Visit Harry Potter and Many Other Fantastical Folks at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure

A couple years ago, my aunt and uncle took a trip to Florida, and while they were there, they saw advertisements for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which would be opening the following year. My aunt told me that whenever they decided to go to Florida to check out this new park, I was invited to go along. Just before my birthday this year, they announced that we were going this spring, and it was an epic vacation that included Universal and Disney World, as well as Sea World, a drive-through safari, a renaissance fair and an airboat ride through a swamp filled with alligators. But Harry was the one who propelled this particular venture for my aunt and uncle, who, unlike me, are seasoned travelers. We spent two days at Universal Studios, which was where the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was located.

Universal is divided into two parks. Our passes allowed us to visit both parks, but on our first day, we ventured only into Islands of Adventure, which includes several themed sections, of which the Harry Potter one is the newest. We also returned to this part of the park our second time through, after we had made our way through Universal's more low-key park. Islands of Adventure is jam-packed with rides, attractions and costumed characters, and you'll be hard-pressed to see everything you want to in a single day.

As it happened, our first day at Universal was St. Patrick's Day, and the park seemed to be especially packed as a result. We just made our way through in order of what was closest to the entrance, which meant that we started out with the section focusing on classic comic book characters. Marvel Super Hero Island included some pretty intense-looking rides; the only one I went on was the Spider-man ride, which simulated a ride through the city where we helped Spider-Man battle baddies and got sprinkled with water or tinged with heat from fiery explosions. While we were in this part of the park, we saw a parade of Marvel characters and snapped a few pictures. A few of them came up onto the sidewalks and posed for photos with guests.

While the Marvel world was fun, I really loved Toon Lagoon, which was filled with nifty cut-out displays of characters from comic strips ranging from Beetle Bailey to Family Circus. We spent a fair bit of time here just snapping pictures of each other next to or under the various displays. I loved the one with the cranky Shoe editor muttering, "A good editor never sleeps," and I got a kick out of the unaccompanied dialogue bubble just above head level simply stating, "I feel like there is a cloud over my head."

This part of the park included my two favorite rides, aside from the thrilling Hogwarts Castle tour. Dudley Do-Wright, the clueless Mountie, was the theme of the log flume, and we spent close to two hours waiting for Dudley Do-Wright's Ripsaw Falls, after which point we decided that the fast passes would be a good idea. The wait wasn't bad, though, because the line was filled with quirky announcements, Dudley Do-Wright cartoons and artwork. The ride itself is a log flume ride rather like the Magic Kingdom's Splash Mountain, and it tells a story using jumbo figures and dialogue and narration coming out of the speakers nearby. The basic storyline has Dudley clumsily saving the day from the nefarious Snidely Whiplash, with the result that he is celebrated by the town but still rejected by the girl of his dreams. The tale is entertaining, and the ride is tons of fun for a hot day. I rode it three times over the course of two days, and I got completely soaked each time - though the third time, I rode it later in the day than I should have, with the result that I was shivering all through dinner. You're best off getting this one out of the way well before 5:00. Same goes for Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges, which is comparable to the white water rapids ride at Hersheypark. If the splash from going down a waterfall doesn't get you, the downpour from waterfalls above you will. Plus, you have the people up on the bridges paying to aim water at you. There's no avoiding getting drenched on this ride, though handily, there is a sealed plastic compartment in the middle in which to store your belongings, and they'll stay pretty dry as long as you put them in there. Like Ripsaw Falls, this includes several jumbo figures from the cartoon scattered throughout the ride and combined with dialogue from the speakers. It's very entertaining and refreshing.

Another ride involving a circular raft is the Jurassic Park River Adventure, the only ride I went on in that section of the park. It starts out nice and mellow, almost like the Jungle Cruise, and the gorgeous score from the movie augments the beauty of those animatronic plant-eating dinosaurs. Then you leave the sunny outdoor area and go inside, where it's dark and dire warnings about malfunctions flash and blare. This part of the ride is creepy, particularly the huge Tyrannosaurus Rex that lunges down upon you just before you go down the ride's final hill. There's a bit of a splash to this one, but it's nothing compared to the ones in Ripsaw Falls and Bilgerat Barges, and you could probably ride this one a little later in the day and not have to worry so much about getting dry. Outside of the ride, there are a number of photo spots, and we just enjoyed wandering through on our way to the wizards. The Lost Continent is around here too, and we didn't spend much time there at all the first day, but the second day we did the walk-through show Poseidon's Fury, which had some really cool special effects, not to mention a very enthusiastic human guide.

Seuss Landing is designed mostly with kids in mind, so none of the rides are that thrilling for adults, but this part of the park is incredibly visually appealing. Everywhere you look is a statue of some Seuss character, and the whole thing is eye-poppingly colorful. I took oodles of pictures in this part of the park, and it's just a joy to walk through. Whatever your favorite Seuss book is, you'll probably find it here in some form or another. The carousel is a real thing of beauty, populated as it is by all sorts of Seussish creatures, and I love the display dedicated to the Lorax and the old Onceler. We rode on the Cat in the Hat ride, which is an entertaining dark ride that takes you through the events of the book, and the trolley ride, which provides a little tour of all the Seussian attractions in the area. Kids should love this park, along with adults who appreciate whimsy.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is an amazing sight for any Rowling fan. You get there, and it's like you have entered the wizarding village of Hogsmeade, where Hogwarts students go for occasional field trips. It's so compact that it's hard to really get a feel for how it looks without standing in the middle of it. Shops tower on all sides, some of them actually selling merchandise, others only storefronts there just for show. While the Hogwarts Express does not actually go anywhere, you can get your picture taken with the engine and stroll through the station. This park has three rides, two of which I went on, as the Dragon Challenge looked a little too twisty for me. The Flight of the Hippogriff is short, but it's an exhilarating little roller coaster, and I love the line for this ride because it includes Hagrid's hut, and you get to hear his voice booming out from the speaker. I was hoping that there would be a photo op spot with Hagrid or a character walking around, but this little area is very cool. I just wish that guests were able to actually go into the cabin.

The park has no specific characters walking around, but it is filled with witches and wizards serving as prefects. The main attraction of the park is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, a mega-cool virtual tour of Hogwarts. You can't use express passes on this one, and the line is rather confusing. You're not allowed to bring loose articles with you, unless you can manage to stash them in your clothing. I didn't realize this until I got almost to the front of the line, and I was told to go downstairs to stash my stuff in a locker, except there wasn't a locker available. My aunt was waiting outside, so she took my purse for me and I went back and managed to get back to roughly where I had been in line before, and I ended up on the ride just a few minutes after my cousin. Still, I think the line seemed a bit disorganized. I loved looking at all of the displays inside the castle, though. Talking portraits, desks of significant characters, the Gryffindor common room... It was a definite feast for the eyes and ears. The ride itself is a three-dimensional deal that combines movement and physical displays with virtual ones. You'll get to see several major points inside the castle and out. The idea is that you're following Harry and Hermione on broomstick, and some of the angles are pretty dizzying. I'll admit I walked off this one feeling a little woozy, but it was worth it to get the sensation that I was soaring over the Quidditch pitch or swooping through the Hogwarts dungeons. Several characters from the movies make an appearance as well, so this ride really is a lot of fun.

Also inside the castle is the massive gift shop, Filch's Emporium, where you can buy t-shirts, pillows, pins, action figures and all sorts of other collectibles. One thing I didn't see there was a postcard rack; there's a separate shop for that, and while we were there, they rolled a small cart outside so that we could buy postcards from there as well and have them stamped with the Hogsmeade postmark. Filch's Emporium was the only shop we entered the first day; on the second trip, we perused Zonko's joke shop and Honeyduke's candy shop, both of which were feasts for the eyes. My park souvenirs included a Hagrid pin and Harry's wand; while we didn't brave the massive line at Ollivander's wand shop, a couple of other places sold the wands as well, with styles modeled after the wands of several major characters.

Of course, we also had to try some butterbeer, the beloved beverage that so many Harry Potter fans have longed to taste. Scattered throughout this portion of the park are several butterbeer kiosks, and they draw quite a crowd as well. The plastic souvenir mugs are both snazzy and practical, as you won't have to worry much about them breaking while you're wandering through the park. After the first one, though, you can get it in disposable cups instead the mugs and pay less. The drink itself is a sort of mix of cream soda with butterscotch foam, and it's very refreshing on a hot Florida day. Pumpkin juice, another prominent Harry Potter drink, is available too, but we didn't try that, nor did we eat at the Three Broomsticks, the park's restaurant. Just as the pair of Mickey Mouse ears was my one essential purchase at Disney World, the butterbeer was my Must Buy at Universal, and it was worth the anticipation. Speaking of souvenirs, I highly recommend bringing a couple rolls of quarters and pennies so you can use the pressed penny machines located at many points throughout the park. These are very inexpensive but fun collectibles, and it can be a sort of treasure hunt to track as many down as you can. I think I returned from Florida with more than 30 from the different places we went to, and I would have had more if I'd thought to bring quarters ahead of time.

All in all, Universal's Islands of Adventure is an amazing place to spend the day. It's crowded and pricey, but the rides, characters, shops and general extravagance of the themes presented in as much vibrant detail as possible make it a thrilling stop for Harry Potter fans and fun-lovers of all ages.

Mo Willems Travels the World in You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When It Monsoons

“In the world of children’s books, the biggest new talent to emerge thus far in the '00s is the writer-illustrator Mo Willems.” This quote from The New York Times Book Review may seem a bit bold, but I’d have a hard time arguing with it. Willems, who has been lauded for his work on Sesame Street and his prolific output of high-quality books for the past decade or so, is a minimalistic genius with a knack for crafting stories that are at once hilarious and poignant. I’ve been consistently impressed with his abilities, so when my friend Libbie passed along the intriguing volume on which this quote functions as a back-cover blurb, I was eager to delve into the book and see what insights it might hold.

The book in question is You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When It Monsoons: The World on One Cartoon a Day. The hefty book documents the trip that Willems took in 1990, when he was a 22-year-old college graduate. With a notebook, a pen and a spare set of clothes, he set off for a year-long voyage, on the cheap and off the beaten path, a journey of self-discovery and cultural awareness. He didn’t follow a clear roadmap; his went with the flow and spent as much time sampling local flavor as he could, proudly wearing the badge of “traveler” rather than “tourist” – a distinction, he says in his introduction, made mostly by the fact that “travelers” do not buy T-shirts of the destinations they have visited.

Earlier this year, I tried to do the 365 Project, an online challenge to take and post a photo every single day for a year. I lasted little more than a month. How much more difficult would it be to manage a cartoon a day? Then again, while I am impressed with his diligence, I know that if I were to undertake such a monumental trek, I would want to have some record of it, and if you’re a skilled cartoonist, this seems like a natural way to do it. I don’t know if it ever occurred to him at the time that he might one day compile the results into a book; he describes the cartooning as “the ritual that held the trip together, gave it purpose, made it real.” Each day got one sketch and only one, and it’s funny to read his incredulous reflections on some of the cartoons, wondering why this was the moment from that day that he decided to capture. He stopped just short of 365 days, which is rather disappointing considering how close he came to a perfect year-long record, but maybe it’s fitting for a trip and a collection of cartoons that is decidedly off-beat.

Willems’ trip is an epic adventure. While I am impressed with his ritualistic discipline, what really wows me is his fearlessness in meandering from one country to the next, usually with no companions to guide him along his way. While Willems displays a talent for making new friends, and this must have made his trip considerably more pleasant than it might otherwise have been, there’s still a sense of isolation about his trek. This is his solo journey, and others just happen to come in and out of it from time to time. For me, a gal whose strongest literary identification has always been with Bilbo Baggins, the timid protagonist of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit whose deep adventurous streak lay dormant for years before it burst forth, I found that reading this further stirred up my wild Took side, even though only a few of the stops on Willems’ itinerary are on my own must-see list.

Dave Barry provides a footnoted Foreword on the subject of travel that had me in gales of laughter as he describes the tedium of being a part of an official TWA tour and expounds upon his frustration with European toilets and tour guides who are too obsessed with flying buttresses. Willems’ introduction is quite amusing as well, though it also explains the circumstances of his trip quite effectively and includes some reflection upon how it impacted his life. He saves most of that, though, for the epilogue, in which he discusses how his trip forced him to see that the world may feel very big when he’s globe-trotting all year, but the sentiments about which the Sherman Brothers wrote have a basis in fact. People on the other side of the world are just as real as those in the United States, and he can no longer feel detached when he watches footage of disasters unfolding in some other part of the globe. The trip and his book, then, are largely lessons in empathy. While he sees the weird, the wacky, the wonderful things that make each place unique, he shows that even in the most remote locations, that shared humanity is very real.

Willems divides the book into sections of a month at a time, with each month’s entries preceded by a two-page spread of a map containing a list of countries he visited and a rough trail depicting his journey. He started and ended in the United States; in between, he visited England, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, France, Spain, West Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Macao, Japan and Canada. It seems he especially liked Thailand, as he spent well over a month there; other stops got short shrift, like Israel, which he left early after missing the bus to Jerusalem and deciding to hop a bus to Cairo instead. When he does return to America, it’s interesting to see him making his observations from an outsider’s point of view. After so much time away, it’s easy for him to look at the United States as foreign territory too, especially places he’s never been before.

Every cartoon in the book has a page to itself. Those who have come to appreciate Willems’ style from his children’s books will most likely recognize some similarities, particularly in his self-portraits, which have much in common with his illustrations of Trixie’s dad in the Knuffle Bunny books. The vast majority of the cartoons depict people, most of them random strangers doing something that struck him as unusual or funny. The drawings are full of bold lines and expressive faces, and each includes a caption noting the date, the location and the moment’s significance. Underneath most pictures is further explanation by Willems 15 years later. Some of these notes are illuminating, some poignant, and most have some element of humor to them.

For me, standouts include the following:
6-13 – “Perhaps they come standard with a third-class ticket, because never in my life have I taken a ferry trip that didn’t include at least one drunken Australian guitar player.”
7-13 – Willems marvels over the shallow chatter he overhears from a pair of American girls touring Dachau.
8-17 – A simple depiction of a raging monster with the caption “my tummy”.
9-19 – A self-portrait depicting his joy at receiving mail from his friends back home via the American Express office.
10-10 – Another self-portrait, this time showing Willems attempting to take a “shortcut” across a river in India.
11-22 – A despondent Frenchman searches for his lost puppy in Nepal.
12-24 – A description of the difficulties a traveler faces in finding decent reading material.
1-10 – A reflection on the joys of hitch-hiking in Malaysia.
2-18 – “Scarecrow traffic cops.”
3-17 – A Chinese version of Randy, the overly layered little brother in A Christmas Story.
4-18 – A kid trying really hard to get toss a ketchup packet into a bucket at a McDonald’s birthday party in New Mexico.
5-14 – The rather detailed account of Willems’ ordeal with a terrifying Canadian border guard.

This is not a children’s book. Willems depicts drugs, alcohol and various forms of debauchery. He discusses the devastating effects of wars and natural disasters. He occasionally draws people half-clothed or entirely naked. While he thanks his parents for giving him the travel bug from a young age and espouses the virtues of children exploring the world early, this volume contains his ruminations as a young adult and a more mature adult, and the intended audience is adults as well. That’s not to say that a child might not get something out of this, especially a teenager thinking of traveling abroad in the near future. However, I think most elementary-aged kids would find many of the pictures and explanations perplexing, and many parents would find them inappropriate. Because of Willems’ far-reaching popularity with youngsters and because this looks like a book that could be aimed at that age group, it’s best to be aware that this is a Willems book that deviates from the norm.

But oh, is it fascinating. I loved seeing his little slices of life and reading his observations on how the world has changed and how it hasn’t. I think the book provides great insight into how he thinks and offers hints about where he might have gotten ideas for some of his later stories. The book is witty, thought-provoking and compassionate, and in this way, it does have a great deal in common with the rest of Willems’ books. It’s an unusual exercise in immersion journalism that leaves the reader wanting to see the world but also more ready to find the remarkable in the everyday. As Willems says, “Whenever I want to roam free and experience the world again, all I have to do is open my front door and step outside. I know that the world will be there to meet me.” Wise words indeed. But I’m glad he decided to meet the world first.

Number 2600: Around Epinions - How Can Erie Be Dreary When It Has Presque Isle?

I live in Erie, PA, a city that tends to be rather unappreciated by its residents. It’s the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania, but it has a hometown feel nonetheless. Hence, we kind of get the best of both worlds here. Major attractions include the small but pleasant Erie Zoo; the humble amusement park Waldameer, which you can peruse for free, buying ride tickets as desired; the Millcreek Mall, which recently turned up on a list of the ten best shopping centers in America; the Warner Theater and Civic Center, where I’ve seen such acts as Celtic Thunder, Art Garfunkel, James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, the Irish Rovers, Clay Aiken and the Harlem Globetrotters; and the recently built casino. But Erie’s proudest feature has to be Presque Isle, the peninsula jutting out into Lake Erie, and so I’m making that the subject of my 2600th post here on Epinions.

Presque Isle State Park is 3200 acres, and it’s about a 13-mile drive all the way around the peninsula. There’s no admission fee to enter the park or the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, the state-of-the-art nature center that has stood at the entrance to the peninsula for about four years. Within the park are numerous nature trails, as well as a visitors’ center; some pavilions; the acclaimed ice cream shop Sara’s; and Perry Monument, which stands in tribute to Oliver Hazard “Don’t Give Up the Ship!” Perry, the Naval hero from the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812. You can also see the lighthouse, though only once have I actually seen it illuminated.

Woodsy areas abound on Presque Isle. When we go there with the intention of walking rather than simply taking a drive, I’m most inclined to take those trails that lead through the woods, since that is where one is likeliest to spot wildlife. Birds are especially plentiful on the peninsula. Our favorite to spot is the majestic Great Blue Heron, though we most often see those when we take the canoe out into the lagoon early in the morning. Last year, we had the rare opportunity to see a nesting pair of Least Bitterns. Go in the spring, and you’ll find yourself practically tripping over geese wherever you go.

It’s rare to get around the peninsula without spotting a rabbit or two, and deer have been known to make an appearance. We’ve seen foxes and beavers, and there have long been rumors of coyotes, though we’ve never been lucky enough to see one ourselves. Snapping turtles are fairly common, while any part of the lagoon featuring a large log is a likely sunning spot for smaller turtles. It’s especially fun to come upon these in the canoe; they usually stay put until the canoe comes almost within arm’s reach, so it’s easy to get a lot of fantastic photographs. Then, en masse, they’ll all slip into the water. Once we’ve passed by, they’ll usually resurface within minutes.

The peninsula is usually pretty crowded when we go, except in the early morning, when we only tend to bump into the odd boater or fisherman. During the day, the paths are full of bikers and roller bladers as well as dog-walkers; though it’s easy to get lost in the beauty of the landscape, it’s important to be aware of one’s surroundings lest you get run over or entangled. If you’re going into the woods, be careful to keep as covered up as possible, as there are ticks lurking, and some are pretty nasty. Inspect yourself and especially your dog afterward for ticks. If they’re big enough to be easily visible, they’re probably not a major concern, but you still want to get rid of them quickly.

Of course, most people, particularly visitors to Erie, go to the peninsula with an eye for the beach. There are several different beaches open to visitors. Beach Six is probably the most popular; it includes concessions, restrooms and changing rooms as well as a volleyball court, and during the summer, it’s usually packed. Other popular beaches include Beach One, Barracks Beach and Beaches Seven through Eleven. In addition to swimming, sandcastle-building and other typical beach activities, many people fly kites on the beach, particularly during the off-season. Sometimes we park and simply watch the kites for half an hour or so. There are also several picnic tables so that families can enjoy lunch without worrying too much about getting sand in their food.

A trip to Presque Isle doesn’t have to cost anything, but there are some activities available for those willing to pay a bit extra. One that is highly recommended is the scenic boat tour, which takes visitors around the bay, with a tour guide to point out areas of interest. If your familiarity with Erie is limited, this is a great way to get acquainted with some of its major features. Meanwhile, a pontoon ride around the lagoons is free and also very enjoyable.  You might also want to rent one of the surreys, pedal-operated vehicles that are great for families who want to see the peninsula from an unusual perspective. Meanwhile, if you’re a local, you can reserve the pavilions for events. My brothers had their graduation parties in outdoor pavilions, while mine was indoors - which turned out to be a very good thing since we had rain the entire day. It was roomy inside, and we were situated right near a marshy area from which a loon called to us all afternoon.

Presque Isle is most popular during the summer, and its biggest weekend is Discover Presque Isle, which usually takes place in July. At that time, crafters, food vendors and all sorts of local organizations set up shop along the peninsula for a weekend full of activities that include lighthouse tours and sand sculpture contests. Presque Isle is also a popular site for charitable walks and runs, such as the March of Dimes and the CROP Walk, both of which I’ve participated in. The length of the walk makes you realize just how big the peninsula really is.

It can also be fun to visit in the winter, even though you probably won’t be doing any swimming. It’s fun to ramble along the trails during this time because you’re almost certain to see some animal tracks. If it’s been cold enough long enough, you might venture out onto the bay. Erie usually gets a lot of snow, and the ice sometimes is pretty thick. I’ve walked across the bay before, and it’s a pretty neat experience. Ice fisherman are also a common sight, and many people enjoy snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. Meanwhile, check out the beach and you’ll probably be treated to ice dunes, stark and ominous against the gray sky. There’s something stirringly desolate about the peninsula in late winter, as captured in the post-apocalyptic movie The Road, which was filmed in part on Presque Isle.

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Erie, make sure you stop by Presque Isle. It’s a wonderful place to spend the day. And if you live here, take a drive to the peninsula some afternoon and experience a resurgence of civic pride.

Around Epinions: Get a Taste of Scotland and the Arts at Edinboro University

Back in 2001, I spent a weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland, with a classmate in a five-week summer program in Northampton, England. As our kilted tour guide led us through the city, my friend remarked on how neat it was to be in Edinburgh, as she was from Edinboro, Pennsylvania. I was somewhat surprised that, after visiting Dublin, London, Cambridge and a number of other fascinating cities, our time in Edinburgh turned out to be my favorite part of that five-week trip - though if our week-long stay in Galway hadn’t been cancelled, my conclusion might have been different. But it’s a gorgeous city, brimming with history, culture and natural beauty, not to mention oodles of appealing accents. Edinboro is no Edinburgh. But it’s still a pleasant town that I’ve gotten to know a lot better since my brother started attending college at the university there in 2006.

Edinboro is about a 40-minute drive away from where I live in Erie, Pennsylvania. That’s an easy distance for us to travel, especially on weekends, so we’ve made it out there many times. The campus is easy to navigate, and one of the things I like about it is that many of the streets have Scotland-themed names. Expect to see a lot of plaid when you go to Edinboro, and if you’re lucky (well, depending on your musical tastes), you might catch the sounds of bagpipes on a breeze. I have a couple of times, and it’s definitely added a smile to my day.

In addition to permanent fixtures of the campus that reflect a Scottish heritage, Edinboro has the Highland Games, a weekend event full of traditional food and music that offers opportunities to compete in such areas as dance, fiddle-playing and drumming, as well as rigorous sporting events. Usually, there seems to be at least a bit of rainy weather to go along with the festivities, but that doesn’t dampen many spirits. It’s a really neat tradition that helps establish Edinboro’s unique identity. The University also has a Pipe Band, and its fight song is a version of Scotland the Brave.

Edinboro attracts students from a wide variety of backgrounds and interests, but a particularly strong focus is art. That’s what attracted Nathan, who is majoring in Painting. He’s taken a number of intensive courses on subjects ranging from Print-making to Woodworking, which resulted in a handsome table that resided in our living room for most of last year. Now that he’s nearing the end of his time at Edinboro, he has the opportunity to display his work more prominently; in December, he had his own show in the Bates Gallery in Loveland Hall, which featured portraits he had done in various media. He has been extremely happy with his instructors in this area. Many of his fellow art students come to Edinboro with an interest in animation; the university has produced several graduates who went on to work for places like Disney, Pixar and Industrial Light and Magic. Edinboro University is also known for being extremely accessible to disabled students. Wheelchairs are a common sight, as it has one of the largest populations of handicapped students in the country.

Another area of interest for Nathan has been performing arts. This department is not as prominent as the visual arts, and the primary performance space, the Diebold Center for the Performing Arts is fairly small, though it is an attractive and comfortable theatre. He has had the chance to both act in and direct plays there, and I have always been impressed with the caliber of performances that we have seen from all students involved.

Currently, Edinboro’s president is Dr. Jeremy Brown. Hailing from Manchester, he has been at Edinboro a bit longer than Nathan has, and he has shown himself to be a passionate, hands-on leader, working tirelessly to promote the university in the greater Erie area and beyond. He’s also made an effort to get to know the students through a variety of campus events, and on the whole he has been the most visible president they’ve had in quite some time.

Edinboro University is home to about 8000 students, with about 400 faculty. It offers 15 intercollegiate sports and more than 100 different student organizations along with more than 100 degree programs and upwards of 50 minors. The 585-acre campus includes 43 buildings and scenic woods and fields, as well as a lake where Nathan often strolls to observe the ducks. While I’m still partial to my own college campus of Penn State Erie, the Behrend College, Edinboro is a very attractive place to visit, particularly during the autumn when all of the trees are changing color. Winter, on the other hand, can be problematic because Edinboro gets so much snow; on a few occasions, we’ve missed out on events because the weather was so prohibitive. Full-time tuition per semester ranges from about $3700 for an undergrad who is a PA resident to $6500 for a graduate student who is from out of state. On-campus housing is about $2400, while most meal plans cost upwards of $1000.

Near the campus are several other housing options; my brother has lived in two different apartment complexes and found both to be satisfactory. Away from campus, there are plenty of places to go in terms of shopping and eating. Perkins is a favorite hangout for college students, as are a couple of local pizza places. In the summertime, an ice cream stand on the way out of town is a popular fixture. There are several small, locally-owned shops where a variety of unique items can be found, and for the basics, there’s a Walmart, at which a kilted piper version of the yellow smiley face is painted on the wall in the entryway. The Millcreek Mall and Peach Street, Erie’s central shopping area, is only about a twenty-minute drive away.

I don’t know when I’m going to make it to Edinburgh again. But it’s nice to know that I can always get a little taste of Scotland by traveling to Edinboro, and though I haven’t attended any classes there myself, the university has certainly turned out to be a good fit for my brother.

Make Your Boston Vacation Photos More Memorable With the Crab Hat

When I went to Boston recently while visiting friends of mine who lived nearby, one of the first things I did was buy a crab hat. I'd seen the hat already, as Erica had shown me hers, which she'd bought when her sister and niece came to visit. Her niece is seven or eight, so it was a matter of auntly duty to purchase a hat that would inevitably provoke amusement - or at least Erica is at liberty to claim that. I, however, had no such excuse, but as I suspect that she needed none to engage in such extravagant silliness, I shan't hang my head in shame. Even back in Erie, I wasn't blue as I celebrated the 4th of July with this red and white crab hat firmly on my head.

I saw this hat for sale at the store Best of Boston and at least one stand set up in the middle of the walkway around Fanueil Hall Market Place. I did not see anyone else actually wearing one, and throughout the day several people shouted, "Hey, nice hat!" as I walked by. I think some of them meant it, while others no doubt were thinking, "What kind of goofball walks around with a crab on her head all day?" Either way, I didn't mind the comments, and I loved the extra fun touch it added to all of the pictures my friends took of me that day.

The crab hat is a basic felt creation. It has red legs that stick out and two great big white eyes with black pupils suspended above the hat on black felt-covered wires resembling the legs. There are four legs on either side of the eyes. The longest ones are closest to the eyes, and each of these two has a pincher on the end. The remaining three on each side have no pinchers, and the legs get shorter as they get further from the eyes.

The hat has a diameter of about 20 inches, and the strap that wraps around the back is held in place by a piece of velcro. I suppose that with enough re-wearings, this might get worn down, especially if you open and close the velcro frequently, but mine is in terrific shape, and it fits most heads quite well. I made my parents, brother and even dog wear it when I got home, and it stayed in place with no problem, which is more than I can say for the spangly but flimsy wizard hat I bought in Salem, which is too small for most heads and has nothing to anchor it to someone's head.

I bought my crab hat for six dollars. The same amount of money will buy you a lobster hat, which is similarly amusing; it, too, is red, but is more plush and features little eyes on the hat itself, two black antennae and two huge, plush pinchers. According to Epinions, the crab hat is an Oriental Trading product, which surprised me, though upon reflection I guess it looks like the kind of thing they would sell. It goes for six dollars from the catalog, too, so while Boston is an especially appropriate place in which to wear this hilarious headgear, you don't have to go there to buy it. If looking like a goon doesn't make you crabby, yuk it up with one of the zaniest hats around!

Whether You're a Pirate, a Patriot or a Bar-Hopper, Boston Is Tops

I am a Pirate Who Doesn't Do Anything, or so I have been claiming for years. As any die-hard VeggieTales fan will tell you, the most important criterion for being a member of this exclusive club is that one can truthfully state, "I've never been to Boston in the fall." This week, I veered dangerously close to relinquishing my title, but a season stood between me and certain pirate productivity. I have now been to Boston, but not in the fall.

The city of Boston intrigued me long before I became a VeggieTales fan. It's steeped in history and culture; the site of the Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere's Ride, the air is thick with patriotism. It's the setting of Cheers, a show I enjoyed, which gave rise to Frasier, a show I adored, and it's the hometown of Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on M*A*S*H, my favorite show of all. Then, of course, there was the Kingston Trio's harrowing tale of the man named Charlie who rode on the MTA and never returned, and the sneaking suspicion that I would never really be able to say I'd eaten clam chowder until I'd gobbled a bowl from Boston.

Yes, there's a lot to see there. And I only dipped my toe in the stream during my visit with my friends Erica and Art, who have worked in Boston and lived in the greater Boston area for two years. Nonetheless, for a short trip, I saw a great deal, starting with the moment when I got off the train and found myself studying the nearby buildings on the sidewalk above, trying to get my bearings. On our way out of town, my hosts pointed out several buildings, but what made the biggest impression was the traffic, which inched along in the aftermath of a game at Fenway Park, though every once in a while a driver got gutsy and tried to do some ill-advised passing, and now and then the guys in the next lane over, all decked out in their Red Sox regalia, bellowed something unintelligible. That was a Wednesday night. When they drove me into town on Sunday morning, the situation was entirely different, as the roads were virtually deserted, leaving me plenty of opportunity to peer out the window to drink in such sights as the college campuses where Art and Erica teach and an array of unique statues and signs. We also stopped at a coffee shop where I got a dose of the creativity of some artsy locals; on the walls were drawings for sale, and the tables themselves were works of art, each decorated with a different theme.

But the main event in terms of Boston sight-seeing occurred on Thursday, the first full day of my trip. This was when we devoted the bulk of one day to wandering around town on foot, soaking in as much as we could before the clouds looming ominously overhead burst and soaked us. Parking in Boston is expensive; we found a garage right near Faneuil Hall Market Place with day rates of $36, which was pretty typical; by comparison, the top rate at our parking garage in the heart of Salem was $12. Speaking of which, if you're in the area for a few days and plan to go to both places, I'd save most of your postcard-buying for Salem. The cheapest ones I found in Boston were 40 cents a piece, whereas in Salem they're readily available for 20 cents each, and you'll find most of the same ones. Ones that I couldn't find in Salem included Cheers postcards, available from the official gift shop, and cards featuring the statues erected in commemoration of Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings. In general, however, if you're planning to buy a big stack, you might want to hold off on all but a couple of specific designs.

Faneuil Hall is a massive shopping area reminding me of Portobello Road, described in the Disney movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks as a place containing "anything and everything a chap can unload." While there were quite a few free-floating vendors, though, most of the shopping was more stationary, with permanent storefronts for every taste. There were the traditional souvenir shops, of course; probably my favorite of these was Best of Boston, which featured a wide array of t-shirts, local confections, bells, shot glasses and anything else you might want to bring home. If you don't mind a few funny looks, I highly recommend purchasing either a crab hat or a lobster hat - or both. They run six dollars a piece and are wonderfully goofy-looking, making fun vacation photos even more memorable. Although I didn't end up buying anything at Newbury Comics - where visitors are greeted by Zoltar, that troublesome magician responsible for the transformation in Big - we probably spent more time in that store than any other, and I found about 50 things I wouldn't have minded getting. I discovered on this trip that comic book stores are my downfall. Whatever yours is, you'll no doubt find plenty of opportunities to empty out your wallet. For an idea of what to expect, you can check out www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com.

In the midst of this bustling marketplace, a distinctive sign jumps out at the casual wanderer: Cheers. This is the eatery that replicates the layout of the famous bar "where everybody knows your name." We arrived in the early afternoon and didn't have to wait to get inside. Not quite ready for lunch - and suspecting that prices at such a novelty restaurant would be steep - we opted to have a drink at the bar. Art, a connoisseur of brews, was impressed by the Samuel Adams Boston Brick Red, which the bartender told us is only available around Boston. Erica and I quenched our thirst with a couple of tasty root beers bearing the Cheers label. My 12-ounce root beer cost $2.50, which I didn't think was too exorbitant, especially since I took the bottle home as a souvenir. Scattered around the bar area as well as the gift shop are several cardboard stand-up characters just screaming "photo op!" You can cozy up to Sam, Diane, Woody and Carla, and Norm twice. I was a little disappointed that my favorite characters, Frasier and Cliff, were not anywhere to be found, but I was happy to ham it up with the rest of the gang. At the gift shop, I purchased a few mementos, including a postcard (as I recall, I only bought one because they were a dollar each) and a Cheers canteen keychain.

Erica had found a map directing us from this Cheers to the one where the exterior shots from the show were filmed, so we decided to continue our journey in that direction. All we had to do was follow the Freedom Trail, a thick red line on the sidewalk leading past several historically significant stops. As we passed numerous gregarious tour guides in 18th-century garb, we saw the State House, Old City Hall and the Granary Burying Ground, where we found the graves of Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and Ben Franklin's parents. Among the statues we saw, some of the most interesting were the monuments to the victims of the Potato Famine and the impressive statue of Ben Franklin, though my favorite series of statues commemorated Make Way for Ducklings with a mama duck trailed by eight ducklings. This creation by Nancy Schon is located in Boston Public Garden, a gorgeous park that is the site where the mallards in the book choose to raise their brood. Both before and after Erica snapped some pictures of me with the ducks, we spotted families with young children doing the same. There was even an infant small enough to perch on one of the ducklings. This seems to be a very popular attraction for youngsters. From this point, it didn't take us long to get to "Cheers", which is actually called the Bull & Finch pub. We took a few photos outside but didn't go in; while we'd only covered part of the Freedom Trail, we were tired out from our exertions, and as it started to rain before we got back to the marketplace, we decided to make for my friends' favorite Salem restaurant instead of meandering Faneuil Hall trying to decide where to eat. Technically, then, I didn't eat clam chowder in Boston, but I figure Salem is close enough. It certainly was excellent.

If you want to get an extensive Boston experience, you don't have to spend a lot of money. While there are plenty of attractions - such as the Duck Tours, which show Boston by land and by sea; the guided walking tours; and several museums - that charge admission, nothing we did cost us anything. Of course, parking is an expense for which you must plan, and I defy anybody to escape Faneuil Hall without a few souvenirs. (A word to the wise - though the wise would probably never consider this anyway: Don't bother with the lobster claw harmonica. It was sealed in plastic, so it wasn't until I got back to Erie that I discovered that I could barely get a sound out of it. Oh, well; it was only three bucks, and it will look fun on the piano...) But you don't need to participate in the expensive tourist stuff to get the most out of your trip. As for me, for a Pirate Who Doesn't Do Anything, it seems to me I did a lot.

From Walden Pond to Sleepy Hollow, Live Deliberately in Concord, Massachusetts

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life. And see if I could not learn what it had to teach and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." This iconic thought by Henry David Thoreau is one that has been quoted in many an English literature class, and certainly by one Mr. Healey, a passionate high school teacher who made a profound impact upon me and my friend Erica, whose Massachusetts home I recently visited. Erica and her husband Art live just outside of Boston - or, if you like, just outside of Concord, the site of Walden Pond, which so inspired Thoreau and, in turn, us.

We saved Concord for the second full day of my trip, a Friday; we wanted to get Boston out of the way on Thursday, before the weekend rush, and Saturday looked to be full of showers (though that prediction came to naught, at least in Salem). The day dawned rainy, but the weather forecast promised a drier afternoon, so we headed out around noon with umbrellas in hand, just as a precaution. We'd made a Target run in the morning for a second memory card for my camera in case my first ran out; when I arrived at the state park, I discovered that when I placed the card in my camera to ensure it fit, I failed to return the camera to its case. So Erica and I shared her camera at picturesque Walden Pond as we slowly wandered the pathways, keeping a careful eye out for animals and unique plant formations. Because of the rain, we had to negotiate our way around several mud puddles that filled the whole walkway, but this just added to the sense of adventure. Meanwhile, the overcast weather cut down on the number of visitors, so we had the trail to ourselves most of the time, though we spotted several people splashing their way through the pond, preferring an immersive experience of Walden.

We didn't go in the water, but we certainly went near it, snapping several photos of its reflective surface and peeking down at the fish swimming near its shores. The trail (which is punctuated by signs, including an ever-so-helpful one pointing to the perpetually visible pond) teems with life, from wildflowers to fungus, though our most exciting discoveries weren't quite so stationary. Eagle-eyed Erica alerted Art and me to the presence of a large black snake with yellow stripes curled quietly in the leaves. It kindly posed for a few pictures before slithering languidly into the trees. Several blue jays chattered to each other from lofty branches, and one decided to tease us by leading us onward, always taking flight just as Erica was about to snap its picture. In one marshy area, we heard several bullfrogs before we spotted them. There were a couple sitting down below in the shade of the trees, and as we crossed a makeshift bridge, one fearless frog stood inches away from us, calmly observing our intrusion.

Of course, if you're literarily inclined, as all three of us are in the extreme, the highlights of Walden are Thoreau's cabins: the replica that greets visitors as they arrive and the original site about halfway along the trail that makes the circuit of the pond. The replica was closed when we got there, so we contented ourselves with peering in the windows and walking the circuit of the tiny house before posing for the obligatory pictures with the statue of Thoreau. When we returned to the car, however, we noticed that the cabin door was ajar, so we went to investigate and found ourselves able to go inside and check out the interior, with its bed, desk, stove, fireplace and broom. As an avid LOST fan, I found myself reminded of the mysterious cabin where Jacob is said to dwell. Likewise, whenever I watch season three's The Man Behind the Curtain, when Ben warns John, upon their approach to the cabin, to turn off his flashlight because "Jacob feels the same way about technology that you do," I catch myself thinking about Thoreau. There's also a sign with a list of the materials Thoreau used to build the cabin and how much they cost. Less than thirty dollars for the whole works? Sounds all right to me! The actual cabin site is just as neat, nestled in a small clearing in the woods with short stone pillars marking the spot where it once stood. The woodshed is also sectioned off. This is where you will find the sign with the opening quote and the large pile of stones, many of them decorated, left in Thoreau's honor. I spent several minutes wandering around this pile, which is bigger than the cabin itself, and reading the messages people had left on the rocks.

Before we left, we had to stop into the gift shop. I'd been specifically warned about the eight-dollar finger puppets, but of course, I succumbed to the temptation of a squirrel. I also bought a deck of cards featuring famous authors, a few postcards - sixty cents each, which is a bit on the high end, but I wasn't able to find Walden postcards anywhere else - and, for my peripatetic brother, Thoreau's Walking, which was on prominent display because we'd happened to come on World Sauntering Day. If you forget your camera like I did and don't have somebody else in your party who remembered, the store also sells disposable cameras. Unlike Boston and Salem, Concord isn't much of a tourist trap. Admission to the park is only five dollars per car, and Sleepy Hollow, the other big destination, offers free one-hour parking. It's likely this will be the only gift shop you enter in this area, and it sells several items you probably won't find in other places, so don't feel too badly about spending some money there.

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is not far from Walden Pond, where we stayed for two or three hours. It might seem a bit morbid that we went to a cemetery during each of the three day trips we took during my visit, but each one features graves of historical significance. Sleepy Hollow has Authors Ridge, where one can find the surprisingly humble markers for Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott. There's something especially poetic about Thoreau's tiny stone, nestled amongst the graves of his relatives, which simply reads "HENRY". Scattered around and on top of each of these graves are trinkets from visitors, including pennies, pebbles and, most appropriately, pencils and pens. One hour is plenty of time to see these famous stones, which are all clustered together, and still have an opportunity to appreciate the unusual markers belonging to less famous folks and drink in the natural beauty of the grounds. Among the more striking monuments we found were a tall, stately Celtic cross and the tiny, accidentally amusing stone bearing the initials "M. L. B." Alas for the death of the great American pastime... We also stumbled upon a rock memorializing "Kirkegaard", just a letter away from Soren the philosopher. I also just discovered that this is not the Sleepy Hollow of which Washington Irving wrote; that cemetery is in New York, a destination for an entirely different trip.

But who needs Irving when you've got four fantastic authors to visit? If you're a literature lover or a nature enthusiast, Concord is a wonderful place in which to spend the afternoon, and the price to visit Walden and Sleepy Hollow is certainly right. If this is the way to live deliberately, count me in!

Become Bewitched in Witch City! Which City? Witch City! Which City? Salem!

Next summer, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will open in Orlando, and throngs of Harry Potter fans will flock to Florida to see larger-than-life editions of their favorite fantastical locales. I hope to be among them. This year, I got a dose of witches of a different kind when I joined my friends Erica and Art in Salem, Massachusetts, most famous for being the site of the Salem Witch Trials that were the subject of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. It's ironic that the hysteria to stamp out supposed witches resulted in the town being forever associated with them, to the point that it's nicknamed "Witch City." You can count on seeing plenty of store fronts and artwork alluding to witches. Shops boast names like The Broom Closet and Hex Old World Witchery, and if you go later in the day, you're likely to see several tour guides in costume, though pirates seem to be just as prevalent as witches. We were leaving just as these folks were coming out of the woodwork; I get the sense that Salem is at its busiest at night.

My friends live only a short drive from Salem, and on my first day in town, we headed there for dinner after a day of perusing Boston. Salem Beer Works is where I got my official Boston clam chowder, as well as an enormous basket of sweet potato fries. The food and service were excellent, and I loved the decor, especially the line of chalk drawings near the ceiling depicting various menu items. The peach cobbler looked especially enticing, but by the time dessert rolled around, I was too stuffed to take that notion too seriously, especially when I still had half a basket of fries, which the waiter helpfully offered to pack up for me. Our meals cost about twenty dollars each there, including drinks and, for Erica and Art, dessert.

Though we didn't do any more Salem meandering that day, we returned to the same starting point two days later. The parking garage across the street was quite reasonable, especially in comparison to Boston, where it was three times as expensive. Parking during dinner was only three dollars and came with the bonus of a jolly ticket-taker who looked like Santa Claus and cracked corny jokes. The day rate was twelve dollars, and the location was prime: not only right across the street from Salem Beer Works, but in the immediate vicinity of several major Salem attractions, including the old Burial Ground and the Pirate Museum. After a stop at a gift shop featuring a souvenir penny machine and racks full of 20-cent postcards, it was to the cemetery that we headed first. Upon our entry, we were greeted with the incongruous sight of a guy in a giant slushee costume wandering amongst the gravestones. Once Ice Guy went on his merry way, we checked out the courtyard memorializing those who died in 1692 after being accused of witchcraft. The most famous of these include Rebecca Nurse, John Proctor and Martha Corey, all of whom were hanged, and Giles Corey, who was pressed to death. Running along the sidewalk are bits of Proctor's defiant speech, in which he declares himself not guilty though he knows it will cost him his life.

From that point, our wandering took a more cheerful turn as we investigated several eccentric shops and kept our eyes peeled for photo opportunities. Probably my favorite of these was the statue of Samantha Stephens of Bewitched; I'd seen it from the car on our way in, but I didn't realize until we approached it on foot that this wasn't just any witch. She was the only famous fictional witch we found getting this kind of treatment, though I suppose Sabrina or Hermione might have been lurking in a hidden corner of town somewhere. There was a stained glass window near the cemetery depicting a crone who strongly resembled the apple-distributing version of the wicked queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and several shops sold Harry Potter-related items. All the while, the dulcet tones of a lone guitar player reached out ears. The town felt much quieter than Boston, and crossing streets was not nearly as harrowing.

Speaking of harrowing, one of our favorite finds was a shop called Derby Square Book Store. All of the books were half-price despite being new, and there were some pretty unusual selections; I walked away with Our Peaceable Kingdom, a book of black-and-white photographs by one John Drysdale depicting striking instances of interspecies harmony. What made this shop so memorable, however, was the shelving system. Books were piled in precarious stacks up to the ceiling; even after procuring a stepstool, Erica had trouble reaching the ones she was after. While the books were grouped into sections that were supposedly arranged alphabetically by author, I think rampant browsing laid waste to most attempts at organization. It felt almost as random as the yearly book sale sponsored by my hometown library and twice as perilous, since the narrow aisles and the tall stacks added up to a jumbo-sized game of Jenga whenever you wanted to remove a volume. One of my favorite photos from the trip is of Erica flipping through a book while hundreds of others tower around her. If you stop in Salem, put this one on your itinerary; it's the kind of place you have to experience for yourself.

My other favorite shop was a comic book store called Harrison's. As Erica, Art and I are all pretty fond of the Beatles, I got a kick out of the name, though I didn't notice it until we were leaving. By that point, we'd spent a good half hour or so investigating the contents of this geek's paradise. Star Wars, Star Trek and Lord of the Rings were all heavily represented. I was tempted by a plush R2-D2, a two-foot-tall Gandalf and a Death of Spock action figure set, though I reined in my impulses and walked away with just one figure: Mt. Doom Sam, who is fully poseable and bellows, "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you!" I also recommend a tiny antique shop called Tobie's Jewelers, where I discovered a collection of trolls, including several large Norfins, which I remember admiring at an expansive gift shop near Chautauqua, NY, the only place I'd ever seen them. As I debated between the policeman and a fireman (eventually settling on the former in hopes of recreating the Make Way for Ducklings scene in my backyard), the gregarious women running the shop kept us engaged in pleasant conversation.

Museums abound in Salem, whether you're into witches, pirates or Lizzie Borden, but while we perused the gift shops of several of these establishments, we stuck to the free territory, which was quite entertaining enough on its own. The Salem Wax Museum of Witches and Seafarers is one place with several photo ops right in the gift shop. A number of shops have interesting statues out front; I found two at Maria's Sweet Somethings: Wicked Good Confections. There's the Revolutionary-era fellow austerely holding out a blackboard on which are written messages for the day, and there's also an enormous, delicious-looking ice cream cone. My vote for the funniest store front in Salem goes to The Lobster Shanty, which promises "Warm Beer," "Lousy Food," "Surly Waitresses," "Rude Bartenders" and "Cranky Cooks." And no trip to Salem would be complete without a stop at the Salem Witch Museum, which offers a vast array of witch-related items. Though this was one of our last stops, I still purchased a Merlin hat, primarily for the purpose of having a few photos of me in Salem with a wizard hat on my head.

There are dozens of eateries to choose from in Salem. Having already eaten at Salem Beer Works the other day, we opted for the Irish pub O'Neill's for lunch. There, I had the tastiest calamari I've ever eaten, while Art and Erica enjoyed some traditional fish and chips. Lunch was somewhere in the area of ten to fifteen dollars, including drinks, excluding dessert, as we had our eye on ice cream cones at Maria's, though we eventually abandoned that idea because so many others had the same notion and we didn't feel like contending with the crowd. We capped our day off with a trip to the House of the Seven Gables, though we had to content ourselves with the exterior view, since tours were closed because of a wedding. Erica, having taken the tour before, gave me the abbreviated version, and we snapped a few quick pictures and spent a moment at a nearby overlook gazing out at the ocean, where dozens of boats were on the move.

As with Boston, it's pretty much up to you how much money you spend in Salem. There's no reason you have to break the bank to have a good time. Though I'm sure the tours and museums are interesting, I didn't feel as though I missed out on anything by skipping out on those. Just bring a camera, a sense of humor and a spirit of exploration, and I'm sure you'll find Salem every bit as satisfying as I did.

Number 1100: I'm Wild About San Diego Wild Animal Park!

Last night, I came back from San Diego, where my family went to visit my brother Benjamin, an ensign in the Navy who has been stationed there since August and is shipping out for a six-month cruise in a couple of weeks. We wanted to make sure we got to see him before that, and though he was busy for part of our stay, San Diego offered all sorts of engaging diversions, not to mention gorgeous weather, so we knew we'd have no trouble entertaining ourselves. When I realized how close I was getting to my 1100th posting here, I decided to save that nice round number for the San Diego Zoo, which I expected to be a highlight of our trip. The second day of our stay, however, two locals advised us to check out the Wild Animal Park instead. It's still run by the San Diego Zoo, but it offers an unusual safari-like experience, spread out as it is on an 1800-acre stretch of land in the San Pasqual Valley. So we changed our plan slightly. I'm sure we would have loved the zoo. But the Wild Animal Park was pretty darn impressive and a really nice way to spend a good chunk of our last day in San Diego.

Upon first entering the park, we wandered into the African Aviary, an extra-large enclosure containing more than 40 species of birds, including black herons, open-bill storks, jacanas and hammerkops. Everywhere we looked, there was some bird or another, many with vibrant-colored feathers; we also saw several snowy white egrets walking atop the netting along the exhibit's roof. Though most of the birds stuck to the trees or the underbrush near the pathway, every once in a while a bird would venture closer, and there were ample photo opportunities. There was plenty of interesting foliage too, and it was definitely worth taking the time to move through the aviary slowly.

Throughout the park are several statues and life-size versions of animal habitats; my favorites were right near the aviary. A giant rhinoceros statue is off by itself in a wooden gazebo where visitors can pose with it, and my brother Nathan and I eagerly hammed it up, with my resting comfortably behind the rhino's ears and Nathan gingerly hovering above its horn. Nearby was a large broken egg out of which visitors could pretend they were being hatched. I managed to squeeze myself in, but it was a snug fit; I think the egg is intended more for young'uns. Near these statues was one of several large ponds scattered through the park. Most of the pond's inhabitants were various species of ducks and geese, but there were more unusual birds as well, and Nathan and I stopped a while to feed them pellets from a dispenser. Fifty cents got us a hefty handful that lasted several minutes and momentarily appeased some very greedy fowl.

From there, we meandered past several exhibits, including the meerkats and gorillas and the Balloon Safari, a hot air balloon ride which initially sounded promising but turned out to be tethered to the ground, merely rising 400 feet in the air and hovering over the park. I'm sure it was a nice view, but for $15 it didn't seem quite substantial enough for us to indulge in it. We soon made our way toward the Lion Camp, which was a centerpiece of the sprawling African section. We were met by several lions pacing agitatedly as a crowd of young students looked on; the keeper assured us that the big cats were bothered not by our presence but by the media blitz on the other side of their enclosure announcing the grand opening of the Journey Into Africa tram ride.

Once we got to the tram, we were informed that it was only its second day of operation and that starting on the third day, it would cost an additional $10 to ride. Today, the ride was free. We waited in line while being entertained by a group of singers, dancers and instrumentalists performing traditional African music. Once on the tram, which seated four to a bench and probably around a hundred altogether, we embarked on a half-hour tour of an extensive area where all sorts of African animals roamed free. We saw giraffes (one of which was only a few months old) and antelopes, ostriches and rhinos, zebras and gazelles. Our guide was very informative, giving us facts about each species, relaying the park's commitment to conservation through breeding of rare species and education and even sharing a few folktales about how various animals got their unique features. The diversity found in this safari is impressive, and the animals are close enough for easy viewing and picture-taking but have plenty of room to roam. Our tour lasted about half an hour, which gave us a nice break from all the walking that we did throughout the rest of the day.

After the tram ride, we headed for the elephant exhibit. On the way there, we passed several unusual critters, including the okapi, a very strange-looking relative of the giraffe that looks like three or four different species thrown together. Getting to the elephants required a bit of a trek; a sign warned us, "You will enjoy the walk, but there is one hill." Ooooh, intimidating. We were rather winded by the time we got to the top, but it was worth the walk; among the elephants were two calves, one of which had been born only two days before. Talk about adorable! After a little break in the shady botanical gardens, we meandered up to Condor Ridge, passing roadrunners, bald eagles, California condors, porcupines and other natives to North America. Up at the top we had an amazing view of the valley and surrounding mountains. We could see quite a lot of the park from that vantage point, including most of the land covered by the Journey Into Africa. The view was awe-inspiring.

At that point, we already had to start thinking about winding down our trip, since we were set to meet Benjamin for our last afternoon in town. Before we left, we saw an Animal Encounter in which we were introduced to a cheetah and a dog, who licked contentedly on their bloodsicles (appetizing, no?) while the keepers talked about cheetah anatomy and the relationship between these two creatures. We checked out the Hidden Jungle, a greenhouse filled with exotic birds. This was another walk-through exhibit, so as with the aviary, we got very up-close and personal. We got even closer in Lorikeet Landing, another walk-through exhibit, this one devoted to the brilliantly colored Australian birds. Two dollars got me a little cup of nectar, which I held out, soon to be landed upon by two lorikeets. These birds weren't shy in the least; they just toddled around on my hand, taking turns drinking from my nectar cup. This was the last thing we did before leaving the park, and it was great fun.

In the end, we spent about five and a half hours at the park. It's only open from 9 to 5 (gates close at 4), so we only missed out on a couple of hours. Even with eight hours, as spread out as the park is, it might be hard to see everything. We got a very good overview of the park but ended up missing a few exhibits, including the Giraffe Feeding and the Petting Krall (a petting zoo that apparently includes more exotic animals than usual). We intended to catch both of those, especially the opportunity to feed giraffes, but we never found them in time even though we got a map with our entry into the park. We did a lot of walking, and the paths wind and intersect often, so it's easy to get rather lost. We also didn't have time for any of the zoo shows aside from the cheetah one, which we just caught a bit of in passing, but we saw the animals involved in the shows, and that was more important to us.

Our cost of admission was $28 per person, though I got the impression that we were there at the tail end of the off-season and tickets are usually more expensive. Packages are available for families that want to go to the San Diego Zoo too, and if they really want to splurge, they can throw in Sea World too. Of course, these get pretty pricey; the three-park deal costs over a hundred dollars per adult. Another expensive option is the Photo Caravan, which gets visitors really close to a variety of animals in the Wild Animal Park and allows for amazing photo opportunities, but the cost ranges from $70 to $130, depending on the length of time spent on the exclusive tour. Reservations are recommended for this option, since spaces are very limited.

If you go to the Wild Animal Park, plan to spend the whole day, and you'll get your money's worth. There are plenty of shops and food stands - not to mention overpriced vending machines - so if you have a hunger (or, more likely, thirst) attack or crave a souvenir, you're covered. I can't say whether it's better than the San Diego Zoo, but it certainly was an enriching experience; I just wish it wasn't on the other side of the country!

Skyline Caverns a Cool Retreat from Summer Sun

For several years, my aunt Joyce has had a cozy cabin in Virginia. She doesn’t use it extremely often because she already has an extremely cozy house. But it’s a nice retreat, and we went there once before when we visited. During one of the days that we stayed there, we made the trip to Skyline Caverns in Front Royal, and the main thing I remember about that excursion is that I got fearfully carsick. I was crossing my fingers that such an unpleasantness wouldn’t occur when we made the same trip last month, this time with our exchange student Cathi in tow. Luckily, my stomach was more cooperative on this occasion, and we got to our destination with little trouble. The drive didn't seem so long as it had the first time. When we reached the caverns, it starting raining. It was a quick downpour, and we were able to wait it out in the car before going in.

There was a tour just starting, and we managed to catch that one. It was led by a guy who couldn't have been much older than my 16-year-old brother Nathan and who strongly resembled Harry Potter. I remembered some of the formations from before, but I did not recall how cheesy the verbal portion of the tour was. It was very much a canned tour, the sort of thing I used to do when I narrated the train rides for ZooBoo in Erie. I was all too familiar with the pun-peppered speech that made the audience groan. At least I didn't notice anybody telling him he ought to write new material. I got that after every single tour, as if I wrote the script! Besides, it's supposed to be goofy.

Anyway, our group seemed to be pretty good sports, but there was one point, in the part of the caves that they call the Cathedral, when we were subjected to a "light show" that amounted to a dramatic voice from above preaching Christian and environmentalist doctrine. I was just glad to see the two on the same page; I'm sick of them being considered mutually exclusive by many people. But I won't argue that it was over the top. Cathi was mildly offended that it was a part of the tour at all. "That's so mean!" she protested later, her typical phrase of disapproval. She didn't think they had any business putting something like that in a public tour that people were paying for and thought a lot of people might get offended. Of course, this was the Bible belt, and it was a nature sanctuary of sorts, so both of the announcer’s points of view made sense. But perhaps it was a bit much.

Cathi also disliked the fact that they had names for all the formations, leaving no room to our imaginations. I definitely get what she's saying; on the other hand, it would probably be a lot harder to conduct the tour if there weren't any landmarks with specific names. I especially liked the Three Wise Men and the nearby Bethlehem; the lucky rock that thousands of people had rubbed over the years, wearing it down to an incredibly smooth texture; the shallow pool that was home to trout; and the anthodites, spiky formations on the cave ceiling near the end of the tour that have been found in no other caves in the world. In spite of the corny touches, the tour was still a fun thing to do, and the caverns were nice and cool, a relief from the hot day. I bought some postcards in the gift shop, which was a basically a general store of the sort you might find in any small rural location. There’s a very similar one in Little Pine Valley, where my family goes camping every year. When we went outside I admired the miniature train that we could have bought tickets to ride in. It was mainly intended for little kids, I think, but there were some adults on board so it could have been an option. Next to the train was a large dinosaur statue, and I think there was also a small miniature golf course.

The tour itself lasted about an hour, and with $2 off coupons it cost $12 each. Dad got several nice pictures inside the caverns, and it was yet another new experience Cathi could say she had in America. If you happen to be in the area, I would recommend it as an afternoon diversion, which could be combined with a few hours at nearby Shenandoah National Park. Another nice trip of that nature is to Penn’s Cave, in which the tour is conducted on a boat. Due to adverse weather conditions, we were unable to complete the extent of the tour, so I would like to go back sometime on a sunny day. Anyway, for those interested in geology or just looking for a unique experience, Skyline Caverns is worth a look.

The "Equarium" and More in Baltimore

One of the shorter stops on my family’s recent road trip was Baltimore, Maryland, a city I’ve visited a few times. Come to think of it, none of the places we went were locations I’d never been to before. My major trip to Baltimore was about 10 years ago. When I was in middle school, my dad had to go to Baltimore for a conference. Since it occurred during the summer, since I was getting picked up from my grandparents’ in nearby York anyway, and since it just seemed like a fun family vacation, we all went with him. We were put up in a fancy hotel, and we spent considerable time wandering around the Inner Harbor. I recall the lights of the city reflecting in the night-time water; peddling around the bay with my brother Benjamin in one of the little boats reserved for that purpose; going to a crab shack located on a boat and witnessing Dad’s disdain as he tried to crack the critter open; practically being knocked over by a young woman jumping up and down and begging, with religious fervor, for money to buy milk for her infant; and spending a few hours at the Baltimore Aquarium (which young Nathan referred to as an “equarium” in a car game on the ride home).

This time our trip would only be for the day. We set off from my aunt’s house near Washington, D. C. We made good time and got to Baltimore by 11:30 or so and found a parking lot pretty quickly, right by the inner harbor. It was a short walk to the aquarium, which we had already decided we wanted to visit again. I had announced earlier that I wanted to ride the paddleboats. I think that's their proper name, but pedalboats would be more appropriate. They're what Fred Flintstone would ride in if he ever traveled across the water. Anyway, we turned a corner and there were the boats, and scattered amongst them were these glorious sea serpents, slightly akin to the swan boats seen in Lothlorien. I wanted not only to ride one but to own one. I mentioned it all day. Nobody else was interested. I didn't think they would be, especially after we noticed how polluted the water was. But it gave me a boost just to see them.

We had to wait in line to get tickets to the aquarium. While Mom did that, the rest of us sat around and looked at our surroundings. We were in the aquarium by noon. The first thing you see is a huge pool filled with sharks, manta rays and sea turtles. It's a gorgeous sight. They all look so graceful, especially the rays. We watched them swim for a while before moving on to the rest of the exhibits. I like all animals, but I don't get as excited about fish as mammals, especially when there are huge crowds around small tanks, making it very hard to see. Still, there were lots of fun fish to observe, especially the sea horses, and I began thinking that a very fun job would be traveling around the country and visiting a different zoo every day and writing a book about it. That would be groovetacular. Dad and I were a bit less energetic than the other three for some reason, but we still had a good time. I loved the rainforest that we were able to walk through. It was perhaps my favorite part. The animals were very close. A bird probably could have landed on my head. There was also an expansive shark display and finally the dolphin show, which Nathan taped. I was a little bummed we didn't get there earlier and get in the splash zone, but we still had a good view. Afterwards I went and saw them underwater. I bought postcards, but then I was mildly annoyed because they were 50 cents each, and if I'd known that I only would've gotten a couple. They were just animal pictures that said "Baltimore Aquarium" on them, with no prices in sight. I went and made a pressed penny for Mom too. They had 12 different designs; I picked the manta ray. I think they're very cool.

When we got out of the aquarium, we called my aunt Barb and her fiance Chuck, who were just a couple blocks away. We met them halfway, and I found a clownfish magnet from the aquarium sitting under a bench. Lucky me! Mom wanted to eat at the same crab shack we’d patronized before. Probably not to Dad's disappointment, the place had closed, but Chuck took us to what he said was the best seafood in Baltimore. Philip's did have very good food, as well as a band playing in the next room. It was a little more expensive and the portions a little smaller than expected, but my lobster and crab was quite tasty.

Our next stop was the Cheesecake Factory, but we decided to do some shopping in between. I picked up a bunch of postcards, including some nice Washington ones, and I also got a deck of Washington playing cards, a pen with a Lincoln bust on the top and his signature on the rest of the pen, and a Chipmunk-sized Abraham Lincoln figurine. The purchase that tickled me the most, however, was the whistle I bought at the stand where they sell tickets for the DUCK tours. It's shaped like a duck bill and it quacks! How great is that? I was good, though. I only used it a few times. Our cheesecake was delicious. I got raspberry lemon. They were very large pieces, too. It was still before 5 at this point I think, but everyone was already talking about heading back. I would have been happy to stay all evening, but we wanted to get a chance to visit with our relatives in York a bit.

We headed towards the car, but first we watched a free juggling show. This guy was pretty weird, and I wasn't all that impressed with most of his antics. He did do some interesting tricks, though, especially with swords and fire. I was sitting next to a guy who was really enjoying the show. A few cute kids volunteered themselves as assistants. It was a fun little diversion. Before we left, we had to get our picture with a crab. They have crabs all around town with different decorations, a community art project just like the fish and frogs we have in Erie. These things were cool, but they were pretty skinny and small. At least they were festive. The sun was right in our eyes as Dad took the pictures, so I think there was a whole lot of squinting going on, but a couple of them turned out really nice anyway. We also got a great shot of our group (sans Dad, the photographer) across the bay from the aquarium.

I can’t really comment too much on the city at large, since my experience is pretty much limited to the Inner Harbor. But it’s a fun place to spend the day. The aquarium cost us $18 each, a price that included the dolphin show. We spent about three hours there, which is about average; the tickets to the dolphin show are for a particular time, and they basically figure it’s about enough time for you to have gotten through the aquarium. Lunch and cheesecake were fairly expensive; I think my meal was about $20 and the cheesecake probably close to $10. Most of the shops in the malls along the harbor boasted very reasonable prices, however. I think my postcards were 6 for a dollar, and none of my other purchases broke the bank, either. I think my duck whistle only set me back three dollars. Add to that the “free” entertainment (donations are, of course, welcome) and the beautiful boats, and there are plenty of worthwhile options available. Since everything is so concentrated in one area, the Inner Harbor is ideal for a day trip. Meanwhile, if you have a few more days to spend, I’m sure there’s plenty more to love in Baltimore. Just watch out overenthusiastic beggars.

My Little Zoo a Grand Old Time

For the past couple years, one of the most anticipated events in Erie, PA – my hometown – was the opening of the new Children’s Zoo at the Erie Zoo. That section of the zoo had always been a favorite and had undergone major renovations before. When I was little, one of the focal points was Rock Candy Mountain, a mountain featuring colorful outcroppings designed to look like gumdrops. I was always a little mountain goat, going out of my way at playgrounds and during creek-walking trips to find the most complicated and dangerous way to climb up a structure or a cliff face, so I loved scrambling up the narrow staircase to the top, where I could overlook the rest of the Children’s Zoo from my high vantage point. But the Mountain did not exactly afford the safest climbing experience, and it was shut down as a hazard when I was still pretty young.

The zoo has undergone many changes since then, some of which I got to experience directly during my one-year stint as a zookeeper in the Children’s Zoo. While we went about the daily work of cleaning pens, feeding animals, brushing llamas and giving talks in the pavilion, we heard about the progress of the Kiboka Outpost, the extravagant African exhibit that was being added to the other end of the zoo. Extravagant is, of course, a relative term; a trip to the zoo in Columbus, Cincinnati, or Washington, D.C. would render anything in our zoo rather puny by comparison. That’s typical of my city, however. Our amusement park, our zoo, our much-hyped Bicentennial Tower that is dwarfed by almost every building surrounding it… We don’t do big in Erie. But we can do cozy.

As small as the Erie Zoo is, it continues expanding, both outwards and simply in terms of the quality of its exhibits. When it first opened in the 1920s, it consisted of a series of small concrete enclosures. It stayed that way for decades, and my mom recalls going to the zoo as a rather depressing experience because all the animals seemed so miserable. Conditions were so deplorable that the Erie Daily Times ran a series of articles in complaint, inspiring the community to take action. The past four decades have seen the zoo redesign all the animal enclosures for a more spacious and natural habitat and place a greater emphasis on the educational opportunities the zoo could provide to visitors. In addition to interactive displays and informative plaques near each exhibit, the zoo offers many classes and day camps, several of which I took advantage of when I was younger.

Getting into the zoo is pretty reasonable: $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and $3 for children. Those prices are slightly lower during the off-season. If you live in town and plan to visit the zoo often, it’s worth it to get a zoo pass for $50-$60, depending on how many people will be using it. This pass also provides a discount at a hundred other zoos and aquariums throughout the country. The first thing you’ll see upon entering the zoo is the gift shop, complete with a wide variety of animal-related items at a reasonable price. My favorites are the plastic animals, which come in a range of sizes. I have a collection featuring every big cat available in the smallest size. As I recall they cost about $4 each. For a really cheap souvenir, you can stop just outside the gift shop and get a pressed penny. They’ve added several penny machines throughout the zoo; I haven’t even managed to collect all the different designs that have become available. Each features a different animal that lives in the zoo.

Right next to the gift shop is the train station, which usually ends up being the last stop of the day. Tickets will set you back $1 if you’re a zoo member, $2 if you aren’t. You can also indulge in a snack or two from the concession stand one window over. Your first stop will probably be the main zoo building, which is where the elephant used to be housed. Though Kya was one of the zoo’s most beloved residents, he went to another zoo when it was determined that living alone was not good for him. He had lived with his mother Shawnie for several years, but the elder elephant died several years ago. The other stars of the building are the gorillas, particularly Rudy, a grumpy-looking silver back who is the oldest male of his species in captivity. When I was little, I remember watching him watch TV. He no longer has a television in his display, though he may still have one somewhere we can’t see it. He seems to enjoy sitting up against the glass and glaring at the children who pass by while idly picking his nose, much to the children’s delight. Other residents include two different types of lemurs, both of which are equally capable of making a racket, a large display of meerkats, the entertaining little critters who became famous with the inclusion of Timon in The Lion King, and a fenced-in pool that’s home to several types of birds as well as turtles. When I worked at the zoo, one or two of the birds was often wandering around outside the fence when I came in. Another feature is the leopard exhibit, which has included cubs more often than not over the past few years.

Once you leave the main building, you can stop and take a peek in the barn. It’s not very full at the moment, inhabited only by a horse and her foal, a donkey, a miniature horse, a pig, a llama, and an exhibit full of bats. The animals in the barn get switched around rather frequently, though you can always count on a horse being there. When I was little, the bat exhibit was occupied by marmosets, adorable little primates that would fit in the palm of your hand. During high school, it was the on-again, off-again home of Zorro, the miniature zebu that I sponsored for several years.

Just up from the barn is the greenhouse, which is interesting if you like plants but pretty unpleasant during the middle of summer. To the left are the spectacle bears, so named because of the white patches on their face, but I prefer to think it’s because they like to make a spectacle of themselves. They seem to understand that they are being watched and often put on quite a show. The polar bears are also popular, though usually much more sedentary. If you’re very lucky, you might catch them swimming in their pool, in which case it is probably so hot out that you’ll be jealous of them. The zoo is currently in the process of trying to gather funding for a refurbished polar bear exhibit. Next to the bears are the lions, which rarely do anything other than sleep during zoo hours, especially in the summer. Same goes for the tigers, one white and one orange, which share an enclosure and can usually be seen sprawled out on a flower bed or in the shade of a cave.

Kiboka features two warthogs, which were initially brought in temporarily but have since become permanent fixtures. The outpost itself boasts a number of educational displays and a colorful safari guide, Dr. Max Zeller, a pseudonym for a college biology professor by the name of Dr. Masteller with a particular passion for insects and arachnids. Other animals include a pair of rhinos, a cheetah that can be observed from within the outpost or on the second floor observatory overlooking its enclosure, and a herd of zebras, as well as a variety of smaller animals.

When I was younger, the zebras were still up in this part of the zoo, as well as the bison (who now seem to be absent aside from one roaming free in Safariland, through which the train runs). It wasn’t much of a trip from the tigers to the bison, but once we reached the zebras we had a treacherously steep descent to the giraffe house. I can’t imagine this was up to ADA code; just walking down the path seemed dangerous. This pathway has since been replaced with a boardwalk, which is much more easily traversable. At the bottom of the hill are the giraffes, which are usually outside during the summer. It’s not unusual to see them sticking out their long black tongues to nab a tasty leaf or two. Their plot of land is surrounded on two sides by a large pond, which is home to several swans and a constantly variable number of ducks. I’ve never seen the swans leave the water, but the ducks venture out all the time to beg French fries off the patrons of the main concession stand across the way. I don’t believe any of these ducks are actual zoo animals. Mill Creek runs through the middle of the zoo, just under the bridge connecting this section to the Children’s Zoo, and I suspect that is where the ducks come from. Nonetheless, they are a constant presence in the pond, almost always outnumbering the swans. In the middle of the pond is Monkey Island, home to the zoo’s spider monkeys, which are conveniently afraid of water.

The Children’s Zoo is considerably different than it was when I worked there. The carousel is now nestled in an indoor pavilion just outside the entrance, and rides are $2 a person. Inside the Children’s Zoo is a configuration of buildings connected by cobblestone walkways. The old staple of the petting zoo is still in place, though it’s smaller than it used to be and seems to have fewer animals. Miniature zebus, donkeys and llamas fill other pens, and some of the smaller animals that used to live in the Children’s Zoo barn now have a place in the educationally oriented Adventure Center. Entirely new exhibits include Mystery Mountain, a safer reincarnation of Rock Candy Mountain. The top is an observation deck, while the path underneath is a great way to cool off on a hot day. The old children’s play area has been replaced with a new one resembling a Chuck E. Cheese crawl but utilizing an animal motif. The most anticipated addition is a penguin exhibit, which can be viewed at eye level or underwater. The large pool takes up much of the exhibit, and the penguins seem to have a great time zooming through the water. The other exciting new exhibits are the aviary, where visitors can feed nectar to a colorful variety of Australian lorikeets, and the Australian Walkabout, where visitors are encouraged to take a stroll with a kangaroo.

On your way up from the Children’s Zoo, be sure to pay a visit to the otters. Their underwater antics are as entertaining as the penguins’. Next up is Wild Asia, the section of the zoo that was built after Kiboka and before the new Children’s Zoo. The entrance is an ornate archway decorated in an Asian motif. The majority of Wild Asia is inside and includes such animals as red pandas, Indian muntjacs (small, primitive members of the deer family) and the wildly popular pair of orangutans with their still-tiny one-year-old, Leela.

The changes to the zoo are impressive and exciting, though they do leave me wondering about a number of animals that seem to have disappeared. I wonder whether they are still on zoo grounds somewhere out of the visitors’ viewing area and whether they will ever be put back on display. In addition to the bison, the flamingoes have gone missing, as well as a large number of animals in the Children’s Zoo, unless I missed them. I didn’t see the Sika deer, pygmy goats, capybaras, porcupines, arctic foxes, white ducks, tortoise, or most of the animals that were in the barn. I know that animals come and go over time; I haven’t seen Zorro in years, and the raccoons that once were exhibited across from the duck pond have been gone almost as long as Rock Candy Mountain. But it’s a bit of a shock to see so many animals depart at once, even if it means that new animals have the opportunity to come in.

All in all, the Erie Zoo is a wonderful place to take the family for the afternoon in spite of its small size. It’s easy to view each exhibit; you’ll never have to leave feeling as thought you didn’t get to see everything. In fact, it rarely takes more than a couple hours to get through the zoo. If you want to make even more of a day of it, pack a picnic in the car and head next door afterwards for a leisurely lunch in the picnic grove and some splashing around the creek. The Erie Zoo has always been one of my favorite places to visit, and I would recommend it to anyone whose idea of a good time involves fur, fins or feathers.

Six Flags: It's Sea World, and Then Some

It’s sad but true: the summer is swiftly coming to a close. My brother starts tenth grade on Tuesday, while I start to register the fact that, for the first time in 18 years, I’m not going back to school. We decided that the family ought to have one last hurrah before getting back to the daily school-year grind, so on Wednesday we piled ourselves in the van and headed for Six Flags Ohio, formerly known as Sea World. We had not been there since it made its transformation.

Upon our arrival in the general vicinity of the park, we were befuddled because we could not find any signs pointing us in the right direction. We thought we had missed a turn somewhere. It turned out we were going exactly the right way, but there were no signs announcing the park until we were almost upon it. You would think Six Flags would make a greater effort to let people know where they are, but we found it without a problem so there was no big inconvenience.

We were inside the park by 10:30, and at this point we split up, my mom, brother Nathan, and I heading for the animals and my dad and brother Benjamin off to tackle to roller coasters. The first stop for the three of us was Boomtown, a section of the park dedicated to kiddie rides. Nathan and I have been too big for kiddie rides for years, but we had a great time wandering around and inspecting the colorful and creative Looney Tunes-themed decorations. Very fun. Made me wish that I was little enough to enjoy the rides.

One of the first things we saw when we entered the park was the monorail, but we were never able to figure out where you got on it. We deduced that it must have been somewhere in the water park, but we never did find the entrance. As it happened, we only wound up going on one ride the whole day. It was a junior roller coaster, not quite a kiddie ride but definitely not in the big leagues either. We looked forward to riding Uncle Willy’s Wild Ride, the white water rapids raft ride, but most of the water rides were not operating due to the power outage the week before. This was something of a disappointment, but it allowed us to spend more time in the Sea World part of the park.

We have gone to Sea World several times, and it always was a day-long affair. With Six Flags in control, the park has more attractions than can possibly be visited in one day, and they are spread out, requiring a great deal of walking to get from one end of the park to another. Dad and Benjamin immersed themselves in the amusement park portion of Six Flags, riding as many coasters and thrill rides as they could fit in. Even then, they were not able to ride everything; we, on the other hand, were not able to see all of the available programs, although we were able to see the main ones. It’s no wonder the park sells two-day passes. One disappointment was that while the park usually stays open until 10, it closes at 6 during the last couple weeks of the summer season. Therefore, we had four fewer hours to try to fit everything in.

The animal portion of Six Flags is very similar to its old incarnation. Features include a dolphin pool, a seal exhibit, two penguin exhibits, a reptile house, and an aquarium. We started out by watching the dolphin show, a short but impressive display of the acrobatic abilities of the park’s four dolphins. Last time we went to Sea World, the dolphins had constant access to the whole pool, and visitors were allowed up against the wall and could pet the dolphins if they came close. This time, the dolphins spent the time when the show was not in progress in an inner portion of the pool, and a rope gate restricted the access of the public to the pool’s edge. The dolphins were clearly very interested in their visitors; they continually hopped up so that their heads were peeking out at the crowds watching them.

The African penguins were situated outside, and most were huddled in a group on the far end of the exhibit. One lone penguin swam near the spectators. The indoor exhibit was far more animated, not to mention a nice relief from the heat of the day. The black room was air-conditioned, and behind the glass dozens of penguins of varying types lounged, waddled, or slid on the icy land or raced through the clear water, sometimes leaping up to land upright on the surface. We stayed in the penguin house for quite some time, enjoying the penguins’ entertaining antics. The seal and sea lion exhibit is one of the noisiest animal exhibits, as the inhabitants bark continually while swimming and sunning themselves on the rocks.

The indoor exhibits of the reptiles and fish were interesting and informative. My brother impressed us by rattling off facts about all the fish, which we confirmed by glancing at the information placards. Outside the aquarium, we had a nice time trying to pet some of the small marine animals in the touch pool. Everyone’s favorite seemed to be the sting rays, which felt slimy and slippery and appeared to be very good-natured despite their rather unpleasant-sounding name. As we walked along outside, we could also see zebras and a wide variety of birds, some caged but most free to roam the waters of the creeks and small ponds throughout the park.

The sea lion/otter/walrus show has always been one of Sea World’s most entertaining offerings, and the new format didn’t change that. The theme was home repair, and while the sea lion helped the humans with some home fix-it projects, the wily otter slipped in to cause some mischief and the enormous walrus (ironically named “Tiny”) dropped by to fix the toilet. The show was full of oversized props, bad puns, and anthropomorphic activity by the three animal stars. It was a hoot.

The whale show had more in common with the dolphin show, though it was shown in a large arena comparable to the sea lion and otter show. The marine star of Six Flags showed off his stuff, swimming, jumping, and flipping and thoroughly soaking the people in the first ten or so rows. This showcase of the majestic orca is always as much a high point of the day as the slapstick pinnipeds, and once again, the show did not disappoint.

We also took in the Batman-themed water show out on Geauga Lake. This presentation featured performers on jet-skis and a variety of other small watercraft and featured three nifty Gotham City sets. The dialogue was pre-recorded and played over a loudspeaker, so the actors simply made exaggerated gestures to make it appear as though they were talking. They also managed to throw in a plea for environmental consciousness by making a major plot point the dumping of dangerous chemicals into the lake by Bruce Wayne’s factory. A fun show with some pretty impressive stunts, if a bit corny at times.

Before we had to sprint back to the front of the park to pick up my brother’s caricature, we watched the Tiger Island tiger show, featuring two white tigers interacting with their trainers and engaging in such activities as climbing trees and jumping across logs. A nice way to close out the day.

There was a mass exit from the park at 6:00, and there were only two exits through which cars could escape. We spent an hour in the parking lot before we were able to get out onto the road. This is clearly a common occurrence because there were children lugging coolers full of pop and selling them to disgruntled drivers stuck in a mile-long line. (A note about beverages: in the park, vendors sell twenty-ounce bottles of pop for $3.25, but the same bottles are available from the pop machines for $2.) I think that the end-of-day traffic could be handled better; we’ve never had to wait that long to get out of an amusement park parking lot.

I do think the parking situation could be improved, and I see no good reason for the park to close so early. Six Flags was very crowded, and I’m sure most of those in attendance would have stayed until 10 given the opportunity. If the managers felt so strongly that such an early closing was merited, they at least should have offered discounted rates; 12 hours to 8 hours is a pretty significant drop in time. My family got a pretty good deal because we picked up some buy one, get one free coupons at McDonald’s and were thus able to get the five of us in for $120. Without the coupon, $200 is a pretty steep price to pay for a reduced amount of time. Beyond those complaints, however, it was a very enjoyable day, and the amusement park and animal park were equally satisfying to my family.