The Friendly Confines

Given that the Cubs are 0-for-6 in games that we've watched in person, it's a good thing that we didn't get tickets to last night's game. Because if we had, everyone probably wouldn't still be buzzing about David Bote's pinch hit, two-strike, two-out, walk-off grand slam to beat the Nationals 4-3!!! HOLY COW!

So we'll settle for a behind-the-scenes Wrigley Field tour today instead!

Gotta Catch 'Em All

Since Pacific Crest was officially ending their tour today, their last order of business was to clean up their housing site, and then go back to Lucas Oil Stadium to watch the final 12 corps compete. Because all of the kids from all of the corps are descending upon the Indianapolis airport in the wee hours for their flights home on Sunday, we thought it would be easier to pick up M's stuff before it was loaded onto the buses and have him walk back to our room at the Hampton Inn downtown instead of dealing with mass of humanity at IND. Totally worth the 90-minute round trip to Hauser Jr./Sr. High School in Hope, IN this morning!

Here's to the Ones Who Dream

Pacific Crest 2018 DCI Tour

Does this sound like a summer of fun to you?

• Rehearsing countless hours a day in the sun, heat, humidity, insects, rain... 
• Catching a few hours of sleep on the floors of school gyms or while riding on the bus
• Traveling with a small army of performers, instructors, staff, and volunteers in a fleet of buses, equipment trucks, RVs, and a mobile kitchen
• Performing in venues across the country over the course of 6+ weeks

#23

No, in this case #23 does not refer to Michael Jordan. Sandwiched between the two terms of Grover Cleveland was Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States. The only POTUS to hail from Indiana, the house where he lived in Indianapolis is now a national historic landmark. Since we had a free morning before M's semi-final performance with Pacific Crest at Lucas Oil Stadium, we decided to check out the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, about 1.5 miles from our hotel downtown. 

Love the bunting on the porch railings!

Looking for Lincoln

So, we're here for our annual trek back to Illinois. The primary purpose for this trip is to watch M conclude his summer-long drum and bugle corps tour with Pacific Crest at DCI Championships in Indianapolis. We're also spending some time with family, too. Unfortunately, we won't be visiting any new NPS units. 😢

But there are always NPS passport cancellations to collect, which is what brought us to Atlanta, IL today.

First stop - Atlanta Public Library for the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area stamp!