'Krueger Whirlwind Tour' off and running
LA GRANGE, KY -- As I write you this column, I'm currently on a 'working vacation', so to speak, but one in which I've been planning and looking forward to for quite some time. And it's one I'm going to be sharing with you for the next week or so, through word and photography, and I think you may find interesting.
I'm calling this my 'Whirlwind Tour' because I'm in the midst of an 11-day travel - by pickup truck - throughout the northern Midwest states to various sports venues that those 'sports nuts' like me often wonder about, but some never venture out to see.
So come along and enjoy as I continue my quest, the "Krueger Whirlwind Tour".
As some of you may know, I moved back to Texas about four and one-half years ago after living in the northern states for about 10 years. During that time in 'Yankee Land' I held residencies in Missouri, Illinois, Maryland and Virginia. And although I'm not going to make it to the east coast on this trip, I am going to be joined by someone who is catching me up on what I've been missing in the extreme eastern U.s.
My 'right-hand man' on this trip is someone who I befriended some years ago while living in Maryland. For a brief time I worked at a coffee company, running a route in which I sold coffee products to various sized businesses in the states of Maryland and Delaware. He, too, worked for the company during some of that time and he and I struck up a great friendship that is still 'standing tall' despite us not seeing each other since my move back to Texas in 2006.
Jonathan Coffin and I are avid sports fans. He is from the Philadelphia area and is a die-hard Eagles and Phillies fan. And with me having lived in Texas so long and been associated with the Cowboys - although not calling them 'my team' - we often had great friendly rivalries when the two NFL teams renewed their rivalry twice each year. Jonathan also worked for me as I worked as sports information director at Salisbury University in Maryland, spotting for me during football home games.
Jonathan and I began our quest on Wednesday of this week as he flew from Baltimore to Dallas and I picked him up there for our 11-day venture. We left DFW International Airport and headed toward the Arkansas border, reaching our currently location in LaGrange, Kentucky, on Thursday night. For those of you who may not know, La Grange is located approximately 65 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Our trip in the next week or so is going to be a great one as we visit venues that are special to sports fans. Our first official 'stop' on the Whirlwind Tour will actually be tonight (Friday) as he arrive in Canton, Ohio, for one of the 'greatest shows on turf', the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
We're 'scheduled' to spend Saturday there, enjoying the shrine of busts, video highlights and player paraphernalia of the great players ever to play in professional football. I'm so looking forward to it. Actually it won't be my first trip to the Hall, as I was able to visit there some 20 years ago, back in 1990.
From the Hall of Fame, we'll make our turn and trek westward to South Bend, Indiana. We'll arrive there on Sunday and tour the College Football Hall of Fame, which is another 'sweet spot'. I've been there three times, with the last time behind almost 10 years ago.
On Monday we're going to tour my favorite college venue, the University of Notre Dame. I fell in love with this university during my tenure at Rockford College (located in Illinois) back in the late '90s as I worked as sports information direction there.
I had employed a freshman student in my office and his father had season tickets to Notre Dame football games. I was offered tickets to Irish games on two occasions and I must admit I quickly fell in love with the university and the mystique of this great program. Anyone who visits my home - or sees the inside of my pickup - soon knows where my heart lies and which college football team is loyally supported.
Also, while at Notre Dame, Jonathan is going to meet up with a professor there whom he has an acquaintance with. Jonathan read one of his books and wishes to meet him and have it autographed. It is a theological book and nothing to do with sports, but he admires the man and wants to meet face-to-face.
We'll then move on to Chicago on Monday (June 28) and go to a professional baseball game that night between the Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates. I've been to Wrigley Field one time and there's nothing like the atmosphere of having a 'dog' at the ballpark and watching the 'Cubbies'.
After spending some time around Chicago on Tuesday (June 29) morning, we'll head north to Milwaukee to catch a Brewers' game against the Houston Astros. While living in Rockford, I visited Miller Park, which is actually one of the first ballparks to have a retractable roof. I vividly remember my first visit there during its inaugural season in 2001. A rain shower that day didn't stop baseball as I watched them close the roof and we all enjoyed the ballgame began under the most perfect of conditions.
From Milwaukee we begin moving southward toward St. Louis to see our third Major League Baseball game in as many days. We'll be arriving at the retro-style Busch Stadium, which was opened in 2006, replacing the old Busch Stadium. The Cardinals will be taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 'get away' game on Wednesday (June 30) and hopefully the sun won't 'bake' us too bad in that 1:15 p.m. first pitch.
After spending Wednesday night in St. Louis, that will probably end much of our 'sports' attractions for our trip. But we're going to make one last stop in Branson, Missouri, on the trek back to Texas. I've always been intrigued with the 'unsinkable' ship Titanic and there is a fantastic museum there. We're going to take that tour on Thursday (July 1), before heading on to Dallas on Friday (July 2).
Jonathan is scheduled to fly back to the northeast from DFW International Airport on Saturday (July 3), so we'll more than likely hit Dallas on Friday night and decide what we do that night for his last night 'in town'.
So come with us and enjoy as I lead you through our journey. I'll be tracking with photographs as well and I'll be bringing them to you here as we make our way through the Whirlwind Tour.