Day 4: They Built It, and We Went!
Is This Heaven? No It's Iowa!
There is no denying that Iowa is not known for much more then corn and the cinematographic master piece that is the 1989 hit film, Field of Dreams. Ray Liotta famously asked Kevin Costner "Is this heaven?" to which he replied, "No... it's Iowa" well today one adventurer from New Jersey felt pretty heavenly wandering the baseball field and property where the iconic movie was filmed. Michelle and I have both agreed to a set number of non-negotiable stops throughout the trip, of which the other cannot veto no matter what, and today I cashed in one of mine at the Field of Dreams farm and movie set, even though there is really not much else to see in Iowa. It was a surreal experience walking into the magical corn, running (walking obviously) around the bases, and sitting on the bench enjoying an ice cream cone where Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) and his family sat watching the ghosts of baseball past get one more chance to enjoy a game of America's favorite pastime. While it may seem silly that the set of a movie is so emotionally charged for me and many others, it was such a special place to visit as the film was a staple of my childhood that reflects on following your heart, being passionate about many things, and the importance of family. From the quaint and proud Iowa town it was located in, to the immaculate condition of the field and its surrounding property, to the sheer magic of being at such a special place, the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa is a must see if you ever find yourself in Eastern Iowa, at which point you can answer for yourself is it heaven, or just Iowa... And then after about 20 minutes in any direction you will come to determine that it is indeed just Iowa because all there is to see is more corn then you could ever even imagine what to do with.