Interested in a road trip? Just because the unofficial end of summer has come and gone with Labor Day, that doesn’t mean travel has to stop. Here are seven sports destinations to ponder:
Chicago. Now that schools are back in session, getting a ticket to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field should go as smooth as the Old Style you’ll enjoy while sitting in the sun-soaked bleachers. Beer, hot dogs and eye candy like the ivy-covered outfield walls make cozy Wrigley Field arguably baseball’s most charming facility. While you’re in town dine at Charlie Trotter’s restaurant, recommended in my 2003 edition of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Let your boss or rich uncle treat.
Kentucky. Why the Bluegrass state? First, visit historic Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby in Louisville. Then head over to Lexington and try for a Tubby Smith sighting. Next, make your way to Campbellsville and Clem Haskins’ farm while listening to a CD of “Nothing But a Heartbreak” by the Flirtations.
Collegeville, Minnesota. Wait for the fall colors to peak in central Minnesota and then make the drive to Saint John’s University. The campus is spectacular, the football better and the legendary coach the best. John Gagliardi is 80, going on 40, and in search of his fifth national championship. They ought to put this place on the national list of historic places.
Madison. This is a great mid-sized town and a fun atmosphere to experience major college football. If you don’t believe that, ask the UW Madison alumni who make their home in Minneapolis-St. Paul. They’ll probably tell you all the things that are wonderful about the state of Wisconsin including Badger football. What I don’t get is how come all those alums live here instead of in Dairyland? Give the Mad Towners and other Wisconsinites their due, though. They know how to party. “Roll out the barrel…”
Iowa City. A former Gopher football player told me he almost chose the Hawkeyes but “there’s not much to do” in Iowa City. Oh, I don’t know about that. When I watch Iowa games on TV that water tower in the background of Kinnick Stadium looks pretty exciting. Kinnick, by the way, with its proximity to the playing field, might be the best stadium in the Big Ten Conference. Maybe the lack of glitz explains why two things are evident about the Iowa coaching staff. One, Kirk Ferentz and company can coach with the best in America. Two, they can’t recruit great players to Iowa City. On November 10 the Gophers try to get their first win in Iowa City since 1999.
Green Bay. After the Gopher game, head to Green Bay for the Vikings-Packers game on November 11. Before entering the city limits of Green Bay remove your shoes in a display of reverence for St. Vincent Lombardi and Lambeau Stadium, the Packer shrine. My friend Ken Lien made his first Lambeau Field pilgrimage last month, traveling from Minneapolis to Green Bay. “Lambeau Field has got to be the ‘mecca’ of any level of football viewing,” Lien wrote in an e-mail. “The stands/fans are close to the field…we could dang near hear the players/coaches talking. But I’ll tell you, Dave, those fans treat that team like it’s a damn ‘cult,’ or like another high school or college team. It’s unbelievable. …” While you’re at Lambeau, visit the Packer Hall of Fame. If you dare, keep an eye out for the ghost of Lombardi.
Baton Rouge. For those with extra time and gas money, head to Bayou country. There’s no Minnesota connection, but go anyway. Tiger Stadium, home of the national championship contending LSU football team, has been known for decades as a house of horrors for visiting teams and fans. The noise is deafening and the electricity can be seen all the way to New Orleans. Rumor has it that even Alabama’s Paul Bear Bryant, the greatest college football coach of all time, was kind of scared in Death Valley. That’s really something because Bryant was so brave he once wrestled a bear.