After much consideration, we decided to attack the 800+ mile drive on I-70 from Kansas City to Pittsburgh in one shot. Don’t try this at home (or anywhere else). Allen pushed for the overnight drive so that we’d reach Pittsburgh in time for the Futures game at 4 p.m. I think he also enjoyed the challenge of the long drive. Bringing 30 more years of age and experience to the table, I played the voice of reason and continued to note the peril of such a drive. I would sleep and Allen would drive; Allen would sleep and I would drive. Fine, I said, but what happens when we both sleep? “Not to worry,” Allen said.

My share of late night long drives has included many where the fight with fatigue was a pitched battle. Sometimes I’d stop for some length and other times I’d use every trick I could think of to stay awake. Surprisingly, this drive did not require as much battling with fatigue as I might have expected. We left Kansas City at about 8 p.m. Central Time and arrived in Pittsburgh at about 1 p.m. Eastern Time for a total of 17 hours on the road. Allen drove the 8 p.m. to midnight and 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. shifts.

Like the World Baseball Classic, the Futures game format highlights the international aspect of baseball with US players competing against players from the rest of the world. The US fared better than in the WBC, winning the game at PNC Park to begin three days of baseball action at the jewel of a ballpark on Pittsburgh’s North Side.

Even the Legends and Celebrity Softball game that followed the Futures game was worth seeing if only for the great ovation accorded Pirates legend Bill Mazeroski. Mazeroski is the epitome of Pittsburgh baseball and a time when the Major League game was more about baseball and less about entertainment.

Entertainment is a big part of current day Major League Baseball All-Star Game activities. Entertainment celebrities are on hand and musical groups are featured on the field in short sets high on volume and pyrotechnics. For baseball fans, the talent on display at the Futures game suggests that the immediate future of the game is safe. The baseball legends that participated in the softball game ( Dave Winfield, Rich "Goose" Gossage, Rollie Fingers, Bill Madlock and others) assure us that there are many reminders of the past greatness of the game that can entertain and educate and inspire for years to come.

At the Fan Fest in Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center there is plenty to see and do if your thing is baseball history or baseball as entertainment. History is well represented with displays on the Negro Leagues, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and the host team Pittsburgh Pirates. There are continuous autograph sessions and row after row of baseball collectible vendors. Much of the Fan Fest is an interactive playground with video batting and pitching cages.

If your taste is for the autographs and the interactive activities, there are long lines and waits. But, even the lines present opportunity. Converse with other folks in line about their baseball interests or have some baseball topics to discuss with whoever you are with. The historical exhibits do not involve long lines and you can pick your own pace with those. The Fan Fest bombards the senses and it is very commercial, but you can tune out those aspects for a great baseball experience. Because the Fan Fest moves throughout the country from year to year it won’t be an annual event for most people. If it’s in your area, try to attend.

A dramatic All-Star Game put the ideal finishing touch on Pittsburgh’s mid-summer festivities, the only blemish being another loss for the home team National League. Only twice before in All-Star Game history had one team rallied from behind for a ninth-inning victory (1941 and 1964). Michael Young of the Rangers joined Ted Williams and Johnny Callison as great ninth inning heroes with his two-out, two-run triple to give the American League a 3-2 win and a 10-game unbeaten streak in the annual event.

The weather report almost guaranteed a rain delay, but the game was played without climatic interruption. Light rain fell intermittently, but never really threatened to postpone the game. Play was suspended once for an emotional ceremony as MLB Commissioner Bud Selig presented the Commissioner’s Award to Vera Clemente on behalf of her late husband Roberto. Mrs. Clemente said that Roberto was still with us from heaven and she’s right.

Current Pirates Jason Bay and Freddie Sanchez made local fans proud. Trevor Hoffman’s blown save, costing the NL its first win since 1996, gave Mariano Rivera the chance to earn his third All-Star Game save, tying the record (since 1969) set by Dennis Eckersley and the fans a chance to see a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer in his customary role.

Pittsburgh rose to the occasion and again proved to be a great venue for the All-Star Game. Pittsburgh might have the best park in Major League Baseball. Now, if only the Pirates can bring their play on the field to that level. Great seats remain for the rest of the Pirates’ 2006 home games. With its sports museum in the strip district and loads of other outstanding cultural attractions, Pittsburgh should still be in your thoughts for a 2006 baseball visit.

Just 123 miles stood between us and the end of our trip, a short drive considering some of the others. Before leaving Pittsburgh, I stopped at one of our top destinations, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the History Center. The WPSM has geared up for Pittsburgh’s All-Star summer with a Summer of Baseball schedule of special events that continue into August with its Heritage Weekend, August 11-13. The basic baseball exhibit at the museum is a must-see for baseball visitors to the steel city and the adjacent Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center is featuring the exhibit Roberto Clemente—Photographs by Les Banos with more than 40 images of Clemente from 1969 to 1972. Also check out Beyond Baseball—The Life of Roberto Clemente from the Smithsonian Institute.

Though we didn’t begin in Pittsburgh, it was one of the starting points for the Lewis and Clark journey. “Rediscovering Lewis and Clark: A Journey with the Rooney Family,” an exhibit on the third floor of the Heinz History Center, looks at another modern-day expedition in the footsteps of the Corps of Discovery. The exhibit brought our journey full circle and emphasized the value of a family trip that links travel with history.

Upon arriving home in the evening, I began the process of sorting through the many flyers, publications, and other items we had acquired on the journey. Flipping through the television channels, I hit upon an episode of the PBS American Masters series about Woody Guthrie whose “This Land is Your Land” might as well be the anthem for those of us who take to the American roads in search of meaning and adventure. All our journeys end and yet they never end. We spent 29 days on the road with Lewis and Clark and baseball. The trip is over but we’ll carry the memories forever.