Field of Dreams Movie Site in Iowa

Comments 2 by Rebecca Bollwitt

During our trip to Iowa this time around we made it to the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville. Tour bus loads of baseball teams, families on picnic blankets, and old friends playing a round of catch all flock to this site made famous by Hollywood.

Field of Dreams - Dyersville, Iowa Field of Dreams Movie Site in Dyersville, Iowa

Field of Dreams Movie Site in Dyersville, Iowa

Left field bleechers (near where Shoeless Joe would play) Field of Dreams Movie Site in Dyersville, Iowa

Field of Dreams - Dyersville, Iowa

Although it was the first time I felt the green velvet of left field between my toes like Shoeless Joe this place has had a special meaning to me for some time.

Outfield

To warm myself up for our slow sizzling days in Iowa I have been reading the book Shoeless Joe, upon which the film Field of Dreams was based. We played catch in the outfield as occasionally the ball would skip past us and disappear into the corn. WP Kinsella does a far better job of describing the simple magic of an Iowa cornfield than I ever could.

Field of Dreams - Dyersville, Iowa

“The fading sun was a rich orange; the shadows of the tall light standards reached across the field like long black arms. Yards away, the mysterious green and gold corn rustled like delicate guests in conversation.”

Rows of corn

Baseball + Corn

Leaving Iowa this afternoon I reflected back on our trip as though I was a school-child writing a report about “what I did this summer.”

I watched a 4th of July parade pass by the front of the house while a flag snapped above us in the wind. I strolled the banks of the Mississippi and climbed up to watch boats dance in its flow from the bluffs above. And well, I walked down the dusty streets of John’s hometown to buy a bottle of tequila from the grocery store so the family could make margaritas with dinner.

Sparkler Heart

Through all of these experiences, John would lean in to me and say, “this is my Iowa,” and I’m pretty thankful that he’s let me into his world and his family to explore this wonderful place.

Current Contests on Miss604
*All contests are open to residents of Canada only, unless otherwise stated. Contest timelines are published on each individual post along with entry methods. Some contests may only be open to those 19 years of age and older. Winners are announced on the contest blog posts. Contest policy »

2 Comments  —  Comments Are Closed

  1. Mom-In-LawTuesday, July 13th, 2010 — 7:20pm PDT

    What a beautiful tribute to John and his home state! We love having you be a part of our branch of the Bollwitt family. Great pictures too.

  2. KyleThursday, August 26th, 2010 — 10:30am PDT

    Found your blog when doing searches for Grant Wood (you had an old post about a trip to Iowa, posted “Stone City, IA”). I grew up in rural Eastern Iowa, but began my artistic professional career four years ago in NYC. As grateful as I am for the experience, I’ve become more and more enamored with my home state’s landscape and culture. I may be moving to Vancouver in the next few months, so city life will be in my future for a bit yet. However, there’s something about Iowa that, for some of us, draws us back after leaving. Grant Wood himself said “I had to go to France to appreciate Iowa.” A lot of people probably don’t appreciate his work, even though he’s a ‘home-town hero’ for Iowans. But as you’ve said, a lot of people just don’t know Iowa. Thanks for sharing.

Also on Miss604.com
«
»