The USA has several cities you could call the ultimate sports destinations in the world. So far I’ve been lucky enough to see the big five sports in some cool cities (NFL, MBL, NHL, NBA and College Football) but haven’t done an epic American sports trip, yet.

The follow five cities are a 100% definite on my eventual sports trip in America. I still can’t believe it took me so long to work out why Americans tailgate!

Los Angeles – Because Kobe Is My Uncle

I guess I’d be starting my sports-focused trip in LA (if not San Francisco) as there’s a good chance I’d be flying from Asia. Los Angeles as a massive city has lots of quality teams. Kobe is my uncle (well we share the same surname) and I’ve seen the Lakers play in Dallas before but it’d be cool to see them take on the LA Clippers at the home court they share, Staples Center.

I could end up visiting the Staples Center numerous times as they also host games played by the LA Sparks (WNBA) and LA Kings (NHL). Then we’ve got the LA Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium where I’d also look to do a tour of the stadium, and if I happen to make the effort I could see the LA Angels play in Anaheim at Angels Stadium where you can also do a stadium tour!

You can see a map with all the Laker related murals in LA here

And last but not least, the LA Galaxy play in the MLS where yet another stadium tour would be happening at the StubHub Center before or after watching them play.

So basically, depending on when I visit LA, I plan on watching lots of professional sports and going to lots of stadium tours. We haven’t even considered college sports or one-off events in the city yet!

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San Antonio – Because Minor Leagues & Personal Goals

This may seem like an odd one out, but that’s me. And I’ve got this other little fascination with trying to visit lots of cities in an area (like Poland) and in this case, it’d be cool to explore everywhere doing all the things to do in Texas. So far just Dallas and Austin for me.

San Antonio has a pro sports presence, however, I’m here mainly for the minor league sports which having read this post look super fun (and a lot more affordable).

The AT&T Center will be my home here, as the home stadium of the Spurs, Stars (WNBA) and the Rampage who play in the American Hockey League.

The minor sports here are a big drawcard however with San Antonio sporting two rugby teams (who knows, maybe I could play) and a team in baseball’s minor leagues, the San Antonio Missions.

From a quick look around, San Antonio will be a nice break on the budget compared to the other larger cities in Texas too. It’d be awesome place to stay in San Antonio for a week (I’ve got a friend who lives there), essentially it’d be the most relaxing week of this tour.

New York – Because You Just Can’t Not, Sigh

New York is a bucket list destination in the US for many people but for me it doesn’t hold much appeal. Though that is changing, (slowly) a lot of which is because of Casey Neistat.

In terms of sports though, it’s epic starting with the New York Marathon. I just purchased some running shoes here in Timisoara, Romania which will hopefully kick-start a solid running routine.

Then you’ve got the US Open which is probably the second favourite Grand Slam event that I want to attend behind Wimbledon.

Now onto the major professional sports team. The Yankees need no introduction and I remember collected Patrick Ewing (Knicks) on playing cards when I was a youngster, yet not being a massive fan of theirs at any time.

Now I’m sort of bias towards the New York Jets as Gary Vaynerchuck (video is popular I guess) lives by them, though I can’t say I watch their games at all.

The Yankees of course, are one of the most recognisable teams in sport!

In between all the sports action, I’ll be eating all the awesome vegan burgers in New York.

Atlanta – Because Golf

Atlanta is a pretty solid sports city with a nearby event (see below) that makes this the city a worthy entry on the list alone.

They may not be the greatest teams ever in the major leagues like the next city, but they’re consistent performers and it’d be awesome to see either the Braves, Falcons, and Hawks clinch a couple of titles sooner rather than later. The Braves are the only one of the three taking a title!

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium has just launched as well which looks epic. They’re hosting the SuperBowl in 2019, who knows. That could be my first Superbowl! Wouldn’t say no to that.

200km away from Atlanta is Augusta, Georgia. The Masters are played here in April each year. It’s still not clear whether or not I’ll get a chance in see Tiger in contention again but either way, there’s no better time to watch golf as a fan than the Masters on Sunday.

Note to self: Book Augusta accommodation early.

Boston – Because They’re So Successful

This was a tough decision when I decided to choose just the five cities. The fifth was going to be either Boston of Philly. I went to Boston here as they remind me of the Melbourne Storm in the NRL. They simply know how to win, or at least stay competitive over a long period of time.

Let’s take a look at the five major league teams and their successes.

• Boston Red Sox – 8 World Series since 1901
• New England Patriots – 5 Super Bowls since 1960
• Boston Celtics – 17 NBA Titles since 1946
• New England Revolution – 1 U.S. Open, 1 SuperLiga since 1995
• Boston Bruins – 6 Stanley Cups since 1924

Every club has won a major title and with the Celtics, they’ve averaged more than 1 every four years. That’s a pretty epic record and another quick fun fact is they’ve all won a major title in the 21st-century. The Patriots winning the recent SuperBowl was pretty awesome to yea?

Fenway Park is definitely the most recognisable sports ground they play at. Having written this article, I’ve noticed how much ‘fame’ the baseball grounds have compared to the modern stadiums. I guess the history, moments and memories on the diamond play a part.

I won’t mention the college sports here but it’d be pretty damn awesome to qualify for the Boston Marathon one day!

These are just five of the ideally 20+ cities I’d like to stop off on during my American dream sports trip.

Things I need to consider before this trip:

• Expenses: this could get expensive so will be hacking my budget together as we go
• Planning: I don’t like planning more than 24 hours in advance really, this requires more than that as there are seasons to consider, accommodation and all that.
• Visa: 3 months is the time I get a visa for in the USA, which is probably more than enough time before burn out hits!

Between one off events like the Masters, Indy 500 and marathons, regular major and minor sports as well as hiking and stadium tours the USA sports cities could entertain me for months, if not years.