The Labor Day weekend travel itinerary

Another exciting Catholic centered holiday weekend is fast approaching and I cannot wait! I won't be adding any new states this go around, but I will be adding 2 new airports, Detroit and Milwaukee. That will bring my grand total thus far to 9.

It's going to start with another Red-eyed turn around. After leaving work in Washington DC at 11 PM on Friday the 4th, I have to be at the hotel parking lot outside of Dulles no later than 3:20 AM. That includes about an hour of driving, shower, change of clothes etc...

My plane leaves Dulles at 6:10 AM EST. I will fly to Detroit and, after a brief layover, on to Milwaukee. I have to hit the rental car desk and then I drive to Hubertus to the National Shrine of Mary, help of Christians. aka "Holy Hill"

I intend to attend 11:00 AM Mass which will be my 3rd consecutive "First Saturday" Mass, all in churches I never attended Mass at before. (Chapel of Saint Therese in Rhode Island, Shrine of the Miraculous Medal in Philadelphia)

A really exciting part of this site will be visiting the chapel of Saint Therese of Lisieux. This will literally be my 5th encounder with The little Flower in less than a year.

In October, I encountered her at the Basilica in Lisieux, France. In November, I had the opportunity to venerate her relics again at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC. The next was in on Martin Luther King day in January, at her chapel in Illinois. The temperature was 0 degrees and the wind chill was -22. Then, I visited her chapel in Rhode Island on July 4th. The temperature was 95. Talk about contrasts!

After leaving Holy Hill, I travel about 45 minutes to the town of Manitowoc.

That is a town known for Ice Machines.

Kind of surreal for me because I used to work on them some 35 years ago.

In Manitowoc, I meet up with the other members of our group. We will go out for dinner and drinks then crash at the hotel.

In the morning, we will drive to Champion, the site of one of only about 2 dozen approved Marian apparitions in the world (the only one in America).

I visited it as part of that trip in January and I'm thrilled to go back.

After leaving there, we travel to Green Bay and one of the most famous NFL stadiums in history, Lambeau field- home of the Packers.

The Notre Dame fighting Irish will square off against the Wisconsin Badgers in what could be the kickoff of a championship season. Check out our season preview.

After the game, we return to the hotel and I fly back the next day. looks to be a very exciting weekend!