Dyersville, IA
Population: 4,196
The name may sound familiar to you. What about this: "If you build it, they will come" If you're not a sports fan, or movie fan, you may not know what I am talking about. Watch the Field of Dreams and you'll understand. That film is why I put Dyersville, IA on my trip. I went looking for some of the magic in that film, and found it.
Plaza Antique Mall
The cool thing about the Plaza is that everything inside is for sale. You can go to the the National Farm Toys Museum next door, and then come and find some of those very toys here in the Plaza.
My favorites were the cars and gas pumps scattered around the main viewing floor. I would love to have one the pumps in my house or apartment one day.
What if you could get the thing working again? Imagine how cool/weird it would look as you dispense your favorite beer or beverage from a gas pump!
Country Junction - 4 Piece Fried Chicken Special, Stuffing/Gravy, Cheesy Hash
Oh boy. This meal was awesome. The cheesy hashbrowns alone were absolutely incredible. Having been pretty conservative with my food and budget overall, I felt bad leaving food on my plate. However that was simply too much to finish.
I didn't have to break the bank for this meal, but I certainly needed to loosen my belt after.
Dyersville, IA
Baseball is huge in Iowa, and that's not just because of the Field of Dreams. In fact, after the movie finished production and premiered in 1989 the field fell into disrepair. People stole home plate and the pitchers mound, and the weeds were slowly taking over the field. People still came to find some of the magic despite the state of the field.
So Keith, a resident of Dyersville who lives close to the field, decided to do something about it. He knew a few of the players in the movie and together they got a hold of some of the original uniforms. One Sunday they decided to walk through the corn, just like Shoeless Joe in the movie. Some people were there when it happened and the event made the local paper the next day.
Having done something to ease his mind Keith went back to his daily life, until next sunday when the owner of the field called and asked if they were going to walk through the corn again. Keith said it was kind of a one time thing, but to his surprise the man on the other end of the line said, "there are about 400 people out here waiting for y'all. Think you could do it again?"
So the Ghost Players made their second appearance, and have been doing so for the last 27 years. They toured the country, and the globe performing for veterans and active duty soldiers. Keith can hardly believe where this group of friends has taken him, they love playing baseball and sharing the magic of the field with people all over.
Now they only come out of the corn on 4 sundays throughout the year. I was lucky to catch them on one of those. The ghost players let kids in the stands go hit the ball and run the bases, and it was just an amazing day overall. If you're reading this, Keith, keep doing what you're doing. There is something magical about that place, but you already knew that.