Tuesday 4 June 2013

Get Your Kicks

Tuesday morning found us across the border in Joliet, northern Illinois, prepped for a retro cruise south down Route 66 toward St. Louis.

Our first stop was a pure maple 'sirup' shop in Funks Grove, and after pulling up to an isolated wood cabin flanked by rocking chairs and a wood chipper out back, we feared for our lives. However, the lady inside turned out to be not homicidal and we made it out with organic sirup that we purchased voluntarily.


Later in Atlanta, IL we found a giant statue of Paul Bunyon holding a hot dog, and ate patty melts at a 50s style diner across the street. Turns out the patty melts would come back to haunt us as we found our car nearly out of gas and our stomachs full of it.

After an important fuel pitstop in Mt. Olive (which randomly earned us two scratchers for half-priced Cardinals tickets that didn't actually scratch), we hit the capital of Springfield to tour Lincoln's law offices, pay our respects to the original floorboards and contemplate the relevance of Sarah Palin bobble head dolls in the gift shop.

By evening, we crossed the mighty Mississip into St. Louis and found a view of the gateway arch from our hotel room.

Busch Stadium was a sea of cardinal-red-clad, fired up Midwesterners who were passionate about the team. Their opponents, the Arizona D-backs, blew a 3-run lead, which seemed to signal their sure demise as the Big Mac deck in left field started rocking to the comeback. To everyone's shock, however, Allen Craig and the hometown birds couldn't deliver that game-winning hit in the 9th, and this one would go to extras.

5 extras, to be exact. By the 14th inning, shortly after midnight, these birds would be snake-bitten by a Paul Goldschmidt single with a man on. Thomas and I were secretly rooting for a Diamondback win, (though the St. Louis fans were supportive and rowdy, I just don't admire Matt Holliday's 'tude' and the Cards' playoff luck) so this was another 'W' in my book, and also another 'W' by the visiting team on our trip.

Diamondbacks 7, Cardinals 6: F/14

 

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