Israel kicks off summer ad campaign

The Israel Ministry of Tourism is mounting an advertising campaign directed at North American Christians this summer, as part of its ongoing effort to increase the number of visitors to the land that is uniquely both "The Holy Land" as well as "The Jewish State."

The $1.5 million campaign will include print, radio and Internet messages in a variety of media reaching specific niche markets that include Evangelical Christians and Roman Catholics. Separate advertising messages will be directed to Hispanic audiences. 

Evangelical ads

Tourism to Israel is breaking all records, with 2009, 2010 and 2011 the best years ever for travel to Israel, and with 2012 projected to show an additional 5% increase.

It is estimated that some 40% of American tourists to Israel are Christian travelers touring the Holy Land. The advertising messages will underscore the Ministry of Tourism's campaign theme "Visit Israel. You'll never be the same."

Tell us if you've seen some of the ads.

Not just another history museum

I made my first visit to downtown Indianapolis's Indiana Historical Society recently. While I do find history interesting, I wouldn't say I have a passion for it.

But this was anything but a typical "stale" history musuem. At the Indiana Historical Society, history really does come alive.

Several of the exhibits feature period actors who give a "firsthand" telling of history as it is happening.

My main reason for visiting was to see the "Kennedy Speaks" exhibit about Robert Kennedy's visit to Indianapolis the night that Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. A friend of mine had been in the crowd that night and told me about "holograms" and actors portraying characters. It had me intrigued.

I most certainly was not disappointed. As you enter the Kennedy Speaks exhibit, the empty bed of a pickup truck stands 15 feet in front of you. Two live "characters" are in the room, welcoming you, asking you if you've heard the news about King, things like that. They do a great job of recreating the atmosphere.

Suddenly a veil of smoke pours down over the bed of the pickup truck and out of nowhere, realistic 3D images of Kennedy and three others appear on the back of the truck. Kennedy then gives his brief speech, confirming the news that King has been shot and making an appeal for peace. For someone like me, who was born after the event happened (and for my young boys), it was a great way to get immersed in history and to get a sense of what it was really like.

Other exhibits we saw with period characters included Cole Porter singing in a lounge, a Prohibition exhibit that included one of Indy's first female police officers, a detainee and a woman from the Christian Temperance Society. There was also a 1950s exhibit featuring one of the first displaced Jewish families to arrive in the city following WWII.

Kids will enjoy a History Lab and some other hands-on exhibits on the second floor.

There's also a theater that runs a series of 3-4 minute movies about nine Indiana.

The fourth floor features an Indiana sports exhibit. Comprised mostly of photos from the archives of the Indianapolis Star, the exhibit covers auto racing, high school and professional basketball, football and more.

The Historical Society also features one of the premier libraries and archives of Indiana history, as well as a cafe.

It sits along the canal at the corner of New York and West streets and is easy to get to.

Super Bowl Comes To Indy

In case you live under a rock, the Super Bowl is Indianapolis. And it's not just a game, it's a two-week party for all ages.

I took my family downtown to the NFL Experience and Super Bowl Village over the weekend, and we had a great time.

NFL Experience: This is a huge exhibit that took over the entire convention center. We hit the kids area first, which featured hands-on activities like kicking field goals, long snapping, throwing passes, running an obstacle course, face painting, green screen photos and more. Colts WR Reggie Wayne also led a Q&A session.

All of these activities were included with the admission price: $25 for adults and $20 for kids.

Next we hit the adult area, which featured many of the same activities only on a bigger, real-life scale. There was punt, pass and kick; kick a field goal (I looked pretty bad on my 20-yard attempt), throwing and more.

There was also a "You Make The Call" area where you could call up any play from any game of the 2011 season and review it. A replay booth and more.

Wilson had an area where they showed how footballs are made. There was display of game balls from previous Super Bowls, a display of championship rings, and of course the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

The kids signed up for a free 45-minute on-field clinic that included two Colts players. The kids were divided into four groups and got to practice pass catching, taking handoffs as a running back, defensive drills and more. They also played two flag football games.

Vendors such as Doritos and Pepsi had separate booths. There was an autograph area, memorabilia show and more.

I could go on and on, but needless to say, we spent about 6 hours there and had a great time.

We exited the Experience and walked through the Super Bowl Village, which has two stages with live bands, bars and other entertainment. We made our way to Monument Circle were IndyCars decaled with all 32 NFL teams are lined up in front of giant X-L-V-I numerals.

It's exciting for Indianapolis to host such a great event. If you live nearby, take advantage of what might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and go experience some of the offerings. - Oh, I forgot to mention the 4 ziplines that run down Capitol Avenue. Wow. That looked like fun.

I have photos posted on the Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/HarmonyTravel) and a video on YouTube (www.youtube.com/harmonytravelindy).

Free Entrance to National Parks on Select Days

Once again, the National Park Service is waiving entry fees to more than 100 National Parks on select days.

In 2012, you can visit all National Parks free of charge on the following dates:

January 14-16 (Martin Luther King Jr. weekend)
April 21-29 (National Park Week)
June 9
Sept. 29
Nov. 10-12 (Veterans Day weekend)

I've already made my summer vacation plans to visit Arches NP and Canyonlands NP in Utah. I can't wait.

Holland America Sale

We've partnered with Holland America to offer an exclusive cruise sale from now through Jan. 11, 2012.

All new individual or group reservations will receive an Onboard Value Booklet with more than $450 worth of savings. In addition, deposits are reduced to as little as $100 per person. And of course, you'll get the lowest fares available.

If you're thinking about a cruise in 2012, now is the time to put down your no-risk deposit and hold space at a great rate as well as get some extra perks.

Contact us now or visit our web page for more information.

Gospel Trail opens in Israel

A new trail across northern Israel offers travelers the chance to walk — or trot — through New Testament sites in the footsteps of Jesus.

The newly opened Gospel Trail winds for 39 miles, heading south from Nazareth, across gentle green hills, through Jewish and Arab towns and down to Capernaum, the fishing town where Jesus is said to have established his home base. The Tourism Ministry believes the new trail may attract up to 200,000 Christian pilgrims to northern Israel over the coming year.

On the Gospel Trail, tourists can ride toward the Sea of Galilee on horseback, accompanied by escorts from a nearby ranch wearing jeans, big belt buckles and embroidered cowboy boots with spurs. The scene feels more Texas than Gospel, especially because according to the New Testament, Jesus' mount of choice was a donkey. Horses were considered vehicles of war.

But as the horses canter to Capernaum, past the occasional grazing cow in a grassy pasture, with the sun setting over the distant hills of the Golan Heights, visitors can imagine for a moment that they have returned to the Holy Land of two millennia past.

The new Gospel Trail is a government project. It heads south out of Nazareth, beginning at Mount Precipice, where a mob nearly threw Jesus off a cliff after a sermon he made in a local synagogue. The summit provides sweeping views across the Galilee, from ancient Nazareth and down through the Jezreel Valley, today considered Israel's agricultural heartland. From there, the path goes to Mount Tabor, said to be the site of the Transfiguration, when Jesus spoke to Moses and Elijah and became radiant, and God called him his son. Today, priests celebrate Mass in a Franciscan church with soaring ceilings and pristine white marble floors.

From there, the trail winds north, passing, in springtime, through a carpet of anemones and cyclamens. A side path, also marked, heads to Kfar Kana, where Jesus is said to have turned water into wine. Then the Gospel Trail passes double extinct volcanos known as the Horns of Hattin — famous as the site where Saladin's Muslim army defeated the Crusaders in 1187. Today a lone mosque stands as one of the few remainders of an abandoned Arab village on the site.

Nearby is the town of Migdal, named for the ancient town of Magdala, said to be home to Mary Magdalene. Farther north, at Tabgha, the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes commemorates when Jesus fed a multitude with only a handful of food. And finally, travelers pass by the Mount of Beatitudes before heading to Capernaum, where a charming pink-domed white church gives a European look to the lush green surroundings.

The Gospel Trail includes suggestions to take a boat across the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus is said to have walked on water. The boats run between Capernaum and Kibbutz Ginosar, where marine archaeologists found and preserved a 2,000-year-old ancient fishing boat. Another boat route runs to Tiberias, a town dating back to 20 A.D.

All along the way, gas stations, quiet farming towns and luxurious guest houses offer places to recharge. The trail wends through picturesque Biblical landscapes and long stretches of neatly planted vegetables.

A variety of options already exist for travelers, from the Fauzi Azar Inn tucked into Nazareth's Old City, to the luxurious Scots Hotel in Tiberias. There are also country cottages outside Jewish towns, simple beds on farms and homestays in Arab villages. Camping is also easy in the many parks along the trail.

Cruise the Caribbean with Ken Griffey and other Baseball Greats

Baseball fans can escape the cold of winter and get ready for Spring Training with this fun-filled 7-night cruise to the Caribbean.

Baseball greats Ken Griffey Sr., Jim Fregosi, Darold Knowles and Stan Bahnsen will be the hosts onboard the MSC Poesia for activities that include:

- Interactive question-and-answer session with the players
- Player-hosted trivia games
- A lively story-telling session in which the players share candid revelations about some of the "characters" of the game
- Pitching, hitting, and defense strategy clinics
- A lively passenger pitching contest
- COMPLIMENTARY AUTOGRAPH session

In between baseball events, enjoy stops in Key West; Cozumel, Mexico; Isla de Roatan, Honduras; and Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Harmony Travel has put together a special package that includes a pre-night stay at an all-suites hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, a special on board party, welcome gift and more.

For more information about the players and cruise activities, visit www.HarmonyTravelAgency.com.

Summer Vacation Planning

As a travel consultant, you would think that planning my own summer vacation would be easy, that things should just fall into place. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, and that’s why I’ve procrastinated until just a few weeks before leaving to really start planning.

Choosing where to go was the easy part. Several months ago my wife and I opted for Niagara Falls with a few days in Cleveland on the way. That was the easy part. Putting all of the details together – that’s the challenge.

As the main planner, most of the stress falls on me. I’ve got to balance everyone’s interests not to mention keeping control of the costs.

I’m a go-go-go type of person when I’m on vacation. This may be my only visit to a certain place so I want to see everything and do everything. If I’m sitting around at the hotel resting, I’m “wasting” my vacation.

My wife has helped me find a new perspective. Taking a vacation can mean relaxing and slowing down – not just going non-stop.

Taking those perspectives into account, not to mention that our kids are 8, 6 and 8 months, I set about to finally pull together the details of our upcoming vacation, trying to weave in flexibility, free time and fun.

Day 1 – We’ll drive to Cleveland. Columbus, Ohio is 3 hours from Indianapolis, so it makes a perfect stop for lunch. The headquarters for Graeter’s Ice Cream is located in Columbus and offers a free 30-minute tour to watch how ice cream is made. Close to Graeter’s are two city parks that each have picnic tables and playgrounds. It should make a nice stop for a couple of hours to break up the drive. Once we get to the Cleveland area, everyone can relax in the hotel pool.

Day 2 – Cuyahoga Valley National Park is just 20 minutes from our hotel. This park offers free admission and features numerous trails and other outdoor activities. Depending on how much we do in the park, we’ll still have plenty of time for more swimming at the hotel.

Day 3 – Our family loves baseball, and we’ve been fortunate to get to at least one major league game each of the last few summers. We’ve never been to Cleveland, so we’ll take in an Indians game.

Day 4 – It’s been a year or two since we’ve been to a zoo, so we’ll use most of the day to visit the Cleveland Zoo. Searching the zoo’s web site, I found that there are discount tickets available at a local drug store. I also learned that the zoo has free parking and allows coolers with picnic lunches.

After our trip to the zoo, we’ll make a trip to the lakeshore to spend some time on the beach.

Day 5 – On our way out of Cleveland, we’ll make a stop at the USS Cod, a World War II submarine. Next we’ll drive a couple of hours to Pesque Isle State Park in Erie, Penn., where there are trails, beaches and two lighthouses. Again, it will make a nice stopping point for lunch.

We’ll continue to Niagara Falls in the afternoon. That evening we’ll walk across the Rainbow Bridge to view the falls from the Canadian side, especially as it’s lit up.

Day 6 – We’ll spend the day at Niagara Falls, doing some of the attractions such as the Maid of the Mist ride.

The final two days of the trip are still a bit unplanned. We’ll be driving back to Indianapolis, but haven’t decided what we’ll do or where we’ll stop. Some of that will probably depend on our sweet 8-month-old; when she sleeps, when she eats and when she can’t stand to be trapped in her car seat any longer.

Planning a vacation is hard work. It’s also a good reminder of the expectations that clients have when they call. I hope you enjoy your summer vacation as much as we’ll enjoy ours.

2012 Faith-Based Itineraries Unveiled

Globus, one of the first tour operators to feature faith-based tours, unveiled its 2012 lineup with eight itineraries throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Two new offerings include "The European Reformation" and "Grand Catholic Italy." The Reformation itinerary includes 11 days in Germany with visits to Wittenberg, where Luther posted his 95 theses; Wartburg Castle, where he translated the Bible into German; and the Gutenberg Museum, where original copies of the Bible are on display. The trip also includes stops in Berlin and Munich as well as a day cruise on the Rhine River.

Globus continues the popular "Footsteps of the Apostle Paul" tour, which includes stops in Greece and Turkey, as well as the 10-day "Journey Through the Holy Land," where travelers literally walk where Jesus walked.

As a special incentive, Globus and Harmony Travel are offering 10% off 2012 bookings that are paid in full by Sept. 27.

Indiana Dunes State Park

After a long winter of being cooped up at home, Memorial Day weekend presented an excellent opportunity for a quick getaway.

Indiana Dunes State Park is just over three hours north of Indianapolis on the south shore of Lake Michigan.

I hadn't been to the Dunes since high school, so I had only vague memories of climbing around on mountains of sand. All other memories had faded away.

I was quite surprised then when we pulled up to the entrance gate in the middle of a forest. Turns out the Dunes aren't just sand and beach. There are actually more than 16 miles of trails that go through landscape that includes lots of trees, ferns and a marsh.

Since we had left around 9 in the morning and arrived just after noon, our first stop was the picnic area to enjoy our sandwiches.

We then drove over to the Nature Center, which gave us a chance to see exhibits about the types of wildlife in the area, a birdwatching area (I was fascinated by the red-bellied woodpeckers), and even the ruins of a shipwreck that had been retrieved.

One of the favorite displays for me and my two young boys was a place to measure your "wing span." Placing your palm against the glass, you stretched your arms as far as they could go. The display let you know how your wingspan compared to some of the birds in the area - from hawks to herons to the bald eagle.

The Nature Center makes for a good base camp during a visit. Trails 7, 8, 9 and 10 all can be accessed. We started with Trail 7, a 1.1-mile, moderate trail that provides the most direct route to the beach.

It got off to a sandy start but then transformed into firmer ground. The trail ends on a sandy dune hill about 40-50 feet above Lake Michigan. We wandered down to the wide beach to play by the water.

It's a good thing kids aren't fazed much by extreme temperatures. The water temp in late May was only 47 degrees. By Labor Day, the lake warms up into the 70s. The boys splashed around for a while and found some great rocks for skipping.

On our way back to the Nature Center, we ventured off on to parts of Trails 8 and 4 that led us to the highest point in the park - Mt. Tom with an elevation of 192 feet above the lake.

Trail 4 led us to the campground, which was full of holiday revelers. It is adjacent to the Nature Center.

After a short snack, we decided we had enough energy for one more hike. We started off on Trail 10. The entire trail makes a 5.5-mile loop. Our goal was simply to go the first mile to the bird observation tower that looks over the marsh.

We made it to the tower, but unfortunately heavy rains in the days and weeks prior to our visit left the stairwell unaccessible.

By the time we made it back to the Nature Center one final time, we had been at the park for 4 hours. A steady rain had started to fall and we sensed it was time to leave.

There's more to explore during our next visit.

Kids play and stay free at Walt Disney World

Kids ages 3-9 stay and play FREE at the Walt Disney World Resort in 2011.

The offer is valid for 4-night, 4-day Magic Your Way vacation packages at select Disney Value Resorts for stays most nights Feb. 17 – April 16, April 28 – June 14, 2011 or Aug. 14 – Oct. 1, 2011.

Offer Details:
This Walt Disney Travel Company package includes accommodations at a select Disney Value Resort and a Magic Your Way Base theme park ticket.

Booking and Travel Windows:

•Book: Jan. 3 – Feb. 13, 2011
•Travel: For stays most nights Feb. 17 – April 16, 2011

•Book: Jan. 3 – March 27, 2011
•Travel: For stays most nights April 28 – June 14, 2011 and Aug. 14 – Oct. 1, 2011

Collette launches Family Vacations division

Collette Vacations is launching Collette Family Vacations - nine new, specially-crafted itineraries that bring travelers of all ages together to experience destinations ranging from U.S. National Parks to Kenya and Canada and even the Galapagos.

Launching Collette Family Vacations is a natural extension of what the company is all about. Collette is in its third generation of Sullivan family ownership.

Kid friendly
Collette's foray into the multigenerational travel market has been carefully planned and based on trends including an increased focus on family. These 9 highly inclusive, value-packed vacations combine more that 90 years of Collette experience with a fresh approach to family travel. Some brand promises include:
Substantially discounted rates for children (14 and under).
Child rates apply even with only one accompanying adult in each room.
Family friendly hotels and activities.
Itineraries designed to keep all generations engaged.

While Family Vacations is its own distinct brand within the Collette family of brands, the great advantage is that travelers can utilize such shared services as:
Complimentary roundtrip home to airport transfer service on all air-inclusive tours
Industry-leading No Worries Cancellation Waiver
Guaranteed departure dates

From the cultural treasures of London and Paris to the plains of Africa, on constant remains - spending time together as a family. It is the most important gift we can give.

Discover the ruins of Caesarea

Just north of Tel Aviv, the ancient Roman ruins of Caesarea are one of the top things to see outside of Jerusalem. Paul was imprisoned here before being sent to Rome for trial. Watch the video here.

First Jerusalem Marathon Slated for March 2011

After hosting an annual half marathon for nearly twenty years, Jerusalem is finally hosting its own full marathon next year, scheduled to take place March 25, 2011.

The Jerusalem International Marathon will offer both amateur and professional runners the unique experience of running through a landscape rich in history and heritage, with breathtaking views and inspirational scenery.


Participants will be able to choose between three marathon routes - a full, half or quarter marathon - starting at the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) Building and finishing at Sacher Park. All the routes take the runners through downtown Jerusalem and the Old City, passing by the Sultan's Pool, Jaffa Gate and Zion's Gate, the Jerusalem Theater, the President's Residence and stunning views of the
Old and New City from the Sherover Promenade. Those running the full marathon will also run past Ammunition Hill, Mount Scopus and Augustus Victoria.

Carmel Market in Tel Aviv

I didn't make it to this market, but I did get to the market in Jerusalem during my trip to Israel. What a great authentic experience.

Jaffa

The video series continues with a visit to the port city of Jaffa, which has been incorporated into Tel Aviv.

Dead Sea Video

Our friends at Performance Media Group have put together a series of videos about Israel that we'll post over the next few days. Here's video number one from the Dead Sea - yeah, we were there ourselves two years ago.

Faith-Based Travel

Globus was one of the first travel suppliers to offer tours specifically designed for faith-based travelers. We talked with Julie Petschler about their most popular tours and what's new for 2011.

Jungle Island

Ever wonder what happened to those bright pink flamingos that were part of the opening of “Miami Vice?” Those and many other exotic creatures can be found at Jungle Island, just a five-minute drive from Miami Beach or from the Port of Miami.

Not just a zoo, Jungle Island offers an interactive experience with the chance to touch, hold and feed many of the animals. Dozens of colorful birds, many of which are happy to repeat phrases for you, line the walkways. For 25 cents, you can get a handful of food and let them eat right out of your hand.

Strolling staffers carry pythons, lemurs and other animals. The display housing the 900-lb liger (cross between a lion and a tiger) was under construction so I didn’t get the chance to see one of the site’s main attractions, but I was very entertained by the high-flying and very loud white-handed gibbons.

Jungle Island offers three shows that both entertain and educate. Winged Wonders features many birds of the air, including an Andean Condor, the largest flying bird on earth. Tale of the Tiger highlights the world’s rarest cats. The show I saw featured lemurs, a giant turtle and South African penguins among others.

The kid-friendly attraction has a playground and a private beach with waterslides and swim zone.

Jungle Island offers a free shuttle to hotels in Miami Beach, making it a perfect excursion for beachgoers. Its close proximity to the port also makes it easy to visit either before or after a cruise.

Downtown Miami to South Beach - 30 mins., $2

Want to save yourself the cost of a cab ride to Miami Beach or South Beach? Don’t be afraid to take advantage of Miami’s public transportation options.

From the Hyatt Regency, I made it to Miami Beach in about 30 minutes for just $2.

The first thing to take advantage of is the Metromover – an elevated rail service that serves downtown Miami from Omni to Brickell at no charge. I hopped on at the Knight Center and got off at the Omni Center, which is a transfer point for the bus and rail system.

At least three bus lines (C, M, S) go from Omni Center over the MacArthur Causeway to Miami Beach. The cost of a one-way fare is just $2. From hotel door to the bus stop one block from the sandy beach took just 30 minutes.

I went during the day. If you’re going for the South Beach nightlife, double-check the hours of operation.

Norwegian Epic

Traveling with family….flying solo – don’t worry the Norwegian Epic has something for everyone.

Since lots of ships are family friendly, let’s start with what the Epic offers for single travelers. Unlike most ships or tours that require a single supplement, the Epic features 128 studio suites designed specifically for those traveling by themselves – or as we found during our tour – mother/daughter, friends, anyone who might want a room to themselves.

The rooms are just 100 square feet, but feature a double bed, sliding door closets and bathroom. All of the studios are “inside” cabins, but they feature a large window that looks out into the hallway, so you don’t feel claustrophobic. Ninety of these cabins are connecting cabins allowing mother/daughter type travelers to be together while maintaining separate sleeping quarters.

Another advantage of the single studios – access to an exclusive lounge area stocked with snacks and games.

The Epic staff boasted that the ship has the largest suites and villas complex at sea. These larger rooms come with butler service and access to a special pool area and fitness room.

When it comes to family fun, the Epic has three waterslides, several pools and its kids area. Kids are divided into three age groups and given appropriate activities. There’s also a bowling alley, rock-climbing and rappelling walls and billiard tables.

When you get hungry from all of the onboard activities – and I haven’t even mentioned the Blue Man Group performances in the theater – there are dozens of dining options. Eleven are included in the base fare, including the Manhattan Room where I had the opportunity to enjoy lobster bisque and a steak for lunch.

Ten specialty restaurants are available for $10-25 extra.

The Epic is currently sailing in the Caribbean, alternating 7-day Eastern and Western itineraries that can be combined into a 14-day sailing. From May-October 2011, the ship will reposition to the Mediterranean for 7-day sailings out of Barcelona.

While experienced cruisers should enjoy this ship, the Epic is a great option for first timers looking to experience the fun and excitement at sea.

Little Bighorn Battlefield (Custer's Last Stand)

Something about the sight of hundreds of white gravestones dotting the rolling, hilly landscape helps bring history alive. A visit to the Little Bighorn Battlefield is memorable and much more educational than reading about “Custer’s Last Stand” in a history book.

Start at the visitor center where one of several park rangers will recount the events of the weeks, days and hours leading up to this historical battle. Each have a flair for storytelling. Some paint a bloody picture of the events (it was a battle after all that claimed hundreds of lives).

As you gaze out at the landscape, it’s easy to envision where the U.S. troops led by Gen. Custer were stationed and how they were split up. Standing at the top of the hill, near the black-faced tombstone marking the spot Custer fell, it’s easy to see how the native Americans could advance through the ravines and hillsides, remaining unseen in the tall grasslands.

The park staff attempts to present a balanced account of the battle, reminding visitors of the pride the native Americans had in their land and how they acted in defense of their homeland. It’s also pointed out that because the native Americans won the battle (and handily so), it may very well have been the reason they lost the “war.”

If you want a piece of American history to come to life, visit the Little Bighorn Battlefied.

Bighorn Canyon

Add another destination to the places I want to take a vacation. This one would have never made my list without a short teaser visit earlier this month.

Usually my travel wish list consists of islands with beaches and light blue water or exotic overseas locales. This respite from the hustle and bustle of life is in the middle of Montana.

I'm talking about Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.

My "tease" of a visit came at the Yellowtail Dam near Ft. Smith, Montana. The dam was constructed in the 1960s and created a 71-mile reservoir that extends south into Wyoming. The dam itself is impressive - 525 feet high and 1450 wide, damming the Bighorn River.

Behind the dam is the Bighorn Lake, winding those 71 miles through towering steep-sided canyons to desert shrubland. No roads connect the northern and southern entrances to the area, so you'll need a boat to traverse this area of tranquility.

While you're cruising, keep your eyes open for buffalo, wild horses, bighorn sheep and more than 200 species of birds.

Pictograph Caves State Park

Just a 20-minute drive outside of Billings are some caves where pictographs from 2,200 years ago are located.

A scenic two lane drive along sandstone cliffs dead-ends at the caves where a visitor center has been constructed recently. A short trail takes you to threecaves. Don't let the word "caves" fool you. You don't have to go spelunking or even bring a flashlight to see the pictographs, although binoculars are highly recommended.

In addition to exploring a bit of history, you'll feel like your on a wild adventure due to the "Beward of Rattlesnakes" signs.

Pompey's Pillar

As Lewis and Clark explored the west in the early 1800s in an effort to map a route to the Pacific Ocean, they discovered a vast, wild landscape.

On July 25, 1806, William Clark left his own mark on that landscape. As he traversed present day Montana, he came across a massive sandstone outcrop rising 150 feet above a two-acre base on the banks of the Yellowstone River.

Clark noted hundreds of markings, petroglyphs and inscriptions in the sandstone and quickly added his own signature to the collection. He named the rock Pompy’s Tower in honor of the nickname he had given to Sacagawea’s son. The rock was renamed Pompey’s Pillar in 1814 when Lewis and Clark’s journals were published. Today, Clark’s signature remains frozen in time encased behind glass - the only remaining on-site physical evidence of Lewis and Clark's epic journey.

Pompey’s Pillar is now a national monument located about an hour outside of Billings in the eastern half of Montana. A new visitor’s center features displays about the Lewis and Clark expedition, the lives of native Americans in the area and a short movie.

From the visitor center, it’s a short walk to the rock itself. A staircase leads to two stops. The first is a platform where you can view Clark’s signature as well as other names carved into the stone from the 1800s. From there, you can continue to ascend to the top of the pillar and enjoy a panoramic view of the area, including the Yellowstone River.

View our photos of Pompey’s Pillar on our Facebook page.

Mexico changes currency policies

New regulations in Mexico affecting U.S. travelers start this week. Hotel front desks and currency exchange booths are now able to change only a maximum of $1,500 cash per person per month into Mexican pesos (before, there was no limit). Also, businesses will be limited to accepting $100 cash per transaction (though there's no limit on the number of transactions per customer), and some establishments will be prohibited from accepting (or may now choose not to accept) U.S. currency at all. Major travel suppliers now recommends that U.S. travelers use credit cards, travelers checks, or ATM cards (to withdraw money in pesos). They also say that some U.S. citizens traveling to Mexico have had trouble using American passports with fraying or peeling corners, so check the condition of your passports and get replacements if needed as you plan travel to Mexico.

Ozark Caverns

During our stay at Lake of the Ozarks, we took a couple of hours to vist Ozark Caverns, which is adjacent to Lake of the Ozarks State Park near Osage Beach. For us, it was about a 30-minute drive.

The one-hour tour takes you on a 1/4-mile trail into and back out of the cavern. At the end, you are about 100 feet underground.

One of the most impressive sights inside the cavern is near the entrance, a formation called "Angel Showers", a steady stream of water coming down from the ceiling as if from a shower head and into a basin at the bottom.

We saw a handful of bats sleeping on the ceiling and were also fortunate to spot a blind salamander in one of the underground streams.

Be sure to spend some time studying the exhibits in the nature center either before or after the tour, and don't forget to look out the door near the front desk. A crowd of at least 20 hummingbirds was fluttering around two feeders.

Lake of the Ozarks - Lakeview Resort

I recently returned from a fun family reunion at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. As I had researched places to stay that offered the amenities we were looking for, I found a gem in Lakeview Resort near Sunrise Beach.

Our group of 30+ rented five units, including two four-bedroom condos, two three-bedroom units and a studio. All of the units were superbly furnished and really met our needs.

The condos are the newer units and are definitely a bit nicer, although that's not to take anything away from the other more traditional units on the property. The three-bedroom units were in upgraded mobile homes that featured a very large kitchen, as well as a living room facing the lake. One night we crowded all 30+ of us in for a family dinner and got by just fine.

The condos were excellent. Both of our units featured two levels with three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the main floor, and a separate bedroom, bathroom and loft area upstairs.

Our condo had a large granite-covered kitchen table with six chairs. There were also three bar stools that could fit along the kitchen counter. The living room had two leather couches, a round table with four stools tucked underneath it (perfect for playing games), and a flatscreen TV.

The master bedroom had a king-size bed. Another bedroom on the main floor had a queen bed, while the third had two twins (perfect for kids). That room as well as the master also had TVs. The upstairs room had another queen bed.

The living room and master bedroom featured a two-story ceiling and both had sliding glass doors to the balcony. The large balcony featured a cushioned swing big enough for 2-3 adults, a table and chairs, and a charcoal grill.

Since my boys are early risers, and our bodies were still used to Eastern time rather than Central time, we were up in time for the 6:15 a.m. sunrise every day. It was beautiful to sit on the cushioned swing and watch the big orange ball rise quickly over the lake in the cool of the morning.

Resort Amenities

The resort has plenty to keep you busy.

There are three pools. The one in front of the condos is saltwater and ranges from 3 1/2 - 5 feet deep. The other outdoor pool has two separate sections separated by a water-level wall. One section is perfect for toddlers - barely a foot deep. The other section starts very shallow and goes to about 7 feet deep - great for bigger kids and adults. That pool is next to an arcade and fitness room and right next to a Pavilion, which can be rented and reserved for group functions.

There's also an indoor pool that has a deep end that's 9 ft.

Stroll to the end of the complex and you'll pass two playgrounds, a sand volleyball court, and a combined tennis/basketball court. Past all of those areas, you'll reach Pebble Beach. We went down there twice to swim in the bath-water warm lake. (Note: Bring water shoes. They may call it "pebble" beach, but it's basically a bunch of rocks that hurt like the dickens.

A lot of people just swam off the docks.

You can rent watercraft at Bikini Pier located at the resort. They have various sizes of boats, as well as jet skis.

I thought the $45 rate for an hour on a jet ski (before noon) was quite reasonable, so I gave that a try for the first time in my life. What a rush! It took 10-15 minutes of being cautious to get a feel for what I was doing, but after that I felt pretty comfortable at about 25 mph. Not quite the 40-60 mph capacity of the jet skis, but fun enough for me.

Getting There

Getting to Lake of the Ozarks was easy. It took about 7 1/2 hours from Indianapolis (434 miles from our door on the NE side to the resort, according to our GPS).

Warning: Don't let your GPS or even Google Maps lead you to the wrong place. Both of those had a Lakeview Street, but not Lakeview Resort Blvd., which is the actual address of the resort.

Your best bet is to locate Bikini Pier on Google Maps and enter that as your destination.

We shot straight across I-70 about an hour or a little more past St. Louis then headed south on US 54 at the Kingdom City exit. US 54 is a four-lane highway the entire way to Lake of the Ozarks, and the speed limit is 70 much of the way.

For more photos of Lakeview Resort, check out the album on our Facebook page - www.facebook.com/harmonytravel.

Globus unveils 2011 religious vacations

Globus, one of the world's most respected tour operators and one of the first operators to embrace religious travel, has unveiled its 2011 religious vacation packages.

The company's 10-day Journey To The Holy Land tour is one of its most popular offerings. In 2011, Globus will add a 12-day tour that combines Israel, Jordan and Egypt.

Globus is one of Harmony Travel's preferred suppliers. Contact us for more information about a faith-based vacation that will fit your needs.

Get a jump on jet lag

I'm one of the lucky ones. Usually a quick nap in my new location and I'm good to go - no jet lag for me. Others of course have more of a problem adjusting to a shift in time zones.

While there are plenty of theories out there, here's some solid advice from the New England Journal of Medicine.

Get as much daylight as you can to help reset your body's clock when you change several time zones after a long flight. When traveling to a later time zone, soak up as much light as possible late in the day. When traveling to earlier time zones, exposure to light in the early morning will help.

If you're sleepy when you arrive, take a short nap, but avoid long naps in the afternoon since they disrupt your nightly sleep and decrease your exposure to light.

Branson AirExpress coming to Indianapolis

When I first heard that the Indianapolis Airport was adding a new airline, I was excited. What new destinations would be available via nonstop flights? Would airfares fall with stiffer competition?

When I learned that the new service was from Branson AirExpress, I have to admit I was disappointed. I’ve since recovered.

Despite the fact that the addition of Branson AirExpress seems like “small” news, it really is good news for central Indiana residents. As the press release stated, thousands of Hoosiers make the 8-hour drive to Branson every year. Clearly there is demand for the tourist destination in southern Missouri, and this puts it much more easily in reach. The introductory fares are low, which hopefully will fill up the planes that will be flying four times per week.

For now, the airline also offers connecting service to Austin, Texas and Houston’s Hobby airport also for fairly low introductory fares. This is where low fares will hopefully trigger similar low fares from other airlines serving those markets.

Hoosier fliers are winners today. Let’s hope there’s more news like this to come, putting more destinations within easier reach.

Jefferson Memorial Forest

Jefferson Memorial Forest is a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life, and it's only 15 miles from downtown Louisville.

With more than 6,000 acres of forest, there are great opportunities for camping, fishing, hiking and more.

We started our visit at the Welcome Center near the Tom Wallace Recreation Area on Mitchell Hill Road. The Welcome Center has maps and snacks. We also rented an "Eco-Adventure" kit for the kids for $5. The kit contains binoculars, a magnifying glass, specimen jar, thermometers, a workbook, guides to trees, birds and wildflowers, and more.

We used the workbook as we hiked around Tom Wallace Lake to identify some of the trees and flowers that we saw. We compared the temperature of the air, soil and water, and we used the specimen jar to briefly capture a small frog so we could examine him with our magnifying glass.

The trail ended at a playground, so the boys were able to use up more of their energy before we enjoyed a picnic lunch. We finished our half day at the park with a hike on the 1/4-mile Tulip Trail, which featured 10 trees that had been marked for identification. Our workbook gave us useful insights into each tree.

Sheraton Louisville Riverside

Sheraton has undergone a major facelift in the last couple of years, including more than $6 billion invested in 120 renovated hotels and 56 new hotels.


The Sheraton Louisville Riverside is actually located in Jeffersonville, Indiana, but it is on the riverside, and it is very convenient. It's located between the I-65 bridge to Louisville and the U.S. 31 bridge to Louisville. Either option takes you into the heart of downtown Louisville within minutes.


The Sheraton Louisville had an updated lobby with the chain's Link@Sheraton business center and the bar and grille. The hotel staff was very friendly, and as I returned from parking the car, the bellman welcomed me by name.


Our room was also updated. It featured the new white bedding and a flat screen TV. Free wireless internet was also available.


While the bedding was new, I'm not sure the bed was. Our mattress seemed to roll us into the middle. The bathroom was also a bit small, but the fixtures were nice and new.

We also took advantage of the pool during our stay. It's a great pool for families - somewhat small but depths ranging only from 3' to 4'.


If you choose not to eat at the hotel's bar and grille, there are three good options within a block - Kingfish, Buckhead Mountain Grill and Hooters.

Louisville Bats / Slugger Field

Our Friday evening was spent at Slugger Field watching the Triple-A Louisville Bats battle the Gwinnett Braves.

The Bats have been playing baseball in Louisville for a long time (many of those years as the Louisville Redbirds) and moved into the downtown ballpark in 2000. As a regular at Indianapolis' Victory Field, I have to give the nod to my hometown ballpark, but Slugger Field is still a great place to watch a ballgame.

Parking is fairly convenient. There are a couple of large lots within a couple blocks of the stadium and a lot of on-street parking. I've always had good luck finding an open parking meter (free after 6 p.m.) when going to games at Slugger Field.

Ticket prices are low, ranging from $7-$11 for adults. Kids get a $1 discount.

The food offerings are good. Louisville is Papa John's country, so my kids dragged me to the Papa John's stand for some personal pizzas. Glad I had some cash on hand - those stands don't take credit cards, although the "fixed" concession stands do.

Some of the more interesting food offerings - roasted corn on the cob and double-stacked bologna.

Like most minor league parks, it's a very intimate setting in Louisville. The lower seating bowl consists of 20 or so rows, and then there is a small upper deck.

Louisville is definitely family friendly. The right field corner features a playground and a carousel ($1).

After the third inning, ushers came through and passed out free kids activity books - a good way to keep the younger fans entertained.

Our game happened to be a quick one. Before the kids could finish their giant sno-cones, the game was in the eighth inning.

Actuallly, the game we saw will go down in the record books. Gwinnett's pitcher tossed a no-hitter - the first in stadium history.

Louisville Slugger Museum

As a life-long baseball fan, I can't believe it's taken me this long to visit the Louisville Slugger Museum. Especially since it's only a two-hour drive from Indianapolis.

The museum is part of a museum district in the historic downtown area of Louisville. Other museums nearby of note include the Science Center/IMAX, Muhammed Ali Center and Glassworks.

Located on Main Street, I found a two-hour parking meter one block away, however, there are also a couple of $5 lots and parking garages nearby.

Driving down Main St. and wondering when you'll see the museum? Just keep watch on your left for the giant baseball bat towering above the building.

Once inside the doors, the gift shop and exhibit room are off to the left, the ticket booth just past them and then another exhibit room, theater and a batting cage farther down the hall.

The cost of admission is well worth it. It's $10 for adults, $5 for kids 6-12, and kids 5 and under are free. (That was nice).

The price of admission includes a 30-minute tour through the middle of the factory floor. While making numerous stops with your small guided group, you'll get to see the transformation of a billet (the cylindrical piece of ash or maple) into a baseball bat. First stop - an old-fashioned lathe where it used to take more than two hours for a craftsman to shape a baseball bat.

The next stop shows the new, automated lathe that shaves it down within 30 seconds.

During our 30-minute tour, the factory churns out enough bats to give every player on your favorite team's starting lineup three bats. Overall, the factory makes more than 1.8 million bats for major and minor leaguers, and amateurs.

Throughout the tour, we had the chance to handle sample bats at nearly every stop, including the bats of great players such as Alex Rodriquez and Derek Jeter.

The tour shows them branding the Louisville Slugger logo and the player's signature into the wood, and finally, the bats getting dipped into colored finish.

It's a very interesting journey.

The exhibit hall is filled with numerous bats and artifacts from various eras. One of Joe DiMaggio's bats from his record-setting hitting streak is on display, as is the bat Hank Aaron used to hit his 500th home run. George Brett's famous "pine tar" bat is also included.

Step over to the far wall of the room and 60 feet 6 inches is marked off behind glass. A video projector of a major league pitcher plays as a 90 mph fastball shoots out into the glove of an inflatable catcher. Stand beside this exhibit and it doesn't take long to realize how hard it is to be a major league hitter. (The ball gets to the plate in less than 1/3 of a second!)

Life-size figurines of Babe Ruth, Ken Griffey Jr. and Ted Williams also fill the exhibit room.

A separate exhibit room paid tribute to the Negro Leagues with contemporary artwork as well as artifacts. An original glove of Satchel Paige and Willie Mays were on display, as well as Roy Campanella's 1955 NL MVP award.

The movie playing during our visit was a 12-minute flick about hitting, narrated by James Earl Jones. Can't go wrong with that.

Before hitting the gift shop, our final stop was the batting cage. Anyone age 6 and older is welcome to take 10 swings for $1. I'm happy to say I connected solidly with quite a few of the 10 40 mph pitches I saw, and my son was outstanding facing some 20 mph pitches.

Allow about 2 hours to take the tour and see the exhibits.

Protect your vacation investment

Hundreds of thousands of travelers have been stranded for nearly a week as the volcanic eruption in Iceland causes the biggest disruption in airline service since the events of Sept. 11.

While many of those travelers have been forced to survive "on their own" and spend money out of their own pocket on extra hotel nights and meals in pricey European cities, those who protected their trips with an inexpensive travel insurance policy are faring much better.

Most travel insurance policies provide coverage for "trip interruption" and "trip delay," when events cause your trip to be interrupted or delayed for a certain amount of time.

Harmony Travel offers travel insurance from several vendors, and we typically base our recommendation to travelers on factors such as client age, length and "difficulty" of travel, travel region, amount and types of coverage provided, and more.

As a rule of thumb, the typical travel policy costs about 1/10 of the total trip cost, however, this could be lower or higher depending on the vendor and the coverage limits.

Here are some of the benefits from one of our preferred providers:

Trip Cancellation - get all of your money back if you cancel for a covered reason
(You can also purchase "Cancel For Any Reason" insurance for a bit more)

Trip Interruption - if you have to cut your trip short; benefit up to 150% of trip cost

Trip Delay - this policy pays $150 per day

Medical Expense/Emergency Evacuation - this could be as simple as falling and breaking an ankle while on a tour or as serious as suffering a heart attack while out of the country. Coverage amounts vary widely.

Baggage Loss and Delay

The policy we sell most covers unexpected situations like job loss, hurricanes, illnesses to you or family members and more. You're even covered if you have an accident on the way to the airport. We are always happy to provide a complete description of benefits in advance so you can see what is and what is not covered by the policy.

None of us expect to have to cancel our long-awaited vacations or to have a volcanic eruption, hurricane or earthquake interrupt or travel, but unfortunately the unexpected does happen.

Next time you're planning a trip, please consider the small cost of travel insurance to protect your bigger investment.

Mitchell's Fish Market

I didn’t grow up as much of a fish eater, but over the last few years I’ve had the chance to enjoy a lot more seafood and have really grown to like it. Plus, a lot of it is good for you.

Recently, I had the chance to dine at Mitchell’s Fish Market in suburban Indianapolis. There are 19 locations in the United States, most of them in the Midwest. In fact, I’ve stayed near the Milwaukee location several times but had not had the opportunity to go there.

The food at Mitchell’s was outstanding. The menu changes daily based on the fresh fish that they have flown in that day, but my wife and I were both very pleased.


We started with the Chesapeake Bay crab cake and a cup of lobster bisque. The crab cake was delicious – the perfect blend of seasonings for my taste. I’ve had some crab cakes that had some strange flavors mixed in. This was great.

The lobster bisque was very creamy, and also very good.


For entrees, my wife chose the mahi mahi prepared Shanghai style. According to the menu, that’s the signature way of preparing their fish. The fish comes steamed with ginger and scallions and is served on a bed of sticky rice, spinach and rice wine soy sauce. Delicious.

I chose grilled swordfish seved Oscar style. This hearty fish came topped with crab meat and a hollandaise sauce. It was accompanied with some very nice garlic mashed potatoes and a variety of vegetables.


No meal, especially for me, is complete without dessert – preferably chocolate. Most of the desserts at Mitchells are huge, so sharing is advised. My wife and I opted for the Triple Mousse Chocolate Cake. Wow. We were not disappointed. It truly melted in our mouths, and despite the fact that we had probably had more than enough food for the night, it went down nice and easy and didn’t leave us filling overstuffed.

Overall, it was a great experience.

Princess to welcome guests on embarkation day

Princess Cruises will bring back the practice of allowing passengers to bring guests onboard with them for lunch and a ship tour on their embarkation dates. The "Bon Voyage Experience" (for a $39 charge per person) will include priority embarkation, a four-course lunch in the dining room (with wine), a guided ship tour, and a souvenir photo.

If the guest book a cruise later, the $39 will apply toward their booking. The program starts in March at the ports in Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles, rolling out to New York, San Francisco and Seattle by May.

These guests will be capped at 50 per departure, their visits must be pre-booked, and they must be accompanied by a booked, sailing passenger.

Faith-based travel continues to grow

Menlo Group recently completed a study on behalf of Globus Vacations and found that 4.5 million travelers have already taken a faith-based vacation. With the Oberammergau Passion Play coming up in 2010, another 9.7 million will be added to that number this year.

If you've been thinking about taking such a trip, you won't regret it. Visiting the holy sites around the world can lead to tremendous spiritual growth and an enhanced understanding of historical events.

I don't have immediate plans for another faith-based trip, but certainly have another trip to Israel as well as visiting sites of the early church on my "to-do" list for the future.

"Sacred Spain" at IMA

I took some time today to tour the free "Sacred Spain" exhibit at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It's a collection of paintings and sculptures from Spanish artists that will be housed at the museum through Jan. 3.

Most of the works are from the 1600s. There are moving images of Christ and Mary as well as numerous works portraying saints and monks from that time. The exhibit is confined to about six rooms, so it was a bit smaller than I expected, but given the price of admission - nothing - it was definitely worth seeing.

For $5, you can rent an iPod audio guide to go along with the exhibit.

After the 45 minutes or so it takes to view the exhibit, take the time to check out some of the many other offerings at IMA. My friend and I enjoyed the African Art section.

Overall, the museum houses more than 50,000 pieces, and the grounds are home to walking trails, the Lilly house and a soon-to-be-completed Art & Nature Park that will include 100 acres of woodlands, wetlands, lake and meadows.

First Jesus-era house found in Nazareth

Archaeologists have discovered a house in Nazareth dating back to the time of Jesus.

Click here to read the story in USA Today.

Arbeit Macht Frei

So sad to hear this morning that the "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign has been stolen from Auschwitz. This is a similar sign on the entrance gate to the Nazi concentration camp in Dachau, Germany just outside of Munich. Visiting Dachau was one of the most memorable experiences of my visit to see the Passion Play in Oberammergau in 2000.

In case you don't know, the sign translates to "Work will set you free."

Oberammergau Informational Meeting

The other day I had the great opportunity to participate in a webinar with Mike Adams from the official office of the Oberammergau Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany.

For those of you who don't know, the village of Oberammergau performs a Passion Play every 10 years as an act of thanks to God for sparing the village from the Plague.

In 1632, more than 20 percent of the village had perished due to the plague. One year later, the townspeople pledged to perform a passion play every 10 years if God would save their town. Not another person died, and the town has been performing the play for more than 375 years.

The next performance comes in 2010. More than 500,000 visitors are expected for the 102 performances between May and October.

I had the great fortune to attend the play in 2000, and I can't say enough about it. It's not just "a play," it's a very intense emotional and spiritual experience. Imagine up to 1,000 people and animals on the open-air stage at one time as Jesus drives the money lenders from the temple, or as he makes his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey.

The play begins in mid-afternoon and runs for 2 1/2 hours before a three-hour dinner break. After dinner, there's another 2 1/2 hours, culminating in the crucifixion.

If you have the opportunity to attend, you won't regret it.

I'm organizing an informational meeting for anyone who would like to learn more about Oberammergau or who is considering attending.

Please join me at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19 at First Baptist Church of Indianapolis (8600 N. College Ave.).

Free Disney Cruise

Harmony Travel is working with Disney to offer a free 3-night cruise to the Bahamas to families that purchase an Adventures by Disney trip before Jan. 15, 2010. Please contact us for complete details.

Adventures by Disney was created especially for families, with breathtaking guided group vacations spanning six continents - from Alaska to Australia, and from Costa Rica to Canada. With Adventures by Disney, you'll meet enthralling local experts, enjoy backstage access, VIP treatment and other exclusive experiences, including special thrills just for kids.

This is Epic

There are a bunch of new cruise ships debuting in the near future - most of them bigger and better than anything we've ever seen before.

Norwegian's newest ship, Epic, debuts next July with 7- and 14-day sailings alternating between the Eastern and Western Caribbean. This ship feature bigger staterooms, lots of dining options (freestyle of course), and top notch entertainment, including the Blue Man Group.

Check out more info here.

Contest Winner

Congratulations to Jennifer S. of Greenwood, Ind. Her photo from Santorini, Greece won the Harmony Travel Vacation Photo Contest.

Jennifer wins $100 gift certificates from Harmony Travel and My Car Doc, and a free family portrait session from J. Scott Photography.

Thanks to everyone who submitted a photo or took time to vote.

World's Scariest Runways

Hold your breath if you're flying into one of these airports.

I've flown into #3 (Tegucigalpa, Honduras) twice. As soon as the wheels touch the ground, the pilots are slamming on the brakes to avoid tumbling over the edge of the cliff. The first time I flew down there a plane had slid down the hill just two weeks before I got there.

There's some great videos on these pages.

Did the editors miss any? Where have you had a "scary" landing?

Indiana War Memorial

So, I've lived in Indianapolis more than 15 years and had never been to the Indiana War Memorial. War Memorial - to me the words mean a statue and some plaques. I had no idea.


The Indiana War Memorial Plaza Historic District contains two museums, three parks and 24 acres of monuments, statues, sculptures and fountains in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, making the state's capital second only to Washington D.C. in acreage and number of monuments dedicated to veterans.


The War Memorial Museum actually has three floors, several meeting rooms and an auditorium. I had the pleasure of experiencing it first hand recently while attending a conference at the site.



On the upper level is a massive "Shrine" room, dedicated to the end of World War I, which of course was to be the war to end all wars. The room is 60' x 60' and 110' tall. Portraits of the commanders of the six armies flank the room, which features a large U.S. flag suspended from the ceiling under a large light fixture made of Swedish crystal. A large marble altar sits in the middle of the room.



The building also contains a military musuem.



Admission is free.

Vacation Photo Contest

Got a great vacation photo?

Harmony Travel has just launched a Vacation Photo Contest at www.harmonytravelagency.com.

Submit your favorite photo and then come back to vote once per day. Every week one entrant will win $25 gift certificates from Harmony Travel and My Car Doc. Weekly winners will be eligible to win $100 gift certificates from Harmony Travel, My Car Doc and a free family portrait session from J. Scott Photography.

Enter your photo today.

National Parks to garner nation's attention

The nation's national parks come to the forefront beginning Sunday, Sept. 27 with the debut of Ken Burns' documentary. The six-part series highlights our national treasures and the connections those places have with the people who visit.

The series will air on PBS for six consecutive nights. Check your local listings for times.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/891218.html

Crow Sweat Lodge

On my recent mission trip to the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana, I had the opportunity to participate in their "sweat" ritual. A number of tribes perform those rituals for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways. The Crow that I was with use their "sweats" as a prayer ritual for healing.

The sweat "lodge" is a tent-like structure about 10 feet in diameter. It's supported by small branches that have been woven together, and it's covered with heavy blankets.

After stripping out of our clothes, 13 of us crawled inside the front opening of the tent and spaced ourselves out. A fire pit next to the entrance was filled with red hot rocks that had been heated on a blazing fire outside of the tent. Once we were all situated, the leader covered the opening, and it was pitch black inside.

The Crow do their "sweats" in four phases. The first phase involved him throwing four small containers of water onto the rocks. Wow! The heat that sweeps over you is incredible. As I stretched my head toward the floor, where the air is slightly cooler and a bit easier to breathe, I could literally feel sweat pouring out of every pore in my body.

While we all layed there sweating in the darkness, the leader did a series of prayers, both in the Crow language and in English. It was actually a very good time to reflect.

Following a short break for fresh air and some water, we went in for phase two - seven containers of water onto the rocks. That was nearly unbearable. I've never been so glad to hear "Amen" in my life.

We took another short break and then went back in for phase three - 10 containers of water on the rocks. Surprisingly, after making it through seven, the phase with 10 didn't seem all that bad.

The final phase is "unlimited," however since there were four or five of us participating in the sweat for the first time, I think he took it easy on us a bit and didn't go on too long.

After the final phase, you exit and wash off with cool water from a barrel near the fire. Some sweats are held near rivers where the participants jump into the cold water after the final phase.

After all was done, let's just say that I slept very well that night.

is watching a rodeo near pryor, mt.

worshipped at The Little Brown Church and the First Crow Indian Baptist Church Sunday.

Good morning from montana.

made it to Billings late last night. That was my first time flying Frontier and i was very impressed. All leather seats, friendly people, DirecTV at every seat ($6 for 24 channels, $8 for movies).

Ugh. Rough start. Delta flight has mechanical problem. rebooked onto Frontier flight five hours from now.

is getting ready to leave on the church work trip to Montana for the week. Hopefully I'll be able to post some updates from the road.

Castaway Cay to get makeover

A sneak peek of new additions coming to Disney Cruise Line's private island Castaway Cay http://bit.ly/AQBSU

Gateway Arch and downtown St. Louis

I kicked off a weekend road trip with the family with an afternoon in St. Louis. It's such a beautiful downtown area. I'm always impressed when I get the chance to visit.

We got an early start from our base in NE Indianapolis and arrived in St. Louis by lunch time. It was about four hours of driving, including a stop in Terre Haute for gas. It's an easy drive from Indy - a straight shot on I-70, exiting downtown after crossing the Mississippi.

Drive just past the Arch to its parking garage. You can park for up to 9 hours for $6.

The parking garage is a five-minute walk from the Arch itself. The paved pathways offer numerous benches and ample shade, which was nice on this sunny, 80-degree day.

We had packed our own lunch and carried our cooler all the way to the benches at the base of the 630-foot memorial. Upon arrival we made a quick trip to the underground lobby area to take a restroom break and to make an advance purchase for tickets to the top. It wasn't too crowded on the day we visited, however, lines during the summer are typically much longer. You can also pre-purchase tickets online.

There's also a security line to get into the building. Bags are searched and x-rayed, and all pockets must be emptied. This process went quickly on the day we visited, but I could envision long lines during peak times.

Following our lunch and some wandering/picture taking around the grounds and along the banks of the Mississippi, we went back underground. Officially known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, the underground visitor center includes two theaters and the Museum of Westward Expansion.

The Museum of Westward Expansion was fascinating to me. Much of the exhibit is dedicated to the Lewis & Clark Expedition, which Jefferson commissioned from St. Louis to find a route to the Pacific Ocean. Excerpts from the adventurers' diaries/letters are posted along with wall-sized photographs from the locations where they were written. It was interesting to read about their adventures, hardships, interactions with the native tribes they encountered and how they persevered.

Another eye-catching display was the gold, presidential medals. The medals were given to dignitaries as well as to Indians who had made peace with the white men. The medals featured images of several kings of England as well as the first dozen presidents.

Our visit overlapped with a special exhibit entitled "Baseball's Gateway to the West." The exhibit opened in July in conjunction with the city hosting major league baseball All-Star Game and runs through Dec. 31. Baseball artifacts from 1900 through today chronicle St. Louis' role in the game.

Admission to the Museum of Westward Expansion is free. There is a charge for the movies.

Top of the Arch

After touring the museum, it was time for our trip to the top of the Arch. Eight-car trams, each holding five people, make a four-minute ascent every few minutes. I'm not claustrophobic, but I noticed that the tram cars were well-lit and well-ventilated. I assume that would make it a bit easier for those who might be a bit claustrophobic.

Once at the top, we climbed the last few steps to the viewing platform. There are 16 windows on each side. Looking west, you can look down on downtown St. Louis with a picturesque view of the old courthouse and the new baseball stadium.

Looking east offers a view of the river and back into Illinois.

You can spend as much time as you like at the top of the Arch before riding either tram down - the north tram or the south tram.

Unfortunately, the ride to the top is not handicapped accessible. There are steps to climb, and the tiny cars won't fit anything more than a cane.

Historic Old Courthouse

Two blocks from the Arch is the Historic Old Courthouse open daily free of charge. There are several exhibits. Most noteworthy are some exhibits and a film about the Dred Scott case - a case the ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court and played a role in the beginning of the Civil War. The case was first heard in St. Louis' Old Courthouse.

Downtown St. Louis

Just beyond the Old Courthouse lies a bustling downtown area and just a few blocks away is Busch Stadium, home to baseball's Cardinals.

Kiener Plaza features a waterfall, fountain, amphitheater, and a great view of the Arch behind the Old Courthouse.

The area features numerous bars, restaurants and hotels.

Santorini Greek Kitchen (Indianapolis)

I recently had the opportunity to make my first visit to Santorini Greek Kitchen. Located in the Fountain Square area just southeast of downtown Indianapolis, it's a real treasure.

It's close enough to downtown in fact that on the night I went it was filled with Colts fans getting ready to head to the stadium for a pre-season football game.

I sampled a series of appetizers and was thoroughly impressed. My host encouraged everyone in our group to try the eggplant "whether they like eggplant or not." It did not disappoint. Thick slabs of eggplant were fried to a golden brown and then covered with sauce and parmesan cheese. It was absolutely delicious.

I also sampled tiropita - cheese-filled phyllos that are baked to a golden brown.

Of course, there was warm pita bread that I dipped in the hummus, tzaziki and baba ganoush sauces.

For dessert there was galaktabouriko, a greek custard with a light touch of cinammon.

Everything was excellent.

Although I didn't sample any entrees, the menu offers a wide variety of Greek fare, including lamb, beef, chicken and seafood. There is a large wine list, as well.

As I sat and dined and gazed at the pictures and memorabilia, I longed to get on the next flight to Athens for a visit to Greece and its isles.

Carnival contest

Carnival Cruise Lines is searching for a child from the United States or Canada (ages 7-12) to serve as the “godchild” for the waterslide aboard the new ship “Carnival Dream.” Children may submit an essay up to 250 words starting with the words “I’m always dreaming up fun stuff. Wouldn’t it be awesome if . . .” between Aug. 17 and Sept. 18 at www.carnivalbookofdreams.com. The winner will christen the slide, and his/her family will win a two-night cruise on the ship at its debut. Also, Carnival will donate $2 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for every essay submitted and $1 for each vote on the Web site, up to $25,000.

TSA requiring name, gender, birthdate

The next phase of the Transportation Security Administration's Secure Flight program starts taking effect Saturday.

When booking with airlines, you may be asked for your gender and birthdate. Your name should match what's on the ID used to travel. The aim is for TSA to identify "No Fly" travelers in advance and stop misidentifications in an anti-terrorist initiative due to be fully implemented in 2010. For now, if you fly on an already-bought ticket with a name that doesn't match your ID but is close, you can clear security, the TSA says.

Holiday World and Splashin' Safari

I made my first trip to Santa Claus, Indiana this week to visit the area's main attraction Holiday World and Splashin' Safari. The amusement park is located just off I-64 in southern Indiana.

It's kind of in the middle of nowhere, but at the same time, it's within easy driving distance of several midwestern cities. It's about 3 hours from Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Nashville and St. Louis, and one hour from Louisville. It's a fun and slightly less expensive alternative to some of the parks in those areas.

Regular admission is $39.95 for adults, although pre-purchasing tickets online cuts $4 off that price. We purchased discount tickets at a CVS on our drive down and got the tickets for $32.95. Regular price for kids and seniors are $29.95, although we found plenty of $2 off offers for those tickets.

At Holiday World, the price of admission includes some nice extras - free parking, free Pepsi soft drinks and free sunscreen.

The parking was very convenient. We got there at 9:30 CT when the park opened and were close enough to the front gates to walk, although there is also tram service. The free soft drinks are a nice benefit. Drink "Oases" are located throughout the park, loaded with cups for the Pepsi fountain drinks. I thought it was great that the machines also included water and orange Gatorade - great ways to stay hydrated on a hot summer day instead of slurping down sugary soft drinks. There is bottled water for sale at the concession stands, but why buy water when you can fill a cup for free at the Oasis.

The free sunscreen was also a big plus. I thought the stations inside Holiday World were a bit few and far between, however I think there was a station outside every restroom inside Splashin' Safari.

We picked the perfect time of year to go. The second full week of August meant that about half the schools in Indiana had already resumed classes for the fall. That translated into a very uncrowded park. We never waited more than 15 minutes in line for any ride, and most of the rides were more like 5-10 minute waits.

Traveling with two young kids, we stuck to mostly pretty tame rides, although the park has a great selection for real thrill seekers.

Just off the entrance to the park is Rudolph's Reindeer Ranch, a collection of rides for very young kids. My boys enjoyed this area last year, but a quick ride on the bumper boats was plenty of time for them this time around.

Our first stop of the day was in the Halloween Section for the Frightful Falls log ride. We also hit the Scrambler.

Also in this area of the park is The Legend, a wooden roller coaster with three dramatic drops and a top speed of 65 mph. It's consistently voted one of the top roller coasters in the country.

Next up, the 4th of July area with the Raging Rapids and Liberty Launch. Raging Rapids was great. We got soaked. Our silly mistake was to do it right before going to Splashin' Safari, so our wet clothes got stuffed into lockers and didn't have a chance to dry.

Past the 4th of July area is another great area for kids - Holidogs Funtown. We rode the Doggie Coaster several times, as well as the Funtown train. There's a great playground here with slides, climbing nets and fountains.

The final section of the park is the Thanksgiving section. The boys almost got their grandmother sick on the Turkey Whirl, another ride similar to the Scrambler. Fortunately, right across the way is Gobbler Getaway, a slow-moving indoor ride. Each person in a four-person car has a laser "gun" to try and shoot turkeys as the car moves from room to room.

At the back of the Thanksgiving section is the park's newest ride - Pilgrims Plunge. It's the log ride on steroids, billed as the world's tallest water ride. Riders board a large boat that is lifted 135 feet into the air on an open-air elevator. Seconds later they hurtle down 131 feet at a 45-degree angle, reaching 50 mph.

My five-year-old really wanted to go, but the rest of us breathed a sigh of relief when we found out he was too short to ride even with an adult.

We ate lunch at Plymouth Rock Cafe, and I must say my overall impression of the food at the park was very favorable. Our group of six ordered a family meal. We got eight pieces of chicken, three sides (mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and strawberrry glazed bananas) and four rolls for $30. The drinks, of course, were free. According to the staff at the cafe, a hot seller introduced this year has been turkey legs.

As we ate, we watched riders on The Voyage zoom past us. The roller coaster features several tunnels and 24 seconds of weightlessness. Too much for my queasy stomach.

The other half of the day was spent in Splashin' Safari. We took several inner tube trips along one of two lazy rivers, played in a wave pool, rode down water slides and raced each other on a five-story slide with 10 lanes. The area also features several tube and raft rides.

The wave pool had free life jackets for the kids to wear - another nice extra included at the park.

Lockers are available in the water park. It's $10 upfront with $7 of that refunded when you return your key. We learned quickly that the lockers are pretty small and our nice big beach bag was a very tight squeeze. We, and a lot of other people, ended up putting our shoes and towels on top of the locker cabinet and using the locker itself only for our valuables.

One nice extra - the water rides inside Holiday Park offer free lockers to stow your valuables before you get soaked.

Because we picked a date near the end of the season, Splashin' Safari closed at 5:30 and Holiday World closed at 6:30. Normal summer hours are several hours later.

On our way out, we stopped at Kringle's Kafe for pizza.

Overall, it was a great day for everyone.