Travelsmartplanet

The City of Dillon’s Wellness Center is approximately half way between New York and Miami. Why not stop and workout the kinks of travel or walk off that lunch while enjoy their facility.

You are welcome to use (for FREE) the 1/2 mile lighted outdoor walking path outside the complex , which is open 24/7 and dogs on a leash are always welcome.

You can buy a day pass for a mere $5 to go inside and use the city of Dillon’s 40,000 sq ft indoor sport and fitness complex that includes state-of-the-art cardiovascular equipment, weight machines, a free weights room and an aerobics & dance room. At the indoor sports complex you can let the kids play basketball, volleyball, or compete in a game of  ping pong.

In addition they have a gym, dry sauna, locker rooms/showers, lounge, wireless internet, cable TV and trained staff.  Why not take a break from all the driving and take advantage of this very inviting and clean gymnasium and fitness center.

Location: 1647 Commerce Dr, Dillon, South Carolina
Hours: Mon – Fri 5:30am – 8:30pm , Sat 8am – 5pm , Sun 2 – 5pm
Tel: 843-774-5115
cityofdillonsc.us/residents/wellness_center.php
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: cityofdillonsc.us

The Wilson Whirligig Festival is a community celebration of people and art in motion held the first weekend in November, where everyone comes together for an energetic street festival focusing the whimsical North Carolina Folk Art, Vollis Simpson’s Whirligigs.

Don’t forget to check out the Cake Dive, the festival’s MESSIEST event, held on the Courthouse plaza on Sunday at 4 pm.  Participants  “dive” into a large10 ft x 10 ft anniversary cake for a variety of prizes.

With 35,000+ attendees , over 200 vendors, 3 stages of entertainment, arts & crafts
food vendors, FREE! Whirli-Kidz Zone and lots of Special events.

This commemoration is truly family-friendly and kid focused. FREE  live performances all day long with a wide variety of dance and demonstrations, from hip hop to lyrical, from clogging to ballet, from singing to karate. Play carnival games, create a craft, slide down a giant 26 foot slide or bounce in one of the many inflatable activities. Children of all ages can enjoy a variety of activities. Kids shouldn’t have all the fun! Demo’s available for 16 and up. Virtual Reality is not just for gamers anymore, it is everywhere. Learn more about this technology.

Location: Historic Downtown Wilson, 112 Goldsboro E ,Wilson, NC 27893
Date: Sat, Nov 5 – Sun, Nov 6, 2016
Time: Sat 10 – 5pm, Sun Noon – 5pm
Tel: 252-289-9650
whirligigfestivalnc.org

For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: wilsonnc.org

Fall is in the air and the Darien Fall Festival is the place to be.  Enjoy the Coastal scenery at this family- friendly event, offering tons to do; food, arts, and entertainment and taking place in the picturesque setting of  downtown Darien.

The Classic Coastal Cruisers of Darien Car Show will be on display in Vernon Square, The rescue group, HART of McIntosh, will hold its Doggie Day Parade along Broad Street where you’ll find costumed participants and their owners, kayakers, canoeists, and paddle boarders will compete along a 2.4-mile course from the Darien River Bridge to Fort King George Historic Site.  Be entertained by the McIntosh County Line Dancers and musical performances while Fine Arts vendors, Craft and Antique Vendors, and  Food and Drink vendors will be set up along the streets.

Spend the day strolling the streets of historic Darien while enjoying the arts, antiques, food, and music or watching a battle re-enactment at FortKingGeorge , the Trailhead Center -Burning of Darien;  Museum will be open and there will be horseback rides for children. Ashantilly Mansion and Print Shop will be open. There will be a Lime Burn with a talk on the history of Ashantilly, and then  a historian led walking tour through historic St. Andrews Cemetery.

Diverse outdoor demonstrations including: yard and garden art, furniture and home decor, jewelry and clothing will take place on the grounds of the Old Jail Art Center during Fall Fest. Come out and celebrate the rich history and heritage of Darien.

Location: Downtown – Darien, GA 31305
Date: Nov 5, 2016
Hours: 8am – 5pm
Tel: 912-617-7299
darienfallfest.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitdarien.com

Brave attendees meet the Ghosts on the Banke at Strawbery Banke’s famous family-friendly Halloween celebration. Long-dead sea captains, 17th century shopkeepers and wayward pirates haunt the streets of Portsmouth’s oldest neighborhood as you trick or treat safely from house to historic house.

Trick-or-Treat safely as Jack-O-Lanterns light the way to step over the threshold of time and meet the “Ghosts on the Banke.” Discover pirate treasure, visit with the wacky witch, look into the future with guidance from the gypsy fortune teller. Catch a Ghostly Tale when Community members bring history back to life with spooky plays, skits, and interactive improvisation throughout the evening. Light up the Night and warm weary bones by the bonfire.

Masques on the Banke (Sunday Oct 30 only – 5:30 – 7pm) – Step “Behind the Mask” at this 90 minute event, as the majestic black Friesian horses of Runnymede Farm perform their equestrian ballet. US Premiere of a choreographed equestrian dressage seen only in Europe.  Meet the horses and enjoy a mask-making craft for Halloween.  Special guests include: Wick’d Fire and the Skeleton Crew Theater.
Show off Your Costume (Oct 31st at 7 pm) – March in a New Orleans-style parade, past haunted houses of old, through ghostly lanes full of things that go bump in the night. The Portsmouth Halloween Parade starts at Peirce Island by Prescott Park. It is an all-inclusive celebration of community, creativity and free expression that walks, stalks, dances, trumpets and drums its way through downtown Portsmouth each year – for more info:  portsmouthhalloweenparade.org

Location:  Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth NH 03801
Date: Fri Oct 28 – Sat Oct 29, 2016
Hours: 5:30pm – 8pm
Tel: 603-433-1100
strawberybanke.org/events/ghosts-on-the-banke.cfm
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: goportsmouthnh.com

The Richmond Folk Festival carry’s forward the 12-year tradition established by the hugely successful National Folk Festival celebrating the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance traditional crafts, storytelling and food. The event takes place at downtown Richmond’s  historic riverfront from 2nd to 7th streets and from Byrd Street to the river – including Brown’s Island, The American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar, portions of Federal Reserve parking lots, and Tredegar Street.

Richmond Folk Festival is where over 200,000 festival goers gather for three FREE days of music, dance, food and fun. Drawing in visitors from across the country with an eclectic mix of 40 artists performing on seven different stages with continuous music and dance performances, along with a Virginia Folk-life demonstration area, children’s activities, a folk arts marketplace, regional and ethnic foods.

Among the artists to be featured at the 2016 Richmond Folk Festival are: Gary U.S. Bonds and Gene “Daddy G” Barge, (Norfolk Sound), Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (Southern Italian pizzica tarantata), The Fairfield Four (African-American gospel singing quartet), Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie (zydeco), Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy (Cape Breton and Ontario fiddling), Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers (bluegrass), Homayoun Sakhi and Salar Nader (Afghan rubâb and tabla), Sheila Kay Adams (Appalachian songs, stories and ballads). Check the website for complete list of performers/schedule.richmondfolkfestival.org/docs/event_schedule

Expect lots of great food: ethnic, regional and traditional foods to delight guests and showcasing a wide variety of tempting foods to compliment the spirit of the festival. From classic festival fare to exotic flavors from around the globe, there’s definitely something to tickle your tastebuds.

Location: Downtown Richmond’s Riverfront, Brown’s Island Park,Richmond, VA 23219
Date: Fri, Oct 07  – Sun, Oct 09, 2016
Time: Fri 6 – 10PM, Sat 12 – 9:30PM, Sun 12 – 6PM
Tel: 804-788-6466
richmondfolkfestival.org
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitrichmondva.com

Travel around the world in just one day at the  Bowie International Festival and learn about traditions and customs that span the globe at this multicultural, FREE fete.

The International Festival will showcase performing arts, visual arts, and cuisine from various regions and cultures throughout the world. Listen to bagpipes and violins, watch Moroccan belly dancing or Irish step dance, and enjoy lots of tasty international food. The event will also feature a wide variety of artists and crafters selling clothing, jewelry, crafts and other items from around the world.

The most fun might be for the children, where they are able to pick up a passport at any children’s activity booth and participate in various activities from different cultures, accumulating stamps at each booth. Activities include dance, music, story time and arts and crafts from around the world. At the end of the “trip” children receive an international prize.

Location: Allen Pond Park, 3330 Northview Dr.Bowie, MD 20716
Date: Sat, Oct. 1, 2016
Time: 11 – 5pm
Tel: 301-809-3011
cityofbowie.org/index.aspx?NID=1016
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions:
visitprincegeorgescounty.com

Don’t miss the mid-Atlantic’s premier celebration of the literary arts, The Baltimore Book Festival, featuring more than 200 celebrity and local authors appearances and book signings, non-stop readings on multiple stages, cooking demos by celebrity chefs, poetry readings and workshops, panel discussions, more than 100 exhibitors and booksellers, walking tours, storytellers and hands-on projects for kids, street theater, live music, and a delicious variety of food, beer and wine.

For the kids, or the kids at heart there’s a Pop Culture Parade where superheroes, storybook characters, BmoreFit Dancewalkers,  and special guests dress up in costume and march down the promenade, starting at Pratt & Light streets traveling down to the Geppi’s Entertainment Museum Comic Pavilion.

Some of the feature presentations include: Terry McMillan, author of “How Stella Got Her Groove Back“; NPR correspondent Glen Weldon, talking about his “The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture“; and local pundit D. Watkins, who has an essay collection called “The Beast Side: Living (and Dying) While Black in America” and his memoir ‘The Cook Up,’ takes us deeper into his former life, and Comic writer Carl Hiaasen will read from his newest novel, “Razor Girl” to mention but a few.

Whether it’s Health & Wellness , Cooking (The Food for Thought), Science Fiction & Fantasy or Children’s with a Stage featuring interactive programs for the whole family, this FREE event highlights 13 stages offering something for everyone.

Location: Baltimore Inner Harbor, 201 E. Pratt Street,Baltimore, MD 21202
Date: Fri – Sun Sept 23-25, 2016
Hours: 11 – 7pm
Tel: 410-752-8632
baltimorebookfestival.org
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: baltimore.org

Phot0 Courtesy of The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts

If you are heading out to Ottawa to enjoy our nation’s capitol, leave some time to explore the Canadian Museum of Nature. It’s the perfect place for all ages of the family to enjoy themselves. The brainy kids (or adults) can soak up extensive details about nature while the playful gang can pull levers or turn knobs in a deep sea sub, learn on many touch screens, or even dance around in front of  the endothermy camera checking out their colorful “hotspots”.

Everyone is awed by the the 19.8-metre blue whale skeleton in the Water Gallery but keeping going further in. All the way in the back are many interactive games for young and old alike: make believe areas for the wee ones, a board game along a wall,  animal jigsaw puzzles on touch screens, word games, etc.  

Gawk at the dinosaur fossils or walk amongst the fleshed-out dinosaur creatures for photo ops with kids. In the Vale Earth Gallery swoon over the 1200 gorgeous minerals, rocks and meteorites. Our 5 1/2-year-old couldn’t get enough of the joystick which controls a huge earth or the button to start the volcano.

Sure there’s a full size mammal gallery but the 11, 8 and 5 1/2 year-olds all stayed longer in the small Nature Live space where they oogled the cases of walking stick bugs in different camouflage colors and thicknesses. How many of you have come face to face with a tarantula? Then they listened intently as a docent showed fossils which were indigenous to Ottawa.

If you have time there are two 3D movies, “Prehistoric Planet 3D and Micro-Monsters 3D” (both too scary for the 5 1/2 -year old) but our gang liked the interactive museum more.

The famous Bird Gallery, with  one of the most extensive collections of Canadian birds in the world re-opened June 1. A special exhibit on now is Ultimate Dinosaurs June 11-September 5 and then upcoming is Reptiles: The Beautiful and the Deadly, October 6-April 2 .

A brand new Arctic Gallery will be unveiled on June 23 which is set to explain how the arctic is changing, including plants, animals and people of the area plus scientific research. Outside, three new ecozones will be shown off on June 17 including a woolly mammoths and an “iceberg”.

I’d like to give a thumbs up to the friendly security guards who answered questions informatively and helped to point out nearby bathrooms and water fountains.

Canadian Museum of Nature, a Beaux Arts building, was our first national museum, completed in 1912. Trivia buffs should note that this building  served as home to Canada’s House of Commons and Senate following the fire that destroyed the Centre Block of Parliament in 1916.

Location: 240 McLeod St., Ottawa
Phone: 613-364-4021
www.nature.ca

The days of headhunting are long past, but an overnight stay with members of the Iban tribe – renowned for their blowpipe prowess and headhunting traditions – offers an enlightening look at their ancient customs and ceremonies.
Adventure Center’s 11-day “Headhunters of Borneo“ suitable for travelers ages 7 to 70 (and up), offers a peek into the old ways of this once-feared tribe: learning how to best behave with the Iban so as not to offend, visiting with the Headman (an honor and a courtesy), enjoying traditional dances, and dining on traditional foods (no heads) while sitting on the longhouse floor.

Other highlights include the bustling city of Kuching, the coral islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, guided treks through rain forests and nature preserves filled with exotic wildlife, and a cruise down the Kinabatangan River. Prices for the nine departures beginning July 24, 2011 and running through 2012, range from Cdn $2,973 to $3,060 per person, double (children are slightly less), and cover entrance fees, activities, accommodations, most meals, services of a group leader, and transportation, including domestic flights; optional extensions and international air are extra. An optional five-day post-trip in Mount Kinabalu challenges guests to ascend Southeast Asia’s highest mountain before spending a day in Kota Kinabalu.

After a day spent exploring the scenic waterfront and cityscape of Kuching, Borneo’s largest city, guests travel to Bako National Park for a trek along jungle trails that are home to proboscis monkeys, long tail macaques, wild boars and monitor lizards, among others. A stop at the farmers market in Serian is followed by a longboat ride on the Lemanak River to the longhouse of the welcoming Iban tribe. Travelers have the opportunity to navigate the waterfalls and rolling hills of the Damai Rainforest by sea kayak or on foot before arriving in Sepilok, where visits to the Sukau Rainforest and Orangutan Reserve – one of only three of its kind in the world – offer close-up views of the endangered species. After the Kinabatangan River cruise guests fly to Kota Kinabalu for a final day of snorkeling around the coral islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, visiting the Sabah State Museum or taking a trip to the colorful local markets.

Adventurers on the optional post-trip “Mount Kinabalu Trek Extension” continue their adrenaline-fueled journey as they ascend through rainforest and swirling mist to the summit of Southeast Asia’s highest mountain. Rewarded with a panoramic view of the sunrise, they then descend into Kota Kinabalu for a final night of exploration. The five-day trip is priced at Cdn $768 per person, double.

Additional details can be found at http://www.adventurecenter.com/ca/TheAdvTvlCo/fba. Booking information, brochures and reservations, can be obtained from travel agents; Adventure Center’s visitor-friendly website, www.adventurecenter.com/ca ; or by phone (866) 338-8735. The company has been around for more than 35 years.