This
is a
custom
designed trip for baseball players.
It's the only one of it's
kind to provide a baseball vacation to Costa Rica with these type of
activities. Baseball
is one of many mediums between our cultures. We'll eat at
some
great restaurants, stay at nice hotels, be entertained by a full time agenda, see some great
sights and Play Baseball, Costa Rican style.
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Trip
is open
to any adult person who plays baseball.
The average age of
our
teams is usually in the mid 40's with players ranging in their 20's
through their 60's. The trip is scheduled in mid winter to
allow for a tropical vacation and chance to get away from the cold,
snow or rain in your area. Players, wives, girl
friends, family
members, kids and tourists
are all welcome. We'll be limiting ourselves to a maximum of 14
players.
We will need 2-3 good pitchers, a catcher or two and some good
position
players. Come as a team or come as a pool player and join the
team.
You
will
need a valid passport and be able to obtain a tourist visa.
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| The
trip is far
more economical than any travel agent could do.
This
is a unique opportunity that we have for local Costa Rican baseball
associations to sponsor
us and give us use of their field, teams and parks. Costa Rica is
a fairly economical country to visit. It has a stable economy
with costs somewhat less than in the US. We'll be
going at a
reasonable cost that includes first
class
treatment in every step of the way. The trip will include
all
lodging, ground transportation, all baseball, all tours, lots of
sightseeing,
shopping sprees, and all breakfasts and dinners. |
Most
every day
we'll tour a different area, see the local attractions and play a local
baseball team. Some evenings will have group outings or
dinners.
Occasionally there may be joint meals with the local teams that
will
allow the Costa Rican and USA players to get together, swap lies and
make
new friends. You'll find baseball enthusiasts of a variety of age
groups and levels.
They are eager to meet and play ball with you.
Don't
be just
a tourist, be an International Baseball Ambassador, get to know
the people not just the postcards.
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Baseball
You
would think there would be a lot of baseball in the country where
baseballs are made but it is actually very limited. They do a
great job of making baseballs but most people don't know how to use
them. There are only a
handful of baseball fields in the country in the capital city of San
Jose. There are, however, a number of teams, some of which we
will play. Soccer is king
and baseball
has
only a minor presence.
They do have some adult and youth teams
and baseball is growing. This will be our chance to help bring it
to them. We'll
be starting our trips with 2 games in San Jose against local amateur teams of similar
ability. We'll travel a few days and then return to San
Jose for our final 3 games including a double header. Our
team
will
be made up of US players from various leagues and organizations from
all over the country.
Transportation
You will need to make your own flight arrangements to and from San Jose Santa Maria (SJO) International Airport.
Once there,
you'll be met at the airport and transported to our hotel for check
in.
We will have a guide and team bus
that will transport us to
the games, different venues, activities and tours at each of the cities we visit.
Upon
departure,
you'll
be transported to the airport and assisted by our tour guides.
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Food
Breakfasts
are included with the rooms at the hotels. Mostly they will be
continental or buffet breakfasts. None of the lunches are
included. All the dinners will be included. I've
selected some of the best restaurants recommended so that each day we
will explore a different place for lunch and dinner. What I
have listed are suggested places but may vary once we get there.
This trip should
be an Epicurean Delight as there are plenty of good restaurants from which to choose. We will have 1 dinner
that will include
local ethnic entertainment. There may also be some lunch get
together with the local
teams.
Restaurants are in our hotels and most others within easy walking
distance.
Food
in
Costa Rica is very good. Traditional Tico food is Caribbean
or Spanish in origin. There is lots of seafood and of course all
the basic fast food places you are used to in the USA, including Jaco Bell. There are
also many international
options that include French, Italian, American, Chinese, Japanese and Mexican. They are also famous for fancy tropical drinks,
which I am sure we'll be sampling quite often.
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Entertainment
While
in the capitol city of San Jose, you'll find lots of night time
entertainment including discos, casinos, night clubs, movies, theater and lots
more. You'll
be overwhelmed by all the choices and activities. We'll have an
agenda that will
occupy you every day and some evenings. We'll also have some time
for you to explore on your own in each city.
La
Fortuna is a quiet town with limited entertainment so it is a good
place to relax. Playa Jaco is a small party town with a heavy
surfer influence. There is plenty of night life but on a much
more scaled down level. The locations and hotels have
all been selected to provide you with easy access to local restaurants,
bars, discos, night clubs and other activities. There will be
more to do than you will have time. Costa Rica is a destination
country for tourists from around the world.
With the baseball, tours and your own outings, you'll be exhausted by
the end of the trip. Sleep when you get back to work.
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Sightseeing
After
our
first
day of arrival, we'll be playing baseball in the morning and doing extensive
sight
seeing after the games. We'll
visit some of the most attractive and interesting places of these
interesting cities and their surroundings.
San
Jose is a
metropolitan city with lots of new buildings, great restaurants and a
beautiful surroundings. We'll spend time visiting some of the
must see historic sites. On the 2nd day, we'll cruise outside of
town to explore some of the natural volcano wonders
of the area. I'm also trying to see if we can get a tour of the
baseball factory since all the MLB baseballs are made in Costa Rica.
San Carlos Valley and La Fortuna are the gateway to the Arenal National
Forest. This is some of the most lush areas in the country.
We'll do some exploring, visit the volcano, do a canopy tour and check
out the natural hot springs.
In
Jaco Beach, you'll find it to be a surfers town with lots of bars,
shops, fancy hotels and beaches. We'll be taking
advantage of all of these. We'll have a half day tour to some of
the local sights and then you'll have the rest of the day to do what
every you like. On the way back to San Jose, we'll have a coffee
plantation tour.
At
typical day in San Jose will
consist of morning game, lunch and afternoon and evening tours.
Other days will consist of tours to different places so you'll have
lot's of
opportunities to see the cities as well as the surrounding areas.
There will be some
half days off
for touring on your own, but not many. You are of course free to go out on your own in these cities, just let us know.
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Accommodations
When
you
travel a long distance to a foreign land, you want a comfortable place
to stay. Each city has a variety of hotels from which to
choose. We'll be
staying
in at least 2 and 4 star hotels, depending on who rates them. The hotels are
all modern with the necessities and amenities you are accustomed
to. Costa Rican rooms are much like American rooms in terms of
size and amenities.
In San Jose, we'll be staying at the Hotel Herradura Golf & Resort Center.
This is a 4 star resort hotel that also has a golf course for our use
and boasts the best convention center in Costa Rica. It has plenty of facilities
including spa, pools, casino, bar, restaurants and more. It is
located between the airport and downtown San Jose and pretty close to
the baseball fields. We'll have a buffet breakfast each day at
this hotel and some dinners.
In La Fortuna, we'll be staying at Las Cabanitas. Looks like we will have our own little cabins with great views of the volcano in this small family run 2 star hotel.
It is about 800 meters to downtown La Fortuna which is an easy walk or
taxi ride. It has a variety of facilities including mountain
biking if you want a small bar and a pool. It also has some
laundry machines which we may want to use after playing a couple of
baseball games.
At Jaco Beach, people sharing a double room will be staying at the Best Western Jaco Beach Hotel and the single occupancies will be staying at the Arenal Pacifico Hotel.
This is one of the better hotels in the area for tourists and has the best
amenities. It's got a pool, bar, game room, tennis courts,
laundry, free bicycles, the Mambo Restaurant and much more. It right on the beach and is
also located on the north end of Jaco Beach so it is easy walking to
the activities of the town.
Requirements
This
trip is for
amateur baseball players. Most our players are members of local
amateur baseball leagues. Ages ranging in the 20's through the
60's. Average age of the teams is generally in the
mid-40's. Wives, family
members, kids or
other tourists
may also attend as this is a family friendly trip. You will need
a valid passport and be able meet visa requirements.
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Schedule
and Agenda
This
trip is scheduled to take place in the Winter of
2006, February 17th. Most flights seem to be connecting in the southern parts of
the US, Houston, Miami, Phoenix, LA etc. It is about 5 hours from any
of these locations so it will probably take a full day to get from your home city to Costa
Rica. You'll probably be arriving in the evening. We'll
start the
trip when you arrive at the airport in San Jose where we'll be met at
the
airport by one of the travel agents who will help us get to the hotel
for check in. This
first day will be devoted to gathering us up and decompression.
All other scheduled activities will begin the next day.
Our departure flights will probably be in the mornings, this will get
you back home the same day. You are, of course,
welcome to
come earlier or
stay later on your own. If you do, you'll be responsible for your
own transportation and accommodations during those times. A
preliminary detailed agenda is shown
below.
The 1st day, you'll depart the US.
Most flights from the US will take a full day. You'll probably be
arriving in the evening where we'll pick you up at the airport for
transfer and check-in at our hotel. Dinner will be waiting for
you at the hotel as long as you are arriving before the restaurants
close. It's only about 15 min. from the airport to the hotel.
The 2nd day we'll have breakfast at the hotel before heading out to the ballpark for our first Game #1.
After our glorious victory, we'll have lunch at a local restaurant
before beginning our tour of San Jose. Tour will include such places as Pre Colombian Gold Museum, National Theater, Fidel Tristan Jade Museum, Central Market, Parque Nacional,
and Mercado de Artesanias Nacionales. We may also get a
chance to visit the factory where they make the baseballs. Later we'll be out on the town for dinner.
On the 3rd day, we'll have breakfast before we head to the ball park for Game #2
and on our way to an undefeated week. We'll have lunch in San
Jose before we head out of town to visit the Poas Volcano National Park. We'll return to San Jose for dinner
and evening entertainment.
On the 4th day, we'll
take to the road to visit some of the outlying areas to the
north. We'll travel about 3 hours to La Fortuna,
the gateway to
the Arenal National Reserve, in the San Carlos Valley.
Here, we'll be able to explore this lush area characterized by rivers,
rain forests, mountains and other natural wonders. This evening, we'll visit Tabacón
Hot Springs where you can visit the hot pools. We'll have dinner at the Tabacon Resort before returning to our hotel in La Fortuna.
On the 5th day, we'll
experience the tropics by a Canopy Tour on top of the jungle.
We'll travel by horse back for about 45 min to our destination before embarking on suspension bridges,
tree houses, or zip lines to see lots of natures wonders. This will be a half day Canopy Tour excursion. We'll return to La Fortuna for the remaining afternoon and dinner at a local restaurant.
On the 6th day, we'll
travel to the hot spot on the ocean, Playa Jaco. This will be
about a 4 hour drive. On the way, we'll have a chance to see much of the
country side including the Carara National Park. We'll stop for lunch on the way before we invade this town for
tourists, surfers and fishermen. Afternoon and evening on your
own. Lobster Fest Dinner at the beach.
On the 7th day, we'll explore some of the local activities that including Manuel Antonio National Park.
You'll have the afternoon off for snorkeling, diving, shopping or just
hanging around the beach on your own. We'll have dinner in Jaco
Beach and night time entertainment on your own.
On the 8th day, we'll
travel back to San Jose. This will be about a 2-3 hour
drive. We'll check out a coffee tour on the way and have lunch in
San Jose or on the way. You can spend the afternoon shopping,
relaxing or
enjoying
the city on your own before we transfer to the ballpark for a late afternoon or evening
baseball Game #3. We'll have dinner in town after the game and then it's Friday night, time to go out and party in the
big
city.
On the 9th day, we'll
head back to the ballpark for a double header for Game #4 and Game
#5. We'll have lunch on our own or with the local team between games. After our final victory,
we'll return to the hotel and a farewell dinner banquet in San
Jose, hopefully with some live entertainment and undefeated.
On the 10th day, you'll be transferred to the airport for your return flight to the USA. Arrive
home, a new person, wishing you were still on vacation and waiting to
go back to work where you can catch up on your sleep.
All
in all, between the baseball
and the tours,
this will be a very
busy schedule that will give you a great experience and a chance to see
some of the sights of Costa Rica. You'll have lots of
opportunities for
evenings out after the games, tours and dinners. There may be
some nights where
we'll go out as a group or you are welcome to go out on your own.
Outline
of Schedule for 10-days and 9 nights
Flora
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Toucan |
Your new best friend, a sloth. |
Friendly People
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Dates
February 17-26, 2006.
You will arrive in Costa Rica Friday Feb. 17th and depart on Sunday Feb. 26th.
You are,
of course, welcome to come earlier or
stay later on your own. I may come a few days early or stay
an extra day or so. If you do, you'll be responsible for your
own transportation and accommodations during those times.
Cost
We need at
least 10
players for this trip to happen, plus any additional non players.
Costs is $1,795 not including air fare. These
costs are based on staying at 2-4 star hotels in double
occupancy. If you want a room to yourself, add
$395, however there are no more single rooms available so forget
it. You will be sharing a room. Flight costs are about $550
from the west and east coasts in the USA.
Universal
Currency #1
Currency
Converter #2
Current Exchange
Rates
Approximate exchange rate,
100 Costa Rican Colon = .207 USD, $1 USD=484.8 Colon
1000 Costa Rican Colon = $2.067, $10 USD=4,848 Colon
10,000 Costa Rican Colon = $20.669, $100 USD=48,480 Colon
Current Weather in San Jose
If you
would like
more information on playing in Costa Rica send an email to Dennis@DennisMc.com
Included is: Transfer to and from Airports in Costa Rica
Hotel accommodations for 9
nights. All local transport to
scheduled activities.
Admission to scheduled tours and eventsTours of San Jose Metro Area
Tours of Poas Volcano Park
Tours of Trabacon Hot Springs
Tours of La Fortuna Area
Canopy Tour
Tour of Carara National Park
Tour of Manual Antonio Nationa Park
Tour of Coffee Plantation
All Breakfasts and Dinners
All baseball costs, 5 Games (umpires,
fields, etc.)
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Not
included is:
All Air fare
Non-scheduled
trips
(taxis, buses, trains etc.).
All Lunches
Each
player to bring
12 leather baseballs (to be verified)
Each
player to bring
their own playing gear & uniforms.
International travel, import or other similar costsAirport taxes or any other government travel fees ($28)
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Contact
Dennis
McCroskey,
Baseball Adventures
P.O. Box 707
Mendocino, CA
95460
707-937-4478
707-937-2349
fax
email: Dennis@DennisMc.com
Sign
Up
To sign up for
this
trip you need to fill
out the application form and send a $500 deposit and make your airline reservations. The balance
of funds will be due by the first week of January
2006. If
for some
reason, the trip does not happen, all deposits held by me will be
returned in
full. Any deposits forwarded to the travel agents are subject to
their return requirements. Other than threat of war or natural
disaster, the only
reason it would not happen is if we do not the min of 10 people on the
trip.
This trip is for amateur baseball
players.
Wives, girl friends, family members or other tourists may also
attend. You will
need a valid passport and be able to obtain a tourist visa upon entry to the country.
Roster
We
need a minimum of 10 players and have that already. We'll have a
maximum of
14 players. We can take an unlimited number of friends, wives,
relatives, girlfriends, kids and others up to a total of 18 people maximum on the trip. These are encouraged and
may
attend as support staff or tourists.
This trip is currently filling up rapidly with 4 player spots left and 3 non player spots left. When the quota for 14
players has been met, you can get on the waiting list. Seems like
almost always, someone has to drop out for some reason. If you
would like to sign up or get on a
waiting list, please let me know.
Roster of Participants
| Player |
Status |
Positions
|
Dennis
McCroskey
Mike Marks
Mark Foerster
John Stalberg
Ed Garelick
Dennis Veltz
Sid Rosenblatt
Robert Gregory
Gene Sinclair
Greg Carrol
|
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Maybe
|
P,IF
C,IF,OF
IF,P
IF,OF
IF,P
OF,1B
2B, OF
OF,IF,C,P
IF,OF,P
IF
|
Non Players
|
Status
|
Positions
|
Susan Marks
|
Yes
|
|
Waiting List
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One of many Volcanos
Historic Sites
Estadio Antonio Escarre
The Local Team is Eager to
Meet You
This is not our Motor Coach
Traditional Costa Rican Food
Morning Shower
Sunset at the Beach
Hang on to your Iguana
We're headed for the Jungle
Sunset at the Volcano
Water Falls
Beautiful Blue Pacific Ocean
La Fortuna & Arenal Volcano
Coffee Tour
Tabacon Hot Springs
Jaco Beach
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San Jose Skyline
