Watch Your Dbacks Play Ball in Reno

School's out. You're looking for a place to take a family vacation. There is only one problem. You just can't leave your Arizona Diamondbacks. I understand; it happens. Consider this: You can plan a wonderful vacation in a city with plenty of entertainment and outdoor activities at an elevation more than 3,000 feet higher than Phoenix. It's Reno, Nevada. If you aren't going to vacation in your own backyard, Reno is a reasonable distance from here. A flight takes about 1-1/2 hours and airfares right now are right around $200 round trip (book a flight). Reno has casinos and nightlife for the adults as well as activities and entertainment for the family, but the weather is cooler in Reno than it is in Las Vegas, which is pretty much like staying home in Phoenix in the summer!

So how do you watch the Arizona Diamondbacks there? The Reno Aces are the AAA affiliate (farm team) of the Arizona Diamondbacks. If you go to a Reno Aces game, you'll see familiar faces -- on assignment or rehab -- from our Major League baseball team, as well as some of the upcoming stars of the organization. For example, the current roster includes Patrick Corbin, Sam Demel, Cole Gillespie, Barry Enright, Joe Paterson, Konrad Schmidt, all of whom we have seen up in "the bigs" at Chase Field. Trevor Bauer is playing in Reno, and we all are anticipating that he'll be a great addition to the Dbacks when he gets called up from Reno (which may be pretty soon). The Reno Aces are having another terrific season in 2012, currently in first place in the Pacific Coast League at 29-25. You can see the Reno Aces for as little as $7 per ticket, and the most expensive ticket is $32 -- not so at Chase Field!

Our About.com Guide to Reno/Tahoe, Stan White, has some great insider information that you can use to plan a Reno getaway.

"If you need an excuse for a weekend in Reno, think baseball. The Reno Aces, a minor league affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, provide a perfect excuse to beat the heat with a visit to northern Nevada's "Biggest Little City in the World". With lots of games at the new Aces Ballpark into September, there are plenty of opportunities to see the Aces play on their home turf. The stadium is located near all the action and major hotel casinos in downtown Reno.

Getting to Reno is easy with multiple daily flights from Phoenix to Reno Tahoe International Airport (RNO). Once there, you don't even need to rent a car if you don't want to. The downtown hotels all have free shuttle service from RNO. There are also cabs, of course, and Reno's public bus system called RTC RIDE. You can get around the the downtown area for free on Sierra Spirit buses. The Sierra Spirit route loops through the heart of the city and includes a run up to the University of Nevada, Reno campus a couple of miles north of the Reno Arch.

The Siena Hotel Spa and Casino (book a room) and Harrah's Casino Hotel Reno (book a room) are within a few blocks of Aces Ballpark. The other downtown Reno hotel casinos are all within easy walking distance to Aces Ballpark. Other things to do include visiting the world famous National Automobile Museum (across the street from the Siena), checking out the Nevada Museum of Art, Nevada's only accredited art museum, or just enjoying a stroll along the Riverwalk next to the Truckee River. There is a restaurant renaissance going on, so look for a variety of new places to enjoy a meal while exploring downtown Reno."