Field of Dreams

[Lefty Specialist]

Me and the missus are doing a rather extensive road trip this month. We're going to northern Michigan to spend a week at a resort with friends.

But we're going the distance via Dyersville, Iowa. We booked a night in the Field of Dreams house. Ridiculously expensive but what the hey, you only live once. I actually visited the field in 1992, before all the hoohah, when it was still just a minor tourist destination. Got a picture of myself in the corn, played catch with a few people, bought a t-shirt, and that was it.

This time we'll actually be in the house. Rocking on the porch swing. Sitting on the stairs while we describe a dream about Fenway Park. Having breakfast in the kitchen. Looking out our bedroom window at the field. I worry that it won't match my anticipation, that it's gone corporate. But I'm ridiculously excited.

Fortunately I'll have the SNY app. And if I hear any voices, well, I won't mention it down at the feed store.

[whippoorwill]

Really, you get it all to yourself?!

[Lefty Specialist]

Yes. Only us. Thursday, September 22nd.

It sleeps up to 7 but one guest group a night. We could have reserved the field exclusively for the night too if we wanted, but that was over the top. We'll get there in late morning, throw the ball around a little, then we get a tour of the house at 3:30. We check in at 5 and have to be out by 9 in the morning.

In case you're wondering, they're sold out for the rest of the year.

[whippoorwill]

That is so cool!

[MFS62]

Say "hello" to Radar O'Reilly if you see him there in Iowa.
Later

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

I've been to the FoD site! Have a blast!

Where in Northern Michigan are you going to be?

[Lefty Specialist]

We'll be in Petoskey, kind of the pinky of the Mitten. My college buddies and their wives, 16 in all, in 3 cottages. Golfing, biking and hiking, bonfire on the dunes, a day on Mackinac Island. And lots of beer, wine and fine liquor, I expect.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

What did you think about Petoskey? It's a beautiful little city and you can go hunting for the special stones on the beach in the state park.

Mackinac Island is beautiful, more so when you get away from the touristy areas. I've been to the top of one of the bridge towers.

[Lefty Specialist]

Heading to Field of Dreams today. Irrationally excited.

[whippoorwill]

Have a great time!

[Lefty Specialist]

There aren't many things in life that you get really really excited for, and then the reality exceeds those expectations. This is one of those times.

We got to the field in late morning on a crisp, sunny day in Iowa. It's a Thursday in late September, so it's no kids, just adults, empty nesters all. Spoke with people who came from Texas, Washington state, Minnesota, Virginia. Lots of 'Can you take our picture' going on.

They only want you going 5 feet into the corn, but that's okay because you don't really want to go much farther than that anyway. Had a catch and someone videoed it for us. Brought a wooden bat and got a few swings in. Random people with gloves would field for us and we did the same for them. Mrs Lefty hit a line drive back through the box that narrowly missed me and declared herself done.

Went into Dyersville for lunch at the Textile Brewery where we had a giant Bacon cheese and maple syrup pretzel that may have been the best thing I've ever eaten in like forever. Back to the field for our house tour with half a dozen others, and then they turned the keys over to us for the night. The house Has been returned to the way it looked in the movie as much as possible and it's pretty close. I'm looking right now at the steps Annie sat on as she told Ray about her dream of Fenway Park. I'm sitting at their dining room table right now typing this. The house is crammed with baseball memorabilia and F.O.D. stuff.

The master bedroom looks over the field just like in the movie. The two of us could wander through everything to our hearts content. We ordered a pizza for delivery and watched the sun set beyond the left field foul pole as we sat in the porch swing. Just a perfect day. After 8 PM, we had the field TO OURSELVES. Everyone was gone including the staff. We got to turn off the field lights ourselves when we were done! (it's not the one switch that Annie throws in the move, it's 6 breakers that are in a box next to the gift shop)

Now for the bad news. This is probably the end of this bucolic existence. Field of Dreams and 300 surrounding acres were bought by a company fronted by Frank Thomas in 2017. They built that other field where MLB had games the last two years and they are going to destroy this place. They're building a complex that will have NINE baseball fields, a training center and a 110-room hotel. The renderings of it are just awful, and it'll all be done by 2025, meaning constant construction going on. They're taking something good and pure and they're strip-mining it.

But for now, it's totally quiet and the sun is just starting to come up. Took a thousand pictures which I'll need to figure out how to post. But this was flippin' awesome. And the Braves even lost, so that was the capper.

[whippoorwill]

Cripes. That’s sad.
But your day sounds fantastic and I’m glad you got to experience it!