Starting Summer Off Right!

I miss the days of summer vacation and getting to do whatever I please, so when the opportunity for a mini roadtrip presents itself... I'm game! Tom was headed to Colorado and decided to stop in Davenport, IA for a Quad City River Bandits vs. Kane County Cougar baseball game and invited me to join him.

Unfortunately, this meant I had to drive separately there and back. A small price to pay for a new one-on-one adventure with my brother. I took more pictures than I anticipated, but wanted to share some of the unique happenings at the game.

The gates opened 2 hours before the game and the theme of the night was celebrating our National Pastime. Prior to the game, there were two vintage baseball clubs participating in an exhibition game.. donning the uniforms from that era (1858), the lack of gloves, and some crazy rules.

Tom and I toured the ballpark and found some of our young Cubs taking some additional batting practice in the cages behind the seating bowl. Overgrown weeds and a random pile of cardboard boxes giving it the feel of a true low-A minor league ballpark.

About a half hour before gametime our boys took the field for final warm-ups. The kid in me was able to snag a few more autographs on my team ball, and I gave knuckles to a couple of the relief pitchers as they headed to the bullpen. I venture to say the smile on my face was priceless.

I honestly have no idea why they had three people parachute in towards the end of the National Anthem, but it was super cool to see the flag, on the underneath of the last parachute, spiral down and float into centerfield.

The River Bandits stadium is just a stones throw from the Mississippi River. To our surprise, it also featured a dozen pelicans circling the field throughout the game. Below, Tom is attempting to get a photo of one fishing in the river for dinner.

Here's a couple happy Cubs fans enjoying the game. As usual, we spent less than an inning in our assigned seats. Had it not been a 90+ day with stagnant air at those seats, we would have had an awesome view... just two rows behind the Cougars dugout! We opted for the leftfield line bleachers with a strong breeze all evening long.

It might seem odd to some people to drive a total of 3.5 hours for a similar length ballgame, but to me it was a no brainer. Baseball with my brother always makes for a fun time. Can't wait for us to hit Wrigley Field later this summer.

And do keep in mind... sometimes the more the merrier! Who's up for a Peoria Chiefs game on my birthday this year? And guess what, they're playing the Kane County Cougars!