Hello Wisconsin!

Right now I'm in Milwaukee, on what has sort of become my annual attend-baseball-games-in-places-I-haven't-been-before trip. After arriving at O'Hare yesterday, I hopped in my rental car and drove north to the Badger State, bringing my states-I've-visited count to 35. Right across the border is the community of Big Foot, where, along with the nearby town of Walworth, are several Big Foot attractions -- Big Foot Inn, Big Foot Car Wash, Big Foot Cemetery, Big Foot High School...

To my dismay, they all refer to a 19th-century Indian chief who once called the area home.

But wait!

Further up the road, near Lake Geneva, is Bigfoot Archers, where I read they use a full-size Bigfoot for target practice! When I got there he was locked in a storage shed (along with all these other full-size figures of lions, rabbits, zebras, etc.), but the guy who runs the place let me see him.

So here's Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers, the 25th stadium where I've attended a big-league ballgame (19 of which are still in use, the other six are defunct). Ballparks are often referred to as cathedrals, but this humongous stadium, with its giant glass-filled arches, fits the description far better than any other. Despite its location in a sea of parking lots and freeways (not to mention its meager beer selection -- they have any kind you'd want, so long as it's Miller), it's pretty fantastic. For the record, the Suds thumped the 'Stros, 11-2, and Guido won the Sausage Race.

Speaking of wieners, here's Superdawg, Chicago's kickass hot dog drive-in, where I had lunch yesterday. Today I'm headed back to the Windy City, where I plan to hit more such spots. And a couple more ballgames.