Now let me stop here for a second and say that getting off the interstate while heading west is a very good thing to do. You will be amazed at what you find in rural America and the people you can meet. So if you are ever planning a vacation, and have the time, plan some side trips off the beaten path and see America miles from the interstate. You wont be disappointed.
Finding the best route to Dyersville using a Tom-Tom GPS was somewhat of an adventure, but we made it. After traveling several rural roads we arrived at the farm and was pleasantly surprised that there was a sign indicating where to turn off and there was plenty of parking, as I did not want to park in a farmers yard. The owner really set up the place as a tourist spot, but they did not change the way it looked from the movie. About all I could see that really changed was the addition of the place where they sold gifts and mementos of the Field of Dreams. We were not the only people visiting that day and watching those all around I could see what the owners were allowing the tourists to do. After exiting the car Cathy and I approached the lean-to gift shop. There were several items for sale and several instructions for the tourists about the property and what they could and could not do. The biggest thing I saw was that tourists were allowed to play ball on the actual field. I looked at Cathy and said "That is for me." She gave me one of her looks that said, "Just don't get hurt, we just started this vacation." Before leaving the gift shop I dropped some money into the donation box that helped keep the place going. We approached the field and watched for several minutes. The owners provided bats, gloves and balls for the tourists to use. People were taking their turns to bat and several were in the field catching the balls that were hit. I stepped away from Cathy and took my place in the line to bat. Waiting there to get my turn I was amazed at how well kept the field was, but we were there early in the season and the corn that bordered the outfield was not as tall as it was in the movie. The tourists that were in the field were having a blast. Some were making great plays on the ball and some were not, but all were having a great time. Finally it was my turn to bat and I stepped up to the plate. The guy pitching was a tourist like myself and he really took it easy on me. I was able to hit a few hard grounders and some fly balls to the outfield. After a few swings batting right handed I decided to try my luck batting left, as I did that in softball a few times. I could only hit some weak grounders, but I did hit a pretty good come backer to the pitcher. He ducked down before that ball hit him. When he straightened back up he gave me a smile. I waved at him and thanked him for letting me hit. I turned the bat over to the next person in line and left the field. Cathy was waiting for me and she smiled and said, "You did not do bad." We walked up to the farm house and looked around. Tourist were not allowed in the house but it was not changed much from the movie and it was well kept up. After spending a few minutes walking around and watching the tourists play, we went back to the car and continued on our vacation. It was a great stop and made me feel like a kid again. Which I think was the main reason for the movie. To feel younger and to remember when the only thing we had to worry about was playing and having fun.
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