One of the most famous lines in cinematic history was echoed in the 1989 film Field of Dreams, a movie in which an Iowa farmer builds a baseball field on his land, which becomes the home to former professional greats like Shoeless Joe Jackson.
To start this year's journey, we stopped at the film site of this historic ball field in Dyersville, Iowa. We started the morning at 5 a.m. and were delayed a bit with some potential car issues. They may or may not have been avoided for a week and a half leading up to the trip, but 5 a.m. in the Walmart parking lot is a good time and place to deal with such troubles.
The jaunt to get to the field winds you into the country and seemingly into the middle of nowhere. As you pull up to the field, you feel as though you're in the movie as you gaze upon the baseball field with corn for an outfield fence and the same house used in the movie right next to it.
Every other Sunday, on what is called a "Ghost Sunday," actors put on a show for the fans at the movie site. It begins with the players making their way on to the ball field from the cornfield, just like in the movie, donning the jersey of the 1919 White Sox — who infamously were know as the Black Sox after a gambling scandal during the World Series.
During the introductions, we learned that three of the players on the field were actors in the movie as well. One of the three had a speaking role — which was just one line and two words — and he had some fun bragging about getting his royalty check from the movie four times per year. He then informed the crowd that the check is written for $9.37.
After the intros, the players selected one kid each from the children that are at the show. The youngsters get to bat and run the bases on the field. The players — more like entertainers — keep things lively with goofy fielding mistakes and witty commentary.
The show was fun to watch, but it is definitely more enjoyable for kids or those who have kids. While some may say the three of us have not grown up, we decided to let the children have their day. We wanted to make it to Chicago in good time, so we ventured off, leaving the iconic field in our rearview mirror.
Spontaneity at its finest
Around 45 minutes into our trip from Dyersville to Chicago, we found ourselves in Galena, Ill. We commented on how cool the city was, as nearly every building had a historic touch to it. Our trip took a pleasant surprise when we saw a sign marking the home of the 18th President of the United States, Ulysess S. Grant.
The property included several houses and some beautiful scenery. There was a tour going on at the time we got there, so we did not partake in that. They give a suggested dollar amount for donations for those that take the tour. It was an unscheduled stop, but one we were glad we made.
Chicago
We finally arrived in Chicago and unloaded all of our gear at Laura and Tyson's place — if you recall, they were so gracious enough to put up with us last year when we visited Wrigley. We were blessed with another opportunity, as the U.S. Women's National Team was competing in the Women's World Cup final that night. The five of us decided to go to Lincoln Park for the public viewing party.
We had the pleasure of meeting up with Gage, who graduated from the same college as us, and all of us, along with tons of others, got to enjoy watching the U.S. win the 2015 World Cup. We even had a random sighting with an old buddy, Matt, from our high school. Vendors sold food and beverages — alcoholic if you stayed within the designated area. It was a fun experience and we were glad we had the opportunity and see the USA hoist that trophy.
Nighlife
After the soccer match, the six of us went to the Pour House. Right away, the clean appearance and abundance of TVs made us anxious for what we were in store for.
Those hopes drowned quickly.
After ordering our first round, Nick and Laura were given their drinks safely, but the remaining drinks were spilled on Tyson, Nate and Ben. Spilled may be the wrong word choice, because they had to go to the bathroom and blow dry their clothes. Now, we understand accidents happen, but it was the handling of the matter that off-putting. The manager told us the three drinks were on the house and to let him know if any dry cleaning was necessary. Although, upon our departure, he implied his paying for the drinks was enough. But he gave us his card anyway.
Aside from that unfortunate experience, the beer and the food was good. The Pour House had five pages of beer in their menu and had a wide variety of delicious food items.
After the Pour House, we parted ways with Gage, Laura and Tyson, and the three of us hit up some bars in the surrounding area.
The first was The Original Mother's. Being a Sunday night, there weren't many people in the basement bar, but the music playing was a great fit for us. We heard mostly 90s music with a little bit of oldies and rock. Our 16 oz. beers were a little more than five dollars apiece, which we expected. We stayed for a beer and then decided to experience another bar.
We made our way across the street to Hopsmith, which had a very inviting appearance. The giant open window in the front made for a very appealing entrance.
Again, we commented on the fun music selection. More 90s, some Fleetwood Mac, Blink 182 — all the good stuff. Once again, beers were about five dollars apiece, although these were just 12 oz. bottles. There was a fun crowd for a Sunday night, and we decided to stay for a few rounds.
To end the night, we stopped for a late night bite at Mr. Gyros. It was a good place for post-bar food, as we tried the Pizza Puff, Steak Philly and Hot Dogs. At 2 a.m., we thought the food hit the spot.
No comments:
Post a Comment