The Baseball Trip 2021

Day 1    Tuesday, June 22

So yes, we are back after a covid-cancelled 2020. It is good to be on the road again. 

We are heading in a zig-zag manner into Iowa, down through Missouri to Arkansas, over to Tulsa, down to Dallas. Also, other stops in Texas, Phoenix, Albuquerque and more. Of course, by "we" I mean me and Randy, navigator and observer of the human condition.

Along the way we count things to amuse ourselves. On previous trips we've counted Confederate flags, women on riding mowers, cash-for-gold stores and other signs of the apocalypse. This year we are counting broken fallen barns, bridges in need of repair, and old fashioned satellite dishes. If you don't remember what those look like, here's a picture of one circa 1992:

Remember?

Anyway, we start in Chicago and drive west into Iowa, on our way to Principal Park in Des Moines to watch the Iowa Cubs -Chicago's AAA affiliate -battle the Omaha Storm Chasers (the AAA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals). By the way, this is Iowa: corn, corn, corn, corn, corn. Soy beans. 

Unfortunately, the Storm Chasers did not do their job as the game was rained out. As we drove into the parking lot, I saw people coming out of the stadium. I asked some of them if they had decided to call the game. Yes, they have.

Nonetheless, Randy and I walked up to the gate, and the old man who was scanning tickets told us the bad news. I told him I knew that, but we just drove seven hours from Chicago and could we please use the bathroom? He actuall said yes, and he'd wait for us to let us out. He also told us not to forget to wash our hands.

Uh, ok.

But when we emerged, he asked us if we wanted to go up to field level and take a look. "It's really a beautiful park." So we did, and I took a few pictures. He told us he hardly ever gets to look at the field because he's always at the gate scanning tickets. It was a treat for him too. 

Here's what I got in a semi-hurry:

Tarp covered field near home plate.

Center fied scoreboard.

Left field.

Random observation from Randy: Is lime green the color of the outside of the lime, or is it the inside? I just saw a lime green VW, and I'm trying to remember.

Favorite town names: Sandwich, IL

                                    Big Rock, IL

                                    Shabbona, IL

Broken Barns: 6

Old satellites:   1

Bridges:   0

Events we cannot hang around for:  City-Wide Garage Sale, Mechanicsville, IA

Random observation from Randy: Amana Colony Museum. It's probably just one of their houses.

Tomorrow: Fayetteville, Arkansas