Saturday, June 9, 2012

Lambeau field

Monday 6/4 Day 45
So one of my original goals for this trip was to go through Green Bay and go to Lambeau field and tour some real football history. Then I cut it off the list because of how far north I was going. But since I was staying just north of Ocanto I was able to go into Green Bay and see it. Chuck helped me out by dropping me and my bike off in the city early in the morning and I would just ride home from there when I was done. he was headed south for business for the next couple of days and dropped me off right in front of the field and we said our goodbyes.



From here I walked around the stadium and found out when the walking tour was and when the museum opened up. They have a huge Green Bay Packers museum underneath the field which was amazing. Even if you don't like the Packers it is cool because you can see where a lot of the first big names came from. I spent an hour and a half going through the museum watching movies and looking brought all the information they had. One thing that I really admired was the old grass field that got muddy or had snow on it. Those guys in the past really played to play, and they took it as it came. One of the championships the Packers won against the Cowboys was called the "Ice Bowel" because it was about -15 during the game. And to finish it off I saw their 4 Lombardi trophies. I almost felt bad that the Broncos took away one of their opportunities in 98.
After this I took the walking tour around the field and was able to see the stadium first hand. My tour guides Grant and Lee, not the civil war generals, were very enthusiastic Green Bay Packer fans. They took me to the luxury suits, down the tunnel the Packers run out, and out by the field. They also said the waiting list for season tickets for the Packers is 97,000 people long, impossible to get them now. But they are building onto the stadium so it will hold almost 80,000 people. The funny thing is that there are only 100,000 people that live in Green Bay. It was a great morning and it was great to learn some of he history behind the legends of football.
After the tour I was starving and I discovered one of he greatest inventions ever!!! All you can eat pizza hut lunch for six bucks. Let's just say I got my monies worth with two salads, eating almost a pizza and a half, and topping that with five or six bread sticks. I just kept pumping it in.
After lunch came the railroad museum. It really was not that informative on the history of the railroad but it had quite a few engines. One being the big boy steam engine witch I think 16 wheels. It was huge or some would say it was a big boy!! I did not spend to much time here and afterwords I made my way through downtown. In downtown I ran into some construction. Now it is always difficult to say whether I should ride through it or find another way. Today I road through it. Pulled off ever couple of blocks to let the traffic pass me. Thank you traffic for being nice to me :). Once I got through the city it was a pleasant ride back north. It was about 40 miles, all flat, and I had no weight so I was going pretty quick. As I approached home for the night I stopped at this pier to watch Lake Michigan, well Green Bay. Across from where I was at I could see Door County. And to the north I could see nothing, the lake is huge. After a while I went home.
After taking a shower Mel took me out for a steak dinner. He is a very caring a giving person who has spent a large portion of life serving his country, community, and most importantly his family. During dinner I learned of his role through WW2, in Northern Africa and Italy. He was a deliverer. He could drive any piece of machinery and he would get things to where they needed to be. He told me about one time when he was driving his jeep down an open road at 90 mph to avoid enemy fire and to get a message out. He managed to get through the war without a major injury or pointing a riffle at the enemy. Oh another story he told me of a close call, was one night when his position was gettin shelled. Him an another soldier could not see anything except a truck to hide under, so they did. And in the morning when the firing stopped and the light came out they realized they were hiding under a ammunition truck.
This was the third person I had stayed with in a week that had served this country. Chip served during Vietnam, Rodger served during the 80's and 90's, and Mel during WW2. They all were willing to share stories and advice, all amazing people. And I just have to thank them again, if it was not for them and what they gave up, I would not have been able to do this trip and many other things in my life. They all sacrificed more than I can even begin to imagine and I'm sure are still caring some of the burdens that they picked up from war,but aprietiate them even more for that sacrifice. when I said thanks to Mel, he said,"well you know that's just what we had to do. " This struck me, this is the good hearted, good intention America I have been seeing on this trip. Setting out to do something because we believe it is right and good.
I wolfed down a steak, baked potato, dinner roles, and a bowel of chicken pot pie soup. Very good meal. After this feast Mel took me for a tour of his town, peshtigo. Home to the most destructive fire in USA history. Believe it or not it happened the same day as the Chicago fire, more people were killed and more of the city was burned, but Chicago was a bigger named city. Mel showed me his seven kids grew up, where he worked, and where he lived now. And afterwards we went home.
I really aprietied this night and learning about Mel and where he has gone in life. He is 88 and still kicking strong he had so much valuable information to share.

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