10.08.13 Field of Dreams, Dyersville, Iowa

We made it to Lake Shore Resort in Oelwein, Iowa after feeling like we were going around in circles because of all the detours we had to take.  Our GPS didn’t know about the detours so I had to get out twice and flag down a truck to get directions.  Sure glad that Iowans are nice folks.  We got up early this morning (9 am is early for me to  be leaving) and headed our for today’s adventure.

Both of our sons played baseball and softball growing up,  we had a baseball field in our side yard on Hinson Road, and we loved the movie Field of Dreams. Betcha can’t guess where we went today!!!! That’s right, to the site of the Field of Dreams movie in Dyersville, Iowa. Roy played some ball with others including an older man dressed in an old timey baseball uniform like they wore in the movie. We went into the cornfields and out ad in and out. I’m sure we looked like silly children and maybe we were today! It’s all still exactly like it was in the movie with the exception of a souvenir stand they added. The family who has owned the property for years just sold it and we understand the new owners plan to add more ball fields so I’m glad we got to see it in its original form. The weather was perfect and there was a nice breeze. Anyone who loves baseball or the movie should try to make it here to see it. The admission is free!

We’re on our way to Chicago now. We really loved the beauty and farmland of Iowa. The Mississippi River is the dividing line between Iowa and Illinois. After as much flat land as we saw on the Iowa side, it immediately became hilly and even mountainous on the Illinois side of the river. The Mississippi River here was way bigger than it was at the headwaters up in Itasca, MN but not nearly like it is in New Orleans. There was a pretty beach with a boat launch on the Illinois side of the river. At first we saw no cornfields but now that we’re further into the state they are everywhere here too. We hope to pull into Chicago before dark. We couldn’t find an RV park that we could afford within 2 hours of Chicago so we’re heading to our old tried but true Wal-Mart.We’ve pulled off the road at a rest stop for Roy to take a little nap since we’re going pretty far today and he did play baseball earlier!  We have some tentative plans for what we’ll do in Chicago so stay tuned for the next installment of our travels!

Ya’ll come back now, ya’ hear!