Field of Dreams Still Rocks

It's been 20 years since we all heard the question, "Is this heaven?"

As well as the answer: "No, it's Iowa."

This past Sunday, I took my recently arrived family to Dyersville to see the main site of "Field Of Dreams," the ballfield, white farm house and rows and rows of corn where the supposed Hall of Fame major-league players came and went. Happy to say, it still looks just like the film. Even the bleachers and lights are up.

It was my second trip; I took my parents, who visited last month, up there. That time, I played catch with my dad on the field. Unlike the main character in the film, I'm happy to say my father always was there to play catch with me. He instilled a love of sports that lasts to this day.

That's something I want for my daughters. So, this time, my wife, Denise, daughters Victoria and Alexandra and I all had fun on the field, hitting baseballs, playing catch and running the bases, just like thousands of others have done the past two decades. We even walked out to the corn field past the outfield and went deep in search of Shoeless Joe Jackson. Found corn, no Joe.

We had a picnic on the grass in front of the house, talked about Kevin Costner and that cute little girl who almost choked on the hot dog -- yes my daughters, ages 7 and 4, have seen and enjoyed the movie with some help from mom -- and bought souvenirs.

We later drove up to the bluffs that frame the Mississippi River in Guttenberg and marveled at that mighty body of water and the quaint little town, and promised to come back and spend more time.

And, on a sunny, breezy, postcard-perfect day in early November, we agreed that this indeed was heaven.

 OPon a picture-perfect early November day, realized something many of you already know.