Iowa

I had never been to the movie site for "Field of Dreams" in Dyersville so I borrowed Laura's car Tuesday morning and took off for Iowa.  The weather has been absolutely brutal the last few days, evidenced by the picture.  So, I pulled a golf umbrella out of the trunk to shade myself as I toured the site.

There is a decent sized parking lot and a souvenir stand, but everything else is as it was in the movie and in pristine condition.  I walked out to the corn fields (taller than me) and waited for Shoeless Joe Jackson to come meandering out, but atlas, all I got for my efforts was a good sweat.  Pretty neat overall, but a few degrees cooler and a run-in with an apparition would have been awesome!

Afterwords I made the drive over to Des Moines and was able to buy a ticket, in the shade, at the top of the stands so that I could catch the breeze.  Didn't matter.  Game time temperature was 98 degrees and I was dripping wet the entire nine innings.  The I-Cubs lost 4 to 3, but that didn't stop me from being me: hot dog and beer were consumed, program was bought, park was documented by pictures, and score was kept.  BONUS:  It was bobblehead day at the ole ballpark!

Bob Feller

The next morning I made the short trek to Van Meter, Iowa, home of the Bob Feller Museum.  The Bobblehead I received the night before was in the likeness of Feller in a Van Meter American Legion uniform.  Coincidence?  I think not.  See, I could go on these trips anytime during the summer, but I try to get the best bang for my buck, and timing is everything!  Another baseball park and add another bobblehead to my collection.  Score!

I spent a good forty minutes in the museum, which is ran mostly volunteer senior citizens.  I can easily compare the exhibit's quality to that of Cooperstown, just on a smaller scale.

Overall, it was a great trip.  My one regret is going alone.  But what am I going to do?  Ask someone to take two days off of work to drive 700+ miles, sit in 98 degree weather for 3 hours, sleep in a cheap hotel, and partake in nothing but baseball activities?  Yikes!