O’Hare

Ultimate Baseball Trip 2013 – Day One

~ brianwilliamscreative ~ Leave a comment

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

Ultimate Baseball Trip 2013 – Preface

~ brianwilliamscreative ~ Leave a comment

Sunday, June 02, 2013 – Waking up in Tomah, Wisconsin

First of all, a warning: this series of posts isn’t within six degrees of OOTL baseball (or even Kevin Bacon) connection. However, it has everything to do with our passion for baseball.

Our story begins in the Harrisburg area, on a “Field of Dreams” baseball diamond, where I met Mitch Mansfield. With both of us playing doubleheaders in throwback wool uniforms on a 90-degree June day, we discovered that we share a passion for the game beyond what may be considered “normal”.

Fast forward past many collective baseball experiences, including breakfast with a Hall of Fame pitcher, rubbing mud on the official baseballs prior to a single-A game, and annual baseball-themed trips. Granted, lots of fans enjoy a leisurely baseball weekend in an away city. On a scale of 1-10, we crank that knob up to 11 or more.

Mitch has carefully organized each trip, as we usually attend five games in five days in five different cities. He’s even tossed in a day in Cooperstown and All*Star baseball tournaments with trophies and prizes. We’ve had as many as twelve participants, but only three consistencies: Mitch, baseball and me.

Usually, without any prompting or planning, something magical happens on these trips. The aforementioned invitation from the umpires in South Bend, Indiana to rub up the game balls qualifies as a prime example. As of yesterday, we stick another baseball memory in our hip pockets.

As you continue to read, you’ll realize that we’ve ripped off the knob on that mere 1-10 scale this time. That’s one reason only the trio of consistencies could manage an excursion of this magnitude. This year’s journey covers many, many miles and nine ballgames in eight cities in eight days. Fairly aggressive itinerary, even for us, yet we’ve tossed in a couple of baseball-related museums just to prove we’re off the charts.

Planning and logistics have ended. Mitch picks me up at O’Hare before 9 AM.

Brian Williams
From Deep Short