Lisa Iannucci - Road Trip: The Sports Lovers Travel Guide to Museums, Halls of Fame, Fantasy Camps, Stadium Tours, and More!

Lisa Iannucci is a professional writer, founder of The Virgin Traveler, and host of her Reel Travels podcast (blogtalkradio.com/reeltravels). She has been a regular contributor to TravelPulse.com and has written travel articles for the Los Angeles Times, Content That Works, the Poughkeepsie Journal, and other publications. She contributes film/TV articles to ReelLifeWithJane.com and FF2Media.com and has interviewed hundreds of celebrities. She has coauthored 17 books on a wide variety of topics, including biographies of Will Smith and Ellen DeGeneres. She lives with her family and five televisions in the Hudson Valley, New York area.

There are so many people who help you to write a book. They dont actually write the book for you, but they believe in you, inspire you to keep going when youre tired from writing hours on end, lend you their expertise, help you with small details, and keep you on track. Thats what my circle does for me, and for that Im a better writer.

Lets start with acknowledging Rick Rinehart, my editor at Globe Pequot, who believed in this book. Thank you, Rick, for always loving my ideas. Thanks also to production editor Meredith Dias and copy editor Joshua Rosenberg (who really knows his sports!). To my children (who are now incredible adults)Nicole, Travis, and Samanthawho are now, and always will be, my life. In everything I do all three of you light my way to the end. To my mom, Patricia Quaglieri, because there isnt a book in my career that I havent thanked her for, and this one isnt going to be any different. She always supports and loves me. Love you too, Mom. To my honey, Ej The Rainmaker Garrthank you for your love and your support, and for answering all of my sports questions because you are a sports trivia master. I couldnt do what I do without any of you.

Okay, say it with me loud and proud... Roll Tide! Baby, were in Alabama now where your sports lifefor the most partcenters around college and the Alabama Crimson Tide sports teams. This is where the legendary Paul Bear Bryant was the University of Alabamas head coach for 25 years and won, count em, six national championships. Its where he motivated his players with such quotes as, Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself. To honor Bryants accomplishments and learn more about the impact that he had on this state and his players, make sure to visit Paul W. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, and while youre there, plan your trip during the schools football season so you can also take in a game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. For those of you who want to do a college football tour, it wouldnt be complete without seeing the Auburn University Tigers and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers.

But hang on, because Alabama is more than just football (although you may want to make sure that nobody hears you say that while youre visiting). Alabama is also home to so much baseball history, starting with the fact that two of the biggest legends in the gameWillie Mays and Hank Aaronwere born here. Alabama is also where you will find the oldest baseball stadium in the country, Rickwood Field, and the history of African-American baseball at Birminghams Negro Southern League Museum.

Speaking of sports history, you cant talk about any of it without mentioning American track-and-field athlete and Olympic superstar Jesse Owens, who was born in Oakville, Alabama. Here, theres a must-see memorial park and museum dedicated to Owens where you can honor the impact that this one man had on the world, especially when he competed at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Racing fans should also put Alabama on their vacation list and get herefastbecause this is the home of the famous Talladega Superspeedway, the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

So much to see, so much to do, so here is your guide to Alabama.

Baseball legend Hank Aaron was born and raised in AlabamaMobile to be exactand briefly appeared in the Negro American League before making his way to the majors. And what a career he had! His accomplishments could fill up page upon page of this book, but the highlights include more than 3,000 hits and 750 home runs in his career and earning three Gold Gloves for his stellar play in right field.

Website: https://www.milb.com/mobile

Info: The Hank Aaron Museum is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and during the home games of the Mobile BayBears. Cost: adults, $5; children (12 and under), $4. Handicapped accessible.

Contact: Hank Aaron Museum, 755 Bolling Bros. Blvd., Mobile AL 36606; (251) 572-2327.

Reggie Jackson and Hank Aaron at the opening of the Hank Aaron Museum in Mobile, Alabama WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

If you want to see where the legends career began, check out the Hank Aaron Museum that sits on the property of the Mobile BayBears, who play in the appropriately named Hank Aaron Stadium. This home, which was moved to its current location in 2010 from Toulminville, was originally three rooms built by Hanks dad, but was expanded to seven rooms to help showcase the legends history in the game.

Statue Alert!

Say hey Willie, wont you hit one out here! Well give you a cheer if you do! Theres so much to cheer (or sing) about when it comes to Alabama and baseball. First, this is where the Say Hey Kid, Willie Mays, was born, in Westfield. He played for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League and went on to play 22 years in Major League Baseball and become one of the biggest names in the history of the game. Mays ended his career with a whopping 660 home runs and earned seven consecutive Gold Gloves. He was elected to Baseballs Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York (see page 114) in 1979.

Mayss hometown honors him with a 9 x 8 statue thats located outside the entrance to Regions Field on 14th Street South in Birmingham.

When they were young, both Hank Aaron and Willie Mays got their baseball starts with the Negro Southern League, which was created in 1920 and lasted for 31 years. The league also included Leroy Satchel Paige, Hilton Smith, Norman Turkey Stearnes, and George Mule Suttles. The league started with eight teams and ended with more than 80 teams participating over three decades. The Negro Southern League Museum, based in Birmingham, pays homage to this league and the players who have left their mark. On your visit, you will see such memorabilia as Satchel Paiges uniform, the McCallister Trophy (the oldest known Negro League trophy), and the Cuban Stars baseball players contract from 1907 (oldest known contract). Youll also learn about the amazing 1948 Birmingham Black Barons who won the Negro American League championship.

Website: https://www.birminghamnslm.org

Info: The Negro Southern League Museum is free to the public and is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed on Sunday and Monday (except on Martin Luther King Day).

Contact: Negro Southern League Museum, 120 16th St. South, Birmingham AL 35233; (205) 581-3040.

Named after its founder, Rick Woodward, this Birmingham baseball field is the oldest in the country, opening on August 18, 1910. Woodward connected with Cornelius McGillicuddy, better known as Connie Mack, a professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner, to help him design the field. The Black Barons from the Negro Southern League played here as did Ty Cobb, Dizzy Dean, and Shoeless Joe Jackson.