Your guide to a baseball weekend in Fresno

Lots of baseball fans like to travel around the country to see minor league ball over the summer, especially in the cities that their favorite big league team has an affiliate. It鈥檚 a chance to see the future, the next generation that will eventually matriculate to a big league park near you.

So for those raising their eyebrows at the prospect of going to watch the Fresno Grizzlies, the Triple-A affiliate of the Nationals, what should they do?

Considering a road trip to watch the Triple-A Nationals? Here’s everything you need for a baseball weekend in Fresno, California.

A map of Downtown Fresno on Fulton Street, which has been recently renovated. (草莓传媒/Noah Frank) — **Friday** **Arrive** Fresno Yosemite International Airport is located just a few minutes east of downtown and is the easiest point of entry, thought if you鈥檙e tying your visit in with a larger California trip, Oakland is three hours to the north and Los Angeles 3.5 hours to the south by car. If you fly in and don鈥檛 rent a car, a note: Lyft will pick up at the airport, but Uber will not. Either way, prepare for more than the usual wait times, coming from D.C., up to as long as 15 minutes. (草莓传媒/Noah Frank)

Al pastor and lengua tacos from Taqueria Pancho in West Fresno. (草莓传媒/Noah Frank) — **2:30 p.m. Find a Taco Truck** The best, most authentic way to experience Fresno is to seek out one of the hundreds of taco trucks or loncheras (lunch trucks) in the area. They鈥檙e all over, and if you鈥檙e the adventurous type, just drive until you land at one. Or you can use from the 2017 Taco Truck Throwdown. If the open-endedness of this is too much for you, you can never go wrong at La Elegante (1423 Kern St.), a local favorite just a few blocks from the ballpark. Just be sure to get there before they close at 3 p.m. Pictured: Tacos from Taqueria Pancho (草莓传媒/Noah Frank)

**5:30 p.m. Brewery District** Once you鈥檙e settled into wherever you鈥檙e staying, make your way downtown to Tioga-Sequioa Brewing Company Beer Garden (745 Fulton St.) across the street from Chukchansi Park. It鈥檚 an ideal pregame setup with plenty of seating and standing room, plus games. On a hot day, try the Hella Ninja, a light ABV rice beer, ever so slightly sweet and evocative of sake. For the non-drinkers, they brew their own root beer. And if it鈥檚 too crowded, new Zack鈥檚 Brewing Company (712 Fulton St.), opened in December, is just around the corner. (草莓传媒/Noah Frank)

Tacos from El Jaliscience, one of the trucks inside of Chukchansi Park. (草莓传媒/Noah Frank) — **6:45 p.m. Ballgame** Stroll to Chukchansi Park (1800 Tulare St.) with enough time to grab food before first pitch. Options change daily, with outside food vendors setting up in trucks down the left field line. There鈥檚 a wide variety of choices, but if local Mexican restaurants are serving that night, go for them. Enjoy Friday night fireworks at the ballpark and call it an early night, especially if you鈥檙e still dragging from jet lag. Pictured: Tacos from El Jaliscience (草莓传媒/Noah Frank)

Piemonte's is an old school Italian deli and grocery in the Tower District. (草莓传媒/Noah Frank) — **Saturday** **9 a.m.** Stop by Piemonte鈥檚 Italian Delicatessen (616 E. Olive St., a classic, old-school deli and market, in the Tower District on your way north through town, and pick up everything you need for a picnic. Then head to Batter Up Pancakes (8029 N. Cedar Ave.), a popular joint owned by the parents of a former minor leaguer, for a hearty breakfast to gear up for a day of hiking. Lines can be long on the weekends, so be patient or call ahead. (草莓传媒/Noah Frank)

This April 2013 image shows Half Dome, the iconic granite peak in Yosemite National Park in California. Beautiful scenery, from mountain views to waterfalls, is easily accessible to visitors at Yosemite. (AP Photo/Kathy Matheson) — **Noon** Option A: Yosemite is one of the most iconic National Parks in America and offers a plethora of outdoor activities, including hiking for all experience and fitness levels. The famous half dome hike requires more than just a half day, but if you鈥檙e looking for a challenge, the Upper Yosemite Falls hike (7.6 miles, 2,600 foot elevation gain) will provide it. You鈥檒l earn that lunch you packed 鈥� just make sure to bring plenty of water. Option B: If you don鈥檛 want to drive nearly as far to get outdoors, Kings Canyon National Park is just over an hour to the East and has a bevy of hiking trails. (AP Photo/Kathy Matheson)

The Tower District is the only walkable bar area in town. (草莓传媒/Noah Frank) — **10 p.m.** You can grab dinner and stay in any one of the quaint, foothill towns outside the park, or if you鈥檙e staying back in town and looking for more night life, head back into the Tower District, the city鈥檚 only walkable bar scene. Livingstone鈥檚 Restaurant & Pub (831 E. Fern Ave.) offers a low key vibe with an outdoor patio, while Goldstein鈥檚 Mortuary & Delicatessen 鈥� 鈥渘o bodies, no pastrami, just 45 handles of beery goodness鈥�– (1279 N. Wishon Ave.) has plenty of beer options and food trucks on the weekend. Veni Vidi Vici (1116 N. Fulton St.) offers more of a loungy atmosphere with a sprawling, enclosed back patio. (草莓传媒/Noah Frank)

Pismo's is known for its seafood, especially the calamari steak. (草莓传媒/Noah Frank) — **Sunday** **Noon** If you had a late night, you might be looking more for brunch than breakfast. Pismo鈥檚 Coastal Grill (7937 N. Blackstone Ave.) is a staple in town with a wide-ranging seafood-centered menu. There are plenty of good options, but the pistachio-crusted calamari steak with lemon beurre blanc, available as an appetizer or an entree, is standby, as are the grilled artichokes served with lemon-garlic aioli. If you鈥檙e looking for a simple hangover bomb, In-N-Out is right across the street. (草莓传媒/Noah Frank)

**1 p.m. / 5 p.m.** If you want to catch another game before leaving town, Sunday contests start at 1:05 p.m. until mid-June, when they push back to 5:05 p.m. to dodge the worst of the summer heat. (草莓传媒/Noah Frank)

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Few people understand what makes Fresno, Fresno like Yahoo! Sports baseball writer Mike Osegueda, better known as Mike Oz. So how does he think people should experience Fresno?

鈥淣umber one is eat tacos,鈥� said Oz. 鈥淒o not go to a chain, or even a sit down restaurant. Find a good taqueria, a good taco truck 鈥� there鈥檚 literally hundreds of them 鈥� and experience the Fresno taco life.鈥�

Grizzlies director of marketing Sam Hansen agrees.

鈥淚f you really want the Fresno experience, eat at a taco truck,鈥� he said.

This isn鈥檛 surprising once you understand that Oz and Hansen were the minds behind the wildly successful Taco Truck Throwdown promotion. What was once a one-night event featuring seven trucks selling their little vessels of meaty goodness for local bragging rights has turned into an entire team and city identity. The team changed its name for a day to the Fresno Tacos in 2015, and now plays as the alternate every Tuesday home game (yes, Taco Tuesday). The uniforms are popular enough that opposing teams have requested Fresno bring them along, to Albuquerque in 2017, New Orleans in 2018, and El Paso this year.

One of the first things you see when stepping off the plane in Fresno is a taco truck, Runway Tacos, right there in the airport. One of the last things you see when you leave is the taco trucks, not on every corner, but on any given corner, at any time.

But there is more to Fresno鈥檚 food scene than just that. Tri-tip steak is the local favorite cut of meat, a low-fat, flavorful, blue-collar steak. Some locals will insist that a trip to Fresno isn鈥檛 complete without a visit to Dog House Grill, up by the Fresno State campus to get some.

Most locals insist that as long as you鈥檙e here, you might as well make it to one of the nearby National Parks, that鈥檚 factored that into the guide.

But if you’re looking for a non-baseball distraction closer to home, there is also a wine region in Fresno and Madera counties. There are plenty to choose from, with locations like San Joaquin Winery, which focuses more on grapes grown locally, and CRU Winery, which leans more on the traditional wine valleys further north for their bottles.

If you just want to max out on baseball, there are and (at least) nine innings to entertain you.