Road trip to Metropolis?

I should've taken this trip two years ago, back when I could hop in the car on a whim and go virtually anywhere within driving distance (money permitting, of course). The trip probably would've been more fun this summer, however.

Metropolis: The only reason I could think of to drive to southern Illinois.

Maybe I'll still pack up the car one weekend. According to Mapquest, Metropolis is about the same distance from Ann Arbor as Iowa City (give or take an hour).

Any place with a Superman statue right in the middle of town, a newspaper named The Planet, a Superman museum, and a Superman superstore has to be worth an eight-hour drive.

And this year, the city's annual Superman celebration (17 years running) was on my birthday. How perfect would that have been? Man, if only I'd been paying attention. Oh well - maybe next year. And by then, maybe I could fit into some blue tights without completely embarrassing myself.

Believe it or not, Metropolis took its name before Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster named Superman's base of operations in the comic book. (Actually, it was named before Superman's creators were even born.) And it's the only Metropolis in the United States.

What do you think, K-Dog? Would it be worth leaving the wife and kids for a weekend to check out Metropolis, IL? Bring 'em all back some souvenirs. They'll understand.