Can you believe that the month of April is almost over? With that comes May and the most exciting adventure can begin! SeaWorld in Orlando is opening their wonderful Manta attraction. This attraction is going to be awesome. You will love seeing the spectacular underwater worlds of tropical sea life. They even have one of those 360 degree bubbles where kids can popup and be right in there. They can feel like they are part of the sea life action.
If you would like to go and find yourself at the head of the line at the new Manta attraction, you can by entering a fun contest where you could win a “Front-of-the-line” pass.
SeaWorld’s Manta will give you the opportunity to ride a flying roller coaster and see how it feels to be a Manta. You will be thrilled and excited to find yourself spinning and gliding just like a ray. The display will bring you close to the animals in their habitat and thrill you with a ride that only SeaWorld can offer.
Go to SeaWorld.com and click on the participate and win link. From there you simply:
1. 1) Register or log-in to your RideTheFlyingRay.com account
2. 2) Use your existing Twitter account or sign up for a free account here
3. 3) Follow @RealShamu on Twitter for insider tips on the quiz
4. 4) Find answers for the Manta quiz throughout this site
5. 5) Correctly answer 5 Manta questions – but be careful! You only get three chances.
6. 6) Upon successful completion, you will receive an email from RideTheFlyingRay
7. 7) That’s it!
Sounds simple and fun doesn’t it? Hurry, SeaWorld Manta opens May 22! Go through the simple six steps and find yourself at the head of the line at the Manta attraction in SeaWorld Orlando!
If you ever want to visit a place that has something for everyone, Paducah, Kentucky is that place. We lucked out with beautiful weather while attending the American Quilters Society quilt show. Spring can be rainy there but we only used an umbrella one time.
The city of Paducah, named in honor of the Padouca Indians, boasts more historic markers per capita than any other city in Kentucky. Paducah is rich with museums and landmarks that honor its heritage. We visited the Quilt Museum which was very nice except they needed to turn on the air conditioning. It was exceptionally warm this past week!
Statues outside the Quilt Museum
We enjoyed the antics of Eleanor Burns at the beautiful Carson Center, Paducah’s state-of-the-art venue for performing arts. You can read more about Eleanor Burns on my
Winding Threads blog.
The food was awesome with something for everyone. Distinct dining options and innovative cuisine offer something for every appetite and budget. We ate Mexican food where our waitress treated us like we were the only diners in the house. That was impressive because the restaurant was packed and had a 45 minute waiting time.
Paducah’s lodging and dining choices are also as diverse and eclectic as the city itself. Enjoy a memorable stay at a beautifully restored inn located in the heart of historic Downtown, a LowerTown artist’s guest room, or cozy bed and breakfast just minutes away from town. If familiarity is more your style, Paducah has nearly 30 well-known hotels/motels just waiting to serve you. I recommend waiting to stay at the Executive Inn that is attached to the convention center. It has been left to run down by the owner. It is in the process of being sold and will hopefully be restored to it’s former glory.
My photos display the beautiful artwork of individual murals along the flood wall in Paducah.
I am leaving in the morning for the Paducah Quilt show. I hope to have lots of stories to tell and new projects to make. I cannot wait to see the quilts that won the Old Favorite contest, sponsored annually by The National Quilt Museum of Paducah. I am signed up to attend a seminar given by Eleanor Burns. She introduced the first Quilt in a Day book and changed the way quilts were made. She hosts a television show and is always fun to watch. This trip is going to be fun. Lots to do in a short amount of time!
I’ll leave you with a picture of the quilt my mom made me for my birthday a few years ago.
See ya on Monday.
Yesterday was a whirlwind day spent at a huge quilt show. It was held at the Rosemont Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. What a place! The convention center looked very new and piqued my curiosity. I had to find out about this place. New, spacious hotels are located within walking distance. The O’Hare airport was across the highway. This looked to be the place where people from Chicago and surrounding areas would spend their time and money. In fact, more than a million visitors a year pass through the doors. Fountains, elegant landscaping and LED lighting effects capture attention when Stephens Center guests experience the $3.3 million update to the improve the facility’s main entryway. The convention center is convenient, easily accessed and elegant.
The quilt show that I attended yesterday was only one event being held at the center. The police were guiding tour buses and other traffic as people were unloaded to attend jewelry shows, quilt displays and other venues.
Another property that caught my attention when we drove by was the 101,000 square foot Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18. This venue offers an amazing digital viewing experience and 4,227 reclining stadium-style seats. Other luxury features include a 300-seat VIP Theater and a total of 502 premier VIP seats throughout, VIP free popcorn, VIP valet parking and a full-service restaurant and bar. Muvico Theaters Rosemont 18 offers movie fans a breathtaking visual and audio experience.
The most relaxing vacation I ever had was the time my husband and I traveled to Hawaii. If you enjoy being pampered, you need to go to the
Maui Resort of Ka’anapali. The food is out of this world. The accommodations are peaceful yet full of excitement. You won’t want for a thing!
The resort is a wonderful place to plan your next family outing. Enjoying a family reunion or experiencing one of those Maui Weddings we have dreamed of would be awesome! The Ka’anapali Resort has activities that everyone, young and old, will enjoy. There are even kids’ programs that allow the adults to have a little time to themselves and know that their kids are having a wonderful time too.
The beauty of Hawaii is something everyone should take in at least once in their lifetime. The flowers are beautiful and the smells of the island fill your senses. There is no other place as beautiful as Hawaii. The Ka’anapali Resort is located on eleven lush acres that allow you to enjoy entertainment such as fashion shows, hula dances and much more. Readers of the Conde Nast Traveler Magazine have voted the resort as one of the best places to stay and as the #1 Best Value Hotel in Hawaii. Wow! I am ready to go! Aren’t you?
Woo hoo! I received my XShot. In case you didn’t see my tweet, I won an XShot camera accessory. It is going to make taking a photo so much simpler when I want to include myself in the picture. Thanks again to
Murray Newlands, whose contest I entered and to my friend
Heather who played a big part in the giveaway.
The XShot is a metal shaft that you can screw onto the tripod holder of your camera. Every camera has a screw hole that is used for tripods. Now, the XShot is using that adapter. The XShot is lightweight and easy to attach to any compact camera. It has various lengths in the adaptable wand. I simply attach my camera, set the timer and point the lens at myself. This is going to make taking pictures a lot more fun.
I hate lighting. Ask my husband and he will tell you that I don’t even like to turn the bathroom lights on when I am getting dressed in the morning. It isn’t because I am afraid to look in the mirror. It is that I feel insulted by all the light assaulting my senses.
The Dark Sky Festival taking place on Saturday, April 25th, 2009 in Harmony, Florida is in agreement with my findings. The festival encourages everyone to turn off artificial lighting if just for one night. By turning off the lights that insult and take away from our beautiful sky, we will see the true beauty of the night. We will be able to actually see the stars!
Many of us do not realize how beautiful the sky is because we are accustomed to all the artificial light all around us. It is important to protect the dark skies. The dark sky is one where we can marvel at the wonders of astronomy. Another advantage to implementing a dark sky is the effect it has on wildlife. Light pollution has driven our wild creatures into hiding and out of their natural habitat.
Check out the family friendly festival to see all the events that will be taking place. Perhaps it is time to implement a festival here in the midwest!
Wish me luck for tomorrow. I am worried that I won’t wake up in time to get to the bus. Do you want to know what is going on? I have to get up way to early for any human in order to make it to the bus for a road trip. We, mom and I, are going to the 2009 International Quilt Festival in Chicago and the bus leaves at 6:45 am! Crazy! Worth it.
Show Dates:
April 17-19, 2009
Location:
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
5555 N. River Rd.
Rosemont, Illinois 60018
Hours:
April 16 (Preview Night), 5-9 p.m.
April 17 & 18: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
April 19: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Admission:
$10/Adults
$8/Seniors 65+ & Students
$25/Full show pass (includes Preview Night).
Preview Night ticket: $10 (no senior discount)
allows you in one additional day for free.
Children 10 and under free with paying adult.
For tour groups 45+ please contact Quilts, Inc. office.
You can order entrance tickets online and print them but they charge a $1 fee for each one. I am saving the extra dollar to buy fabric.
I am sure you have heard the saying; the best things in life are free. I know that there are some pretty wonderful things that money cannot buy. Puppy breath, raindrops on a tin roof and a child’s laughter are only a few. I can think of some beautiful things that I have enjoyed while in Florida and they were also free. I have enjoyed a beautiful sunset, watching a bird search for food in a lake and the smell of the beautiful flowers native to Florida. Free is good! Now, you have a chance to win a getaway to Kissimmee, Florida. Yes, you heard me correctly; a free vacation in Kissimmee could be yours!
When you visit the Kissimmee website, you will see all the wonderful places to see and fun things to do. Enjoy wonderful free concerts and test your fishing skills. Read a book while basking in the sun or go swimming. You can sign up for their free newsletter and be updated on everything that happens in Kissimmee. You will also receive valuable information for planning your vacation in Kissimmee. For a limited time, Kissimmee is giving away three weekend getaways for two people; and two week long vacations for four people. Drawings will be held on or around 4/1/09, 5/1/09 and 6/1/09. I plan on entering and you should too!
Finally! The Children’s Museum in Indianapolis is getting some new and exciting exhibits. I love the museum and all the things it offers but it had not changed for so long that my excitement for the museum was beginning to wane.
Families can experience the exciting worlds of Star Wars and The Clone Wars.
Patrons will be able to see the pieces that were used in the making of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS. This was the first-ever animated feature and television series from Lucasfilm Animation.
Fans of the Star Wars phenomenon will enjoy looking at the animation scale models and see the process by which the characters and worlds were created and how they are brought to the big screen.
The STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS Exhibition will be at
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis through January 31, 2010.
