5 more wakeups until the season opener at Kinnick Stadium. The beginning of the Iowa Hawkeye football season is always a special time for me.
I travel about 3 1/2 hours each way to watch the games, so I better be enjoying each and every game. And, that better include the trip along the way. I almost always ride with my dad and sister. Most of the time my uncle comes with, too.
There’s a McDonald’s that we normally stop at about 45 minutes west of Sycamore, IL just off of I-88. You can’t travel on an empty stomach and this is normally where the eating begins for me. One number 3 with a medium coke. This year I’ll be switching to water since I’ve all but given up on pop.
There’s a little gas station about 15 minutes on the Illinois side of the river. We always stop there for snacks and bathrooms. I don’t know the town or the chain, but I normally end up with some good junk food there. I don’t like their pizza, but my dad met the owner at a bowl game a couple years ago and was staggered by the amount of pizza the place sells. Something about a captive market for the locals and the road warriors. There are very few other options nearby.
We stop at the gas station just off of the highway in Iowa City. More pop and junk food for us. My dad normally picks up a six pack of beer, but I think he has given up on beer this year.
Just before we park, we always laugh at the Kum ‘N Go gas station. Seriously, who thought up that name.
We either risk parking illegally on a little street just at the bottom of the hill before crossing the river or we park by the court house. Then begins my favorite pre-game tradition. The walk up the hill. I love hearing my family complain about the walk for some reason. Maybe I’m just a little slap happy from being so close to kick off time.
My sister and I enter the stadium immediately. She likes to watch the stretching. I like avoiding the last second crowd. My dad and uncle walk in at the last second. Normally right as the ball is being kicked off. I have no idea how they magically time it so well.
After the game, we listen to the talk shows until we lose the signal. We always stop in Bettendorf for dinner on the way home. I grew up there, so we know the area very well. Sometimes Carlos O’Kelly. Sometimes a local pizza chain. Sometimes Arby’s. But we always stop at Whitey’s for ice cream before we get back on the highway.
People start drifting off to sleep at this point as we listen to other games or watch DVDs until we get home.
Sometimes I think the road trip is almost as entertaining as the game. All the stories we tell and complaining about the refs normally make the trip go by quickly.
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