Spring Training in the Valley of the Sun is something everyone should experience at least once — and for baseball lover’s, it’s a dream come true.

Each spring, the teams of the Cactus League play about a month of Spring Training Baseball. This is where the managers take a look at the players and determine the final roster based on their performance. The great thing about Spring Training games is that you’ll get to see many of your favorite players during one game.

Twelve teams now come to the Phoenix area for Spring Training (Cleveland Indians, White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox.

Each team either has its own stadium (or two teams share a stadium), which are spread out across the valley, from Tempe, Mesa and Scottsdale, to newer facilities in Glendale and Peoria and more. Happily, if you choose a central location to stay, it’s about 30-45 minutes to any one of the parks! Parking is relatively easy at these locations, since attendance at the games varies from 3,000 to 10,000 people for any given game. Tickets range in price from $30 to $120 depending on the seats and amenities you choose.

Each park also offers a huge variety of snacks and drinks and even full meals or all you can eat buffets. Don’t forget to stop by the team’s local gift shop for souvenirs before or after the game, because they’ve got it all!

Best of all, the weather is almost always outstanding in March with blue, blue skies and plenty of sun. Remember to take plenty of water and your sunscreen, as most games are played in the afternoon when the sun in strongest!

The official website of the Cactus League will give all the information you need from stadium directions to ticket prices and schedules. Just visit http://www.cactusleague.com for more details.