From a press release I received today:

Glens Falls, New York, July 31 - Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove sets the gold standard with a magical medley of Disney tales in one jam-packed ice show that commemorates the legacy of Disney animated films. This skating spectacular visits Glens Falls from October 4th through October 8th for 10 performances at the Glens Falls Civic Center.  Tickets go on sale August 1st.

Get tangled up in Disney's 50th animated feature with Rapunzel and Flynn and enter the worlds of your other favorite Disney princesses -Tiana, Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan and of course, the one who started it all, Snow White.  Ahoy, Mateys!  Set sail with Peter Pan, the always-sassy Tinker Bell and the cantankerous Captain Hook and his pirate pals on an adventure beyond Never Land!  Trek the wilds of Africa with Simba, Nala, Pumbaa and Timon as they discover the true meaning of the 'Circle of Life.'  Tick-Tock!  Tick-Tock!  Don't be late to a very important date with Alice and the Mad Hatter as they march with the Queen of Hearts' Army of Cards.  Relive magical moments in this ultimate Disney animation celebration coming to Glens Falls!

Ticket prices for Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove are $50 for Rink side seating, $35 for VIP seating and $20 for stadium seating. Tickets for are available at the Glens Falls Civic Center Box Office, online at GlensFallsCC.com, or by calling 1-855-GFCC-TIX. To learn more about Disney On Ice, go to www.disneyonice.com, or visit us on Facebook and YouTube.

# # #

About Feld Entertainment

Feld Entertainment is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live touring family entertainment experiences that lift the human spirit and create indelible memories, with 30 million people in attendance at its shows each year.  Feld Entertainment's productions have appeared in more than 70 countries on six continents and include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Feld Motor Sports, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

Some interesting tips from the folks at Catseye (leave your luggage in the tub, eh?), but.....they are the experts:

 

According to Luis Pabon at Catseye Pest Control, the number of bed bug cases are on the rise as a result of travel and staying in hotels. Unbeknownst to most travelers, bed bugs like to lurk in cracks and crevices where guests spend the most time. In a hotel room, this will be on and around the bed, like the headboard, the bed itself and night stands. If not treated properly and professionally, 2 bed bugs can multiply to 2000 in just 45 days if given the right temperature and regular feedings.

 

Luis is an expert on bed bugs and has seen his fair share of cases. He offers some expert advice on what to look for and provides some helpful tips to travelers.

1. Check the hotel before deciding to stay - Bed bugs might be small, but they are visible to the human eye. Be sure to inspect around the bed (behind the headboard, sheets, nightstands) for bugs and the little black markings they leave behind, which look like specks of pepper or spots of blood.
2. Leave luggage in the tub - Bed bugs are crawlers and unable to climb into the tub. This will protect your luggage and prevent you from taking home any unwanted critters.
3. When you get home from your trip - Be careful not to bring the bed bugs into your house. Take clothes out of your suitcase immediately and put them in the dryer - a temperature of 140 degrees will kill them. If you have garments that can't be dried, put them in the washing machine and run a cycle. If you arrive home too late to follow these steps, leave your suitcase and its contents outside or wrap tight in a garbage bag until the next morning.
4. Take a hair dryer to your suitcase - If you are unable to put your luggage in the dryer, take a hair dryer at its highest temperature setting and run it over the entire suitcase. The heat will get rid of any bed bugs that are lurking.
5. Call in the experts - If you have bed bugs in your home or business, call in the experts to take care of the issue. Otherwise, it will only get worse. Catseye uses a variety of safe techniques, like cryonite, to help get rid of any infestation.

I heard about this boat ride while covering a capsized plane. (don't ask)
But I just got an email about it as well.

It sounds pretty cool so check it out:

On Tuesday, August 14^th at 6:30 PM, please join Harmony House Marketplace and the Erie-Champlain Canal Boat Company for an evening cruise onboard a historic vessel. The outing will leave from Waterford, the country’s oldest incorporated village and the meeting place of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. While sailing, guests will be treated to samples of local produce and product. Space is limited. Cost is $20/per person and this is an evening you do not want to miss. Call Harmony House at (518) 238-2232 to make a reservation.

Ya know, I'm not a  huge football fan. I'm actually more of a fan of European football than American football.
But, it seems - just like a summer visit to the Saratoga Racetrack -  the Giants summer camp at UAlbany has become a popular, must-do tradition in the Capital District...and one I have yet to do. I'm hoping to visit tomorrow (which happens to be autograph day) to finally say that I've gone and seen the Super Bowl champs train.
For anyone else interested in planning a day to see them, here's their schedule (they seem to mainly start around 1pm most days for the next couple weeks): http://cowabungatravel.blogspot.com/2012/07/ghost-tours-at-fort-ticonderoga-in.html
Due to construction, the venue for the training seems to be changing a bit so check out @Giants or @UAlbanySports for details on Twitter.

It's a little early for talks of ghosts and ghouls for Halloween but....it's never to early to learn about alleged apparitions at a historic site.
Fort Ticonderoga, located a couple hours north of Albany, was just featured on the SyFy Channel's show Ghost Hunters. Now they are offering tours that talk about the gory events that took place there.
The 90 minute, $35 tours, taking place at 8pm on Fridays through August, will talk about the fort's -sometimes violent/scary - history.
And you know it's going to be good when the press release says: "These tours are not recommended for the faint-hearted."

Here's the press release:

EXPLORE FORT TICONDEROGA’S GHOSTLY PAST DURING EVENING GARRISON GHOST TOURS

(Ticonderoga, NY) Dare to be brave this summer at Fort Ticonderoga’s Garrison Ghost Tours and enter private areas of the Fort where mysterious and unexplained events have occurred. The ninety minute walking tour in and around the Fort offers historical context to the many frightening stories that are part of Fort Ticonderoga’s epic and gruesome history.

The Garrison Ghost Tours highlight Fort Ticonderoga’s haunted history and unsolved stories featured on Syfy Channel’s well-known series,Ghost Hunters. These tours are not recommended for the faint-hearted. Ages 10 and up are highly suggested.

Fort Ticonderoga is well known for its long and often violent history. Constructed in 1755, the Fort was the scene of the bloodiest day of battle in American history prior to the Civil War when on July 8, 1758 nearly 2,000 British and Provincial soldiers were killed or wounded during a day-long battle attempting to capture the Fort from the French army.  During the American Revolution nearly twenty years later thousands of American soldiers died of sickness while defending the United States from British invasion from the north.
The tours begin at 8pm and offered on Fridays through August. Tickets are $35 per person and advanced reservations are required.  For more details or to reserve tickets, call 518-585-2821 or visithttp://www.fortticonderoga.org/visit/what-to-see/living_history/evening.

FORT TICONDEROGA
America’s Fort
Located on Lake Champlain in the beautiful 6 million acre Adirondack Park, Fort Ticonderoga is a private not-for-profit historic site and museum that ensures that present and future generations learn from the struggles, sacrifices, and victories that shaped the nations of North America and changed world history. Serving the public since 1909, Fort Ticonderoga engages more than 70,000 visitors annually and is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of Fort Ticonderoga’s history.  Accredited by the American Association of Museums, Fort Ticonderoga offers programs, historic interpretation, tours, demonstrations, and exhibits throughout the year and is open for daily visitation May 18 through October 18. The 2012 season features the Fort’s newest exhibit Bullets & Blades: The Weapons of America’s Colonial Wars and Revolution which highlights over 150 of the museum’s most important weapons and is a comprehensive and expanded reinterpretation of its world renowned historic arms collection!  Visit www.Fort-Ticonderoga.org for a full list of ongoing programs or call 518-585-2821. Funding for the 2012 season is provided in part by Amtrak.  Visithttp://www.fortticonderoga.org/visit/directions for a special 2 for 1 Amtrak offer! Fort Ticonderoga is located at 100 Fort Ti Road, Ticonderoga, New York.

You learn about a lot of things while covering a murder trial - but I never thought local theatre would be one of them.
One of the interesting people I met at the most recent trial recommended this theatre company that I had never heard of. They do different musicals every two weeks at a venue in Chatham. And, considering tickets for a Broadway musical can be $50 and up, the ~$30 tickets at Mac-Haydn Theatre are pretty reasonable.
They're currently showing Legally Blonde (how appropriate after covering a trial). Next: Kiss Me Kate, Barry Manilow's Copacabana, State Fair, and Smokey Joe's Cafe.
Considering the theatre has been around since 1969, I'm surprised I had never heard of them. But, now we have.

Also, the Park Playhouse's Cabaret is a must-see (just saw it this week). Lawn seating is free but there are varying ticket levels for lawn chairs and even table seating with service from the lingerie-clad cast.
Being a free/low-budget theatre, you never know what to expect but everything is perfect - the cast, the set, the storyline. I don't think I'd change a thing - but I'm also 29-years-old and sans children. I guess I wouldn't recommend this as a family outing.
In fact, I saw probably the best musical/comical dance number I've ever seen in the play. You'll have to see it and guess which one. I'll give you a hint - it's about a threesome.
Cabaret, every evening at 8pm except Mondays, is running through July 29. Then their second mainstage performance will be Hairspray, Aug. 4-19, with the Kid's Park Playhouse's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Aug. 13-19.

Finally, I also just heard about (through The Record actually) the Saratoga Shakespeare Company which is producing Twelfth Night in Congress Park nightly at 6pm, except Mondays, through July 29. Sunday shows are at 3pm. And, it's free.
I really like their motto too - Summer, Saratoga, Shakespeare: It just doesn't get any better than that.
I'm already planning a full day outing in Saratoga including seeing this play. Thinking - breakfast at the track, swimming at Victoria Pool, more track fun in the afternoon, seeing the play, then having a dough boy on Caroline Street. Perfect :)

Your weather forecast -Today is going to be sunny with a 100 percent chance of being ridiculously humid outside.
It definitely is a time to think about water. I've been going to cruise.com a lot to check out their deals (found some good ones) but here is another local option - Yankee Trails World Travel.

A release I got from them this week -

The month of July has been very dry thus far in the Capital Region, but water is on the mind of area travelers who are taking advantage of Yankee Trails World Travel’s annual Summer Cruise-A-Thon. Following the success of May’s Big Bus Bonanza, when more than 1,000 bus trips were booked than the previous May, Yankee Trails World Travel is already seeing positive returns midway through this year’s second Cruise-A-Thon sales event.

“It is never too early to plan a family vacation, and we are seeing that once again, during this year’s Summer Cruise-A-Thon,” said Stephen Tobin, President of Yankee Trails. “With great packages available from top cruise lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Disney, customers are booking fun filled family trips.”

In addition to the traditional top cruise lines, this year’s Summer Cruise-A-Thon features, for the first time, cruises on the brand new Norwegian Breakaway. This $1- billion ship is a rare, cold-water ship that was designed for port in New York City. Scheduled to launch in April 2013, the Breakaway features an oceanfront boardwalk lined with shops, restaurants and bars, combined with three expansive, flowing decks of dining, bars, entertainment, gaming and more. The ship’s top decks will feature the first Aqua Park at sea and the largest ropes course at sea. Entertainment on board includes five-time Tony Award nominated musical Rock of Ages and multiple clubs.

“Yankee Trails World Travel is a valuable partner to Norwegian Cruise Lines,” said Jason Krimmel, Director of Business Development at Norwegian Cruise Lines. “They will provide all Norwegian Cruise Line customers transportation to all Breakaway departures year-round through their Cruise Express program, something they have done for Norwegian Cruise Line customers for more than ten years.”

Yankee Trails World Travel has been providing safe, affordable motor coach transportation to patrons in and around Upstate New York. In 1999, the company expanded their services to offer full-service transportation via air and cruise travel packages. The company remains one of the Capital region’s premier family-owned and operated private businesses. The company’s slogan “Let’s Cruise” is very familiar to many Capital Region residents.

So, I've never flown with Delta...and, after this, I'm not sure I ever will.

Basically, several sewing needles were found in sandwiches on multiple flights going to various locations - including Minneapolis, Atlanta, Seattle, and from Amsterdam to the U.S.

It all sounds very random, and weird.

I mean, people talk about there being bad food on airplanes but this is ridiculously.

The airline is taking this very seriously. As they should. They're lucky no one was seriously hurt.

Swimming and Summer just go together. Whether it's a pool, a popular beach, or a remote swimming hole.
My favorite is usually the latter - though, I get my chlorinated pool fix as much as possible too especially with the heat wave-like temperatures. My hair still smells like pool from a wedding I went to this weekend at the YMCA's Camp Hough out in western NY.
So far this summer I've been to beaches, pools, and lakes but I haven't yet gone to a swimming hole.
MSN somehow made a list of top 7 such swimming locations in the country. Of course swimming holes in Hawaii and California made the list - but so did Ithaca, NY and Lincoln, NH.
The Lincoln, NH one, called Franconia Falls, is about 4 hours from the Albany area and at the end of a flat 3 mile hike that takes about 90 minutes. A description says there are chutes, and areas to jump into the water. I'm tempted to make the drive soon - maybe incorporating it into a beer trek with the bf.

And Ithaca's Robert H. Treman State Park is about 3 hours away with a lot of gorges thus also a lot of swimming holes. I had heard of this one before. It has a great location in the Finger Lakes - a perfect summer place to be with wine and water.
On the way back from Camp Hough, we stopped along Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes as well. We didn't do any swimming but there was much wine and beer to be had. Luckily, I wasn't the DD.
And, if you go to Ithaca, you can turn that into a beer trek too - try the Bandwagon's spicy raspberry beer. It's one of the more interesting beer's I've tried.

It's favorite photo Friday! A day I just made up. But, I think, might have potential.

And this video inspired my pick for this week. It's of the Black Hills in South Dakota - home of Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monument (both of which made my Good, the Bad, and the Unusual list for my post-cross country road trip)

My photo pick of the yet-to-be-finished Crazy Horse:

And my pick for the week - the butt of a mountain goat in the Black Hills:

Check these links for more of my photos of the Crazy Horse monument and Rushmore.

So, I either overlooked it or there was a conscious decision not to focus too much on the 7th anniversary of the 7/7/05 transport bombings in central London. I'm hoping it's the former but, considering London-town will soon have throngs of Olympic tourists, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter either.

I know there was some discussion of terrorism while designing the Olympic venues. For example, missiles on site that can shoot down a hijacked airplane.

But, in honor of the 52 people who died and 700 injured in the London Underground and bus bombings in 2005, I just wanted to remind people that it did happen. And I hope it doesn't happen again - in the next few weeks during the Olympics or after.

I was inspired by a midday discussion with my boyfriend over travel strategies and figured I'd share my humble, friendly neighborhood travel blogger advice (just saw the new Spiderman last night - you may have to deal with a few more of these references/puns before the day is out).

My advice is pretty simple: If a location is known for something, it's usually for good reason (except most tourist destinations in South Dakota - a Corn Palace, really?) So, check it out/eat it/drink it up/ and bring some back for me. Ok, you don't have to bring some back for me, personally, but you may want souvenirs for yourself and/or friends.

For example: If you're going to Napa Valley, it wouldn't be advised to go out of your way to skip the wineries. In Cairo? I hear there are some pretty cool ancient wonders of the world there. Or, when in Rome, eat the pasta, per favore.

I bring this up because there are a lot of enthusiasts out there of various crafts, hobbies, collectibles. But even a movie buff would probably enjoy a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland - while still being able to enjoy where such movies were filmed like Happy Gilmore, Deer Hunter, Major League and Christmas Story.

My point is - sure be a connoisseur of wine or beer, an expert on mini-airplanes, a collector of Hot Wheels.

But, seriously, don't limit yourself to just these things when planning or experiencing a trip. There's so much more out there. And, who knows? You might find another hobby/interest along the way.

For inspiration, a list of some Northeast states and the things they're known for. Maybe it matches up to your interests, but even if it doesn't - check it out:

Maine - Rocky Beaches, Lobster, Tracking down Stephen King, Acadia National Park, LL Bean
New Hampshire - Hiking, Hampton Beach, No Taxes
Vermont - Breweries, Dairy Products (Got Ben and Jerry's?), The Outdoors, Weed, Champ the lake monster
New York - Finger Lakes/Long Island Wine, Apples, NYC Hot Dog Stands, Buffalo Wings, Niagra Falls
Massachusetts - Heavy Metal Shows, Art Museums/Inspirations, Whale Watches, Massholes, Cape Cod
Connecticut - Old Colonial Ships, Really Big Casinos
Rhode Island - Oceanside Mansions, Legal Prostitution, Colonial History
Pennsylvania - Milk Chocolate - do you need another reason?
New Jersey - Jersey Shores, Nude Beach, GTL, Theme Parks, Taffy

I took notice to this particularly since a friend of mine, who is releasing an album later this month and is currently being featured on a reality TV Show (Miss Advised), recently described herself in an interview with me as sounding like a mix of Sheryl Crow and Fiona Apple. (starting to work on the feature for that today)

So, for anyone who might want a preview-like-experience of Fiona Apple's concert coming up Oct. 19 at 8pm at The Palace - you could check out Julia Price (JP)'s new album out on July 30.

Then, check out the concert at The Palace. Tickets on sale this Friday, July 13 - ranging from $34.50 to $59.50.

(Fiona Apple)

Here's the press release -

Fiona Apple will play the Palace in support of her first release in seven years, entitled “The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do.” Since making her debut in 1997 with "Tidal" and its Grammy Award winning single "Criminal," Fiona has gone on to define herself as one of modern music's most unique and creative voices.

“Apple’s first LP since 2005 is full of cold truths and her most raw music yet,” said Rolling Stone. “Throughout, Apple sings amazingly, wringing different colors from her voice in every song.” The New York Times’ Jon Pareles praised “The Idler Wheel…” as “a collection of stripped-down, percussive songs that’s as passionate, smart and cutting as anything she’s done” in a Sunday “Arts & Leisure” cover story. “Ms. Apple writes metaphor-laden outpourings set to music that pull rock, show tunes, classical piano and jazz into her own realm of brooding and bravado.”

Vulture.com called “The Idler Wheel…” “magical” and Entertainment Weekly awarded it an “A,” observing: “this is an album that will make you stay up late, playing each song over and over, trying to answer the questions it stirs up…Like Apple herself, it's highly confessional and creative and temperamental, and will probably make you fall crazy in love.” “She doesn't simply push herself vocally; she embraces the role of the contortionist, the strange expression, the note that might make someone turn away,” said NPR Music, which gave fans a “First Listen” to the album last week. “She also sings beautifully at times. It's a mix, reflective of the tangle she's trying to unravel — thought itself.”

Tickets are $59.50, $49.50, $39.50 & $34.50 and go On Sale FRIDAY, JULY 13 at 10AM at the Palace Theatre Box Office (located at 19 Clinton Ave). Summer Box Office hours are Monday – Thursday 10AM – 5PM and Friday 10AM – 2PM and select Weekend hours for events and public On Sales. Tickets are also available for purchase via Ticketmaster Charge-by-Phone at 800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster outlets, local Wal-Mart Ticketmaster Centers or online at ticketmaster.com.

We have a great resource in the New York State Museum, even though many of us (myself included) probably take it for granted.

It has archives, good visual exhibits, they put new items up just enough to keep things interesting, they have air conditioning and - unlike other area museums I blogged about earlier - it's free.

So, really, what is there to stand in your way of checking out the State Museum's newest exhibit which features the Adirondacks? Everyone from the Capital District, through school field trips, probably first learned about the Adirondacks at this museum. (Remember the stuffed mountain lion? the stag near the logging exhibit? the bobcat?)

In this exhibit, which just opened in late June, we get to see the Adirondacks through the eyes of an early photographer.

I'd say it's worth dealing with Madison Ave traffic/paying for the meter. But if your summer is really busy and you can't fit it in - even to just beat the heat for a couple hours - the exhibit will be at the museum for several months, through February 24, 2013.

Here's the press release -

http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/press/releases/stoddard.cfm

A new exhibition opens on June 29 at the New York State Museum showcasing the works of photographer and conservationist Seneca Ray Stoddard, who is best known for his photography and guidebooks of New York’s Adirondack Mountains.

Seneca Ray Stoddard: Capturing the Adirondacks, includes over 100 of Stoddard’s photographs, Adirondack guideboats and other items from the Museum’s collection that are reflected in the photographs, copies of Stoddard’s books and several of his paintings.

“This is the first time the State Museum has exhibited these remarkably important photographs from our extensive Seneca Ray Stoddard collection,” said Museum Director Mark Schaming. “It’s an enormously rich visual turn of the century record of the Adirondacks, as well as other magnificent regions of the state. Stoddard’s work continues to be an important resource in understanding the history and development of the Adirondack region.”

Born in Wilton, Saratoga County, Seneca Ray Stoddard (1844–1917), focused his photography and writing on the growing recreational industry of the Adirondacks. His work was instrumental in shaping public opinion about tourism in the Adirondacks and in the preservation and management of the Adirondack wilderness.

Established in 1836, the New York State Museum is a program of the State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education.

Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website at http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/.