Flashback Friday #1417: Visit the Field of Dreams Movie Set

In case you didn't know it, I like baseball. Even before I met the hubby, I've liked baseball and now that love has grown. I like all things baseball. Once I even went to a Jacksonville Suns game because I had nothing better to do. So when planning our girls' weekend in Galena, I started looking at other things to do on the way home. It turns out the Field of Dreams movie set was only about an hour outside of Galena and they play baseball games on Sundays. I was sold and added this as a stop on the itinerary.

I really didn't know what to expect except I knew it was a baseball field in the middle of a cornfield where you could take infield, take batting practice, catch fly balls all on the baseball field. That is pretty much what goes on all day every day. People show up to play on the field, walk out of the corn, and relive the movie. It would have more fun if the hubby came with me. This is a great stop for baseball loving families on a road trip.

Playing catch in the outfield

Like I mentioned, on Sundays when the corn gets high enough, the players come out and play. Again, it was not what I expected. I thought it would be two teams playing a real game of baseball. It was more of a comedy show. The players, nine of them, come out of the cornfield and everyone gets introduced. Some of them were in the actual movie. Then they pick a dozen or kids from the crowd to be batters. The players take the field. Every kid gets a hit no matter how hard they it (or don't hit it). There are toddlers all the way up to 10 year olds. The players do spoofs and errors to "help" the kids get a hit and they act like nothing is wrong. I was in stitches for most of the time. I only stayed for a few batters since I was expecting a real game and had to get back home. Next time I will plan on spending the entire afternoon there, especially since the players hang around sign autographs and take pictures until everyone leaves.

The players coming out of the corn

There is a small concession stand, souvenir stand, and every small Port-a-Potties in case you need to use the facilities. I purchased a burger, chips, and water for lunch. It was reasonably priced, no different than getting the same fare at a local youth game. I did pick up the hubby a (wrong) t-shirt, some postcards, and few Christmas presents. Prices were not too bad. $17 for shirt, $8 for a mini bat. There was ample parking as well. I did get there early and it did start filling up closer to game time.

Overall it was a great way to spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon before driving back.

Flashback Friday: #952 -- Go to the Mustard Museum

I don't know why The Mustard Museum is on the bucket list. Probably, I saw something on TV or picked up a brochure for it. The Mustard Museum used to me in Mount Horeb and now is in Middleton. There have been opportunities in the past to stop but we just never did. Last summer, when planning a girls' weekend to Galena, IL with my cousins I decided to hit the museum on the way down.

I was severely disappointed. It was not what I expected. In the basement were a dozen or so display cases with mustard jars, some posters, and other memorabilia. Upstairs was the store/tasting room. I was expecting more tasting options available on display. I could have asked to taste anything but with some many choices, I didn't know where to start. Since I was to bring some mustard along for the weekend, I was expecting some sample jars of the more unique mustards. There were probably only a dozen or so different variety available in sample jars. I am not a big mustard fan so the samples would have been perfect instead I had to purchase several regular jars that ended up going to work.

I'm glad I can say I have been to the National Mustard Museum. However, I don't have any desire to go back. If I'm in Middleton again, I might have to find the pie shop that the two old ladies were asking about. Pie sounds much better than mustard.

Flashback Friday #247 See a Shuttle Launch

Every Friday, I am going to write a flashback post about one of my past bucket list adventures.

In 2011, I had two opportunities to travel to Jacksonville, Fl to train agents at the site down there. The first trip was a 5 week last minute trip in March. The second one was a shorter 3 week trip at the end of June and beginning of July. It was only shorter because I already had vacation planned. The first trip I trained my normal day hours while the second trip, I had to endure training 4:00pm-12:30. This is not the ideal schedule for someone who is in bed by 9-9:30 every night. I had to learn to adjust but it did also gave me a wonderful opportunity to see the last shuttle launch.

One night early in the second trip, while taking to the hubs, he asked if there was going to be a shuttle launch while I was down there. He asked me the same thing the first trip and at that time there was not. After checking the NASA website, I discovered the shuttle Atlantis was scheduled for launch on Friday, July 8 at approximately 11:25 AM. This was to be the last shuttle launch by NASA ever. It also fit into my schedule as I was working nights. I was excited to drive down to see the last shuttle to lift off. This would be my second attempt to see a shuttle launch as the time on a high school band trip that we planned on to see a launch it was cancelled. Hopefully this time would be successful.

The week leading up to the launch, NASA was not 100% sure that it would even lift off that morning due to the weather. It may be too windy. I set my alarm for 7 AM and checked the NASA app I downloaded to my blackberry. There was 55% chance of a shuttle launch. Do I go back to sleep and risk missing the launch or do I travel the 1.5 hours to Titusville where I was planning on watching the launch and risk the launch being scrubbed? I decided to tempt fate and head to Titusville.

Good thing I did. Atlantis lifted off at 11:29 that morning and I was there to witness it. It is one thing to count down to 0 from your living room. It is an amazing experience to stand with a bunch of strangers, some who by the looks of things camped overnight, and count down to 0. The noise, even from where I was, was incredible. I can not find the words to describe the experience. My only regrets: not getting a t-shirt to say I was there and having a better camera or even a video camera to capture the experience.

The Atlantis lifting off

 All there remains is the smoke tail.