Baseball Hall Of Fame - Cooperstown, NY

Some of the best quotes used by my family on a regular basis are from the movie A League of Their Own . "There's no crying in baseball!" "Mule!" "Nag!" "I like the high ones!" "Has anybody ever told you, you look like...."-err well we won't finish that particular quote. Anyway, if you hang around my family long enough then you'll be sure to hear at least one quote from the film. It's a fan favorite in this mermaid's household! If you're not familiar with the movie, I won't spoil it, but I will give you a quick rundown of the premise: Women's Major League Baseball.

Growing up, I used to go to all of my Dad's baseball and softball games with my Mom. If I was lucky enough, my Pappy would join our baseline cheering squad! I'll always remember yelling while my Dad was at bat: "Hit the ball Dad!" Once he was done running the bases, I'd scurry back to my seat for another bite of my Redner's hoagie dinner. It's a hoagie people, not a sub - deal with it. Anyway...when the student eventually became the teacher, Mom and I faithfully supported Dad as he coached high school softball. One of the greatest ways the girls would bond as a team would actually be off the diamond, watching A League of Their Own for their own. Nothing beats freshly popped popcorn and a good movie, right?

In short, baseball has been a large part of my life. Even more so in recent years when my chronic pain brought back my love for the game. When I was recovering from one of my surgeries, the Phillies were in the World Series (can we guess what year I'm talking about?). Being the fact that I needed a walker to shuffle my way around during recovery, once I was seated and situated, I stayed put. And per the natural remote-control hierarchy in my family, Dad would have the majority of the say in what we watched in the evenings. Being the World Series, most nights it was the Phillies. I started to rekindle my enjoyment of baseball and found my favorite players (bonus points if you know the name of the player that caught this mermaid's eye first and she loves the most on the Phillies!).

Due to this newfound bonding experience, Dad and I have been found to count down the days between Red October to Spring Training; excited to be able to watch our Fightin's take on the next series! Therefore, when a local travel company announced a bus trip to Cooperstown, New York and the Baseball Hall of Fame, Mom and I jumped to reserve tickets. What a perfect surprise for Dad as a Father's Day present! The trip was scheduled for the week after Father's Day, so timing couldn't have been better. After much antici-

-pation, (I had to, okay? Rocky Horror reference required.) the morning of our Cooperstown adventure came! The travel company had the bus take a rest stop halfway through our trek up to New York, which was a nice opportunity to stretch out my stiff hip. We were also able to use the rest rooms, which were waterless toilets by the way (eco-friendly yes, but different to experience). The rest stop also including a refreshment area that sold all local eats and treats. That, to me, was an amazing feature in comparison to your normal Dunkin' or gas station food!

Once we arrived at the Baseball Hall of Fame, the bus was able to pull into a designated area right in front of the entrance to the building. Less swimming from a parking lot to the entrance for these lucky merfolk! An employee from the Hall of Fame first boarded the bus to give us our paper wristbands: our all-access pass to the Hall of Fame! With these wristbands we were able to exit and re-enter the building as many times as we pleased. Whether it be to use the restroom, re-visit the gift shop for a last-minute t-shirt, or to take a 20-minute Power Nap in the comfortable theatre during their short film, we had the freedom to come back anytime that day. Hint, hint, we did all three that day. Nothing against the film, but when you're exhausted it's hard to keep your eyes open in comfortable seats!

Off we went to enjoy the town and Baseball Hall of Fame! I'll leave my review for the Hall of Fame itself, and make sure to read the entire post for my local coffee cove recommendation!

Lady Needs-To-Sit's Starfish Guide

Restroom Rundown

I was pretty impressed with the restroom situation at the Hall of Fame. If I remember correctly, there were restrooms available on every floor of the building (there were three floors total). They were clean, and I didn't have to wait in a long line. The only problem I had was the restroom entrances themselves were hard to find. By this I mean you had to go halfway through the entire floor's exhibits to get close to a restroom. One was hidden behind a wall of the Women in Baseball's exhibit's display! So, in my opinion, perhaps better signage to show a clear route to the closest restroom would super helpful (especially when you have a chronic need to pee).

Seating Situation

This mermaid can act like a crab I know, but in this case the five starfish rating is well deserved! The Hall of Fame had benches and rest areas in each exhibit's area, or very close to. This was fabulous because as I slowed down from my hip, I could rest but still be within comfortable chatting distance to my parents. I didn't feel like I was being left out by resting and I didn't feel the guilt of possibly making others feel the need to rush to get back to me. Seating was always plentiful enough at the Hall of Fame that I didn't feel any personal bubble popping from lack of elbow room.

Railings, Ramps & Elevators (Oh My!)

As someone who looks at a set of stairs like they're my own personal Mt. Everest, I was extremely pleased when I saw the elevator access was right next to the stairs. I didn't have to make the choice of hunting down an elevator or making the climb that could easily end the day early for this non-mountain climber mermaid. Dad, who chose the mountain route, was able to meet Mom and I on the next floor at nearly the same time. There were also plenty of handrails and ramps throughout the building, making accessibility for any merfolk needing mobility devices easy as an ocean breeze. The only reason I have given a four starfish rating is due to the number of elevators available. Only one elevator was located near the stairs for guest access. There may of course been another for employees, but I used the same elevator all day. A small sign posted on the wall near the operation buttons requested only guests with medical disabilities use the elevator to keep the use down for those who needed it the most.

Parking Lot Party

Since I was able to reserve seats for the bust trip to Cooperstown through a travel company, I don't know what the parking situation would be for a visitor using the town or the Hall of Fame's parking facilities. Due to this, I'm giving 3 starfish, this mermaid's version of a neutral rating. It was, however, extremely nice to be able to exit and return to the bus in an easily accessible designated area. Not having to worry about hiking back to the bus or hunting it down in a zone of city blocks to head home, was a blessing to this mermaid's aching tail.

Will I return?

As a Phillies baseball fan, I would return to Cooperstown, New York if one of my favorite players were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Otherwise, I enjoyed my day in town and the bonding experience with my Dad, but that adventure has now been checked off my list and it's time for the next!

Swimmingly yours,

LNTS

Local Coffee Cove

This mermaid needs her coffee, and my favorites are always small business gems! Stagecoach Coffee in Cooperstown, New York, offered a delicious energy boost and a seat to rest my hip. The name of the cafe also caught this Bridgerton fan's attention! (Season 3, am I right!? wink wink nudge nudge) I chose one of the Summer Drink Specials: an iced Lake Otsego Latte.

"White chocolate sauce, blackberry syrup, espresso & milk, topped with whipped cream" (I bypassed the whipped cream since I find it can weaken the other flavor of the beverage)

It was DELICIOUS! The blackberry syrup made this treat extra special by being unique and super tasty! Sweet, but not too sweet that I couldn't finish it. I definitely would enjoy it again, but their menu had so many tempting options - I'd have a hard time not trying something new too!

Be sure to give their virtual coffee cove and if you're in Cooperstown, stop by for some delicious refueling!

www.stagecoachcoffee.com