Tuesday August 24th

Chicago, Illinois

Fred and I went to the Notre Dame Campus this morning to run. The campus is very spacious. It was pouring rain so we started to walk around campus. We saw the stadium, the golden dome, and Touchdown Jesus on the side of the library wall. The book store is an elaborate new building two stories high with arched windows. The rain let up so Fred went for a run around the lake and I continued to walk. I happened upon the Grotto where a plaque engraved with a letter by Dr. Dooley told of how the memory of the grotto had stayed with him over the years. His description of the beauty of the grotto almost made me cry. He spoke of how he took the serenity of the grotto for granted when he was in school. At the time he wrote the letter, he was in a hospital bed dying of cancer and he longed for just one more visit to the Notre Dame grotto.

Somehow I got lost on campus but fortunately Fred had told me to look for Touchdown Jesus and he would be pointing with his left hand to the car. In fact he was and after quick showers back at the musty hotel room we were on our way.

Before leaving town we had to visit the College Football Hall of Fame. We spent about an hour looking through all the exhibits. The movie room with 360 degree screens showed the arrival of fans for a Michigan vs. PSU game at the Big House. We wanted to start chanting WE ARE ... PENN STATE! Football season is almost upon us.

It only took us two hours to reach Chicago from South Bend. Fred waited in the BK while I checked into the hotel. Valet parking is a real pain. I threw our bags in the room and we headed out for the airport to pick up our two 12-year old nephews. Driving in Chicago is a real treat (not!) but Fred handled it very well. We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare only to find out that our 12-year old nephews Chris and Cory's flight was delayed an hour.

I tried to get the boys to be guest journalists and this is what I got out of them. Cory and Chris had a great time today. Who wouda thunk, the plane stunk. We ate good Chicago style pizza. We could not get to sleep because Cory drank too much water. And because Cory's feet smell.

We took them out for Chicago pizza and on the way Cory saw a Dunkin Donuts. When we came out of the pizza place it was pouring down rain. Cory was having a massive craving for a Boston Creme so we ran through the rain but oh too bad, the Dunkin Donuts was closed. It started to rain harder and I wanted to wait under the overhang but Fred and the boys were impatient so we ran four blocks through the drenching rain. Back at the hotel, two people out of the four would not settle down so Fred had to show them the old fashioned pinch the back of the arm technique that always worked very well for his father.

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Wednesday August 25th

Chicago, Illinois

The following is by Chris Stetler-

We got up, got ready, and left for the subway station. We were all excited about riding the EL and going to Wrigley Field. We went to the subway station and got our tickets. I had never been on a subway before. It was fun. When we got to the baseball game I thought it would be big but it was kind of small-at least the outfield wall. The game was great, we were on the upper deck catching foul balls. There was a two hour rain delay and we were at the ball park for 9 hours. Cory and I wanted to leave before the first game even started but Joni & Fred said no way, we are staying. Then we went to the upper deck to catch some foul balls and they were ready to leave but we wanted to stay. Cory caught a foul ball. I like the Cubs but they stink.

Fred and I had nicknames for Cory and Chris. Cory was named Choco and Chris was Cheesy named after what they slopped on their white T-shirts.

I love Wrigley Field. If I had to choose one place to watch a game, Wrigley would be it. My anticipation grew as we walked from the subway station to the stadium which is smack dab in the middle of a Chicago neighborhood. The drizzling rain could not dampen my enthusiasm as I spotted the Welcome to Wrigley Field sign. I had been here before and there is something about going to a baseball game at Wrigley Field that defies logic. There is no jumbo-tron or fan cam, no extensive food menu at the concessions, no fancy amenities, but it is the best place in the world to watch a game.

Outside vendors were hawking programs and entrepreneurs had set up tables to sell anything and everything with a Cubs logo. The boys raced over to each buy a hat and remember, this is their aunt speaking, they both looked adorable. We walked around outside of the stadium to show them Waveland Avenue. We were hoping to catch a ball but there was no batting practice today due to the rain. We pointed out the houses with the roof top seats and bleachers. We also spotted a fountain with a female statue sporting a miniature Cubbies helmet. The whole neighborhood seems to love their Cubs.

At my first sight of the ivy covered outfield walls I knew I was going to enjoy the day relaxing at the ball park with not a care in the world. Rain postponed the start of the game for two hours. Fortunately for us our seats were conveniently located under the overhang so we sat back and enjoyed the show. To entertain the bleacher bums, a Giants outfielder played catch with them in the rain. He threw the ball into the bleachers, they threw it back. The grounds crew, in bright red shirts and cubby blue pants, received loud cheers when they came trotting out to perform their perfectly choreographed routine to roll back the tarp.

I had brought my softball glove so Cory and Chris were excited at the prospect of catching a foul ball. We were in prime foul ball territory in the lower deck between home and third, or so we thought. Most of the fouls seemed to go into the upper deck, so since the crowd was light due to the rain, we let Cory and Chris go upstairs. They were close to getting their hands on a foul ball many times. Trying to catch foul balls is one time when adults forget who they are. It is amazing how a grown man will scramble over a seat or roll around on the floor to try to snag a foul ball. During the second game, most foul balls seemed to be going to a certain spot in the upper deck where we could see Cory and Chris from our seats. A guy actually knocked Cory down to get a ball. Finally in the third inning of the second game, a ball landed directly at Cory's feet and he snatched it. Fred and I were cheering from our seats and giving him the thumbs up.

It has got to be hard to be a Cubs fan the way the team has performed over the past year, but the thrill of coming to this baseball park is worth every agonizing defeat. The Cubs lost both games of the double header, but we did see Sammy hit home run #52 in the second game.

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Thursday August 26th

Chicago, Illinois

We promised Cory and Chris they could choose what we do today since it was their last day in Chicago. They picked Burger King for breakfast (yuk!) and Toys R Us as their first stop. We tried to talk them out of their purchases but lost that battle. The stipulation was that they each had to carry their own purchases the rest of the day.

Our next attraction was the Sears Tower. Both boys had been fascinated by the sight of the world's tallest office building ever since they first spotted it on our drive in from the airport. After waiting in a very short line, we were whisked to the observation deck in less than a minute. Our ears kept popping all the way up to the 103rd floor. The boys got a birds eye view of the city and were amazed at how big it was. We spotted our hotel and Chris found the United Center, where the Bulls play basketball. On the way back down, our stomachs felt like we were on a ride in Hershey Park. That elevator is fast.

We walked back to the hotel with the boys dragging on behind while lugging their Connects boxes. We got the car and had time for one more stop before the airport. They choose the Museum of Science which hard to believe, was free today. Three floors of exhibits covered everything from virtual reality to a replica of a coal mine.

The trip to the airport was like running against a stampede (the boys metaphor). Dodging in and out of traffic with all the other lunatics is a nerve exploding experience. Somehow we arrived safely to the airport parking lot, unloaded, and drug ourselves, the boys and their toys into the terminal. We waited in line only to find out that the flight to Baltimore was canceled. Evidently storms on the East Coast had canceled all flights to Midway. Meanwhile O'Hare was in a mess as someone had breached security and an entire terminal was shut down at that airport. Needless to say, Chris and Cory were happy to be spending another night in Chicago.

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Friday August 27th

Chicago, Illinois

How is is that kids wake up with instant energy? We were amazed at their exuberance so early in the morning. After shooshing them one too many times in the hotel room, we got the bright idea to take them over to the park to burn off some energy.

This time for our trip to the airport we got city savy and took the subway. For a mere $1.50 per person, we were whisked from downtown to the airport with no hassles. The plane left as scheduled and we felt as if we were missing something as we walked through the airport back to the subway. It was too quiet. We enjoyed having the boys with us and showing them Wrigley Field. Hopefully it is an experience they will remember and cherish.

Back at the hotel, Fred and I were planning to go for a run but instead took a little nap to recharge. Before setting out for Comiskey, we walked around downtown and visited a few watering holes. Govnors was an English style pub that seemed to be a popular Friday afternoon hang-out. After we ordered our drafts, we were shocked to learn they were $4.75 each. Ouch-these big city prices hurt. Next stop was the ESPN Zone which had only been open since July. As soon as we walked in, we both wished the boys were still with us. They would have had so much fun playing air hockey, car racing and video games. A replica of Wrigley Field was on display cleverly crafted out of Wrigley gum wrappers. Our final stop was Pat Maran's, a bar with a unique personality. Their slogan is Warm Beer, Bad Food, Lousy Service but Good Seating. The bartender is known as "the bitch" and proud of it. A working class crowd was hanging out this Friday afternoon.

Comiskey Park was one of the first of the new wave of ballparks. It had good sightlines, informative and entertaining scoreboards, and an attractive exterior. Although it was in a very nondescript area of town it was easily accessible able by the famous Chicago El (elevated subway).

Our first stop once we entered the ballpark was the inside bar. We must have radar. This bar is unique in that it is located in right field on the same level as the players. We felt like part of the action. It was a party atmosphere and we started talking to a cigar salesman who had some great stories. He fascinated us with tales of his escapades. He has managed to get into many sporting events for free including the All-Star game in Boston. We finally got to our seats in the fifth inning. Once again the home team lost.

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Saturday August 28th

Chicago, Illinois

We were not sad to be leaving our Chicago hotel. Most of the employees had been uninterested in customer service and the simple act of getting our car proved to be another major ordeal. Fred presented the claim check to the Valet attendant while I went to the front desk to argue over our phone bill. We had experienced lots of trouble trying to get on-line and we had been charged $.85 per phone call even for the times our modem could not get a carrier signal (which was many). Our phone bill was close to $50.00 and needless to say we were not happy. While I was getting the bill adjusted, Fred was having his own fun with the valet and parking lot guy. After a half hour, the car still had not been brought around. Fred and I were both fuming by this time so I said I was going to walk the two blocks down to the lot while Fred waited in case they brought it up. When I got there the BK was blocked in by a truck. I must have had steam coming out of my ears because they gave me the keys (even though I did not have the claim check) and moved the truck out of my way. We ended up leaving almost 45 minutes later than we had planned. Not a pleasant start at 7 in the morning.

Our plan was to watch the Penn State game on TV in Ann Arbor, Michigan. At fifteen minutes to one we arrived in town but as typical in a new city, we drove around and around until we finally found a bar. We rushed in and all eight TV's were turned to NASCAR. NASCAR?!?! We found another bar, Frasers, and got seats just in time for kick-off. It was a pleasant surprise to see Penn State dominate on offense and defense. It could be a fun season.

After the game, we walked around Michigan Campus before finishing our drive to Detroit. Our first look at Detroit was not favorable. Many of the buildings are boarded up in the downtown area. Fortunately our hotel seemed to be in a decent area. so we went for a run and ordered take-out for dinner.

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Sunday August 29th

Detroit, Michigan - Tiger Stadium

We were advised that it was too far to walk to Tiger Stadium. We walked anyway because we wanted to stop at Lindell A.C., the oldest sports bar in America. It was closed and downtwon Detroit is a hole. Many of the buildings had windows boarded up and trash littered the streets. We thought we were S.O.L. for breakfast until we spotted MGM Grand Casino. After an expensive and way too filling breakfast buffet we arrived at the stadium around noon.

Fred could hear the echoes of games past as we entered Tiger Stadium. This is the place where Ty Cobb, Hank Greenburg and Al Kaline became legends. As a young boy, Fred remembers following the Tiger's on the way to the World Series in 1968. His Uncle Rady was a scout for the Tigers and the third baseman that year was Don Wert, a Lancaster County boy. Fred's baseball hero on that team was #6 Al Kaline. Fred was so enthralled with his Tigers that he risked the wrath of the nuns at Sacred Heart to listen to every game of the World Series that year. He snuck a radio into class by putting it into the pocket of his uniform jacket and running the earphone cord up his sleeve. As he sat in class with his elbow on the desk and his hand by his ear he dared show no reaction as he heard play after exciting play propelling the Tigers to win the World Series.

The 1999 Tigers are not nearly as exciting as the 1968 team but the crowd was electrified just the same. Perhaps due to the closing of the stadium with only 16 home games left, fathers, daughters, mothers and sons were out to experience the magic of Tiger stadium. As we wandered the crowded concourse, we were delighted at the parade of little kids-some wearing Tiger jerseys, others with a brand new hat and all clutching a souvenir baseball or pennant. At no other stadium on our trip have we seen so many different shirts and hats of other teams. Cleveland, San Francisco, Toronto and of course Baltimore fans were all represented. Everyone had come for a final, and in some cases first, look at Tiger stadium.

Over 30 percent of the seats are bad, either behind a pole or as ours were, under an overhang with an obstructed skyward view. Whenever a ball was hit higher than 20 feet we lost sight of it. The front ten rows of the second deck provide a closer look than many of the lower deck seats. After four innings we moved to the upper deck for a better view, but within 5 minutes were ousted by a crusty old usher who has obviously protected his territory for many years. As we found out, Pops doesn't take kindly to people invading his domain but perhaps he was feeling extra defensive knowing things would not be the same next year. As for us, it was the first time we were ever kicked out of upper deck seats.

The city of Detroit explored the possibility of renovating Tiger stadium but concluded that the most feasible alternative was to build new. We understand why a new stadium is warranted but the emotional attachment of many of the fans will be hard to replace. The echoes just won't be there.After the game, our first stop was Shelly's Place which was dark and pretty much empty. After one beer, we headed on down Michigan Avenue to Namo's Pub. It had lots of TV's, one of which had the Miami vs. Ohio State game on. Lindell A.C. was our next and final stop. This bar had pictures of sports figures all over the walls and is the oldest sports bar in the U.S. Unfortunately, the TV was not working very well but we met some nice people. Don Lee (wife Carole) from Toronto invited us to call him when we were in town. The managers of the bar had moved here three years ago from New England where they owned a convenience store and worked 18 hours a day. They got sick of it and took two weeks to travel with their kids to Detroit where his father owns(?) Lindell A.C. They stopped in Hershey on the way.

The bar used to be on the other side of the street and was frequented by a famous sports writer who used to interview ball players with a bottle of scotch by his side. One day instead of saying he was in the Lindell Hotel he called it the Lindell Athletic Club and the name stuck. Girls used to hang out there to try to sleep with the ball players. Just like the stadium, these bars have many stories to tell.

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Monday August 30th

Family time in Cleveland Ohio

We left our hotel in Detroit at 9:15 but due to a major traffic gridlock did not actually get out of the city until 10:00. The drive to Cleveland seemed to take forever because I was so anxious to to see my parents and grandfather.

For those interested in geneology read on, otherwise skip this paragraph. My mother's father, who most of you know as Pappy is one of seven brothers. Ken, his younger brother by about 15 years, lives in Cleveland and is my mother's uncle. My parents and Pappy made the seven hour trip from Lancaster to visit with Ken and his wife Irene and to meet up with us. Uncle Kenny's son David and his wife Anne plus their two adorable children, Abigail who is 4 and Shannon who is 9 months old, live in Cleveland also. Dave is my mother's cousin, which makes him my second cousin. To top off the mini family reunion, Bob (Dave's brother) who lives in New York city was also visiting for the week. Dave had generously invited this second cousin he had never met (me) and her husband to cancel their hotel and stay at his house.

Uncle Kenny had e-mailed us directions to his house and as we pulled up the street my parents were outside waiting. It was wonderful to hug them after five months. In the doorway was Pappy and Uncle Kenny holding the grandchildren. Pappy had been extremely anxious to meet Abigail and Shannon.

Since we wanted to see as much of Cleveland as possible in a short time, Uncle Kenny had suggested the Lolly Trolley tour. We all piled in my Dad's van and it was smooth sailing until we got to within one mile of the trolley station. There we were sitting at the railroad tracks, with the gate down, and could see no train in either direction. After five minutes of the bell clanging and no train in sight, Dad was going to go around until he realized that a cop was behind us. By now we only had five minutes left before we would miss the the trolley. Cars on the other side began to come through and did a double take when they spotted the cop car. Mom tried to coerce Dad or Fred to run back and tell the police officer that we were not from around here and could he help us get to the trolley. Uncle Kenny then took charge and went back to ask if the cop cared if we went through. He said go ahead that he had already called in about the malfunction. Off we went and jumped on the trolley just in time.

Fred and I sat in the back of the trolley with Abigail who within ten minutes had fallen asleep on my lap. During the tour, we were impressed with Cleveland. The downtown area has quadrants of parks which gives it a very open feel. There is an abundance of museums and theatres. University Circle contains some first-rate hospitals along with a wonderful array of ethnic gardens. We heard that Cleveland used to be the butt of jokes in the mid-east, but we feel it is one of the top three cities we have visited.

After the tour, we went back to Uncle Kenny and Aunt Irene's to visit. Pappy filled us in on the antics of our cats and the new trick he taught Kramer. He treats them so well they are not going to want to go home.

We chatted with Bob about his life style in New York City where he has lived for 15 years. His car is the only kind to have in the city-no radio, no hubcaps, and full of dents from parking on the street. Bob is self employed as a musician and FreybyNight, the CD he cut, shows he is a talented saxophone player ala Kenny G. We were impressed.

Anne and Dave hosted dinner for everyone at their house. We were in heaven eating tender corn on the cob, steak from the grill, salad and a delicious potato casserole created by Dave. Fred and I felt like we already knew Dave because we had e-mailed back and forth so many times over the past four months. Dave and Anne made us feel right at home.

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Tuesday August 31st

Cleveland, Ohio

My parents, Fred and I went to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. We spent almost three hours there and still did not see everything. Tracing the Roots explained the different musical movements and where and how they were born and developed. Rhythm and blues in Memphis had an undeniable influence on Elvis Presley. Los Angeles brought us the era of the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and Poco. Grunge is attributed to Seattle with the likes of Nirvana and Sound Garden while London and New York get credit for the punk scene. My mom and I used earphones to both listen to songs from the 50's through the 80's by Hank Williams, Chuck Berry, Elvis and the Eagles. However, she reached her limit when I punched in Black Sabbath.

Uncle Kenny had used his Cleveland connections to get us four great seats for the game (Thanks Uncle Ken!). Fred and I would have been sitting in the temporary bleacher seats way out in the outfield. Those were the only seats available back in January when we ordered. The "Jake" has sold out for every single game since it opened. The fans of Cleveland love their Indians.

Dad, Dave, Fred and I headed downtown for the game around 4:00. We had to do our research for Fred's ranking page. Dave wanted to take us to the Gateway Sports Bar but we did not see it on our walk from the car so we started at Pete and Dewey's which had a huge patio. Not much was happening there so we moved on. Yesterday on the trolley tour we had spied a group of bars near the stadium. The one with alligator logos in the windows had attracted my attention and that is where I wanted to go. Dave was still looking for the Gateway when we found the Winking Lizard (ok, so they are not alligators). This place had everything. A super friendly bartender, (thanks Starman Brian), and good food including a large selection of wings with each flavor explained by a cute lizard drawing on the menu. After eating we went over to the stadium to get our outside picture. Dave was still looking for the Gateway and by now we were giving him a hard time about not finding it.

Inside the stadium we tried to get into the restaurant/bar only to find out it is for Club Level only. While Dave and Fred went to the seats, my Dad and I went in search of the press box. After navigating a labyrinth of hallways on several levels, expecting to get kicked-out at any moment, we finally talked to a security officer who took our note to give to the Fox Sports Announcers. We wanted them to say hello to Kenny and Irene on the broadcast. (they did!)

Our seats were in the lower level just on the first base side of home plate. We had a great view of the field and were very happy to be here and not sitting in the temporary bleachers. One thing that made an impression on us is how friendly everyone was. During the bottom of the 1st inning, we were delighted to see Anne. When Anne got home from work she decided to come to the game and scalp tickets. Her brother had sent her a hilarious set of rules to following when scalping and they worked because she grabbed some great seats for herself, Abbey and my Mom.

The Angels scored five runs in the top of the 8th including a two run home run making the score 12-4 which prompted a mass exodus by many fans. Dave and Anne were blaming Fred and I because we seem to have a bad influence on the home team when we are attending. Anne has a perfect record of the Indians winning when she is at a game. By now, Abbey, Mom and Anne had move over to our section. Abbey wanted to sit with her buddy Fred. She is such a cutie and they had a lot of fun making each other laugh. Fred seems to bond well with little kids-maybe because he is still one himself!

. We experienced a thrilling bottom of the 8th. It's fun when the team you are rooting for scores runs. The Indians went on a rampage. We cheered as runner after runner got on base. Then the Angels changed pitchers and the next two Indians popped out with the bases loaded. But two outs still did not stop the Indians; they just kept on hitting. A single drove in two more runs and the Indians changed pitchers again. During the pitching change the remaining fans were very spirited with everyone on their feet dancing and clapping to the music. The score was 12 - 11 when Sexson, the 1st baseman, came up and smacked a three-run home run to put the Indians over the top. However, the excitement was not over. The next batter up was David Justice who was hit by a pitch, intentionally. Being the hot head that he is, he charged the mound, took off his batting helmet and whipped it at the pitcher hitting him on the head. FIGHT! Both benches and the bullpens emptied into a fist punching brawl on the field. Percival, the pitcher, you're outta here, Justice, you're outta here, Angels manager, you're outta here. At innings end, the Tribe had scored 10 runs to win the game 14-12.