Touch A Truck - July 30, 2011

Even though we spent too much time in the ER this morning, we took a quick nap and headed off to Touch a Truck. We took the kids last year and they loved it so much that I couldn't wait for us to go again. Neither could they. My little one wouldn't dream of staying home and lying around when there were race cars and monster trucks and buses and all sorts of trucks to see.

This year was vastly different than last year. Last year, it was raining on the way there, but had subsided so it was only a little grey, but the temperature was pleasant. This year, the 90+ degree weather was stifling and we were all drenched in sweat within minutes of walking over to the field.

It's wonderful to see all the local businesses pulling out there vehicles for children and adults alike to explore. From the tractor trailers to the tractors, there were so many things to see. The city buses and school buses and a variety of police vehicles. My youngest was a big fan of all the race cars and was not timid about climbing in them this year (what a difference a year makes). This year, I noticed the VW bugs with the monster truck sized wheels. We see those driving down the road, so the boys were excited to climb inside.

The fire department pulls out the fireman's foam for this event too. We didn't take the kids over to it this year because in my extreme exhaustion I forgot a change of clothes. Truth be told, it was so hot, the kids would have dried off before we reached the car.

I can't wait for next year's Touch a Truck (and I hope the weather is just a bit more pleasurable). This is a great opportunity to see where my children's interests lie. Whether they are flocking to the Army vehicles, fire trucks, police vehicles, or race cars, I get to see what they are interested in. Not only is this a chance for the kids to learn about the vehicles that make the community go round, it's a great opportunity for businesses to make the community aware of them. I always see a business that I hadn't seen before when we go. I like to pick up the freebies that are given out (who doesn't enjoy getting free pens, paper, and fake bugs?). Those freebies given out by businesses help remind me of the company when I am in need of a service. It's a win-win situation for kids and parents alike. If you have not been, look for it the last weekend in July.

Getting to Know the Downtown Restaurants

Working downtown can be a positive or a negative. My waistline is telling me it is a negative because of all the restaurants downtown. You don't run into the chain restaurants that you see at the mall - instead you get to sample the culinary skills of the locals. There are a few restaurants that I enjoy eating at (and if I was made of money would frequent more often). Then there are others that I know of but have never tried anything they offer.

Last week I decided that I wanted to try out Cornerstone. Most people know this as one of the popular bars to hang out at on a Friday or Saturday night. However, I am downtown during the day (and not so much on the weekend nights). So, I went in last week to see if we could get a few to go menus for work. They were out (which to me speaks volumes in a good way). I came back this week to see if they had any. Unfortunately they were still out - so they told me to take one of their menus with me so we could check out the options. I was shocked - who would really do that? So at this point, I am fairly pleased by the service and I haven't even placed an order yet. Today a few of us placed our order - this could become one of my new favorite places. I got the Cobb Salad Wrap and the Buffalo Chips. Wow! The wrap was perfect - in my opinion - because it had the right amount of dressing. A co-worker tried one of the buffalo chips and said, "eh it tastes like seasoning salt." The tune quickly changed and the response was "oh there it is" We were absolutely delighted by our meal (reasonably priced and delicious).

So thank you to the crew at Cornerstone for your service and cuisine. I can't wait to come back and try some other options on the menu! On another note, if you do like to head out on the weekends, this is a great place to go. There is usually a good crowd on the dance floor (I used to go more frequently before the kids...now I get out maybe once a month). It's a nice atmosphere for a fun night out.

Sometimes You Just Need to Window Shop

Getting the most out of your town isn't always about finding the next festival or event. Sometimes, you need to kick back and relax. Yard sale season begins in the spring and carries on through the summer, often stretching into the early fall. With finances as they are, sometimes it isn't feasible to own new, so new to you is a great option. Personally, I like hitting up yard sales sometimes just to see what is out there. Right now, I want to stock up on fall clothes for my kids - this weekend was not the weekend to find such an item apparently. That was okay since this weekend it was just about getting out of the house and having a little "grown-up time" as I like to call it. My friend and I didn't try to scour the whole area. We took about 4 hours and hit up the area close to home.

Four hours sounds like a lot to some people and not enough time to others. However, when the husband is watching the kids, time is of the essence. We accomplished a lot in this amount of time - about 10-15 yard sales. I spent a total of $8.00 (and it wasn't on frivolous purchases either). A few new books and odds and ends for the kids. I even found a pair of almost new boots. Chances are they will hurt like the dickens to wear (hence the new look to them), but they are cute and I will get some wear out of them this fall.

Yard sales happen in every town. It's a great way to get rid of the clutter in your own home. It's also a great opportunity for items to be re-purposed and brighten someone else's life. So, check out the local paper and/or Craigslist and have a ball!

Good Old Fashioned Night at the Movies

Sometimes, you just need to kick back and relax old school. It may be getting more expensive to go to the movies these days, but what a great way to take a breather from reality. Over the weekend, we decided to use our 3 Free Cars 2 movie tickets to go check out this movie. Disney-Pixar know how to produce some good movies. The boys were on the edge of their seats the whole time. I was glad because I had heard some lukewarm reviews of the file before going. Even the husband laughed and said it was pretty good.

Monday is Movie Night for a friend and I. This has been a steady Platonic Date Night (or Grownup Night as we like to look at it) for a little over a year now. Usually we rent a movie from the Redbox, but this past week, we decided it was important to hit the theaters. We checked out Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. I'm not going to lie - I had some coupons for $3.00 off that made this movie adventure a little more appealing.

I don't go to the movies often at all. So, I was glad that both movies were worth seeing. I laughed, I cried, and I was definitely on the edge of my seat. Most towns/cities have movie theaters. Every now and then, it's nice to go Old School as I like to say. Speaking of Old School, I haven't been to the Drive-In Theater yet. A lot of people have mentioned it and I would really like to check it out. That being said, right now the movies playing are the ones that I saw this weekend. However, here are a few details if you want to check it out: Mayberry Drive-In

Cost: Adults $7.00
Children 11 and below $3.00
Children 4 and under FREE

So, this could be pretty good...considering it's about $6.00 cheaper than 2 adults heading to the movie theater. Plus there is a '50s style diner, so you won't starve. Through July 25, they are doing a double header with Cars 2 and Harry Potter. The first feature starts at 9:15.

Honestly, I am getting excited just thinking about going. That site is one of my new favorites, so I can keep an eye on what is playing.

Ways to Find New Places

Having spent the last decade living in Roanoke, I have seen places come and go. There have been restaurants that I have looked at and said, "That looks like it might be a good place." Then by the time I get around to trying that new place, it's gone. There have been places that have been around a long time and are still around. Now, with the Internet, it's easier to hear about all these places. I check out the deals on Groupon and and Roanoke.com Daily Deal every day. Many of these deals introduce me to places and things to do in the area. I have tried new restaurants because of offers I have seen. Sometimes I buy the deals and sometimes I don't. It truly depends on my Entertainment Budget for the month. If I don't have any money left, then I have to say no for the time being. However, even if I don't buy the deal, it tends to start a dialogue with family and friends. I don't always talk about every restaurant I go to with friends and they don't tell me every place they eat. So, when I talk about the deal of the day, I may find out that a friend went to that place and loved it. I have been able to experience some of the local museums and events in the area because of this. If you have a site like this that services your area, I definitely recommend checking it out. You never know what awesome deals or great experiences you will find.

Look What's Coming

Thursday, July 14: BB&T's Party in the Park - all ages - The Tams - $6.00 single ticket admission, kids under 12 are free
5:30pm-8:30pm
This week is Ladies Night (ladies get 1/2-price admission) and it's also Cox Charities Night
Location: Elmwood Park

Friday, July 15: Fridays on Franklin (21 and up event) - Lloyd Dobbler Effect - $5.00 admission
5:00pm - 8:30 (or 9)pm; $4.00 per ticket for wine or beer (max of 5 tickets per person)
Charities this will help:

• Brain Injury Connection
• Saint Francis Service Dogs
• Bethany Hall
• League of Older Americans

Location: SunTrust Plaza

Saturday, July 16: Gigglez Comedy Lounge at Corned Beef & Co. (21 and up event) - Mo Alexander and Mike Stankiewicz performing - 7pm - $10.00
Tickets available online at www.starcitycomedyclub.com
Location: Corned Beef & Co.

Saturday, July 16: Haley's Toyota City Market Saturday - 11am-2:30pm - Grace Note Band
Not only do you have free entertainment, you can purchase the best the local market has to offer. There is even a tent set up where you can use your EBT card and credit card now.

Sunday, July 17: Salem Red Sox Game - 4:05pm (gates open at 3pm) - Kids Eat Free Night
Player Poster Giveaway
Playing against Frederick Keys

These are just a few events coming up this week, in case you would like to plan ahead. I would like to check out the Party in the Park, although realistically, it will probably not happen this weekend. I would also like to hit up the Taubman Museum of Art for the Spectacular Saturdays (at least one more time this month). We also have tickets for the Transportation Museum that I would like to use this weekend. The other thing is that we have a few free tickets to go see Cars 2 and we have put it off long enough - I would like to check that out this week. Last but certainly not least, I want to hit up a baseball game this week (there are actually several) and possibly go for a hike.

One of the best things I like about Roanoke: There is plenty to do outdoors. It is great to see people utilizing the Greenways and Parks in the area. There are plenty of them!

Salem Fair - June 30,2011 through July 10, 2011

We are lucky enough to have the Salem Fair in our area. Not every town has a fair so close (trust me - I have lived in towns that don't and towns that do). The fair is a 2-week gig that comes into town right around the end of June/beginning of July every year. I finally made it down there to check it out last night. I will be honest, I have never been one who loved the rides at fairs and amusement parks - well, I like some of them, but I am not a roller coaster girl by any means. That being said (and that I have been working hard to save money instead of spend a lot), I did not buy the unlimited ride pass. However, if you are going to ride more than 3 or 4 rides, this is the best deal. Here is the information for wristbands:

THURSDAY, JUNE 30: FOX 21/27 CW 5 OPENING NIGHT $10 RIDE WRISTBAND
MUST PURCHASE BEFORE 6 PM

FRIDAY, JULY 1 and 8
WSET 13 - $24.00 RIDE WRISTBAND MUST PURCHASE BEFORE 6 PM .

SATURDAY, JULY 2 & 9
PEPSI DAYS
AFTERNOON WRISTBAND $17 GOOD ONLY 12 NOON-5 PM MUST PURCHASE BEFORE 4:00 ALL DAY WRISTBAND $29.00 GOOD 12 NOON-11 PM
MUST PURCHASE BEFORE 6 PM SHARP

SUNDAY, JULY 3 & 10
ALL DAY WRISTBANDS 12 NOON-11 PM
$19.00 IF PURCHASED

BEFORE 6 PM; $24.00 AFTER 6

MONDAY, JULY 4
FAMILY FOUR PACK-4 WRISTBANDS FOR $50 MUST PURCHASE BY 5 PM SHARP
AFTER 5 PM ALL WRISTBANDS ARE $20 EACH

TUESDAY, JULY 5
SALEM FOOD PANTRY/SPIRIT FM NIGHT
$19 WRISTBAND WITH TWO ITEMS ON NON-PERISHABLE FOOD/$24 WITHOUT FOOD DONATION

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6
PEPSI NIGHT

$19 WRISTBAND WITH TWO PEPSI PROOF OF PURCHASE/$24 WITHOUT

THURSDAY, JULY 7
STELLAR ONE MERCHANTS NIGHT
$20.00 WRISTBAND NO COUPON REQUIRED

FRIDAY, JULY 8
SAME AS FRIDAY JULY 1

SATURDAY, JULY 9
SAME AS SATURDAY, JULY 2

SUNDAY, JULY 10
KROGER FINAL DAY BLAST AT THE FAIR
$17.00 WRISTBAND IF PURCHASED BEFORE 6 PM $24.00 AFTER 6

SALEM FAIR HOURS:

SATURDAY and SUNDAY 12 NOON-11 PM
WEEKDAYS 4PM-11 PM

It is free to get into the fair, if you can find parking. Sometimes the lots are closed as being full even though there are several open spots. I am not sure if there are limitations to how many spaces can be filled, but it would be nice if there was an open spot (or 20) that they allow some cars to park there. Some of the houses around the Salem Civic Center will allow you to park there (for a cost). When we walked through the gates, we immediately saw The Tiger Encounter.

The Bengal tigers were not doing much when we walked up. One of the tigers was just circling the cage and checking out the people staring at them. These are not the only live animals you will find there. One of the best attractions for the kids is the Petting Zoo. It can be found next to the Pony Rides. The Dairy Farm is a great option to check out cows up close. Aussie Adventure is a chance to see kangaroos and wallabies.

As you walk through the fair, you will find tons of Midway games and of course, fair food. I am shocked that Funnel Cake costs between $5.00 and $6.00 (depending on where you decide to get it). This is of course, my favorite fair food...I can overlook the fried Oreos, fried bologna sandwiches, and even cotton candy, but I can't call it a trip to the fair without a delicious piece of fried dough.

Rides have certainly changed since I was younger (and I don't think I am that old yet). Here is a picture of a ride that brought out all my phobias. You get put in this plastic ball and air is blown into it so it will float.

Then you walk around in the ball while it is floating on water. Okay, so the water is not deep at all...there was a ride attendant standing in it and the water was barely above his ankles. I have a slight fear of water (deep water when I can touch the bottom with my feet). I am also claustrophobic. So, although the line to this ride was extremely long and all the people doing it looked like they were having fun, it was not for me.

Bottom line with the Fair: It is a fun time if you enjoy rides, fair food, midway games, and exhibits. This is something that you can take the whole family to or just hang out with your friends. It is something that can be as expensive or inexpensive as you want it to be. I haven't taken the kids yet because I feel like they would want to ride the rides. Right now they are too short for some of the rides and I can't justify spending $1.00 per ticket to ride a few of the kiddie rides. I think next year my oldest will be tall enough to start riding on some of the other rides and it would probably be worth getting the wristband. Another thing to note is that before the fair, they were selling tickets online at a discounted rate. You have to buy the wristbands for a specific date, but the plus side is that it is cheaper. For directions or more information, you can check out the fair's website: http://www.salemfair.com

Enjoy just one of the many events in the local area!!!

Happy 4th of July

Yesterday was America's day, as we like to say in our house. It was a day to celebrate being an American. We tried to relax, like anyone would on this special day. We set up the slip n' slide and played in the sprinklers with friends. After the brief but crazy thunderstorm, we were left powerless for a few hours. We were lucky as I heard on the news this morning that there were still a few thousand people without power today. The rain, however, didn't put a damper on all the festivities. We still headed out for the "Roanoke Times Music for Americans" event after the rain subsided. It was a little quieter than usual, since the children's activities, like the bounce house were not set up. However, there were still food vendors, still live music, and there were still people set up on the lawn playing football and Frisbee. This was not the only 4th of July event this weekend. Fireworks shows started for some surrounding areas on Friday and ran all the way through Monday. Literally, if we wanted to drive around all weekend for fireworks, we could have hit up events each night.

We found a great little spot (I'm not divulging the secrets of our special spot that we want to continue using year after year) to see the show this year. There are so many places and the husband still says the view from the hospital must be amazing. We haven't tried watching it there, obviously, but from some angles you can see the fireworks reflecting in the windows of the hospital. This makes for a doubly exciting show.

If you wanted to catch the fireworks elsewhere yesterday, the Salem Fair had fireworks this year (something they haven't done for a few years). I didn't catch these, but I am sure the view from the rides was awesome.

I hope that everyone enjoyed this day as much as we did. There are moments that will become favorite memories to share years from now. I will never forget my youngest jumping and running when the first set of fireworks went off. He wasn't scare of the fireworks show and talked about how pretty and loud the fireworks were. It was just that initial set that startled him (since his back was to the show at the beginning). It will never get old to hear my oldest say, "Mommy, this was the best day ever!" Thank you to our soldiers for fighting for our freedom! Without their sacrifice and the sacrifices their families make, we would not have some of the luxuries that we do.

Monster Trucks and More

Saturday was an extremely busy day in our household. After we left the art museum, we headed over to the Motor Mile Speedway just outside of Radford for a Monster Truck Show. The show featured 6 Monster Trucks, bikes and a 50 lap u-car race. The night was to end with a fabulous fireworks show. That "was" is an indication that we didn't make it that long. I have learned that Monster Trucks is not a show for everyone. We got there when the gates opened at 4pm. From 4:30 to 6:30, there were free Monster Truck rides. I can tell you that we didn't bother getting into the line for that because the line was incredibly long. The boys would not have lasted that long, especially since some of those people in the line didn't even get to ride on the Monster Truck. Instead, they spent about 3 hours playing on the incredible playground at the speedway. There were three play areas on this playground. The longer we were there, the more children came to play. It was amazing that this playground offered hours of fun. When it finally became time for us to grab a seat, we were ready to sit back and watch the show. There was about 30 minutes devoted to a Pit Party where you could get up close with the six Monster Trucks and meet the drivers. Again, we didn't rush down to be among the crowd. The boys are still a bit young for some of this, but we will definitely look into this when they get older. My oldest decided Spiderman was his favorite truck. We didn't actually watch much of the show, as my oldest found he didn't like the loud noise so much. Although the noise startled my youngest, he loved watching the Monster Trucks and didn't want to go. I am sorry that we didn't last for the race or the fireworks. The Monster Truck Show isn't all that the speedway has to offer. We are looking at the speedway as a way to introduce the boys to races. There is even a drag strip! This is just one more thing that you can do in and around Roanoke to keep from getting bored.

Location: Route 11, off Interstate 81, two miles south of Radford, VA.
Mailing Address: 6749 Lee Highway, Radford, VA 24141

Spectacular Saturdays

I will be honest - I was excited when the Taubman Art Museum opened up downtown. How is it that someone so excited has never been? The answer is simple - my children were not ready to attempt something that like until now. I often walk around downtown and I saw that for the entire month of July, the Taubman Art Museum is offering the chance for everyone to check it out. Spectacular Saturdays offers free admission from 10am to 5pm on Saturdays. Today, we took the kids to check it out. I was a little bummed that ArtVenture is currently closed, but when it reopens in the fall, we will be sure to check it out. The boys loved the hands-on activities that were set up in the Atrium and in the Art Studio. They had a blast creating collages with the assistance of a museum worker. I enjoyed watching them explore their creative side. I enjoyed heading up to the 2nd Floor to explore the galleries. There were a few reminders that the kids couldn't touch anything (they love to see how things work). My youngest fell in love with a painting of a boxing match. I enjoyed the photographs and the handbag exhibit. My oldest enjoyed the Kiel Johnson: One Thing Leads to Another. I forgot to ask about the Art Activity Bag for the family, but I am sure we will return another Saturday this month, so we'll check it out then. There are summer programs for all ages, Art By Night (I would love to check this out too).

I took a moment to browse through the gift shop. There is such an interesting collection of items for sale. The boys wanted different magnets and other toys. I was fascinated by the figures and other artistic pieces. There is a little cafe located in the museum too. It is called Norah's Cafe. The menu looks appetizing and has interestingly named meals. Roanoke is known for it's ties to the railroad. It seems fitting that the Express Menu has meals aptly called "Caboose," "Boxcar," "Engineer," and "Conductor." I've heard fabulous reviews about this restaurant...eventually I will have one of my own.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a little culture, check out the Taubman Museum of Art. It's a great way to spend at least an hour (more if you get caught up with the activities for children or grabbing a bite at the restaurant). There are also countless galleries downtown to check out.