Travelsmartplanet

Lou Gehrig played for 17 seasons as a first baseman for the NY Yankees, from 1923 to 1939, including 6 World Series, and won numerous awards for his achievements. He was forced to retire at age 36 because of ALS, now called Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and died 2 years later.

On August 16, 1920, Ray Chapman, the Cleveland shortstop, was accidentally hit on the head by a ball pitched by New York’s Carl Mays, and he died the next day due to severe brain damage. This is the ball, which can be seen at the Sports Memorabilia Museum in Boca.

Look at how insanely precise our food safety rules have become. This pinwheel ice cream sandwich from Carvel, not only has a best-before date, it has a best-before time. Will I get sick if I eat it at 4:59 pm? It’s ice cream – you couldn’t save it in the car and eat it later (3 months later) even if you tried to. Found at Modena New York State Travel Plaza Center at milepost 65 southbound on New York State Thruway.

Love the concept and the humor that New York State uses on the Adirondack Northway, Route 87. Signs tell you how far it is until you can safely pull over and do your texting. Breathe deeply and try to control yourself.

The Empire State Building gets dressed up for different events. On the Fourth of July you can see her red white and blue colors from near and far all around New York City. One of the best vantage points to view the iconic panoramic view of the whole Manhattan skyline is driving along the Brooklyn Queens expressway. you don’t even mind sitting in traffic, since it allows for more time to ogle the view.

If you’ve even wanted to feel like an astronaut, but do not want sign up for a space flight, perhaps the first step might be to experience weightlessness. The ZERO-G Experience has built a specially modified Boeing 727. While flying in it, parabolic arcs are performed to create a weightless environment allowing you to float, flip and soar as if you were in space.

The price for this out-of-the world experience starts at $4,950 per person and it includes 12-15 parabolas. You get to keep your  own ZERO-G flight suit, some ZERO-G merchandise, enjoy a a Regravitation Celebration, are given a certificate of weightless completion, and of course, photos and video of your unique experience.

The cities it is happening in from March-August: Austin, TX, Cape Canaveral, FL, Chicago, IL, Houston TX, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, CA, Miami FL, New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, San Francisco CA, Seattle WA

www.gozerog.com

Harry Potter fans in Canada or anywhere else who wants to travel there, can see inside the famous wizard’s world,  Harry Potter: The Exhibition opened at TELUS World of Science – Edmonton.

You can see the amazing craftsmanship behind hundreds of authentic costumes and film props from all 8 of the Harry Potter films. The show immerses fans in the experience as they get a firsthand view of authentic artifacts displayed in detailed settings inspired by the film sets, including the Great Hall, Hagrid’s hut, the Gryffindor™ common room, and other settings from the films.

While touring through the exhibit space, discover iconic items such as Harry’s original wand and eyeglasses, the Marauder’s Map, Gryffindor school uniforms as well as costumes worn at the Yule Ball.  Enter the Quidditch™ area and toss a “Quaffle”, pull your own Mandrake, encounter Buckbeak™ the Hippogriff and even a giant Acromantula spider.

Edmonton is the 1oth stop for the exhibition which is concluding its global 5-year tour. Harry Potter: The Exhibition debuted in Chicago in 2009 and has since been touring the world with most recent stops in Tokyo, New York and Singapore. The exhibition has expanded in recent years to include artifacts from all eight Harry Potter films.

Dates: until Mar 9, 2014
www.telusworldofscienceedmonton.com