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Day 23: On the road again
SOUTH BELOIT (Illinois, USA) => AKRON (Ohio, USA) - On Monday, Day 23 of our trip, the team woke up early, as we had a long travel day ahead of us, an 8-hour bus-ride to Akron (Ohio). There, the team will play its next and last 4-game series, which starts on Wednesday.
By the way, today it was exactly one year ago that the Dutch National Softball Team qualied for the Olympic Games in Beijing.
On this date last year, the Dutch won 3-2 in eight innings against Italy at Ronchi Dei Legionari (Italy) in the final game of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
We left the hotel in South Beloit around 8:45 AM and for your information, on our way to Akron, we started by taking the I-90, which brought us by Rockford, Elgin, Schaumberg and Chicago.
About two hours in our drive, we reached the border of Illinois and Idiana.
As soon as we passed the border, it was noticeable that there were a lot of signs besides the roads, which advertised Firework Stores, but also an Adult Superstore & Boutique.
OK, back to the road again. We drove by the northern border of Indiana, then into Ohio, driving by cities like Gary and South Bend.
Somewhat over three hours in our trip, we took a break to take lunch, which we did in Elkhart (Indiana).
Then, our busdriver Gary Cychosz (pictured right), continued his ride, going by several cities, including some familiar names like Angola, Montpellier, Genoa, Milan and Berlin Heights, but also Middlebury, Howe, Lagrange, Fremont, Archbold, Wauseon, Delta, Toledo, the Huron River, Elmore, Elynia, North Ridgeville, North Royalton and Richfield, before finally arriving in Akron.
During our ride to Akron, we saw three DVD-movies.
We first started with ''Facing the Giants'' (2006), directed by Alex Kendrick, who also starred as a losing coach of a Christian High School with an underdog American football-team, who uses his faith to battle the giants of fear and failure. Of course, in the end, his team wins the state championship.
The next movie was ''Hoosiers'' (1986), directed by David Anspaugh. Gene Hackman played coach Norman Dale, who had a past, and Dennis Hopper played Skooter, a local drunk. The two train a small high school basketball-team in Indiana (by the way, we saw the movie when we drove in Indiana) to become a top contender in the championship. Yes, you guessed right, the team wins. By the way, Dennis Hopper was nominated for an Oscar for his role in this movie, as was the music by conductor Jerry Goldsmith.
The last movie was ''Men of Honor'' (2000), which tells the story of Carl Brashear, the first African American, then the first amputee, to become a US Navy Diver, and the man who trained him. Cuba Gooding, Jr. does a great job playing Brashaer, while Robert De Niro played Chief Diver Billy Sunday. The film was directed by George Tillman, Jr.
After arriving at the hotel in Akron, the players unloaded the bus, while five staff-members were picking up the vans for our daily transport from the hotel to the field or other locations.
Hereafter, we all went to dinner and that ended Day 23. Tomorrow, the first practice will be conducted in Akron, then on Wednesday, Game One is scheduled against the Akron Racers.
Early Monday-morning, we left the Ramada Inn at South Beloit
In the bus for an 8-hour ride to Akron
On the road again
After somewhat over 3 hours, time for a lunch
At the restaurant, we Dutch Apple Pies were looking to us
Britt Vonk, Jolanda Kroesen, Saskia Kosterink and
Rebecca Soumeru during the break
Noémi Boekel and Debby Connor, who makes a
quick call home during the lunch-break
After lunch, it's back on to the bus
And back on the road again
One of the many moments to pay toll
After arrival at the hotel, players lined up to unload the bus
And then, all the luggage had to be moved to the rooms
Go back to the schedule of the 2nd USA Tour
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