“If you build it, he will come!” and so we did! A beautiful trip down the Mighty Mississippi on the GRR (Great River Road), Chigger Bites are THE WORST and 1400 Miles in 5 days is a lot of drivin’!
“Is this heaven? No, it’s Iowa!”
Our side trip to Dyersville, Iowa where the great movie Field of Dreams was filmed is a pilgrimage that anyone who loves baseball or Kevin Costner should make. This place is magical! From the moment that you turn down the driveway and see the famous white house, the baseball diamond and the cornfields, you feel the magic…I don’t know what makes this place so special, but it is. Everything looks just like it did in the movie! The coolest part is that you can actually go onto the baseball diamond and play ball. They even have a huge box with baseballs, gloves and bats for you to use. Peder and I had a blast playing catch on the field and then recreating the famous scene where the ball players emerge from the cornfield. Soooo glad that we made this side trip!
They also do a live guided tour of the house on the property, which also looks exactly like it did in the movie. The guide shares so many great stories about the home from its early days as the Lansing family farm in the early 20th century to how it became the set for the Kinsella family in 1989 as they filmed the classic movie. You also get a glimpse into the inner workings of filming the movie and some wonderful anecdotes that all add to the magic. Of course we had to rewatch the movie that night! We just kept repeating, "We were just there!" Such a fun and memorable day!
Hannibal, Missouri-Birthplace to Mark Twain
Our next side trip on the GRR (The Great River Road-A National Scenic Byway following the course of the Great Mississippi River) was a stop in Hannibal, Missouri. As an English Major and avid reader, I was very excited about this stop! I should note that the town should be renamed Mark Twain’s Town, as everything, and I mean everything is about Mark Twain! Including that campground where we stayed, yep, The Mark Twain Cave and Campground! After we checked into our campsite, we pulled down the eBikes and headed into town, about a 3 mile bike ride. The town is actually quite charming, albeit a bit run down. They have restored the home where Samuel Clemens was born and grew up and the homes where Laura Hawkins and Tom Blankenship (Becky Thatcher & Huck Finn) lived, as well as other historic buildings that Mark Twain wrote about. The restoration and museum is well done and provides an interesting peek into the childhood and antics that contributed to The Adventures of Huck Finn. We ended our day enjoying a cruise down the Mississippi River on what else but the Mark Twain Riverboat. What a great way to experience the Mississippi River! Such a fun day!
Hot Tip #1 Side Trips are the BEST!
Even though we had a long trip from Chicago back to our daughter’s house in Texas, about 1400 miles in 5 days, I am so glad that we prioritized these two side trips. It’s not always about the ultimate destination, it’s about what you might see along the way! Neither of these two stops were on our original itinerary, but both will be remembered as highlights of our great adventure!
Next Stop: West Memphis
Continuing down the GRR and enjoying the amazing scenery, we went from the Mark Twain Campground in Hannibal, Missouri to Tom Sawyer’s Campground located 400 miles away in West Memphis Arkansas, right on the Mississippi River! The irony of these two names was not lost on us...We found the two names kind of funny, but it really was just a coincidence. I have to say that this campground was our most beautiful campground that we have stayed so far on our trip. Perhaps it was because our site literally overlooked the Great Mississippi, complete with barges cruising by or maybe it was the fact that we were there for the Super Blue Moon rising, but whatever it was, we are already trying to figure out how we can get back to this site and spend more time!
Super Blue Moon rising over the Great Mississippi River
Hot Tip #2: You never know what lies ahead of you!
Our stop in Arkansas was just about breaking up our drive to Boerne, Texas. Who knew that the campground and experience would be so terrific! To stay at a campsite right on the Mississippi River, the same river that Coach Addy has been cruising along for the past few days, was pretty special! We can’t wait to get back and spend more time exploring the area (including going into Memphis) and just enjoying the view of Old Man River, the mighty Mississippi!
Sunrise on the Mississippi
Bugs, Bugs, and more Bugs-Chiggers are NOT your friend!
We arrived in Texas on Thursday and stayed at Cooper Lake State Park for a night. We had a beautiful site right on the lake. It was large, peaceful and we had our own private lakeside beach. Charlie loved being able to run around and drink from the lake. Peder and I took our chairs down near our private little beach and enjoyed our cocktail and shared how awesome our trip has been, including highlights and lessons learned and how we can’t believe that we are only one day from completing Leg 3 of Coach Addy’s Great Adventure. The sunset was beautiful, the lake so peaceful and we commented numerous times about how bug free it was, with only stunning Dragon Flies everywhere you looked. You see, we’ve been in some pretty “buggy” places in the past few weeks. We headed back to Coach Addy for some dinner feeling quite pleased with our evening…Wait for it…
Right up until about 2:00 in the morning, when we both woke up to the most intense itching on our feet, ankles and lower calves. OMG! It was intolerable! Both of us had dozens of little bites on our lower legs. Ice, rubbing alcohol, cortisone cream and Tylenol finally eased the pain for a brief period, only to return every few hours for the past few days! This morning is the first morning that I have not been scratching, scratching, scratching!
Apparently, Texas is known for Chiggers, which is a type of mite, microscopic in size and almost invisible to the naked eye. They are most active in the summer, and typically around water. Their bites are known to cause the most intense itching of any bite! Having now experienced Chigger bites, I can attest to this fact!
Back in Boerne
We arrived at Butch and Betina’s on Friday and will be here until Wednesday when we leave Coach Addy and Charlie and fly to New Jersey, where we will enjoy a 9 day Canada and New England Cruise. Originally, we were supposed to be on the East Coast with Coach Addy in September, which is why we booked this cruise, but plans changed and we needed a place to store Coach Addy and someone to watch Charlie. Hence, the trip back to Boerne, Texas. Thank you to Butch and Betina for welcoming us and for taking care of Charlie while we enjoy the fall colors of New England!
Lesson Learned: Just because something looks peaceful (and bug free) it may not be. Sometimes things are not what they seem. 😯 And it is all part of the adventure. In hindsight, sure I wish I didn’t host a Chigger party on my feet and ankles, but I have to say that sitting by that lake watching Charlie roam freely and Peder and I sharing some of our favorite moments/places from the first 3 Legs of our adventure is a night that I would not have traded…
Bummer of the Week:
Only having one night at our campsite overlooking the Mississippi River! We will get back to Memphis and spend more time exploring the area and enjoying the banks of the Mississippi!
Highlight of the Week:
Being back in Boerne with Butch and Betina! (Hey, that’s a lot of B’s!) 😄
It seems poetic that we should be ending Leg 3 and thus beginning Leg 4 of Coach Addy’s Great Adventure here in Boerne. You may remember that Boerne, TX was our first big stop on our trip when we first began our year of travel. It will also be our last big stop on our way home in December. (We will be back here for Thanksgiving and then head home at the beginning of December, bringing our year long adventure to a close.) It’s hard to believe that we will soon be starting the last leg of our adventure. It really has gone by soooo fast! What a trip! And thank you to all who have traveled along with us each week by reading Sunday Morning Musings and Mimosas. Taking the time each week to reflect on the week and then sharing those reflections with all of you has been a highlight of the trip!
No blog post for the next couple of weeks, as Coach Addy is parked and this blog is all about Coach Addy’s Great Adventures. We will be on the 9 day Cruise and then I will be back home in San Diego for my last visit of the trip. Looking forward to seeing my dad and my kids and checking in on Herons’ House. Next blog post will be on September 30. Until then, I wish you all great adventures and hope you make wonderful memories along the way. Bon Voyage!
What a fantastic week! I have never seen the grand Mississippi...for some reason, my vision of this great river was that it would be mirky and industrial. Reading your description of this part of the journey has made me rethink this major water highway as a destination to be seen, experienced, and celebrated! I consistently read about river cruises down the Mississippi with five stars...Now I can see why! Bon Voyage to you, my dear friends! Enjoy!