Having spent the past six days of vacation watching seven minor league baseball games in North Carolina -- including a doubleheader in Asheville, because the only thing better than one Class A game is two Class A games -- we have acquired some thoughts about the minor league experience for a fan. In many ways, those in our group enjoy going to minor league games more than Major League games. But we also came up with a set of guidelines that govern the experience. These are the things that every successful minor league ballpark should have, from a traveler's perspective:

A signature concession stand item: Even in the minors, ballpark food has become an essential part of the experience. People expect to be able to go to the game and get far more than a hot dog or other similarly typical fare. Fortunately, almost every park in North Carolina delivered the goods (Charlotte was serviceable, but the bottom of the group. Best of the bunch? Probably Greensboro, which featured a wonderful BBQ dinner (complete with two kinds of cole slaw and hush puppies) and a perfectly topped Chicago-style hot dog that was a meal in and of itself.

An endearing and often-present mascot: This is critical. Asheville was strong, but the best we saw was certainly the Winston-Salem Dash's mascot "Bolt." It was a classic furry red creature, and it was almost always around entertaining the crowd. In Greensboro, we barely saw the mascot. At a Carolina Mudcats game (about 40 minutes east of Raleigh), we stopped the mascot in the concourse but were told by ballpark personnel that he was "too busy" to take a picture as the pair kept walking. What!?

Well-defined between-inning promotions: Every ballpark had things going on between innings. This is fine. But please make sure they make sense and are fully explained so a patron isn't left wondering, "huh?" or saying, "That was dumb."

Good information on the scoreboards: These are minor league players, so at least two pieces of information are essential: pitch speed (it's fun to know how hard these prospects are throwing) and basic batting/pitching stats. Most places in North Carolina delivered on all counts, though pitch speed was hit-or-miss in a couple of places.

Clear references to the team's MLB parent club: This is probably well-known information for those who attend the games regularly, but there is nothing more frustrating than having to do an smart-phone search in-game to figure out exactly whose prospects you are watching.

And finally, a wild-card goofy twist that would never be allowed in the majors: The giant bull (fake) beyond the outfield wall in Durham is a quintessential minor league touch. So, too, were the pair of (real) black dogs in Greensboro that, among other things, retrieved bats from home plate, brought fresh balls to the umpire and played fetch with baseballs after the game. Even when one of the dogs squatted to do its business in left field, it was charming.