more information. Feel free to call us at (617) 226-6550 or e-mail info@cubsdestinations.com if you have any questions!

See you in 2013! GO CUBBIES!

– Cubs Destinations

October 22, 2012

New York: Cubs @ Mets, July 6th-8th, 2012

Cubs fans hit the Big Apple in force in early July to take on the Mets. Destinations guests stayed in the beautiful Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers in Midtown Manhattan and took the subway out to Flushing for all the action at beautiful Citi Field. The exclusive baseball access and amenities were not overshadowed by all that New York has to offer (although NY did make it a challenge). Fans enjoyed a VIP tour of Citi Field, gift bags, tickets to 2 games and an awesome pre-game reception with David DeJesus! Rizzo and Johnson kicked off the weekend’s action with 4 hits each in Friday night’s game, taking down the always difficult Johan Santana. Samardzija came out strong on Saturday but the team eventually fell 3 to 1. Dempster pitched a shut out gem on Sunday that extended his scoreless inning streak to 27 innings! The weekend was filled great weather, great baseball, great city sights and great memories that these travelling Cubs loyalists will never forget!

Take a look at some photos from a memorable weekend in the the Big Apple!

Family Tradition

On-Field Access

David DeJesus with some fans

October 22, 2012

Cubs @ Twins: June 8th-10th, 2012

Cubbies Faithful cruised up I-90 for the interleague match up at Target Field in early June. This was the club’s first time going to Target Field (the Twins used to play at the Metrodome), although the two teams have faced each other over 10 times in interleague play since 1997. The North Siders took 1 out of 3 from the Twins with a stellar performance on Sunday from Ryan Dempster (8 IP, 4 H, 6 Ks). The first two games saw Joe Mauer return with power, to the dismay of the Cubs pitching staff. Friday’s game saw a tough 10th inning walk off and Saturday’s showed that the Twins can actually hit the ball, winning 11-3. Cubs fans got to meet the young, speedy Tony Campana in a private pre-game reception. The VIP tour of Target Field revealed a fantastic new facility with gorgeous views of the city! Check out some pictures from the awesome weekend of baseball in the Twin Cities!

Great View from the Left Field Deck

Tony Campana!

Honoring Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett

Great field access

August 30, 2012

Historic Matchup: Red Sox @ Cubs, June 15th-17th, 2012

Cubs Destinations started the summer off right when the Red Sox came to the North Side. Cubs fans came from all over to see this rare re-match of the 1918 World Series. The Cubs took 1 out of 3 with strong pitching performances from Dempster and Samardzija. The weekend’s games were surely unforgettable as Cubs fans got exclusive access to Wrigley with a VIP tour that included pictures in front of the world famous Ivy, dugout access, press box access and a private pre-game reception with Darwin Barney in the Center Field Suite! Little did Cubs fans know that they were hanging with a future record-breaking second baseman. In August, Barney set the National League single season record with 114 consecutive errorless innings! In addition to a great hotel stay at the Westin, fans had great game tickets and even snagged some autographs during batting practice!

Great weather, great atmosphere and great baseball capped off a historic weekend at Wrigley. See pictures below!

VIP Tour begins at the World Famous Marquee!

Hangin’ in the dugout

August 4, 2010

Denver July 30th – August 1st

The Cubs Destinations crew descended upon Denver this past weekend for a late July series against the Colorado Rockies. Travelers stayed at the Denver Marriott City Center, conveniently located in the heart of Denver, a short walk to Coors Field and local shopping areas. The weather forecast for the weekend was questionable, however Cubs fans stayed optimistic that the rain would not ruin their vacation weekend.

Friday night’s game featured Cubs’ Ryan Dempster taking on the Rockies’ Jeff Francis. Rockies and Cubs fans alike poured into Coors Field as the ominous clouds surrounded the park, threatening heavy showers. The rain held off; however the Cubs faced a much greater threat as the Rockies broke the game open in the eighth, scoring 12 runs on 13 hits; including 11 hits in a row to break a Major League record.

Trying to forget the loss the night prior, Destinations travelers headed to Coors Field for their ballpark tour and pre-game reception on Saturday. Tour guides Sharon and Jack led the group around Coors, pulling all of the stops, giving the history of the Rockies franchise and their stadium. The group made their way into the upper decks where you can see the Rocky Mountains and are where seats are literally a mile high (the park has a row of purple seats running around the stadium to mark the exact altitude of 5,280 feet above sea level!)

Travelers headed to the club level and into the premium restaurants. A special visit to the press box marked the last stop on the tour and the group was led to the Outfield Picnic area where lunch and drinks awaited.

Cubs second baseman Ryan Theriot was scheduled to visit the group to sign autographs, pose for pictures, and field questions, however the Destinations crew was notified mid-tour that Ryan Theriot had been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers along with lefty pitcher Ted Lilly. Cubs left handed reliever Sean Marshall graciously stepped in to take Theriot’s place. Marshall interacted with group members, chatting with fans as they got their autographs and pictures. During the Q&A session, Marshall got to connect with fans and share his experiences in the big leagues. He told of his top moments, his MLB debut & hitting a home run, both which took place during games on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. He also shared his more personal approach to the game along with some of his other memorable experiences (including Lou Piniella sending him to play right field for an inning after being pulled from a pitching appearance.) Check out a few of the pictures from the reception below.

Saturday’s game provided more excitement than Friday’s, as it came down to the bottom of the ninth to decide a winner. The Cubs trailed the majority of the game but a three run home run by Derrek Lee in the eighth tied the score at five. Marshall came in to pitch the eighth, holding the Rockies scoreless, and he returned to pitch the ninth. One the first pitch of the innings, Rockies’ Carlos Gonzalez hit a fastball for a walk-off, cycle-completing home run. Though Cubs fans witnessed another exciting and rare baseball moment, it was another heartbreaker for the team.

The Cubs continued to slide in Sunday’s game as the team lost to the final game of the series. In an unsettling event, Cubs pitcher Carlos Silva left the game in the first innings with an abnormal heartbeat. The Cubs’ bullpen shared the game with five relievers getting the ball. The Cubbies were resilient as they put together a late innings comeback scoring 2 runs in the seventh and 1 in the eighth, entering the ninth inning down 8-4. The Cubs scored 3 more runs in the ninth inning as they nearly tied the game on a Soriano deep fly ball that was robbed by Rockies’ left fielder Dexter Fowler.

Both Saturday and Sunday were exciting games that displayed the never-quit attitude of the Cubs. Though the team was swept and Destinations fans weren’t able to see the Cubbies win, the weekend was full of exciting baseball and late inning action. The reception at Coors Field and experience of traveling to Denver with other Cubs fans from across the country was a unique adventure in its own.

To book your own Cubs Destinations trip or to sign up for our e-mail list for 2011, please visit www.cubs.com/cubsdestinations!

Cubs Destinations

Tagged: Cubs Fans

THANK YOU CUBS FANS! Final Trip of 2012: Cards @ Cubs, July 27th-29th

New York: Cubs @ Mets, July 6th-8th, 2012

Cubs @ Twins: June 8th-10th, 2012

Historic Matchup: Red Sox @ Cubs, June 15th-17th, 2012

Boston: May 20-22, 2011

Thank You Cubs Destinations Travelers!

St. Louis August 13th – 15th

San Francisco August 10th – 12th

Denver July 30th – August 1st

Chicago July 23rd-25th