Patriotism in Omaha's Old Market

I'm not sure what this jazzed up version of Lady Liberty in Omaha's Old Market is holding in her left hand. I like to think of it as a menu for one of the area's great restaurants.

Nebraska Guidebook (by me) Coming Soon

I'm thrilled to report I'm writing my first book this summer. I've written for newspapers and magazines for almost 20 years, so it's about time I got around to penning a non-fiction book too.

The project is a travel guidebook for Countryman Press to be named An Explorer's Guide: Nebraska. (It will look a bit like the Iowa version above, but uh, obviously it won't show Iowa.) It gives me license to travel this summer to all the spots in my home state I've yet to visit.
Stay tuned for some of the fun and strange stuff I spot along the way.

(To check out a few of the publisher's other books, visit http://www.countrymanpress.com/.)

Affordable Horseplay at Camp Pokamoke

Having a horse-crazy daughter when you own no horse can be a problem - and an expensive one to fix.

The YMCA's Camp Pokamoke comes to my rescue each year with summer day camps to keep my equestrian-minded kid busy learning about, caring for and, of course, riding horses. Never has my eight-year-old daughter come home as absolutely filthy, exhausted and happy as when she attends Pokamoke.

The camp includes more than 100 acres of hilly forests in the Iowa Bluffs near Crescent. You only have to find it on Family Night though, because each day buses pick up and return campers to their local Y branches.

Campers in the horse riding sessions also partake in traditional camp activities like swimming, hiking and crafts. Sessions for kids unconcerned with the horsey life include mountain biking, archaeology, archery and soccer. Most week-long camps cost $150-190 - far less than some local stables charge. Plan to spend a little extra for camp t-shirts, Family Night dinners and a candy store allowance.

Pokamoke is an excellent entry point to traditional camp life before kids commit to a sleep-away camp. To check out which sessions are still available, visit www.metroymca.org.

Strategy tip: For the best selection, register for camp in January. First-time campers will enjoy the self-guided open house tours. Watch for special horse-related events at other times of the year.

My favorite theme park-style agri-tainment

The name is so misleading. Even if Vala's Pumpkin Patch didn't have a single pumpkin, it probably wouldn't slow down the about 130,000 people who flock there to Gretna, Neb. each fall to create lasting family memories. It's like a theme park that's only open six weeks per year.

The fun spans 152 acres so wearing comfy shoes is a must. You can also get a workout driving the four-person peddle cars, bouncing on the giant air pillows and hiking through the three-acre corn maze. Relax by taking in the pig races, the skeleton band or a magic show. Fuel back up with turkey legs, kettle corn or my weakness - funnel cake. Other not-to-miss events include the pumpkin-chomping dragon show and the pumpkin-chuckin' cannon. Ok, I guess the pumpkins are important...

Spending a day or evening at Vala's isn't cheap, but discount coupons are available in the Omaha area. Churches and companies often reserve campfire pits and offer members reduced-price tickets. Regular prices range from $9.75-12.75.

Visit http://www.valaspumpkinpatch.com/ for more info. on operating hours.

Strategy tip: Be sure to bring extra money for things like apple slingshots, train rides and impulse concessions. Save money by eating a normal meal before you arrive.

Borrow a Book - and a Cake Pan

I love this idea of adding cake pan collections to the items available for checkout at local libraries. I spotted these pans at the library in small town Atkinson, Neb. and I know other small towns in the state do something similar. Since most of these towns don't have big box superstores nearby, I can imagine it's very handy. I can also appreciate the idea of not forking over $12 to create a never-gonna-make-it-again fire truck cake.

If you haven't been to your local library lately, check it out. You never know what you may find to borrow as branches strive to become community centers - even offering campouts, teen gaming competitions and art appreciation nights.

McGuigan's Beatles Show Rocks the Classics

Some people love music so much that they walk around with soundtracks to their lives playing in their heads. I'm not one of those people. My soundtrack - well, it's more like a bibliography.

You can imagine that this initially saddened my husband, who (insert ironic smile) is a classic rock morning show DJ.

That's why I was shocked by how much I LOVED the high-energy Yesterday and Today show put together by Billy McGuigan. The music stayed with me for weeks and I just kept thinking about how likable the performers were and how the audience left smiling.

Billy, along with his brothers Ryan and Matthew, sings Beatles tunes with the passion of a musician who truly loves the music and feels a personal connection to it. It's music the McGuigan boys' father taught them to love.

The vocalists, accompanied by four other superb musicians (Love that cowbell!) , don't impersonate the Beatles but rather introduce the songs with fun anecdotes - including ones from the audience. Although the crowd is often heavy on baby boomers, even my seven-year-old daughter rocked out.

I saw the show at the Omaha Community Playhouse, where it had a month-long run. You can catch it there again this December or hey - tomorrow night (7/23/10) at The Waiting Room in Omaha. Check out dates for other summer and fall Midwestern performances at www.billymcguigan.com/schedule.html. Band bios are available at www.billymcguigan.com/yesterdayandtoday/.

Billy McGuigan is also known for his popular title role in the theatrical Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story and his Rave On and Rock Legends shows.

Robotic Legos Thrill UNO Day Campers

Boys love Legos, robots and amusement parks. Put them all together and you have a wildly popular summer day camp.

For more than two years, I've looked forward to enrolling my son in an Amusement Park Lego Robotics camp. That's how favorable the mommy grapevine talk is about this camp and others like it offered by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Physics Department. I started trolling the school's website in January so I wouldn't miss the registration opening for these quick-filling sessions.

My fourth-grade son loved it and - judging from the way the teacher could hardly pull the boys away to lunch - all the other kids did too. The students - 25 boys and one girl - spent a week using the Lego RCX microcontroller bricks and a variety of other gears, wheels and bricks to make their own dragsters and rides. They programmed their creations on computers in some sort of techno way that's beyond this more literary-minded mom's expertise. The teacher further incorporated math concepts by awarding pretend money prizes and having the kids use their winnings to "purchase" more parts.

Other camps - designed in varying degrees of difficulty for fourth through tenth graders - use the second generation Lego NXT microcontrollers. For those not Lego-obsessed, the department also offers camps like Astrobiology, Forensic Science and Science of Theater.

There is something wonderful about dropping your elementary school child off at college to do really smart things. As day camp tuition goes, it's also pretty affordable. The week-long camps cost from $135-160 and last from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with before and after care available. Tuition includes a t-shirt, a science store gift certificate, a campus sports ticket and some Family Night fun.

We'll definitely return next year. A few 2010 sessions still have openings. Check it out at http://www.unomaha.edu/aimforthestars/.

Bringing the Outdoors in

Des Moines artist Tom Moberg adds the "wow" factor to homes and businesses where owners are serious about the whole "bringing the outside in" decorating idea.

He is a self-described landscape sculptor, creating three-dimensional art that provides a bold focal point. Home and business owners commission Moberg to build sculptures to their style and scale tastes, with the works frequently taking shape in stairwells or above fireplaces.

I viewed a more subtle instance of Moberg's work when visiting a home on the Platte River near Ashland, Neb. The Iowa artist wrapped screen with gypsum to mold what looked like branches in and out of the walls - drawing the eyes up to the 17-foot ceilings. It was a cool way to add to the nature-inspired decor.

Strategic Air and Space Museum Story (By Me) Runs in My Midwest Magazine

Another magazine with great articles about our central states is My Midwest, the inflight magazine for Midwest Airlines. I wrote a story in the new issue about a great group of guys who sand, saw and shine the massive warplanes on display at the Strategic Air and Space Museum just outside Omaha. The average age of the guys doing this difficult and dirty work? 82.

Check it out here.

Another Odd Place to Sleep in Nebraska

Teepees and paddle boats lured me to Platte River State Park, and I'll definitely go back. Our little family enjoys sleeping in semi-odd places, thus we chose to rent a teepee instead of one of the park's popular wooden cabins. I'm also just a fool for paddle boats.

The park is nestled in a pretty, wooded area about halfway between Omaha and Lincoln. It offers get-back-to-nature seclusion but is also an easy drive to popular attractions like the Strategic Air and Space Museum, Wildlife Safari and Eugene T. Mahoney State Park.

Back at our $20 per night teepee, our family of four had plenty of space to spread out. The teepee was already set up atop a wooden platform, so we didn't need engineering degrees to figure out how to raise it. The brochure said the teepee could sleep six to eight people, and I could easily see that working with larger families or youth groups.

There were many people using the park on our visit - particularly the cabins - but it was still a tranquil experience. We played tennis, hiked and churned around the small lake in a paddle boat. The park also has a supervised swimming pool, but we didn't make time to try it out.

If you forget to pack more than hot dogs and marshmallows, you can find more eats at the marina store and the park restaurant. We indulged in the restaurant breakfast buffet and worked part of it off by climbing the nearby 85-foot observation tower.

Daily park admission is $4, or you can buy an annual state park pass for $21. For more info on teepee and cabin reservations, visit this site.

Strategy tip: Don't pack too heavily since you'll be taking a short hike with gear from the parking lot to the camp site. There may - or may not - be wheelbarrows available to make the work easier. If you visit in the spring, be sure to pack a weather radio in case of tornado warnings.

Midwest Living Releases Annual Best Issue

Midwest Living is my favorite magazine, which works out well since I'm also one of its freelance writers. You just can't beat this mag for gorgeous photos and useful tips on drive-to destinations.

The new Best of the Midwest issue covers editors' fave spots among the 67,000 miles they traveled last year. Twelve states are represented, so it's easy to find something within a one-day drive of your neck of the Midwest woods. My contributions to this issue were trips to two places I loved - the tree-loving Nebraska City and the intriguing Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park in Royal, Neb.

Pick up a copy for 224 pages of road trip planning bliss.

Union Pacific Cabooses Offer Omaha Fun

It’s just goofy fun to rent unusual lodging, particularly if you have young kids. These bright yellow and red Union Pacific cabooses are a blast.

You can find them just a few minutes west of Omaha at the Two Rivers State Recreation Area. The 10 cabooses are air-conditioned and the renovation allowed each to have an eat-in kitchen, a bathroom with shower, a two-person loft bed and two sets of bunk beds. It’s definitely enough space so a small family can spread out to read and play games.

We had a great time out back too, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows in our fire ring and picnicking on our wooden deck. It’s easy to tie up bikes to the deck, then to ride around the large parking area and to the nearby park store.

There is enough to do – fishing, pond swimming and general playground fun – to keep busy for a weekend. This is a more quiet option among Nebraska’s state parks, without amenities like water slides and tennis courts.

For our minimum two-night stay, we paid $158 (including the online reservation fee and taxes). Campers bring their own linens, pillows and utensils. To check out the interior, visit the booking page at http://nebraskastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/Two_Rivers_Sra/r/campsiteDetails.do?contractCode=NE&siteId=1713&parkId=230175. For a brochure, visit http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/parks/guides/parksearch/pdfs/Brochure175.pdf

Strategy tip: If you’re a light sleeper, plan accordingly that rain hitting the top of a metal caboose could keep you awake.

Futuro Spaceship House Hasn’t Lifted Off Yet

When I return to my native Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati stomping grounds, I can’t help but try to sneak some time in to see if things are as I left them 13 years ago.

The spaceship house is still there. It sits on a small plot of land on Wright Street in Covington, just above Willie’s Sports Cafe. On some leaf-less fall and winter days, you can catch of glimpse of the metallic silver exterior as you cross the Brent Spence Bridge from the Cincinnati side.
I’ve never done any real research to discover the current owner’s name or if the spaceship is currently occupied. It’s more fun to imagine the possibilities – like it’s some young guy’s bachelor pad or an eccentric scientists’ weekend hangout. You can see the home’s nearby wooden deck and tiki bar looking out at a Cincinnati view, so you assume someone is having fun here.

The home/ship is a Futuro House, built sometime from 1969-1974. The idea was that the spaceships would be a hit as vacation homes, but it never really took off. This site is dedicated to tracking down the few that were made - www.futuro-house.net/page2.html.

I like driving my kids by this house every few years, speculating that it would make a good backyard playhouse. I don’t think our suburban neighborhood association gurus would go for it. I think it would also be a hoot to drive by a farm and see it – with crop circles – in the middle of a cornfield.

Omaha's Joslyn Art Museum Adds Kid-Friendly Discovery Garden

The joyous shrieking coming from kids running amok inside a house of sticks made it obvious that Omaha, Nebraska’s newest kid-friendly attraction was a hit.

The Joslyn Art Museum just opened its Discovery Garden, a hands-on, kid-focused part of its completed $10 million campus renovation. The popular “story hut”, made of interwoven dogwood and willow saplings, will be on display for up to two years – or however long it holds up.

Other attention-getting pieces include the 30-foot “Yellow Ascending” sculpture and the rainbow-colored “Noodles & Doodles” ribbon-style, steel arches. Kids are encouraged to touch and interact with the art – including a movable “Crayon Tips” sculpture. The opening weekend felt like a party, with free food, live music, and storytelling.

I love that the interior of the museum is kid-friendly too. (But no sticky fingers on the Monet pieces, please.) Parents can check out “art packs”, themed backpacks filled with gallery-specific scavenger hunts, bingo games, and art supplies. The packs even include blankets so you can plop down right in the middle of a gallery and take it all in – at whatever level of info your kid is interested in. We’ve enjoyed the American West, Impressionism, and Art Deco Architecture packs.

There are plenty of fine art traveling exhibits, but the curators also bring in fun things like the current pop-up art collection. There is also a self-directed kids’ art-making station.

Like my kids, my favorite pieces are the two towering Dale Chihuly glass sculptures hanging in the atrium. The museum is also known for its Karl Bodmer watercolor collection.

Enjoying all the above is gloriously free if you visit on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Check the museum’s calendar at http://www.joslyn.org/ for special programming on additional (free) Family Fun days. The chocolate cake in the atrium’s Café Durham isn’t free, but it’s delicious.

Git-R-Done Brew Born in Nebraska

Nebraska-born comedian Larry the Cable Guy’s “Git-R-Done” catchphrase is so well known it was even uttered on last night’s premier of 30-Rock.

It also appears on the side of a six-pack of beer, brewed and bottled at the popular SchillingBridge Winery and Microbrewery in Pawnee City, Neb. The company acquired the licensing rights for the light-tasting Git-R-Done Golden Lager from the comedian – also known as Pawnee City native Dan Whitney.

I haven’t been to SchillingBridge in person yet - though my neighbors rave about the winery. I found my bottled brew at the Kimmel Orchard in Nebraska City. You can also find it in bars and grocery stores throughout southeast Nebraska. For specific sale locations, check www.schillingbridgewinery.com/beer-sold-here.html.

I added two bottles to my crockpot pot roast. Tasty!

In Nebraska, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

... Christmas - not Halloween. The leaves on these Omaha maple trees haven’t yet reached their “fall splendor” mode, but that didn’t keep almost four inches of snow from falling on Omaha Oct. 10. Kids enjoyed it, pulling their sleds past uncarved pumpkins.

In the Great Green Room...

… of the Blue Marble Children’s Bookstore, kids get to visit one of their favorite story settings. The green walls of Goodnight Moon await, along with the bunny, the kittens, the mittens, and even a (simulated) bowl full of mush.

This wonderful, 30-year-old independent shop is only 10 minutes south of Cincinnati in Fort Thomas, Ky. The booksellers can recommend beloved titles for any age group or interest, and you’ll find other non-book goodies whilst wandering from room to room.

Check the store’s website at http://www.bluemarblebooks.com/ and subscribe to the e-newsletter for recommendations and to track author visits. You’ll also find directions.

It's U-Picking Time

Fall's chilly mornings have me thinking of apples - specifically apple pie, apple crisp, and apple cider.

If picking up a few honeycrisps at the local grocery or farmers' market isn't enough of a fall experience for you, try heading out to a u-pick farm. You can find local orchards listed by state and county at http://www.pickyourown.org/.

You may also find a few pumpkins and corn mazes along the way.

Omaha’s Brewburgers: Eat Brisket, Alligator, and Duck on Game Day

It took an out-of-towner to talk me into trying Omaha’s Brewburgers, a sports bar in a dull building I’d passed by many times. My brother-in-law saw Brewburgers featured on one of our family’s favorite Food Network shows, Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.

The food rocks. Forget the diet. Really, just forget about it for one meal. If you like mainstream sports, you’ll be very happy here. If you don’t, you’ll be too busy enjoying the food to care about what anybody else is watching.

Brewburgers claim to food fame is the Old Fashioned, featuring beef brisket that is brine-cured, lightly smoked, and then steamed. It’s served with mustard on Jewish rye and accompanied with homemade fries. Delicious!

The rest of the menu puts a twist on typical bar food and adds a few surprises. Appetizers include duck quesadillas, alligator bites, fried pickles, and guacamole (made tableside). Portions are generous.

Brewburgers, at 4629 S. 108th St., is a good spot to watch a game, with plenty of big screen TVs, sports décor, and servers dressed as referees. Patrons can choose from 26 varieties of beer.

Strategy tips: For a menu (with prices) and Guy Fieri’s video segment, check out www.brewburgersomaha.com/. You can also mail order brisket. The Old Fashioned recipe is posted on the Food Network’s site, but the ingredients probably aren’t in your pantry.

Off-Roading - or "Wheelin'" - in eastern Kansas

It’s a Jeep thing, so the saying goes.

It’s also a mud thing.

Four-wheeling fans love the 310-acre playground of Tuttle Creek ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) Park in eastern Kansas. There, with the Flint Hills as their backdrop, Jeep owners coax their rides up and over rough terrain. (Ok, you’ll see a few Broncos and trucks too.) “The Ledges” offer varying challenges, ranging from a few inches to several feet in height. “The Rock Garden” is a wooded ravine featuring boulders the size of big truck tires.

The park, located just east of Randolph at the northwest end of the Tuttle Creek Reservoir, is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Members of various Jeep clubs frequently help out. Admission is free.

My husband returns from Tuttle trips with a mud-caked Wrangler and a smile on his face. Boys and their toys… Actually, wheelin’ is frequently a family affair. Members of Just Jeeps of Omaha travel via convoy during their almost three-hour trips to Tuttle that include twentysomethings, young families, and Boomers. Husbands and wives take turns driving and their kids cheer from the backseat.

Park rules are available at www.nwk.usace.army.mil/tc/OffRoad.cfm. To see what clubs are all about, check out http://www.justjeepsofomaha.net/.

Strategy tips: The ORV park is open during daylight only, but many off-roaders camp overnight four miles north at Fancy Creek State Park. First-timers should join a local Jeep club for camaraderie and trail-specific advice. If you need someone to help dig out a sunken tire or tow your Jeep up a hill of loose shale, experience counts.

Good-bye to Summer Beach Fun

Saying good-bye to the beach was a little easier this summer after I found this nostalgic reproduction of a Lake Michigan tourism sign.

I mentioned the great shopping in Holland, Mich. a few posts ago. I found this pretty sign, which is screened on to heavy pine planks, at the Tin Ceiling on Eighth Street. It measures 18” x 30” and sold for $90. There were a few other designs with sailboats and such in smaller sizes for around $70.

It’s a better souvenir than the sand still shifting around in my minivan carpet.

Tin Ceiling, 10 E. Eighth St., Holland, MI 49423, (616) 395-2623.

Cincinnati Chili Dip Perfect for Football Season

People who try Cincinnati chili – specifically Gold Star or Skyline Chili – are rarely ambivalent about the taste. It’s a love it or hate it thing.

I love it. Yes, it’s runny. That’s why you put it on stuff – hot dogs and spaghetti – rather than just eating it out of a bowl. I have yet to get anyone who isn’t from the Greater Cincinnati area to love it, but I keep trying. Football season is the perfect time to try to win converts via this yummy chili dip.

Cincinnati Chili Dip w/ Fritos

8 oz. cream cheese, softened.
10 oz. can Gold Star Chili (ok, Skyline if you must)
Generous handfuls of shredded mild cheddar cheese
Fritos Scoops or your favorite corn chip

Spread the cream cheese in the bottom of a pie plate and top it with the chili. Cover it with cheese and heat it at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.

For store locations, try http://www.goldstarchili.com/ or http://www.skylinechili.com/.

Holland (Michigan) Offers Sights and Sand

Finding the Lake Michigan beach access in Holland, Michigan isn’t as easy as in neighboring beach towns like South Haven and Saugatuck. Once you find it though, you won’t be in any hurry to leave.

Kick back and watch the sunset and the sailboats passing the “Big Red” lighthouse at Holland State Park. Watch kids fishing off the pier. Enjoy the extra-wide beach and pick up any sunscreen or sand toys you forgot (and ice cream!) at the park store.

I haven’t made it to Holland’s eight-day Tulip Time festival in May yet, but people rave about it. Holland’s Dutch roots are evident in the tulips, the statuary, and the wooden shoe factory. The lures for me though, have always been the beaches and the hip downtown shopping.

There are modern campsites and beach home rentals within walking distance of the state park. There is also a beautiful marina where you can walk around dreaming of the boating life.

Tunnel Park is just up the road, offering beach access, sand volleyball courts, a playground, and a dune climb.

Strategy tip: If you plan to visit a few of the state parks up and down the shore, check out the price of an annual pass. It may be cheaper than paying several daily entry fees. Make sure to note the difference between state and city-owned parks. Check out www.holland.org.

Cost Conscience Omaha Steaks

I love giving Nebraska’s beloved Omaha Steaks to hard-to-buy-for relatives. Hey, people love them so much they often stop and buy fillets on their way out of our airport gates.

That’s why I think these new gummy steaks are hilarious as gag gifts. I know the economy is bad, but I’m not sure strawberry-flavored candy tinted to look like raw meat will be quite the replacement for an Omaha Steaks t-bone. Maybe I can find some faux twice-baked potatoes made out of marshmallows…

You can find these three-ounce gummy steaks for $2.50-$5 each at candy stores or online at sites like http://www.stupid.com/.

Iowa's Adventureland Large on Charm, Medium on Thrills

The two-hour drive from Omaha to Altoona, Iowa was worth it to experience the charm and rides at the Adventureland amusement park. Parents of elementary-age kids who aren’t yet looking for the world’s “tallest, longest, or fastest” rollercoasters will love it.

There are more than 100 rides, with three coasters and a few other big-kid rides to keep thrill-seekers happy. The primary charm though, is in the cheerful, senior citizen staff, the short lines, and lack of teenagers. (Not that teenagers are bad…) There are plenty of little kid and midway rides and the wait is either non-existent or less than a two-turn turnaround.

The park is designed to have Main Street-charm and features plenty of shade trees. I just felt relaxed rather than how bigger parks can make me feel – overheated and following a battle plan.

The longest waits on our Sunday visit were about 30 minutes for each of the family-friendly water rides – the log flume, Raging River, and Sawmill Splash. The new Kokomo Kove water park (pictured, admission included) was a big hit and provided parental relaxation in the form of lounge chairs.

Strategy tips: Discount coupons are available at Hy-Vee grocery stores. Rides and height requirements are detailed at http://www.adventureland-usa.com/. After dinner time, when many of the park’s younger guests leave for the day, there is no wait for the midway rides. My son rode the G-force seven times in a row and the operator playfully “re-named” the ride in honor of my son’s birthday. She even gave him a little trinket toy. Nice, nice people.

Soaring Wings Vineyard Offers Pretty Near-Omaha Gathering Spot

Kicking back with good company, a glass of wine, and a pretty view is easy to do at Soaring Wings Vineyard in Springfield, Nebraska.

The gathering-friendly patio overlooks the Platte River Valley and more than 10 acres of grapes. Soaring hawks are frequent sights which, along with winemaker Jim Shaw’s piloting background, explain the vineyard’s name.

I’m not a regular wine drinker, so I can’t rate the vino, but the vineyard’s won more than 150 medals in its six years of operation. I took home two bottles of the $15 Ice Falcon white wine.

Strategy tips: As long as you’re buying wine, it’s fine to bring in your own snacks. Our big group passed around toted in sausage, crackers, and cheese, but it’s also available for purchase. Check the vineyard’s events calendar at http://www.soaringwingswine.com/ if you want to visit on a live music night, which sometimes includes a cover charge.

Relaxing with Carrie Newcomer's Music

Getting lost in the storytelling lyrics of Carrie Newcomer’s songs is one of my favorite ways to relax and escape my never-ending to-do list.

Newcomer lives in the rolling hills of southern Indiana, but she tours internationally with artists like Bonnie Raitt, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Alison Krauss. If you love them, you’ll love her too.

You can hear her latest CD, Geography of Light, at http://www.carrienewcomer.com/. My favorite CD is the “best of” compilation Betty’s Diner which features “I’ll Go Too” and “My Father’s Only Son.” I wrote a story about the release at the time that is archived at www.tinakingonline.com/NEWCOMER.html.

Hagrid's Hut & Harry's Dorm in Chicago

Hanging out in Hagrid's hut is just cool.

Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry is hosting Harry Potter: The Exhibition, offering a chance to check out the Gryffindor dorms, the hut, and the banquet hall. Props and costumes from the creatures, creeps, and heroes are up for visual and audio review.

My group included three Potter fans and a newbie as we entered the theatrically lit exhibit – after a few folks were properly “sorted” of course. We just yielded to the magic. Giant set pieces awaited – including dorm beds and an evil-looking Jack-in-the-box. Smaller props included books, wanted posters, and faux-stained clothing. The audio tours – an extra $4 each – offered up the science and industry angle as a recorded insider’s voice explained the how or why of many props. Theater-minded kids and parents will dig the audio, whereas my youngest was more into pulling up fake mandrakes just to hear ‘em squeal.

I loved the many interactive paintings and I watched the glass-breaking opera singer portrait over and over. Recorded clips from the movies also jogged our memories about the pieces on view. It was majestic, magical, and creepy – just like the movies.

Strategy tips: The exhibit includes timed entries, so I purchased advanced tickets online (http://www.msichicago.org/) to avoid getting shut out. A full-day, full-museum visit cost our family of four almost $100, with an additional $16 to park. Special evening hours are available for Potter exhibit-only visitors at $15-18 per person. The audio tours are easy to share. There are no photos allowed – bummer – and the exhibit is a one-shot, no bathrooms, no-returning-once-you-leave event. The latest HP movie plays at the Omnimax.

Mystery Book Series for Saugatuck, Michigan Fans

I love visiting Saugatuck and other west Michigan beach towns and always spend a little time fantasizing about moving there. I’ve found a mystery book series that lets me visit vicariously in all seasons and that also throws in gore-free murder intrigue and gourmet chocolate descriptions.

Joanna Carl’s “Chocoholic Mysteries” feature a heroine working in her aunt’s high-end chocolate shop. Delicious descriptions of truffles are mixed with likeable locals in Warner Pier, a fictional Saugatuck-style town located between South Haven and Holland.

Carl uses a pseudonym and also writes as Eve K. Sandstrom. For a title list see www.joannacarl.com. There are at least eight books in the Chocoholic series, so curl up with a mug of hot cocoa and imagine the waves lapping the shore.

My Favorite (Parenting-Type) Indiana Spot

Round the curve and see these dinosaurs, and your kids will squeal to launch themselves inside the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. (http://www.childrensmuseum.org/)

I fell in love with this museum long before these dinos arrived and still mourn losing its proximity in my move. I was a bleary-eyed and sentimental new mom, and chasing my toddler up and down the ramps to each story was my primary exercise. A recent return visit with elementary-aged kiddos was even more fun.

This kids' museum is billed as the world's largest, and at the end of the day you'll believe it. There is the Dinosphere, Scienceworks Gallery, Spacequest Planetarium, an Egyptian tomb, and a truly magical carousel. There is also currently a Star Wars - The Clone Wars exhibit.

Strategy tip: It's worth a drive - worth a hotel stay even - but avoid the busy Thanksgiving-time rush. Weekdays are the least crowded, but you may encounter school groups until mid-afternoon. Toddlers through middle-schoolers will love it.