Coast 2 Coast Mom

21c Museum Hotel an Unexpected Gem in Louisville, KY

Our stop in Louisville, KY introduced us to the 21c Museum Hotel - a fabulous find along our coast-to-coast road trip. It's part hotel and part contemporary art museum, which gives it just the right touch of modern quirkiness and classy yet comfortable Southern decor for a unique boutique hotel experience. I've sung the praises of the 21c Hotel ever since our visit, and now recommend our friends visiting Louisville stay there.

The hotel's located a block from the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum, and is on West Main Street within walking distance of several restaurants along Kentucky's Museum Row, allowing ample opportunity to take in some of the amazing historical architecture and local street art.

From the moment we arrived, the 21c Hotel's stately red penguins greeted us before we even entered the building. The hotel boasts a collection of 40 Red Penguin sculptures scattered around the hotel, each numbered as part of a 200-piece public art project commissioned for the 2005 Venice Biennale. We made it a bit of a game to see how many we could find as we walked around parts of the gallery and hotel.

Once inside the lobby, you know that you've arrived at a special hotel. Here's a stylistic view that I shared on Instagram when we visited:

Even the lobby bathrooms are a part of the interesting ambiance, often in the running for best bathroom contests. The waiting area by the elevators offers delightful interactivity with a video screen of falling letters and shadows of people waiting. The creative art doesn't stay hidden within the hotel, but is shared on the street outside, as you can see with the installation on the corner of the hotel, The Raft.

The rooms are unique yet comfortable. We loved the original exposed brick wall and the bathroom amenities . . . complete with rubber ducky.

My Southern side got a kick out of the mint julep supplies in the room . . .

Because of the at-times mature nature of contemporary art, the environment may not be ideal for all families visiting with younger children. We regularly visit art museums and felt comfortable with our son seeing the gallery of art. If you're concerned about your kids seeing nude statues or modern art, call first to inquire about the current art exhibits before visiting. You can avoid the gallery during your stay and enjoy the lobby bathrooms, interactive elevator display, red penguins and more that were completely in the realm of a "G" for general audiences rating.

The front desk staffers were friendly and full of suggestions for us, and the doormen were great as well. The nice thing was that we found a parking spot just outside the hotel and enjoyed free parking!

Of course, after we booked our room, a little research showed that we shouldn't have been so surprised by our experience as the hotel has been lauded by Travel & Leisure Magazine and others as one of the best hotels to visit. How fortunate were we to have stumbled upon it? The exciting news is that they're expanding and opening soon in Cincinnati, Ohio (later in 2012) and Bentonville, Arkansas (2013) and Austin, Texas. :-D

 

Foods of NY Walking Tour of Greenwich Village

While attending the "Working Moms Night Out" at the Residence Inn by Marriott last week, we were treated to a delightful Foods of NY walking tour through Greenwich Village. Our guide, Sephra, was thoughtful and funny, going into shops ahead of us to put in special requests. She established our expectations and rapport right off the bat with a silly napkin grader for each stop and her sense of humor and attention to details along the way ensured that all of us had a terrific time. 

While the tour stops for each neighborhood may vary each time, we started our tour off at Joe's Pizza on Carmine. Here's some of the photo highlights from the walking tour:

 
Where we had a slice of pizza...

 

Nike Advertising: What Type of Consumer and Athlete is Nike Targeting These Days?

Oh, Nike. (Sigh.) In case you haven't been following the recent Nike advertising and marketing announcements, Ad Chickadee has a thoughtful synopsis on just why I'm sighing right now. Nike announced that they've re-signed Michael Vick to their athlete roster, and also started selling Nike shirts with phrases like "Dope," and "Get High," on them - which while controversial, seem the opposite of phrases that a healthy active athlete would be touting anyway.

There was a reason we stopped getting excited about your products, Nike...and it had nothing to do with your marketing. We didn't start buying Under Armour (among others) for their marketing. Their products were innovative and sexy, so we gave 'em a try. We liked how they made us look (how athletic and flattering!) and how they wicked as we ran (how comfortable!).

A Little Photo Tour of The Central Park Zoo

The Kiddo and I always have such a great time visiting the Central Park Zoo in the heart of NYC. I took some photos of the zoo itself when we visited last weekend to give you a taste of visiting with us. Normally we spend 30 minutes to an hour just watching and chilling by the seals in the center of the zoo, but we had to leave early to catch a friend's birthday party after this visit. So I'll have to put together a Part II. ;-)

Definitely check out my post about Dora & Diego's 4-D Adventure or Gus the polar bear for more info on those. With no further adieu, here ya go...

 

Dora and Diego's 4-D Adventure at the Central Park Zoo

We visited Central Park last weekend to check out the premiere of Dora & Diego's 4-D Adventure at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Central Park Zoo, and loved the 15-minute family-friendly movie. The short film features something for all of your senses: cool water mistings, simulated winds, vibrating seats, the scent of bananas, and 3D images that had the kids reaching out to try to touch the seemingly multidimensional images on screen. Nickelodeon's lovable Dora and Diego were a delight rescuing rainforest animals in 4D.

 

The Dora and Diego characters were at the zoo for the premiere of the 4D movie where they, along with Boots, take the audience on an adventure to save the rainforest animals from a rogue robotic butterfly who's stealing all of their habitats. The Kiddo was happily entertained by the sensory surprises throughout the show, and they truly did add another dimension to the experience.

The movie was followed by a guided zoo tour where we had the opportunity to see the real live animals that were featured in the film, including the macaw, python,and others. We will definitely see Dora and Diego's 4D adventure the next time we visit the zoo.

You can find the show at The Central Park Zoo 4-D Theater located near Fifth Ave at 64th Street. Tickets are $5 per person, but free for WCS members.

 

 

Support World Fair Trade Day at Breakfast May 14th

This weekend brings a unique opportunity to educate the world class citizens of your home. Fair Trade USA has designated May 14th their annual "Wake up the World" to World Fair Trade Day and invites everyone to support the world's farmers and farm workers by consciously incorporating Fair Trade Certified products into breakfast for a day. It's easier than you think.

Brew yourself a cup of Fair Trade Certified Starbucks coffee. Have a Fair Trade Certified Dole banana. Make these chai spice pancakes or these orange chocolate chip muffins. Make your own Fair Trade brunch.

You likely have one of the 9,500 products in your home that have passed the 200-point certification and are just not be aware of it. As a daily tea drinker, it warmed my heart that so many of the teas in my cabinet are on the Fair Trade Certified tea list: Republic of Tea, Art of Tea, Bigelow, Honest Tea, ErendipiTea, Stash, and Tea Forte for instance. Bananas and pineapple from Dole Food Company are Fair Trade Certified, as well as bananas from Sam's Club. Trader Joe's organic raw honey is certified, and you'd be surprised how many companies have made the decision to use Fair Trade Certified cocoa in their products. . .

 . . . Ben & Jerry's anyone? (Or am I the only one who's had ice cream for breakfast? On occasion. It's not like I'm eating a big bowl of Cluster Fluff every morning. . . although that would be a fun way to celebrate and have a fair trade discussion with your kids tomorrow. . .:-D) But seriously, next year I just may subject myself to a Fair Trade Certified chocolate tasting to share with everyone. The things I do for my friends ;-)

So it may not be morning where you are, but consider this your Fair Trade wake up call! Check your counters and cupboards to find something to help consciously celebrate World Fair Trade Day in your household on Saturday, May 14th.

Taking THE RIDE Tour Bus around Midtown NYC

We were recently invited to experience THE RIDE, an entertaining performance-based bus tour around midtown Manhattan and the whole family truly had a blast! A new twist on the traditional Manhattan bus tour, THE RIDE launched last fall and is ready to host the scores of families, tourists and travelers visiting NYC this summer.

 

THE RIDE is essentially a traditional double-decker bus that's been reconfigured with three-row stadium seating to allow passengers to peer out the side of the bus, with the streets of New York as the stage of the tour-based show.

New Exhibit: See The Science Behind The World's Largest Dinosaurs and @Great_Dino at AMNH

If you're looking for an up close and personal look at the lives of dinosaurs, you need to head to the American Museum of Natural History to check out the new exhibit The World's Largest Dinosaurs. Once inside, you'll have access to an amazing look at Sauropods - like the 60 foot long Mamenchisaurus to get an understanding of how the largest dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago.

While the AMNH is already known for its spectacular display of dinosaur fossils, it was a lot of fun to check out the interactive exhibit showcasing how creatures this massive were able to roam the earth for 160 million years ago. The kiddo is going to freak out when we take him to see it. Greeting everyone at the entrance to the exhibit is the Argentinosaurus, thought to be the largest sauropod ever to walk the earth, measuring 140 feet and weighing in at 90 tons.

As I turned the corner to the first exhibit, I was immediately reminded of the sheer scale of the sauropods. Looking up at the fifteen foot hind leg of the Supersaurus, compared to a human skeleton, and even an elephant skull provides an awe inspiring contrast in size and set my perspective on what I was seeing for the rest of the exhibit.

 
Rounding the corner into the main exhibition area, I was greeted by the 60 foot long Mamenchisaurus which spans the width of the hall and stands as the centerpiece in the middle of the floor. What I thought was clever, is that this is not just a replica, but an integral part of the exhibit. As I worked my way around the massive beast, which was half covered with "skin," parts were exposed, so you could see the inner workings of the dinosaur. The entire mid-section of the body was transformed into a narrated video projected onto one side of the body that takes you through the Mamenchisaurus' respiratory, circulatory, and digestive systems. Benches are seated adjascent to the display so you can sit to watch the several minute show.

From there, you can visit each area of the dinosaur exhiit which has been clearly labeled with different colored signs like "Meet," "Eat," "React," and "Reach" - each banner delves into a brief synopsis of the section you're in and provides some fun facets of the dinosaur's life. For instance on the sign "Beat" the question is posed "How hard did their hearts work?."

By far my favorite, and no doubt will be for kids and adults alike, is the dig pit, inspired by the Howe Quarry in Wyoming where over 4,000 sauropod fossils have been found. You can find the dig pit at the far end of the exhibit, basically just follow the Mamenchisaurus' tail. Here I was able to pick up a pair of goggles, a brush and a chisel and dive right in to start excavating sauropod bones. The pit is filled with a special blend of sand and paraffin wax, making it feel like you're actually excavating at a real dig site. It takes some work, and is fun to see bones slowly get exposed underneath. The pit can be used over and over again, and the sand/wax blend can be remixed and poured back into the pit once all the bones have been unearthed, providing endless interactive fun.

The exhibit officially opened Saturday, April 16th at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. The star of the show, the 60 foot long Mamenchisaurus, began tweeting fun facts and exhibition updates @Giant_Dino on April 11th.

Madagascar Live in NYC: Just Smile and Wave Boys...

Earlier this week we attended a Madagascar Live press event at the Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center in NYC and even had the opportunity to skate a few laps around the rink. (At least c2cDad led the Kiddo around for a few while I snapped some photos and chatted with some other bloggers and media members ;-) )

Dreamworks Theatricals and Broadway Across America are bringing Madagascar Live to Radio City Music Hall April 15th - 24th, which is perfectly timed around spring break for many families. The Kiddo was excited to "Move it, Move it" with the Penguins of Madagascar.

Elmo Finds His Green Thumb

Yesterday we went to Madison Square Garden to see  Sesame Street Live: Elmo's Green Thumb . It was a delightful show, featuring colorful human-sized versions of your favorite Sesame Street characters (with the exception of Big Bird, who was his normal "big" size). The kiddo was mesmerized from the time the curtain went up on Elmo's show, and he got particularly excited when Count Von Count ("The Count" as we call him) walked on stage. The Count is currently the kiddo's favorite character...because, you know...he's a vampire.

The story follows Elmo as he figures out what to do with his sunflower Sunny, now that it has outgrown its pot. Accompanied by his friends, Elmo searches for a place to plant Sunny in Big Bird's garden. But instead of waiting for Sunny to grow, they decide to speed up the process a bit, with Abby Cadabby leading the charge and casting a spell on Sunny.