Ultimate Baseball Trip 2013 – Day One

Waking up in Tomah, Wisconsin – Part Deux

Seven minutes into UBT13, we get a flat tire. Besides an occasional cranky laptop, this is the first mechanical challenge on one of these trips. Apparently, we were overdue.

We never submitted resumes to Daytona, but we’ve done this before. Except, never on a busy highway entrance ramp with a rusted post holding the spare captive. After just under a two hour delay, the proverbial tarp comes off and we’re back on the road.

Our first destination? Paul’s Family Restaurant in Elgin, IL.Pauls Family Restaurant, Elgin, ILAs you can imagine, we enjoy unique experiences on UBT, so I point out to Mitch a certain sandwich I espy on the menu: apples, bacon and cheddar cheese on multi-grain toast. Both of us plan to concoct these tasty treats at home. After all, it’s the simple things in life, right?

Our first “official UBT” destination? New Glarus Brewing Company in New Glarus, WI. Before and after miles of farmland is nestled a large, almost fairy tale-esque building with a gift shop, tasting room, self-guided tours and a patio.New Glarus Brewing Company EntranceThe building and fairly large stone parking lot come into view as you wind back a lane, hidden from the two-lane highway. I believe I saw more people there than at O’Hare.

At least I saw more people having fun on that patio on a beautiful sun-filled afternoon. Black Top IPA tops my list of offerings. If this were a beer-tasting blog, I’d share more about their various styles.New Glarus Brewing GlassesSuffice to say our first cold pints of UBT13 lead to a pair of souvenir glasses. (Hey, it’s their 20th anniversary.)

Brian Williams
From Deep Short

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