Willie Nelson couldn't have said it any better..."Just can't wait to get on the road again"!!
While we're not making music, the sound of pads popping is like music to my ears. Yes, high school football is in the air, and I can't stop taking deep breaths of it!
Since August 12th, High School Football America has visited South Bend, Indiana; New Buffalo, Michigan; Roseto, Pennsylvania (3 days) and Rockville, Indiana. Judging by the jump in hits to the website, everyone is enjoying High School Football America's inside look at the Pius X High School Football program. Your all-access pass will continue through the entire season.
This past Saturday, Trish and I ventured 180 miles south of Chicago to Rockville, Indiana to begin preparing for our first visit of the 2010 season. We'll head back to the town of 2,900 Friday night for the Rockville Rox home opener against Covington.
The side story on Friday night will be the fact that Rockville is situated in the heart of Parke County, which is known as the "Covered Bridge Capital of the World". There are 31 of these magnificent structures along five color-coded routes that total approximately 161 miles of driving. We ventured along the 'yellow route" on Saturday, starting at the West Union Bridge, which at 315 feet long is slightly longer than a football field. The bridge is closed to traffic, but the next one, the Marshall Bridge (pictured above), isn't.
The oldest bridges date back to between 1856 and 1860.
As we drove around the 34 mile yellow route, we let our minds dance back to a bygone era when people weren't as lucky to be driving the route in a car.
We were surprised at how much wooded area was in this part of the country...I always thought Indiana had nothing but flat farmland.
We ended the night at the Thirty-Six Saloon where we enjoyed a well-prepared walleye platter and a porterhouse steak, served by a very friendly staff. The Thirty-Six Saloon is also a taxidermist's dream with a wide array of stuffed animals ranging from a rattlesnake to a mountain lion.
However, when we return on Friday night, we'll be hunting for some good ole' fashion small town high school football.
