Arizona and Florida are popular destinations especially during the spring time. And it is easy to see why, warm weather and most importantly Spring Training! Spring Training is every baseball lover's paradise. You get to see the players up close and personal, see the future prospects, get some autographs, and get to enjoy some baseball games.

While it's always fun to hop on a plane and travel to a new or familiar destination, it can have its ups and downs. The worst part of traveling for most people is packing. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I dread it. It all depends on the amount of time away and the size of the suitcase.

Last week, I spent some time in Tempe, Arizona to check out the Angels' spring training camp and even watch a game. I was gone for three days and somehow managed to fit everything (I thought) I needed in my little carry on suitcase. Learn from my mistakes and follow these tips and tricks when it comes to packing for Spring Training.

When it comes to clothing, pack clothes that are light and breezy. Think about how you would dress for a warm summer day. Think of light skirts and shorts, or maybe even jeans. But jeans and leggings are better when it's cooler. Light short sleeved shirts or t-shirts or even tank tops are the best bet for a hot day.

But the first thing you should do before you pack is check the weather before you go! Checking to see what the average temperature will be will make your packing a lot easier and will make it easier to eliminate items you really do not need, like maybe a jacket. Also, don't forget your necessities like underwear and comfortable clothes to sleep in or relax in. Also bring a bathing suit, odds are the place where you are staying will have a pool. Plus nothing is better than taking a dip in the pool on a hot day.

When deciding on what shoes to bring, pack for comfort. Whatever your feet are comfortable in that will be the best bet. Whether they are your favorite pair of sneakers, sandals, or even flats, think about how your feet will feel at the end of the day. Plus remember with the heat, you'll want shoes that will keep your feet nice and cool. You won't need any dress shoes, heels, or wedges unless you're going somewhere fancy or downtown. Everything around the ballparks is pretty casual.

For all your toiletries you'll need the basics: shampoo, conditioner, soap, makeup, lotion, razor, deodorant, perfume/cologne, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, and anything else you need for daily use. Also a very important note, bring sunblock. Don't be like me and make that rookie mistake the first time you go, I came back as red as a tomato. Also don't stress out if you forget any toiletries, hotels normally offer some complimentary toiletries. And if you're not staying at hotel have no fear, you're not traveling to Mars and you can buy what you need at any nearby pharmacy or store.

A hat, a bag/purse, and a pair of sunglasses is all you'll need for your accessories. A hat will help you stay cool and help shield the sun from your face. The same thing goes with sunglasses, your eyes will be protected from the sun and it will help you see the game better. A purse or bag is nice to have so you can bring snacks, sunblock, your wallet, a camera, a baseball glove, or anything you want signed into the stadium. Also most stadiums allow you to bring one sealed water bottle inside.

Since Spring Training is the best place to get autographs from your favorite players, bring whatever you want to get signed along with some markers or pens! Most players will sign anything like hats, balls, bats, posters, baseball cards, and etc. Others are particular and won't sign some items such as jerseys (cough Michael Nelson Trout cough). Players will sign autographs before they start playing and after they finish playing. A spot by the team's dugout is the best place for autographs.

There you have it! Follow this little guide and it should make packing for Spring Training a little bit easier. What are you waiting for? Get packing already! Happy traveling and happy Spring Training!

Until next time.

Everyone knows that Baseball is around the corner once Spring Training approaches. And ever since last year, the Angels have hosted Moving Day to celebrate the big move from Angel Stadium to Tempe Diablo Stadium. Which is only a mere 365 miles away!

This year, the big celebration was on February 11 behind left field and near Tunnel B in the Angel Stadium parking lot from noon to 2:30 pm.

The event was sponsored by Old Dominion and one of their trucks was present front and center. While the other Old Dominion trucks were being packed up with equipment to send off to Arizona.

Also at the event, fans could receive autographs from past and present Angels players, such as Garret Anderson, Chuck Finley, and Tyler Skaggs. However, if you wanted an autograph you had to be in line HOURS before the event started. By the time I showed up (around noon) the autograph line wrapped all the way around towards the front of the stadium. Not to mention that only an estimate of 200 people received wristbands and were guaranteed autographs. Every one else in line had to hope that time did not run out on them.

Along with the autographs, special appearances were made by the Angels' Strike Force Girls, AM 830's Roger Lodge, and Angels Weekly's Alex Curry. Roger Lodge and Alex Curry hosted a Q&A with the three players after the signing. Alex Curry also shot a Angels Weekly episode and mingled with fans. Roger Lodge also mingled with fans and brought raffle prizes to give away. These prizes included a Mike Trout signed bat, a Mike Scioscia signed baseball, a CJ Cron signed jersey, and various other prizes.

But the raffle prizes were not the only prizes to be won at Moving Day, in fact there were also several games to play for free. There was a pitching game where participants received an Angels poster and the ever famous prize wheel. If you landed on grand slam you won a prize, some of the prizes were past promotion items from last season, like bobbleheads, hats, t-shirts, and etc. There were also t-shirts from the AM 830 radio station to win. Also a new game, a claw machine, was present and it was called Social Catch. In short, if you posted the hashtag #Road2Tempe on social media you got a chance to play the claw machine. Inside the claw machine there were hats, t-shirts, and various other items up for grabs. Also all participants received a stuffed baseball just for playing.

After the event, the Old Dominion truck took off and headed straight to Tempe, which means baseball is officially back. Since the truck arrived, so have the players and workouts and warm ups have officially begun. Spring Training games are just around the corner and soon enough Opening Day will be upon us!

Overall, the event was good. It mainly was an autograph event rather than a celebration for the upcoming season. So if you're an autograph seeker, this event was perfect for you. Or if you love to try to win free Angels stuff, then this event is also for you. But other than that, there was not much going on unless you like $6 lemonade and snacks. Let's hope next year's Moving Day is bigger and better than before!

Until next time.

Back in March I was lucky enough to go to Arizona and attend a couple Spring Training games for the Angels! It was a lovely weekend getaway to Tempe filled with baseball! My two favorite things: baseball and traveling, what could be better? So I went down the street to the Long Beach airport, yes I live right by the airport, and I hopped on one of these tiny two seater US Air Express planes to Phoenix! Look at how tiny that plane is! You should see the inside!

Oh wait you can, with an airplane selfie! Maybe you can't really see how tiny it is but you get the idea.

So I went on this lovely Spring Training getaway with my family, and once we landed and grabbed our bags we headed to the rental car area. A car is a big necessity in Spring Training, especially if you're going to several different stadiums. So we got in the rental car, and headed to our hotel in Tempe. Our hotel was The Buttes, which is a Marriott resort, and this hotel was beautiful!

Just look at that pool and scenery! Settled on top of a hill, The Buttes overlooks Phoenix in one direction and the other direction you can see the Tempe Diablo Stadium, the Spring Training home for the Angels. The Angels' home away from home is settled down the hill from the Buttes and is in walking distance. But fear not there are golf carts located in front of the lobby to take you down and up the hills when needed. And I indeed took a golf cart down to the bottom of the hill to get to my first Spring Training game. My mom actually booked this trip with Angels Vacations, the same people who organized my Boston trip. And by booking with Angels Vacations we received: three nights at the Buttes, the rental car, tickets for two games, a tour of the Tempe Diablo stadium and a meet & greet and dinner with some Angels players and staff!

The real fun (at least for me) is waiting outside the stadium over by the field where the Angels workout and do their warm ups, before the game starts. This is where the players come out to walk to the stadium and some even stop to sign! I got to meet a lot of players, some I knew, and some that I still don't know to this day. For example, Mike Morin, Cam Bedrosian, Grant Green and Drew Rucinski all signed my hat! Others did too but like I said, I still can't figure out, mainly because I can't read their signature.

So I got to watch the Angels play the Giants at both Tempe Diablo Stadium and at the Giants' stadium in Scottsdale. It was great to watch both of the teams get ready for the upcoming season and see the new emerging talent. What I like best about Spring Training games is getting to see the guys who don't get to play everyday or even the ones who may not make the team try to earn their spot. Personally, I liked Tempe Diablo better, but that's because it's my teams stadium and I got to sit in the shade. When I was at the Giants' stadium, I sat in the sun and got burned, tip and friendly reminder, always wear sunscreen and don't forget to reapply. That desert sun burns with all its might. After the game at the Tempe Diablo Stadium, I got to attend the Angels Vacation dinner which included a Q&A with Angels Vice President Communications Tim Mead, bullpen coach Steve Soliz and catchers Chris Iannetta and Drew Butera (now on the Royals). Honestly, I didn't really like who I got meet. If you read my twitter, you'll already know about my feelings towards Chris Ianetta, and Drew Butera was new and now is gone. And honestly, it seemed like they really didn't want to be there, it felt more like it was an obligation they had to fill rather than an appreciation for the fans. However, Tim Mead is a wonderful and very nice guy! After the meet & greet, Tim Mead took us down onto the field and we got to go into the dugout, which was ver cool! It was fun to walk on the field and climb into the dugout and sit where all my favorite players sit! Seeing the Angels get ready and prepare for the upcoming season was a truly amazing experience, also seeing the Angels sweep the World Series Champions, the San Francisco Giants was pretty awesome as well. Even though the Spring Training games don't count, it's still nice to see my favorite team win, and it makes the season ahead much more exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed Spring Training, and I can't wait to go next year!