The photo to the bottom left shows how the field looked the whole time we were there – just enough people to allow for a sense of atmosphere, but not enough to make the place feel crowded.  Everyone was “playing nice” and sharing the field well during our visit.  Guests can walk right up to, but not into or completely around, the house and other outbuildings featured in the movie.

There are no organized tours, movies, or other traditional tourist offerings at the Movie Site.  We simply played catch in the outfield, popped in and out of the corn, and then sat on one of two tiny sets of bleachers and watched some future major leaguers in action. 

The only organized facility on site is the itty bitty gift shop, which sells a wide variety of Field of Dreams merchandise as well as the movie itself.  I look like a fool in a baseball cap, but couldn’t resist buying a magnet and water bottle under the guise of “supporting the field.”  Prices were pretty reasonable although you can find the Field of Dreams DVD much cheaper on Amazon.

Overall, this site was a truly refreshing experience, exactly as advertised, and well worth the trip.  The Field of Dreams Movie Site is open seasonally, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Admission is gloriously FREE, as is parking.  You can check out the official website here.

The grotto is located about 10 miles north of Dubuque, on the grounds of Holy Ghost Catholic Church.  The church itself is modern, but the grotto and other shrines were built by Father Mathius Wernerus in the 1920’s using bits of rock, shell, glass, and concrete. 

This site somehow manages to be both a cheesy tourist trap and an authentic religious experience.  The overall vibe is kind of like Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia on a 1/1000 scale.  Despite the eclectic variety of materials used, the shrines are actually quite beautiful in a “more is more” way.  Many major saints are accounted for in the main grotto and the smaller displays surrounding it, and the Stations of the Cross line the park’s exterior. 

Here’s a closer look at some of the materials used in construction.  I’ve seen some older photos online and things seem to be looking much shinier these days than, say, 20 years ago.

Admission to the Dickeyville Grotto is free, but a suggested donation of $2.00 per person is requested for the continued maintenance of the property.  A large gift shop to the rear sells a wide variety of largely dated merchandise including rosaries, statues of saints, religious books, and the like. 

Overall?  We’re very glad we made this stop and would recommend it even to those who are bored by traditional churches or religious sites.  Fr. Mathias clearly had a certain level of religious zeal and enthusiasm for this tribute that still radiates from the site today. 

Parking was a bit of a mob scene the weekend we visited.  Although there were literally dozens of volunteers and/or employees in brightly-colored DNR shirts, not one of them seemed to be able to tell us how to gain access to the trailhead we were looking for.  We ended up snagging one of the last parking spots by the main beach. 

The dunes and beach are nice enough, although we did see quite a bit of litter floating around.  Still, part of this can be chalked up to the busy weekend and it was great to see so many families outside enjoying the weather.  If you go, be sure to put in the effort necessary to climb up a dune – the fun, fast jog down makes the trek worth it!  If you truly like to live dangerously, consider tucking in your arms and enjoying a good roll.

We thought we’d take a break from the heat associated with direct sunlight by searching out a wooded trail.  Trail 2 seemed to fit the bill.  Advertised as “the best trail for early spring flowers and ferns,” this trail was perhaps past its prime when we hiked it in the balmy summer heat and observed nothing but swarming bugs, a dried up creek, and a discarded can or two.  In short, the scenery didn’t compare to that available at other popular Indiana parks like Pokagon, Clifty Falls, Brown County, or Tippecanoe.  After just a half mile or so of slapping mosquitoes along the poorly-maintained trail, we gave up and headed back to the beach.

Things went from buggy to worse when we returned from our hiking adventure and began searching for a restroom.  All such facilities are in a large brick building near the waterfront.  While the building looks historic and kind of cool from the outside, it’s a dirty, disgusting mess inside.  Cigarette butts and discarded french fries lined the stairs.  The concession area smelled funky.  Worst of all, the two-stall bathroom (Really?  For this giant state park?) was so dirty as to be nearly unusable and the sink barely functioned.  I left the facility feeling dirty and slightly nauseated.

In the park’s defense, a new visitor’s center of some sort is clearly under construction, as is an appealing-sounding “beach walk” trail.  While I can’t recommend a visit to Indiana Dunes State Park in its present condition, I may give the place another try once these improvements are made.  In the meantime, I suggest heading north to Michigan’s beautiful Warren Dunes instead.

We compared two such franchises this weekend: Yogen Fruz, an established favorite, and Starfruit, the newer kid on the block.  To ensure a fair competition, I ordered my standby at each: plain soft serve with fruity pebbles!  Results are below.

YOGEN FRUZ:

The Place:  Per usual, we visited the branch at 333 South State Street.  This store tends to stay open later than many Loop shops and eateries, which makes it a good place to end the evening.  It’s a little sterile inside, especially as compared to the super fun

The Frozen Stuff:  Yogen Fruz offers low fat frozen yogurt.  The franchise advertises its yogurt as being made fresh, high in fiber, full of vitamins, probiotics and/or antixoidents.  Original probiotic soft serve has 25 calories per ounce, with a small serving (pictured above) containing about 5 ounces

Yogen Fruz offers several different serving options including Top It (yogurt with toppings), Mix It (swirled with fresh fruit flavors), Nu Mixes (Mix it with more decadent flavors), smoothies, and some seriously delicious looking milkshakes.  Available toppings include fresh fruit, candy, and several different cereals.

The Texture:  It’s thinner than traditional soft serve frozen yogurt, but thicker than regular yogurt.  My issue with regular yogurt (you know, the truly healthy kind) has always been a texture thing, so I’m glad Yogen Fruz eliminates this problem for me.  I find this yogurt goes perfectly with a crunchy topping like Fruity Pebbles.

The Taste:  Delicious!  Yogen Fruz original frozen yogurt provides a fabulous combination of tangy and sweet that is downright addicting.  I love the way it smells, too. 

The Price:  Expect to pay at least $5.00 for anything beyond the smallest, barest scoop of yogurt available.  However, I recently bought a bunch of coupons on Groupon that will allow me to get a bunch of $6.00 treats for $3.00 each.

STARFRUIT:

The Place:  We visited the Starfruit branch located at the new Block 36 complex, an in-progress indoor mall and entertainment facility located on State Street.  The mall is still eerily quiet, but Starfruit itself is bright and fun, with a “kid in a candy store” type of vibe. 

The Frozen Stuff:  Starfruit serves kefir, a fermented dairy product similar to yogurt.  The franchise claims that Starfruit is distinguished from frozen yogurt because it contains a whopping 10 “probiotic cultures” aka “good bacteria”.  Starfruit claims these cultures aid digestion, boost immunity, promote weight loss, and so on and so forth.  Both original and flavored Kefir weighs in at 22 calories per ounce.

The menu at Starfruit includes soft serve kefir in flavors like peach, green tea, chocolate, and raspberry.  Topping options are similar to those at Yogen Fruz except Starfruit seems to have more types of candy and cereal.  Patrons can use the same toppings to make a smoothie drink or granola parfait. 

The Texture:  Starfruit’s soft serve looks very similar to Yogen Fruz’s except it is a slightly brighter white and appears just a little bit grainier.  Its appearance isn’t deceiving, because it tastes almost icy compared to the smooth, creamy, yogurt-like substance to which I am accustomed.  The icy texture made my Fruity Pebbles seem like a less than ideal topping choice, so I’d probably go for some fresh fruit instead next time.

The Taste:   May take some getting used to.  My original soft serve had none of the tang and tartness I’ve come to associate with this type of treat.  What little flavor there was can best be described as “watery,” like a the way a snow cone tastes after you’ve sucked most of the syrup out.

The Price:  A little cheaper than Yogen Fruz.  Also, they were handing out dollar off coupons the day we visited, making it possible to get a good solid treat for about $3.00.

FINAL VERDICT:  While I appreciate Starfruit’s aesthetically pleasing storefront and slightly lower prices, I must prefer the actual product at Yogen Fruz.  Yogen Fruz wins!

*No Yogen Fruz near you?  Make your own like I do!  Just combine a 32 ounce tub of Greek yogurt (many foodies swear by Fage, but I use the cheaper Greek Gods) with 2/3 cup sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.  Stick it in an ice cream maker for 30 minutes and freeze for another half hour.  This will make at least 4 servings.  Top with fruity pebbles and enjoy!  The texture is obviously different from the soft serve treats described above, but the flavor is practically identical.  Delicious!

I was glad to see quite a few tourists enjoying the art despite the late hour.

Judging from the articles I have found online, Chicagoans’ reviews are mixed.  One comment comparing the sculpture to Sauron made me laugh out loud!  I personally kind of liked the piece, although the blood vessels around the back are kind of creepy.  Your mileage may vary but it’s at least worth a trip down State Street to give Eye the stare down.

When I was a little kid, I used to be slightly scared of this hamburger-eating man who is emblazened all over Redamak’s walls, signs, and menus.  Now I find him charming and nostalgia-inducing. 

On its familiar round menus, Redamak’s offers an array of summer dinner indulgences such as fried perch, mini corn dogs, grilled and grilled chicken sandwiches, and of course its “world-famous” hamburgers.  Guests coming for lunch during the week need look no further than the “Working-Person’s Special,” a cluster of reasonably priced sandwich combos that includes a cheeseburger with fries for $4.50.  If you come at night, that same cheeseburger will cost you 25 cents more, and you don’t get fries!

Patrons can sit inside or out on a screened porch, but we feel that the inside has a more historic feel.  The overhead fans create a pleasant, airy atmosphere.  Also, if you’re seated in just the right spot, you can watch the lighted number board that alerts waitresses when their various tables’ orders are ready for pick-up.

We always start off with an order of mozzarella sticks.  Redamak’s mozzarella sticks have a nice, thick coat of breading and are filled with cheese that is ideally textured – not too gooey and veeeery stretchy.  Whatever you order, be sure to accompany it with a Barq’s red cream soda, also known as the finest beverage on the planet.  All non-alcoholic drinks come in those tall, red, plastic glasses that make everything taste better.

The pan-fried cheeseburgers are a bit on the thin side, but the amazing creamy cheese makes up for this minor deficiency.  Don’t expect lettuce or tomatoes here.  I personally don’t miss it.  The crinkle fries are good as is, but even better if you request a cup of cheese to dip them in.  Ahhh, fried goodness!

Redamak’s operating season is from the beginning of March through the end of October, so call ahead if you are on the borderline.  Bring your dollars and cents, as this is a cash only establishment!

Celebrating its 140th(!) birthday, Graeter’s is well-known Ohio/Kentucky ice cream chain with locations in most major cities in these states.  You can also order the stuff online and have it shipped to you with a freezer pack, presumably for an exorbitant fee.

I got in on the Graeter’s phenomenon for the first time on a very, very hot May day.  After bypassing a crowded branch of this franchise at King’s Island, we were thrilled to encounter this much cooler, calmer, emptier location in nearby Mason, Ohio. 

We quickly learned that “chips” are the big thing here, with the Graeter’s flavor roster including Black Raspberry Chip, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Chocolate Coconut Almond Chip.  After much hemming and hawing over flavors such as I ended up ordering the Double Chocolate Chip (chocolate ice cream with extra large dark chocolate chips) and the hubby Cookie Dough (vanilla ice cream, cookie dough, and dark chocolate chips).  We each selected a waffle cone because we thought it would hold more ice cream than the standard cake or sugar version. 

It was fortunate that the building was heavily air-conditioned, because we learned quickly that Graeter’s ice cream is much softer than many hard-packed varieties.  In other words, we had trouble keeping up with our cones!  Other than this, we had no complaints with this exceptionally rich and creamy ice cream.  The chocolate was truly chocolately, and the “chips” were more like giant “chunks” of fudge.  After enjoying my giant cone, I can see how Ohio natives would become addictive to Graeter’s.  Delicious!

I’m more than a little late with this report, but I need to talk about the Sunburst 10K event on June 5, 2010.  The Sunburst weekend of races is pretty famous around these parts, drawing thousands of participants for its roster of events ranging from a Friday night family fun walk to a full marathon.  I had done the 5K in the past but signed up for the 10K this year to try something different.

My friend and I arrived in South Bend at around 7:30 p.m. E.S.T. on the night of June 4, 2010, which allowed us just enough time to check in to our hotel (the mediocre but convenient downtown Marriott) and make it to packet pick-up at the “Expo” at the College Football Hall of Fame before it closed for the night.  Our excitement at making it in time for the “Expo” was quickly dashed.  We encountered a fairly desolate cluster of tents and a stage with music playing to an audience of no one.  The whole effect was rather sad.  I can only assume the crowds must have come earlier.

Instead of being glad to see us, the volunteers at the Expo check-in tents were super grumpy.  They ordered us from one booth to the next and barked at us that we could “only have two safety pins!” for our pin-on numbers.  Anyone whose ever had a race number flapping in their face knows how annoying this is.  Charge us ten cents more for registration and give us four safety pins, will ya?

The morning of the race dawned incredibly balmy.  Apparently, this was the highest level of humidity this race has ever experienced, and I believe it.  I absolutely couldn’t keep my sunglasses from fogging up and ended up having to forego using them.  The 10K departed at 7:45 a.m. which was ideal for us because we lost an hour en route to South Bend.  I highly recommend staying downtown, because walking out the hotel door to the race ten minutes before start time is super convenient.

The 10K race route itself is nothing special.  There are way too many twists and turns through various neighborhoods, and many parts of the course are less than scenic.  After reading online complaints I had been worried about encountering racers from the other events but the 10K seemed to be largely isolated from this until the home stretch.  The highlight of the race is ending in Notre Dame’s football stadium with spectators surrounding in the bleachers.  I must admit that running through the tunnel is cool enough experience and makes this race worth doing at least once.  However, on the down side, the grumpy volunteers attacked again at the race finish, screaming at everyone to get out of the finish chute.  Post-race refreshments were confusingly organized, with water tucked away on the far left corner of the stadium. 

Despite the insane heat, I ran really well this day, finishing in well under an hour.  This was the first race I’ve ever run on my own so being able to have complete control over my pace probably helped.  Because of the good finish and convenient hotel access I’d run this race again, but I certainly hope to encounter some friendlier workers next year.

(image from www.sunburstraces.org)

Have I ever mentioned how much I love international food markets?  Well, if I have been remiss, let me tell you that I love them a whole lot!  Jungle Jim’s, however, stands ahead of the crowd and is truly a destination in and of itself.  In addition to having yummy goodies from all over the world, they also have a wine shop, bakery, and reasonably priced selection of standard groceries.  Plus, the place is huge!  We typically spend 2-3 hours browsing each time we’re in the area and inevitably end up toting a cooler full of stuff home.

In addition to food and drink, there are also plenty of crazy displays throughout the store.  Above you can see the talking corn and butter, the “world famous” port-a-potty restrooms, and the creepy swinging soup can that calls out to everyone who comes down his aisle.  Guests can also see Elvis in the candy department and Robin Hood’s gang in the English food section.  Kids will love this stuff and I find the zaniness enhances my adult shopping experience as well. 

A few other store highlights: cheese, sausages, and a giant wall o’ hot sauces!  I love that the cheeses are divided by country of origin, as it makes planning a themed meal much easier. 

You can see part of our haul here.  We ended up with 1) Dirty Blonde Ale, 2) Bellinis in a bottle, 3) Pirate’s Booty (aged white cheddar), 4) pretzel bread, 5) store-made mozzarella cheese, 6) Walker’s Homebake English shortbread, 7) Jungle Jim’s brand cheese curds, Snapea Crisps, 9) giant marshmallows, 10) crespone salami (2), 11) pomegranate Jelly Belly jelly beans, 11) OMG! fruit snacks, 12) unsalted cashews, 13) fresh-churned butter with sea salt, 14) Lotte’s Japanese koala snacks, 15) key lime and peanut butter cheesecake from the bakery 16) pretzel breadsticks, and a few more things I can’t recall. 

Most of these items are old favorites, but we did try a couple of new things.  If you haven’t had crespone salami, you must.  It’s available online at Zingerman’s if you don’t live near Jungle Jim’s.  The Walker’s Homebake shortbread truly is worth the premium – it melts in my mouth!  Also, those who loved Koala Yummies as a kid in the early nineties should note that these treats are exactly the same, right down to the shape of the container.  Things we wouldn’t buy again?  Just the fruit snacks and the key lime cheesecake, which had a rather gelatinous texture.  Overall, we were very happy with our haul and are still enjoying the fruits of our shopping!

Those who wish to plan a trip to Jingle Jim’s may want to try to hit one of the store’s special events.  If so, head on over to the website’s Event Center for upcoming tastings and parties.

On impulse, we also signed up for a mini-marathon next weekend – the Twenty Valley Wine Country Half-Marathon!  It’s in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario, Canada, where we will be vacationing anyway, so we are viewing it as a long run with support.  Also, there’s wine tasting!  Every 2K!  I just hope we make it to the end still able to walk. 

One thing we are in need of is some sort of mechanism to carry water, money, etc. on these longer runs.  Can anyone recommend a good gear belt that won’t slow us down too much?