We were gifted tickets to a Milwaukee Brewers game and hit the road over the weekend.

It was the closest thing to a family road trip we’ve had in a long time. We used to load up the family minivan and hit the road a lot of weekends when the kids were growing up. We did most of our traveling to basketball and volleyball tournaments. Often times, if my wife and I were going away for the weekend, that would mean she was heading one direction, and I had a kid going four hours the other way.

On a weekly basis, I drive up to 1,000 miles some weeks. I arrived home Friday evening about 7:30 p.m. from that day’s adventures. By early Saturday a.m., my driver of 29-plus years had her chariot waiting for the weekend adventures.

Our last trip to a Brewers game was about 10 years ago when we made an impromptu decision to extend a weekend getaway and catch a game. I was excited and surprised that we were able to get seating just a few rows up from the field on the third base side of the stadium. It was a beautiful July day, bordering on hot. About a half inning into the game, we realized why the seats were so readily available. They were in the sun. Everyone else knew to buy tickets in the shade. All I can remember of that game is that I needed several trips to the concession stand in an attempt to stay hydrated. I made sure to make each trip take about an inning or so to keep from frying.

This time, the ticket purchaser was much more savvy. My daughter bought our tickets, and we were, indeed, in the shade. It didn’t matter, however, as with threats of rain, the roof was closed. So, with 32,000 of our new closest friends, we enjoyed a Brewer victory. Baseball games are long affairs, and I still exercised self-care and made sure I stayed hydrated. The trips to the various hydration stations were a minimum of $10 for 16 ounces of nourishment.

I thought back to when I was a kid and how exciting it was to see the Brewers usually lose on our summer recreation bus trips to the game. We always were seated down the left field line and got there early enough to watch batting practice. I had one friend whose claim to fame as a youth was that he took a line drive from Oakland A’s slugger Reggie Jackson to the shoulder. The sad thing was that after it hit him, the ball caromed off him and he lost the ensuing wrestling match for it. All he had to show for it was a nice bruise. You could even make out the stitching from the baseball in his welt.

This time, I had my wife to protect me from foul balls. She was excited to be seated right near the foul pole. I was just thinking what the odds would be that I would be with two people who got hit in the shoulder by a baseball? It didn’t happen, and it wasn’t even close. A couple homers sailed into the stands, but they didn’t come in our direction. And my wife has a little more dexterity than the kid I was at the game with 50 years ago.

When I was a kid, I remember getting to bring $5 to the game and that loaded me up on hot dogs, Pepsi, peanuts and ice cream. Now, that doesn’t get you into the parking lot.

We had a great day with family, though, so I guess that’s priceless, even if nobody gets to brag about having a welt the shape of a baseball on their shoulder.