My summer vacation started with a simple wish: I wanted to see Yankee Stadium.

As a die-hard fan, visiting “baseball’s cathedral” has long been a goal. Last fall, I discovered that my aunt, Marybeth Coleman, shared this desire. She is retiring soon and wants to visit every major league ballpark. With the clock ticking on visiting Yankee Stadium since 2008 is its final season, we had to go this year and further decided to visit as many other Major League ballparks in the Northeast as we could.

We turned to the Internet and ready-made tours. One offered by Broach Baseball Tours sounded perfect: 10 days, 12 teams, seven stadiums, eight games, plus a trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Truly a dream vacation!

Here is an abbreviated diary of the trip:

July 24 — PNC Park, Pittsburgh

Score: Pirates 9, Padres 1

The centerfield skyline looks beautiful on television, even better in person. Great seats, past first base and 12 rows up. It’s a deceptively large ballpark, holding only 39,000 fans. A good variety of food, plus Pittsburgh-brewed beers on top of the usual. Two mascots (a pirate and a parrot) roamed the stands.

July 25 — Camden Yards at Oriole Park, Baltimore

Score: Angels 6, Orioles 5

Camden Yards was the first of the retro-style ballparks to be built late in the 20th century. Its famous rightfield warehouse backdrop features bars, shops and food stands, including Boog Powell’s Barbecue. Our leftfield-line seats were cramped and faced centerfield. With empty seats plentiful, we quickly moved. Later, in the concourse, we saw the Orioles mascot and took a photo.

July 26 — Citizens Bank Ballpark, Philadelphia

Score: Phillies 10, Braves 9

This stadium, opened in 2004, is beautiful. A wide concourse beyond leftfield and center has a terrific selection of food (plus the best hot dog of the tour), including Greg Luzinski’s Bull’s Barbecue. Our leftfield-line seats had a good view of everything except the scoreboard.

July 27 — Shea Stadium, New York

Score: Mets 9, Cardinals 1

An awful stadium, awful weather (rainy, windy and cool), awful seats (couldn’t see anything beyond the outfielders) and an awful game! Actually, it was only awful from this Cardinals fan’s perspective. Johan Santana pitched a complete game, his first as a Met.

This is also the final season for Shea Stadium, located in the borough of Queens. Now I understand why that’s not being celebrated like that of its older neighbor in the Bronx.

July 28 — Yankee Stadium, New York

Score: Orioles 13, Yankees 4

It was worth the wait! After navigating the narrow concourse, there it was — complete with the classic “NY” logo behind home plate and the white frieze or facade atop the upper deck in the outfield. It’s surprisingly cozy, yet better in person. The faded All-Star Game logo was still visible on the field.

Our seats were between home and third base, 15 steep rows from the top of the stadium. Action-packed, high-scoring game — and nearly all Orioles. So we looked through binoculars at Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and for famous people seated around the Yankees dugout. The seventh inning featured the singing of “God Bless America.” Having been at Ground Zero hours before, I had to sing along.

The next morning, we returned for a stadium tour of Monument Park behind the centerfield wall, the Yankees dugout and the press box.

July 29 — Fenway Park, Boston

Score: Angels 6, Red Sox 2

I don’t like the Red Sox since their 2004 championship came at my team’s expense, so I was unenthusiastic about visiting Fenway. The neighborhood is similar to Chicago’s Wrigleyville, with shops and bars surrounding the stadium.

According to our tour guide, Fenway Franks are the best in the major leagues. Mine was good, but it didn’t top Philadelphia’s. Fenway did have the best beer variety, although there were no beer vendors in the stands. Fantastic game, with the Angels John Lackey coming within two outs of a no-hitter, but Dustin Pedroia singled and Kevin Youkilis homered before Lackey got two more outs and the victory.

July 30 — Fenway Park

Score: Angels 9, Red Sox 2

The afternoon ballpark tour included a visit atop the 37-foot-high leftfield wall, the famed “Green Monster.” Before the game, we ate at a Fenway bar/restaurant with sidewalk seating and great people- watching opportunities.

July 31 — National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, N.Y.

Cooperstown is lovely, its quintessential Main Street filled with shops and restaurants. I could have spent days there instead of the mere hours we had.

The Hall of Fame’s three stories are packed with artifacts. One floor features the history of baseball through uniforms, equipment and photos. Plaques honoring Babe Ruth in New York and Boston were one thing; his actual locker and uniform were amazing! The displays finish with Today’s Game, cases filled with items from current teams. The first level is the gallery of inductee plaques, the essence of the Hall of Fame.

Aug. 1 — Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.

Score: Nationals 5, Reds 2

Nationals Park is brand-new and comfortable: wide seats and aisles, a broad concourse and a good variety of food. Our leftfield-line seats were great, 20 rows up. Not much of a crowd and not a very exciting game. The Nationals’ mascots — Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt — race during the game. George and Abe wandered near our section afterward.

The game, and the tour, concluded perfectly — with fireworks.

(Christine Coleman of Moline is marketing manager for the American Rental Association.)

Contact the features desk at (563) 383-2345 or newsroom@qctimes.com.

Tour favorites

Best overall ballpark

Yankee Stadium, New York: During the game, I kept thinking. “I can’t believe I’m really here!”

Best new ballpark

Nationals Park, Washington: We visited several new ones on the tour, but the newest was best

Best food

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia: Great variety and the best hot dog of the trip

Best beer

Fenway Park, Boston: Great variety as well

Best fans

Red Sox: Have to admit it, even though I’m not a Sox fan!

Best moment

John Lackey’s near-no-hitter

Best non-baseball moment

“Sweet Caroline” at Fenway Park: Fenway’s eighth-inning tradition is terrific, and it became our tour’s theme song

Place I most want to return to

Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, N.Y.

For more info

Broach Baseball Tours: www.baseballtoursusa.com

Complete blog of the trip and photos: baseballtour-chris. blogspot.com