Midwest Guest

Midwest Travel Links for March 2017

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

North Dakota Road Trip Day 6: Dickinson to Medora-Check out Connie's latest North Dakota adventures when she visits the Dickinson Museum Center and shared some images of their rocks and minerals exhibit there (I'm a big fan of such exhibits!), the Ukrainian Cultural Institute and the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame as she heads towards the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Check it out at the Midwest Wanderer blog.

North Dakota prairie dog

Ten Things You Need to Know About Indianapolis City Culture-Aaron advises readers that you will need a guide to find the "good stuff" in this Hoosier city. Here is his guide to the city and its culture at his self-titled Urbanphile blog. Check out a few of our own blog posts about the city as well! Seeing an Indianapolis Indians baseball game...or not, White River Gardens at the Indianapolis Zoo and Visiting the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis.

Mid-Century Modern Design at Miller House and Garden in Columbus-I've wanted to visit Columbus, Indiana and learn more about it's history and place in mid-twentiety-century architecture. Fortunately, Jessica gives us a great look at some of the architectural gems in this mid-American showplace. We see some great images of the Miller house with the work of the Saarinen father-and-son architectural team, which reminds us of some of the work done by the same family here in Michigan, like the buildings they designed at the Cranbrook educational campus in metro Detroit. Check out Jessica's story at her Little Indiana blog.

24 Hours in Detroit-Charity hails from Cleveland, and I've long-enjoyed her I heart <3 Cleveland blog, but I really enjoyed this report about her weekend visit to Detroit! This story includes some info and images of some of the city's great hidden treasures like the Shinola store in midtown Detroit, John King Used and Rare Books Store and the historic Pewabic Pottery shop and design studio. Charity even includes a report about her visit to Toledo's Libbey Glass Outlet. which she checked out on her way into Detroit. See her story here.

4 Great Activities with Kids in Detroit-Mr. In A Cents offers a great list of family-friendly fun and activities in the Detroit area! We're members of the Detroit Zoo and The Henry Ford, so they're already a couple of my favorite sites around the city, and I enjoyed the images from the newly re-done Penguin Center and the classic Oscar Weinernobile at the Henry Ford. Plus there are a few great images here of two places I've been longing to see in person myself-Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum and the Outdoor Adventure Center near the Detroit River. Check it all out at the InACents travel blog!

 

 

The Stars Still Shine at Detroit's Redford Theater-Jeff writes about his family's visit to another family-friendly spot in Metro Detroit, the classic Redford Theater. We remember seeing the movie, A Christmas Story, here a few years ago. We loved the drama of seeing the huge theater organ rising out of the stage and the classic 1920s Oriental-themed decor. Check it out at the Lifelong Michigander blog!

2017 Motorcycle Trips-Join Heather as she and her husband start planning their spring and summer...and check out some of her great suggestions for Midwest motorcycle adventures. Their trip list looks a lot like something Tim would put together! We look forward to hearing about the couple's trips this spring and summer. Check it out at the Ohio Girl Travels blog.

 

Stadium Seats and Stories from the Gardens-Here are a few memories of the venue seats and stories of the arenas where Ronny watched events like minor-league hockey games, women's roller hockey, the circus and monster trucks! Check it out at the Queen City Discovery blog.

The 7 Indiana Ballparks That Baseball Fans Must See-We love catching a sports event when we travel. There isn't a better way to get a real feel for the history and culture of a place and spend a fun time with locals! Check out this Visit Indiana blog post about some of Indiana's notable ball fields, including Victory Field where we saw the Indianapolis Indians play and Parkview Field where we saw Fort Wayne's beloved Tin Caps play. Check it out at the Visit Indiana blog.

10 Ways Marietta. Ohio is So Much More than it's Tomatoes-Tomatoes? Who knew? Well I love good ripe tomatoes, but Kayrn tells readers there is a lot more to do in the southern Ohio city, even once its legendary tomatoes are gone for the season. Kayrn shares historic sites, an architecturally beautiful basilica (which reminds me of the one we saw in South Bend, Indiana)  and quirky sites like the Mortuary Museum, which sounds like somewhere I would need to go when I visit Marietta! Check it out at the Sand and Snow...and Everywhere in Between blog!

Urban Kayaking on the Mississippi River in Minneapolis-Jenna and Micah take readers on an urban kayaking adventure to celebrate the arrival of spring in Minneapolis. Seeing a major city from the river always gives you a fresh perspective, even if you have lived in the city for a long time! Check the story of their trip with a batch of fellow travel bloggers at the Wander the Map blog.

P.S. Looking for more great photos? Here are a couple of photo books that we recently ordered from Amazon and really enjoyed...one from Ohio and another from the annual Wildlife Photographer of the year exhibit that I recently saw at the Detroit Zoo.

 

 

Midwest Travel Links September 2016

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

How to Survive a Winter Beach-I've never really looked at a winter visit to a beach as matter of survival, but more often as a serene opportunity to enjoy the landscape without dealing with hordes of people and noise you so often find at the beach in the summertime. Check out Brianna's story about enjoying visiting Michigan beaches during the winter at the Wandering Educators blog.

Big Sable Point Lighthouse, Ludington, Michigan

Spend a Sunday Afternoon at Oberlin's Frank Lloyd Wright House-A history professor wondered if she would enjoy living in a  "beautiful work of art" as she contemplated purchasing a house designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1968. Ellen Johnson eventually decided to purchase the house in Oberlin, Ohio and found living in it a very serene experience. Read Betsy's story about it at beesfirstappearance blog and see many images of the home that now serves as a guest house and special event space for Oberlin College.    

What's in a Name: Petoskey Stone Edition-Farland shares some words written by Rose Petoskey about Michigan's state stone, the significance of its name in the Odawa language of Native peoples and the history of the fossilized coral. Check out the story at the Michigan in Pictures blog. 

Biking to the Mississippi Headwaters at Itasca State Park-Jenna and Micah take readers to the oldest State Park in Minnesota to explore where the Mississippi River originates and begins it long journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Check out their story about riding the bike trails in the park at their Wander the Map blog.

Split Rock Lighthouse, Lake Superior's North Shore, Minnesota-I was happy to see this blog from Amy Rea about one of my favorite Great Lakes lights, Minnesota's scenic Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior. The iconic light sits on a cliff high above the lake's shore, making the climb down to see it a bit on the challenging side, but the views are definitely worth it! Check out the story at the Wandering Educators blog. Also be sure the check out Amazon for books by Amy like Camping Minnesota: A Comprehensive Guide to Public Tent and RV Campgrounds, Explorer's Guide to Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes and more!

Stairway to Split Rock Lighthouse, Minnesota

Webster City: Exploring Rural Life-Day1-Connie explores the rural area around Webster City in Iowa and learns about how much anyone considering a career in modern agriculture should study and learn in order to make a success of it. Check out the cool images of farm equipment at a local John Deere dealership and more at the Midwest Wanderer blog.   

 

 

Wandering with our T&B Trailer to Sleeping Bear Dunes area of Michigan-We've traveled to Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes area numerous times over the years, but I especially liked seeing this area from the point of view of folks traveling in a small, tear-shaped camper trailer. We've visited the campground as we've done the trip down the lower Platte River via canoe and used area at the park to end our trip at the beach along Lake Michigan...plus Fishtown at Leland is a favorite stop for us when visiting the area. Check out Joe's post at his My Quality Time blog.  

A Taste of Marquette-Join Jeff for a quick trip to see some highlights in northern Michigan's Marquette. Home to the Upper Peninsula's largest university (Northern Michigan University), it is the U.P.'s largest city at 21,000 residents, so there is plenty to see (like a lighthouse), do and eat in the city. Check it out at the Lifelong Michigander blog.   

Lighthouse at Marquette, Michigan

5 Architectural Gems that will Catch your Eye in Fort Wayne, Indiana-The historic Embassy Theater caught Tonya's eye when she visited this northern Indiana city, just as it caught mine during a drive through town several years ago. I enjoyed seeing images of the theater and other Fort Wayne landmarks that we enjoyed visiting ourselves. Check it out at the Traveling Praters blog.  

Grande Page Organ at the Embassy Theater, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Weekend Fun in Fort Wayne, Indiana-Connie also shared a few of the highlights of her own trip to Fort Wayne and visited many of the places we enjoyed in the city like the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, the Genealogy Center at the library and seeing baseball's must-see Tin Caps! Check it out at the Midwest Wanderer blog.

Johnny Appleseed at Tin Caps game, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Meanwhile, I always like to hear about any other favorite Midwest stories or blogs you think I might like to check out!

Want more Midwest news and links? Subscribe to my bi-monthly Midwest Guest newsletter!

© Dominique King 2016 All rights reserved

Seeing an Indianapolis Indians baseball game...or not.

Tim and I love watching baseball or hockey games when we travel, so we really looked forward to seeing the Indianapolis Indians play during our most recent visit to Indianapolis.

 

 

Play at the Triple A-level promised to be a fast-paced contest as the Indianapolis Indians lead the league this year and play at this level usually features great pitching that more closely matches the quality of the Triple A-level batting talent. Pitches at this level can easily clock in at 90-plus miles per hours.

 

 

We've seen Triple A-teams several times over the years as we're close enough to be able to get down to see the Toledo (Ohio) Mud Hens, who play in the same league as the Indians, play the occasional matinee game as a day trip.

Victory Field, the Indians' home ball park, features more than 13,000 seats, a small berm area with lawn seating and nearly 30 luxury seats.

Victory Field became the team's new home in 1996 and sits near downtown Indianapolis in the White River State Park.

 

 

The team tops many lists as one of Minor League Baseball's best ball parks and the team holds several minor league attendance records in recent years.

The Indians have a long history, dating back to 1902, as one of the oldest minor-league franchises in American professional baseball.

The Indians currently serve an International Minor League affiliate team for the Pittsburgh Pirates and claim baseball greats like Major League Baseball Hall's Harmon Killebrew and famed right fielder Roger Maris as Indians' alumni.

The Indians, like many Minor League teams, are heavily involved with their local communities.

The team just announced their involvement with a national group called Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) programs during our visit.

The RBI program, dubbed locally as Playball Indiana, seeks to revive interest in the sport among urban youth who may have difficulty finding a team to play with by helping to fund teams, improvements in urban ball fields and help provide equipment and uniforms for teams. The Indians pledged $100,000 over the next five years to helps fund the group's efforts in across central Indiana.

So it was with high hopes as we waited for the first pitch of the game scheduled for 1:35 p.m. that afternoon.

 

I started exploring the ball park and managed to get a few images before the skies literally opened up and quickly dumped rain on the field and the waiting crowd!

We fortunately managed to grab seats in Victory Field's Cove, a small semi-covered area beyond the left field foul pole where we were one of the fortunate few to enjoy a beer in semi-covered shelter while we waited to the rain to dissipate.

Thank goodness we had some handy, dandy disposable rain ponchos (courtesy of the team) and the handy, dandy two-gallon plastic zipper lock bags that we always pack in our camera bags to protect our electronics!

There was a short break in the downpour and it looked like we might be able to see the game after all as the team mascot, Rowdie Bear, briefly came out onto the field and workers checked the tarp-covered field.

We thought the team might be able to play after the short rain delay.

Alas, the rain started up again, and officials called the game for rain.

We really missed seeing the game, and I doubt we'll be able to get back this year to use our tickets as rain checks, but we did manage to hit the souvenir store on the way out to get some team apparel for both of us.

It's still possible to catch up with the team online on the Web, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or by signing up for the team's newsletter or reading the team's official Inside Pitch blog, which includes game recaps, official box scores and play-by-play account of each game.

Rowdie Bear, the team's mascot since 1993, even has his own Twitter account and Facebook page!

Here's hoping we'll see Rowdie and the Indians again soon.

Thanks to the White River State Park that, along with Visit Indy and Downtown Indy, sponsored our visit to Indianapolis, Indiana by  providing lodging, meals and help arranging visits to area attractions for our review, with no further compensation .We were free to express my own opinions about the stay and experiences, and the opinions expressed here are our own.

© Dominique King 2015 All rights reserved

Midwest travel links for June 2015

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

Burlington Bees: An Evening at the Ballpark-Connie likes seeing Minor League Baseball games when she travels for some of the same reasons I'm a big supporter of taking in Minor League games when I travel--the ready availability of teams to see in the Midwest and the fact that the games are affordable, family-friendly fun. Her story at Midwest Wanderer shows that her recent experience at a the Burlington Bees' ball park in Iowa to see the team play Grand Rapids Michigan's Whitecaps played out much as our recent visit to see the Indianapolis Indians...the game was a rain-out, but we had a great time anyway!

At a Grand Rapids Whitecaps game

Navy Pier Ferris Wheel to be Replaced with Bigger, More Modern Version-I loved the huge Ferris Wheel on Chicago's Navy Pier, and it seems so iconic that I found it surprising to learn that the city plans to replace it with a taller and more luxurious ride (can you say year-round climate-controlled gondolas? Check it out at the Chicago Architecture Blog.

10 tourist traps to love-Speaking of iconic sites like Navy Pier with its Ferries Wheel, this list includes the pier and Ferries Wheel, as well as nine other must-see quirky Midwest sites. I've seen several places on this list like South Dakota's Corn Palace, Michigan's Mackinac Island and the Michigan Upper Peninsula site that fully embraces its identity as a tourist trap, Da Yoopers Tourist Trap and Museum. Check out Beth's story at the Midwest Weekends blog.  

No Wonder Birds Flock to Gene Stratton-Porter's Limberlost Cabin-Looking for something a little more educationally inclined? Gene Stratton-Porter is an Indiana author, photographer and naturalist who enjoyed immense popularity during the early 20th century. We've visited Gene Stratton-Porter's "cabin" near Rome City, Indiana, and Limberlost (also in northern Indiana) appears like it has many of the same sort of construction details, gardens and nature-friendly features that distinguish the Limberlost North home we saw. Check out Betsy's story about Limberlost at the beesfirstappearance blog.

Limberlost North

Visiting the Mankato Minnesota Houses Where Betsy and Tacy Lived-The Maud Hart Lovelace penned series of books about Betsy, Tacy and Tib were another childhood favorite for me, and I'd love to visit the Mankato, Minnesota area where these stories based on the author's life at the turn of the twentieth century happened. Check out Terri's story at the Off the Beaten Page Travel to learn more about these books and the stories behind them.

Positively Classic Cars-Where can classic car fans can check out unique vintage vehicles like a legendary Tucker, the infamous Edsel, a classy Auburn, the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car or something that looks suspiciously like the car Jed and Granny Clampett drove during the 1960s camp-classic television show, The Beverly Hillbillies? Check out Maureen's story about the Classic Car Show at Oakbrook in Chicago, Illinois to find out more!

Lighthouses of Door County-I've visited many lighthouses along the eastern side of Lake Michigan, but I've yet to explore as many of the light stations along the lake's western shore in Wisconsin. Beth offers a nice list of Wisconsin lights I'd love to see! Check out her story at the Midwest Weekends blog.

13 Fascinating Facts about Michigan City and the Old Lighthouse-Some folks are surprised to find that Indiana has a lighthouse, but Indian's scant 45-miles of Great Lakes coastline is home to a very nice pier head lighthouse and a lighthouse museum housed in the old keepers' residence. I've always loved this light and the story of Harriet Colfax who served as the keeper here for an amazing 43 years! Check out Connie' story about the light, Harriet and more at the Midwest Wanderer blog.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Brandywine, Blue Hen and Buttermilk Waterfalls-We've been to this park a couple of times and enjoyed visiting the park's Brandywine Falls, but we've yet to visit Blue Hen or Buttermilk Falls. Thanks to Bob's story on TrekOhio, I can get a glimpse of those two cascades and make plans to make the trek out the them next time we're at the park!

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive (Or "How to do Sleeping Bear Dunes without wanting to die a billion times.")-So, I think nearly every Michigander does the dune climb at least once, but as Sally encouragingly points out, it's much easier to get to the top of the dunes by taking this scenic drive. Check out her story at the Unbrave Girl blog.

Torchbearers Detroit trip finds a city on the upswing-We're hearing a lot of positive things about Detroit these days, and it's a welcome change from the diet of doom and gloom and ruin porn photos that seemed to dominate the media just a few years ago. Check out this story by Michael and Christa about a group of young visitors who found a lot to like in the Motor City. Check it out at the akronist.com blog.

That's it for this month's Midwest travel links list. Do you have any favorite Midwest stories or blogs to share?

Want more Midwest news and links? Subscribe to my bi-monthly Midwest Guest newsletter!

© Dominique King 2015 All rights reserved

Midwest travel links for May 2015

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

Missouri Family Vacation Ideas-Adam shows folks plenty of family-friendly ideas for kid-pleasing fun in the Show Me state, ranging from world-class museums to outdoor activities to dining ideas and more! Check it out at his Visit Flyover Country blog.

88 Counties in Ohio=88 Things to Do!-Check out this killer list of things to do in Ohio that includes one fun attraction, dining option or historical site for every one of the 88 counties in the Buckeye State. Check out the list at Mike's OHventures blog. Mike even helpfully reproduces the list arranged by region of the state.

Dining at Tony Packos in Toledo, one of 88 Things to do in Ohio

Capturing the Colorful Holland Tulips of Spring-Aaron shares a sure sign of spring in Michigan with images of the colorful tulips in Holland in the western part of the state. Check it out at the Awesome Mitten blog. Also be sure to check out Aaron's coffeehouse and travel adventures on his own The Adventures of elATLboy blog.

Magee Marsh during the "Biggest Week in American Birding" 2015-We've visited this birder's paradise on several occasions to simply take a walk or capture a few images of the wooded boardwalk trail near Lake Erie in Ohio, but we've yet to venture here during the legendary Biggest Week in early May. Deb captures the beautiful birds and the crowds that they draw to this northern Ohio spot on the TrekOhio blog.

Golden Spike Tower: Visiting the World's Largest Rail Yard-This site in North Platte, Nebraska marks the midpoint for the Union Pacific trains running from Chicago to Salt Lake City or from Denver to Omaha, but it's so much more than simply a place for rail buffs to spend hours on end watching the trains. Join Connie as she visits the site to learn about the trains and their history. She also captures a few bird's-eye-view images from atop the observation tower. Check it out at the Midwest Wanderer blog.

Positively the Jewel of Joliet-I love classic old theaters like the Embassy in Fort Wayne, Indiana and the Warner Theater in Erie, Pennsylvania that have great histories as vaudeville, movie and live performance houses, and I loved Maureen's story about the Rialto Theater in Joliet, Illinois. Built in 1925 and justly called the "Jewel of Joliet", viewing the theater's opulent interior reportedly had Liberace saying "...finally, a theater to match my wardrobe!" Seeing the Rialto is going on my Midwest bucket list! Check it out at the Positively Tuesday blog.

Ephemeral City: Marbles-Check out John's story about a memorable marble championship in Kansas City, Missouri. Imagine a city-wide marbles contest that drew a crowd into a municipal arena and featured contestants with monikers like Stinky, Knucksy and Mouse. It all happened in 1941, and you can read about it at the Paris of the Plains blog.

At Your Leisure: Summertime Cruisin'-Cruisin' is pretty big here in the Detroit area, especially during the weeks leading up to the Woodward Dream Cruise, an event billed as a one-day celebration of car culture that inevitably turns into weeks of weekend cruising along the Woodward strip. It appears like Indianapolis had a similar cruising culture complete with drive-in restaurants like The Tee Pee, which served Big Chief burgers (our version on Woodward was called the Totem Pole and served up...you guessed it...Big Chief burgers!). Check out Jeff's story on the Historic Indianapolis blog.

55 Reasons Why Locals Love Grand Rapids-Here's another handy list post, this time about Grand Rapids in western Michigan. We've done a number on the list like the visiting the Grand Rapids Public Museum and watching Whitecaps' baseball games as we visit GRap fairly regularly to visit some of Tim's family, plus we stay there for a few days each fall to take in ArtPrize. Looks like there are a few more things on the list that we need to see one of the next times we visit. Meanwhile, Check out Melody's post on the My Experience Grand Rapids blog.

Crash the River Rascal, Whitecaps' mascot

That's it for this month's Midwest travel links list. Do you have any favorite Midwest stories or blogs to share?

Want more Midwest news and links? Subscribe to my bi-monthly Midwest Guest newsletter!

© Dominique King 2015 All rights reserved

Catching a West Michigan Whitecaps game in Grand Rapids, Michigan

It was a beautiful summer day, and we had great seats along the first baseline of the West Michigan Whitecaps' baseball stadium, when we watched the Grand Rapids-based baseball take on the Burlington (Iowa) Bees earlier this summer.

 

 

The home team didn't win that particular game, but the whole 2014 season represents a major comeback from a much bigger loss the Grand Rapids-based Whitecaps experienced in early January.

I remember logging onto my computer on January 3and seeing images of a devastating fire that took firefighters from five different departments more than three hours to bring under control. The fire, started by a heater used by maintenance and repair workers in one of the suites along the first baseline side of the field, ended up destroying much of that side of the stadium.

Extreme winter weather that included bone-chilling cold, snow and ice, plus water pressure problems, exacerbated the difficulty for firefighters extinguishing the blaze.

Baseball fans despaired, knowing that the Whitecaps' 2014 season opening day lay only about  90 days away at that point, but team and stadium owners immediately vowed to have the ball park repaired, restored and ready for the April 8 season opener.

They kept that promise.

 

 

You'd never know the team suffered such a potentially devastating setback when we attended the game in its beautiful ball park last month. Our experience was certainly a great testament to the team, the owners and the support of the Grand Rapids area that made such a spectacular comeback possible.

The Grand Rapids area has a long history in baseball, but the town's last professional team before the Whitecaps' arrival in 1994 left the playing field after the Grand Rapids Chicks of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League disbanded when that league dissolved in the early 1950s.

(The Chicks, by the way, won playoff pennants in 1947 and 1953)

The Whitecaps is a Class A Minor League baseball team that became a Tigers' affiliate in 1997.

The team is also one of just a few teams in professional baseball with a privately-owned stadium built without relying on taxpayer money.

 

 

Area baseball fans helped name the Whitecaps in a contest staged by the team in 1993, which saw 1800 fans enter suggestions, coming up with 100 different possibilities. The name Whitecaps, entered by 22 different fans, became the team's moniker because it referenced the area's proximity to Lake Michigan and harkened back to a baseball tradition where many teams took names from their wearing apparel (White Sox, Red Sox).

Thank goodness some of the other suggestions like Office Workers, MugWumps, Fruit Flies or Wet Sox did not prevail!

The Whitecaps first took the field in 1994 and became the first professional sports team in town to win a championship in 1996. The team also went on to win Midwest League Championships in 1998, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

Whitecaps fans see many players who go on to play major league baseball, as well as many major leaguers who play a few games with the team during injury-rehab stints with the Whitecaps.

Seeing a game at the Comstock Park stadium is a lot of fun, and you definitely won't go hungry.

The ball park has a pretty amazing array of concession choices that include the infamous Fifth Third Burger, a four pound hunk of meat that costs $24 and clocks in at 4,800 calories. Few fans, by the way, meet the challenge of eating that burger, and there are plenty more human-sized meals and snacks at the ball park.

 

 

I saw a cart offering Lobster Macaroni 'n' Cheese, and folks who know me know what we (yes, it was big enough for two of us to share) ended up eating at the ball park that day!

The team also has three different mascots that include Crash the River Rascal, Franky the Swimming Pig and the newest addition to the team, Roxy the River Rascal. No, I'm not sure what a river rascal is, and I don't know the history behind Franky the Swimming Pig, but the mascot team, like other minor league mascots, is a lot of fun to watch and offers a lot of family-friendly contests and antics.

 

 

The team plays 70 home games and 70 road games each season competing in the 16-team Midwest League, and tickets, like other minor league sports games, are pretty affordable ($6-$14 per ticket).

Connect online with the Whitecaps on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

The team is also very good about keeping in touch with their fans and ticket buyers online. Tim bought a batch of tickets to the game for us and several other family members. He received an email a few days before the game with some helpful tips about parking, directions to the stadium and links to information about the Whitecaps' roster and stats, as well as a link to the opposing team's site. He also received an email the day after the game we attended to thank us for going to the game, with links to information about future Whitecaps' games. I'd say that was a pretty effective use of social media and marketing.

Want to learn more about baseball in major and minor leagues in the Midwest? Check out Baseball Road Trips: The Midwest and Great Lakes by Timothy Mullin.

Also check out my recent stories about other teams in the Midwest League: Fort Wayne fans cheer on their Tin Caps baseball team and Seventh-Inning Stretch with the Lansing Lug Nuts' Big Lug.

© Dominique King 2014 All rights reserved

Fort Wayne fans cheer on their Tin Caps baseball team

Fans in Fort Wayne, Indiana, really love their baseball team!

Their love for the Tin Caps was certainly evident, even as the team lost to league rivals, the Dayton Dragons, during a recent game at home. Fans remained upbeat and fully behind their team, with few of the 9000-plus crowd leaving before the game's end or the short fireworks show that capped the evening.

We always like watching minor league baseball or hockey games when we travel because they seem like a lot more fun and the fans seem a lot more enthusiastic than the fans at Big League games in our experience.

The team celebrated Social Media Night with hash tag, Twitter and Instagram contests as well as a visit from Jake the Diamond Dog, who delivered game balls to the pitcher, took water to the umpires during the game, caught flying discs and delivered flowers to a fan chosen as the Sweetheart of the Game.

Tin Caps' fans seemed especially spirited when we were at their Parkview Field, and that made the game a winning experience for us!

The Tin Caps, a Class A minor league baseball team in the Midwest League affiliated with the San Diego Padres, won their first Midwest League Championship in 2009 and clinched playoff spots in subsequent seasons. I'm sure that gives fans plenty to cheer about and fuel hope for many more winning games to come.

The team, established in 1993 at Fort Wayne, actually dates back to 1947 when they were the part of the Illinois League as a team from Mattoon, Illinois. The team moved to Keokuk, Iowa in 1958, then to Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin in 1963, then to Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1984 before coming to Fort Wayne in 1993.

The Fort Wayne team started life in that city as the Fort Wayne Wizards and as a farm team for the Minnesota Twins before becoming a San Diego Padres affiliate in 1999.

Fans filled the team's old Memorial Stadium, breaking a record for attendance during the 1993 season when 318,506 fans cheered on the team.

The Wizards performed a disappearing act in at the end of the 2008 season, reappearing in 2009 with a new baseball stadium and a new name.

Parkview Field in the heart of downtown Fort Wayne opened its doors in 2009, and fans set a new season attendance record of 378,529 during a record-setting 94 wins that first season in the team's new home.

The team's new name, the Tin Caps, was a tip of the hat to John Chapman (also known as "Johnny Appleseed") who lived in Fort Wayne for a few years before his death and burial there at the age of 70 in 1845.

Appleseed looms large in legend, especially if you grew up watching the fictionalized Disney shorts and feature films about his life as a planter of apple trees and orchards throughout the Midwest, which portrayed him as wearing a tin sauce pan as a hat. Historians dispute many of these accounts of Appleseed and his eccentric apparel, but there's no question that the figure looms large at Parkview Field.

The team's mascot "Johnny" busily encouraged fans to cheer and support the team throughout the entire game.

Meanwhile, the story of Johnny Appleseed gives me yet another reason to return to Fort Wayne---to seek out his gravesite and learn more about the life of John Chapman, the man behind the legend.

The Tin Caps, like many minor league teams, offer great affordable and family-friendly fun with tickets ranging from $5 for a lawn seat to $8, $9 or $12.50 for reserved seats. There didn't seem to be a bad seat in the house, although I'd suggest those going to an evening game to consider trying to purchase tickets along the third baseline as the setting sun can make it difficult to see some of the action if you're sitting a ways out along the first baseline.

Thanks to Visit Fort Wayne for sponsoring my recent visit to Fort Wayne, Indiana, providing lodging, meals and help arranging interviews and tours of area attractions for my review, with no further compensation. I was free to express my own opinions about this stay and experiences, and the opinions expressed here are mine.

© Dominique King 2014 All rights reserved

Photo Friday: Fireworks at the Tin Caps baseball game in Fort Wayne, Indiana

This image somehow feels appropriate today!

I'm finding that more and more baseball organizations offer post-game fireworks on at least a few evenings every season, and we were lucky enough to catch the fireworks following a TinCaps baseball game recently in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

 

 

Look for a story here at Midwest Guest later this month about the TinCaps, a Class A minor league affiliate to the San Diego Padres.

Thanks to Visit Fort Wayne for sponsoring my recent visit to Fort Wayne, Indiana, providing lodging, meals and help arranging interviews and tours of area attractions for my review, with no further compensation. I was free to express my own opinions about this stay and experiences, and the opinions expressed here are mine.

© Dominique King 2014 All rights reserved

Midwest travel links for May 2014

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

Seeing Red: How to fly with the Cardinals in St. Louis-Attending a hockey, baseball or other local sporting event while you're traveling is one of the best ways to experience a town like a local. Here Terri gives visitors to St. Louis a few tips and a list of suggested reads at the Off The Beaten Page Travel blog to help them experience a Cardinals game like a pro!

Watching the Lugnuts in Lansing, Michigan

Disability Access at Cedar Point-Jessie loves amusement parks like Ohio's Cedar Point. Mobility problems or other disability challenges? No problem says Jessie as she shows readers at the Wandering Educators blog how to easily enjoy a great day at the park with their families.

Film history abounds in Ohio-What do movies like "The Fortune Cookie", "The Shawshank Redemption", "Back Home in Indiana" and the more recent "Draft Day" have in common? Check out Vince's post at the Discovering Ohio blog to find out how filming for at least part of each of these films took place in Ohio.  

Have You Forgotten about Louis Bromfield?-Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield wrote many books, with some of them providing the basis for a dozen Hollywood films over the years. Bee takes us on a tour of his home at Ohio's Malabar Farm, which also provided a key scene for one of Hollywood's great romances-the wedding of Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart. Check it out at beesfirstappearance blog.

Peoria, IL: Caterpillar Visitors Center-Adam says a visit to the Caterpillar Visitors Center was especially appealing to his four-year-old son, but this sounds like a fun experience to me, too. Climbing on tractors, pushing buttons, "driving" the machines...yup, I'd be all about it! Check this unique, interactive museum out at the Visit Flyover Country blog.

Wheels O' Time-Positively Delightful!-What began as a barn built by a couple of car enthusiasts to store their growing car collections in 1978 is now a multi-building museum housing a collection that includes antique cars, trucks, clocks, model trains, toys and a train engine with a caboose where visitors can climb aboard in Dunlap, Illinois. Check out Maureen's story about it at her Positively Tuesday blog.

Love checking out unusual vehicles. This one is at the Gilmore Car Museum in Kalamazoo, Michigan

Preparing for the Final Bout of 2014-Check out roller derby action in Cincinnati with Ronny at the Queen City Discovery blog. I remember watching women's roller derby on late-night television years ago, and my hairdresser has been in roller derby teams around town. This seems like a sign to me that I should finally get out to see a bout one of these days!

The South Haven Lakeshore by Day-I love following Aaron's travels online where he likes sharing his adventures in coffeehouses and around Midwest locations like this beach lighthouse in western Michigan at his The Adventures of elATLboy blog. By the way, congrats to Aaron and Erin on their recent marriage! Here's to many happy travels ahead for the two of you.  

Capturing the Spirit-I always like seeing what is happening in the tourism industry around the Midwest, so I appreciated seeing Muriel's take on the marketing efforts of various Nebraska-based groups and destinations. Check it out this group of videos Muriel collected at the Nebraska Outback blog.

Driftless for a Day: Hiking Wayalusing State Park-Kenneth takes readers of the Wisconsin Explorer blog on a hike at one of the state's great state parks. Wyalusing sits where the Wisconsin River meets The Mississippi River and you'll see plenty of images of views from the park's 600-foot-tall bluffs and along the park's Sentinel Ridge Trail.

That's it for this month's Midwest travel links list. Do you have any favorite Midwest stories or blogs to share?

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© Dominique King 2014 All rights reserved

Seventh-Inning Stretch with the Lansing Lug Nuts' Big Lug

We love going to minor-league baseball games during the summer.

Lansing, Michigan is an easy day trip for us, and we've already traveled out to see their Class A minor league baseball team, the Lansing Lug Nuts, a couple of times this season.

It's always a fun and affordable experience, and one of the best things about it is that you can usually get great seats that are much closer to the action than you could ever score at a major league game.

How close?

A recent game found us just behind the dugout along the third-base line, putting us in a prime position to see the Lug Nuts' cheerleaders perform the traditional "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" song and cut loose a little bit with the Big Lug mascot (a purple dinosaur or all things) for a spirited seventh-inning stretch dance!

Be sure to check out my story about our first visit to a Lug Nuts game last year for more about the team and how to join the fun yourself.

© Dominique King 2014 All rights reserved