— So you’re planning a ballpark tour this summer and you’ve got a week to spare? Well, if you haven’t already, be sure to consider one of these top 10 baseball destinations on your list, from north to south, east to west.

1. Destination: New England, Gimme Some Chowda …
Looking for a playoff atmosphere without watching the playoffs? Head to Boston where the Red Sox have MLB’s longest consecutive sellout streak dating back to May 2003. Buying tickets will likely cost you an arm and a leg, but remember, you’ll be entering the most historic ballpark in MLB and one of the best fan atmosphere’s anywhere.

While in the Bay State, head on out to Cape Cod to see some of MLB’s future stars playing in the No. 1 college wood bat league in the country, the Cape Cod League. The fields in Chatham and Orleans are particularly picturesque — and all games are free. Just bring your lawn chair and your glove. What’s more, two great Minor League parks within a short drive of Boston are LeLacheur Park in Lowell and Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine which has its own Green Monster.

2. Destination: The City That Never Sleeps, New York, For Some Borough Ball …
Start spreading the news because the new ballparks in New York, the city that never sleeps, has your name written all over it. You’ve got the new CitiField in Flushing and the shiny (and really expensive) Yankee Stadium in the Bronx where be sure to arrive plenty early to enjoy Monument Park.

But that’s not all. Take the subway out to Coney Island in Brooklyn to catch some future Mets at one of my favorite Minor League ballparks, KeySpan Park, with a view of the rollercoaster’s, beach and H20. And if that wasn’t enough, from Manhattan, hop on the free (yes, free) Staten Island Ferry as you enjoy your lovely cruise by the Statue of Liberty en route to a game at waterfront Richmond County Bank Ballpark, another gem of a Minor League park and where you can check out some future Bronx Bombers. While you’re in the Empire State also don’t forget to make the jaunt upstate to a special little place called Cooperstown, home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. En route to Cooperstown, stop by the Babe Ruth gravesite in Westchester County.

3. Destination: PA, where you’ll meet plenty of baseball friends in Pennsylvania …
No state on the U.S. eastern seaboard has more great baseball variety in the summertime than the Keystone State, from the pros to multiple amateur tournaments in August.

So in addition to great MLB ballparks in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, there’s also eight Minor League and three independent league teams, most notably in Reading, which is known as “Baseballtown” for its diehard fans. August is amateur tournament month. Johnstown has the AAABA World Series the first week of August while Washington annually hosts the Pony League World Series and Williamsport, the Little League World Series.

4. Destination: The Tar Heel State where you can revisit some Crash Davis haunts …
In the heat of the summer down in Carolina, you’ll find baseball being played in virtually every city, from Tobacco Road to the mountains and coastline, so all you really need is a whole lot of sunscreen.

With 10 Minor League teams, the state made famous in the movie Bull Durham lives up to its name. Among the top gems are McCormick Field in Asheville and the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Carolina also has great amateur baseball in the form of the Coastal Plain League, as teams play in ballparks that used to be home to many Minor League teams like in Asheboro, Edenton, Thomasville and Wilson.

5. Destination: The Great Lakes and the Buckeye State …
From Cleveland to Cincinnati, you could spend a week enjoying baseball in Ohio, which boasts some of the most unsung baseball fans in the country. Not only are the state’s two MLB ballparks beautiful, but there’s six great Minor League ballparks between and within a short drive of both cities.

Dayton’s Fifth Third Field has been known to sell out games as a Minor League affiliate of the Reds while Columbus, the state capitol, has a new downtown yard as the Indians Triple-A affiliate. Within an hour of Cleveland, fans can also take in a Minor League or independent league game in Akron, Eastlake or Avon.

6. Destination: America’s Heartland for a Week-Long Midwest Loop Tour …
No ballpark tour is complete without a visit to “The Friendly Confines” of Wrigley Field in Chicago and the sea of red at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. And if get a chance to catch a Cubs-Cardinals game, expect an electric atmosphere as both cities are five hours apart by car.

Both cities have great baseball-themed museums, with the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago and the shrine to the Cardinals at the International Bowling Museum in St. Louis. While in Chicago, head to the South Side to check out the White Sox and between both cities take in a game at Silver Cross Field in Joliet, a beautiful downtown independent league ballpark. With more time, visit the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa and play catch for free with your ballpark traveling partner in crime.

7. Destination: Wichita For 24-Hours of Non-Stop Baseball …
Starting Aug. 1 and lasting for more than a week, the National Baseball Congress amateur tournament invades Lawrence Dumont Stadium for the 75th year along the riverfront as college summer league teams from around the country showcase their stuff.

This ballpark, which also hosts an independent league team, is a living history museum itself and you’ll admire the plaques throughout the concourses and beyond the outfield. Tournament MVPs over the years have included the likes of Satchel Paige, Chris Chambliss, Lance Berkman and Jeff Francis. Wichita also boasts two super baseball-themed museums, the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame at the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame and the State of Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. A few hours drive north is “The Fountain City,” Kansas City, and Kauffman Stadium, plus the Negro Leagues Museum.

8. Destination: The West is the Best (as in Southern California) …
Where can you enjoy great baseball, California girls in bikini’s and male hotties on Muscle Beach? Only in SoCal. Know wonder Randy Newman’s “I Love LA” blasts on the public address system following Dodger wins. In addition to the boys in blue, the Angels are bleeding red in Anaheim 30 minutes south (without traffic, of course) down the I-5 while the Padres are another 90 minutes down the freeway.

9. Destination: The Pacific Northwest …
There’s never a better time to be Sleepless in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest than in the summertime where the days are long, the scenery is breathtaking and the ballparks are magnificent, from SAFECO Field in Seattle to historic Nat Bailey Stadium across the Canadian border in Vancouver, British Columbia, a quaint Minor League ballpark.

Also within a three hours drive of Seattle is Portland, gateway to the stunning Columbia River Gorge and home to PGE Park, a cool minor league ballpark nestled downtown. Due east of Seattle is one of the few remaining throwback minor league ballparks remaining, Avista Stadium in Spokane, with some of the most underrated baseball fans in the country.

10. Destination: The Last Frontier …
… Alaska. That’s right, Alaska, where there’s more than just great fishing and plenty of daylight in the summer. There’s also the Alaska Baseball League, arguably the second best college wood bat league in the country after the Cape Cod League. Alums include Randy Johnson and J.D. Drew and with teams in Palmer, Fairbanks, Anchorage and on the Kenai Peninsula, you can enjoy baseball throughout the Last Frontier until your hears content. The league just celebrated its 104th “Midnight Sun Game” on the Summer Solstice where no artificial light was used.