Page 53 – A Brit and A Southerner

A Tour of the Louisville Slugger Museum

Heather Boothman

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Aug 11, 2014

As an ‘American’, who doesn’t love to attend a baseball game? I mean after all it is America’s favorite sport! In addition, as a Southerner growing up in a state like Arkansas that does not have a single professional team in one of the major sports, I always turned to our sister states for my pro sport teaams! There is one that stands out from all the rest and that is the St. Louis Cardinals in major league baseball.

I will save the “as a small child stories”, but I will tell you that watching the Cardinals play was a family affair and still is.

When you think about baseball probably some negative and positive things come up but do you ever think about the bats that they use? Where are they made? How do they make them? If you have asked yourself these questions or are an avid baseball fan you should check out the Louisville Slugger Factory & Museum.

Parking and Admission

Parking is fairly easy to find throughout downtown Louisville! We parked by the riverfront and walked straight up to the factory and museum which was straight ahead on Museum Row. Trust me when I say you can’t miss it, all you have to do is look for the massive baseball bat that towers above many of the buildings in the Louisville skyline.

Tickets are $12 dollars for adults which was reasonably priced considering that you are actually able to walk through a working factory. During the Summer, ‘twilight tickets’ are available after 6:00PM until 8:00PM for $6 so it may be beneficial to visit at this time for the discounted rate if your schedule allows this.

The Louisville Slugger Museum

Once you enter the Museum there are interactive exhibits before you enter the actual tour. It is a very informative and impressive collection if you have been a baseball fan for decades, and will certainly bring back some cherished memories of some of the legends that have played this game.

I don’t want to spoil anything in the tour but just to give you a small insight into what to expect, there is an iconic “Babe” bat on display that was pretty cool to see.

Not to give all the attention to men’s baseball but there are interesting artifacts for the women as well.

Louisville Slugger Factory Tour

Probably the coolest aspect of visiting this museum is being able to set foot on the working factory floor which even today churns out thousands of baseball bats on a daily basis. Whether you are interested in seeing the modern day lathes in action, or a historic summary of our they were once hand-carved, there is something in this short 30 minute tour for everyone.

Unfortunately there are 3 rules when you enter the tour that you need to be aware of.

Since this is a working factoring everyone must stay between the yellow lines
No touching of any of the equipment and bats that are out
*The bummer of them all* NO PHOTOGRAPHY**

The tour began by showing how bats were carved, then to modern day carving then how the “Louisville Slugger” logo is burned onto the bat and finally ending with the color and finalization of the bats. They also showed a short film at each station as well as gave us all free souvenir mini bats.

The museum was a very rare and cool experience that we actually were able to walk around a working factory that was currently making bats for Derek Jeter and his last year with the New York Yankees.

I always think that when someone says ‘factory’ that means an international supplier, but it is a pleasant surprise that the USA is still hand (machine) making quite a lot of product that is used today.

The Big Bat

After leaving the museum and factory, you can spend some time checking out the souvenir store where you can get your very own customized Slugger replica bat.

However, I think the highlight is spending some time when you leave the Louisville Slugger Museum to check out The Big Bat that is actually an exact replica of the bat that “Babe” Ruth requested in the early 1920s. Standing at 120ft tall and weighing over 60,000 pounds, this is an iconic piece of Louisville history that is well worth the visit alone.

If you are traveling anywhere in the state of or close proximity to Kentucky, I would highly recommend stopping by Louisville and checking out the famous Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum. It is certainly well worth the visit and to check off the Big Bat from your bucket list!

Saturday Snaps #7 – World Famous Harrods in London

Photographs

Heather Boothman

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Aug 9, 2014

8

Saturday Snaps #7 – World Famous Harrods in London

Location: World Famous Department store Harrods in London, England

Author: Chris & Heather Boothman (A Brit & A Southerner)

Description: While visiting London is all about seeing those mainstream tourist attractions such as Buckingham Palace and Big Ben, the savvy traveler will always find some time for a little retail therapy and there is no better spot throughout England’s capital or possibly anywhere in the world than Harrods department store.

This image was taken during our last trip to England in December 2013 and as you can see from the large crowds congregating around this store, it is clearly a popular spot for tourists and locals alike. The colored canopies really show the iconic name of this store and the colors are stereotypically reflected throughout the store especially when looking at souvenirs and memorabilia related to your trip here.

With seven floors of packed collections to sift through and leading designers/products filling all these floors, it is near impossible to spend less than hours in this store. Even for those of you that are not usually thrilled by shopping, I am convinced you will find something in here to interest you!

Have you visited Harrods before? What other iconic department stores around the world have a similar impact on the tourism industry/economy?

St. Louis Cardinals – A Day at the Ballpark!

Chris Boothman

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Aug 8, 2014

16

St. Louis Cardinals – A Day at the Ballpark!

Are you a sports fanatic? Do you enjoy watching the thrills and spills at a live sporting event? The answer to both of these questions from my perspective is 100% yes! I have always enjoyed experiencing live sporting events so naturally during our recent trip to St. Louis and the opportunity arose to visit Busch Stadium to see the MLB encounter between the Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers, it was pretty obvious that I was excited about this experience.

If you have never visited St. Louis before, let me tell you that the people of this great city are truly fanatical about their Cardinals. Whether they are encountering success or failure during a season, you can always anticipate that their die-hard fans will be pulling for them to get a win at Busch Stadium.

On a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, what better way to spend this than an exciting encounter with two of the league’s leading teams in 2014. Both teams are in the National League Central division and with the Cardinals just a couple of games behind the Brewers, this was going to be a closely fought match-up. St. Louis gave a first-start to their newly acquired starting pitcher, John Lackey and he would certainly be tested in his opening start against Brewers ace – Matt Garza!

Ballpark Village

Prior to the opening pitch, what better way to experience the stereotypical ‘day at the ballpark’ than wandering around the Cardinals Ballpark Village situated just outside the stadium and then through the various concourses and official Stadium Store when through the admission gates.

As with all major sporting events, the concession stands are a little expensive though for $9 at Busch Stadium you can purchase a large ‘refillable’ soda which is actually a pretty good deal given that you can easily get 3 or 4 refills on a scorching afternoon. Throw in a tray of nachos and you have a stereotypical baseball lunch and all ready for the game to be underway.

Busch Stadium Layout

Busch Stadium is the third Major League Baseball stadium that I have visited now after Tropicana Field in Tampa and Citizens Bank park in Philadelphia. I have to admit that St. Louis so far has the most scenic because with the Gateway Arch in the background along with the skyline, you can really get some spectacular views especially from the higher parts of the stadium.

Our seats were located in the Infield Pavilion, section 357 which at first may seem to be a little high. But as soon as we reached our seats we realized that we would be in for a real treat! We could see all of the ballpark without restriction and just glancing up we were able to see the awesome Gateway Arch that towered over the stadium.

Cardinals vs Brewers

When you hear that the final score was Cardinals 3 Brewers 2, you will probably think that this was a close encounter. From a neutral’s perspective, this was a real one-sided game with the Brewers looking the far superior outfit. However, just like any other sport, unless the dominant team puts away the other while they are on top, there is always a chance of a comeback and this is exactly what happened here.

In the opening innings, the Brewers snatched a 2-0 lead through a single in the first by in-form Aramis Ramirez and a towering 431-foot home-run by Mark Reynolds in the second. With Garza giving up just a solitary hit through his first 6 innings but then suffering an injury that forced him out of the game, the tide turned and the Cardinals did what they do best – pounce and quickly gain the upper hand!

Matt Holliday hit another towering home-run to reduce the deficit and then two more runs in the seventh were quickly added. The Cardinals sealed an important victory in their chase for top spot in the NL Central despite rarely threatening for 3/4 of this game.

A Day at the Ballpark

Baseball is not one of my preferred sports but just like most others, if there is an opportunity to visit a live event I will be on the front row to grab tickets!

The Cardinals and Brewers was a great experience, certainly better than the previous two MLB games I have watched live but the highlight from this was seeing both Busch Stadium and also the fanatical Cardinal fans that clearly are one of the best in the baseball nation.

What are your experiences at baseball games either in the United States or another country? Do you enjoy watching sports in person or do you prefer to follow the action on tv?

An InLinkz Link-up

St. Louis – Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour

Chris Boothman

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Aug 6, 2014

15

St. Louis, Missouri may be renowned for many things including the St. Louis Cardinals MLB team, the St. Louis Zoo and of course the spectacular architectural design of the Gateway Arch but for me the most iconic reason for visiting the ‘Gateway to the West’ is the Anheuser-Busch Brewery – Home of Budweiser!

We visited the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in 2013 and everything about the landmark impressed us enough to want to revisit this on our recent trip to St. Louis. Firstly, the most impressive aspect of this location is that the tour around the brewery is absolutely FREE!

Not only do you get to learn about the history of beer production in St. Louis but also you are taken on a scenic tour of the active brewery grounds and learn about all the various stages that go into the fermentation and brewing of those chilled beers sitting in your refrigerator.

History of Anheuser-Busch

Without giving away all the details of the introduction of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery tour, here is a brief history on how this global brand came about. In the mid 19th Century, Eberhard Anheuser became part owner of the Bavarian Brewery despite having no previous experience in the brewing industry. He initially moved to the St. Louis area in the soap manufacturing industry but first opened the doors to the new brewing company in 1852.

His partner in crime, Adolphus Busch arrived in St. Louis and met Anheuser’s daughter and soon became married to her. Busch started working with his father-in-law, Anheuser and shortly after became a partner in the brewing company.

Over the years to come, Busch played an integral part in implementing new technologies to improve the overall brewing process and in 1879 his work was recognized when the company was renamed Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association. The brewing company became the leading US brewer in 1957 and has maintained this position to this day. The most recent change occurred in 2008 when Anheuser-Busch merged with InBev to become Anheuser-Busch InBev which is now the world’s largest brewer.

Anheuser-Busch Admission and Introduction

As I mentioned earlier, and of course why not reiterate it again, the tour of Anheuser-Busch is free! One of the issues when you first arrive is finding a parking spot though there are several parking lots available but be prepared to drive around to find a spot, especially if you are visiting during the middle of the day on a weekend as we did.

Entering the Anheuser-Busch visitor center, you are greeted by someone asking if you want to take the free tour. We immediately responded of course but were quickly warned that the next available tour started at 1:20PM. Given that it was 11:30AM, that meant quite a substantial wait but we chose to do and he gave us some snazzy looking Natty Light (for our non-US followers, Natural Light is one of the cheapest beers here in USA and honestly one of the worst I have ever tasted!) tickets.

So what can you do for almost 2 hours in the visitor center? Well, you may think about trying to skip the lines and join one of the earlier tours but you will quickly realize this isn’t going to work as each tour has a specific ‘beer’ associated with the tour and I can confirm they DO check your tickets prior to leaving for the tour.

However, there is plenty to do and explore inside the visitor center that will help pass the time. Check out the souvenir store that provides a vast array of memorabilia including t-shirts, magnets, various glasses and of course different beers for purchase.

Throughout the visitor center are exhibits that provide more detailed history of Anheuser-Busch and of course the highlight is the old Budweiser delivery truck that is situated in the heart of the center and understandably gains a lot of visitor attention!

The time arrives when your brewery tour is about to start. Everyone congregates in the back corner of the visitor center and your tour guide gives you a brief history of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery along with a few basic guidelines and instructions of what to expect on the tour.

After verifying your ticket is valid, you head out with the second tour guide (each tour involves two guides that interact frequently and are very knowledgeable of the brewery both in it’s current form and the history) to one of the most popular stops on the tour – the Budweiser Clydesdale horses.

Budweiser Clydesdale’s

Seeing the Clydesdale’s wandering around in their paddock is really cool especially as they are Heather’s favorite species of horse. You learn about how you can visit nearby Grant’s Farm to see many more of these horses in their natural habitat as they are groomed and nurtured into the iconic Budweiser symbol.

Primarily used for commercials and promotions, the Clydesdale’s really are an integral part of this companies history and future initiatives.

Heading beyond the paddock takes you into the the Clydesdale stables where you can see iconic carriages that these horses typically pull along with more home settings of these horses.

The Brewing Process

The remainder of the tour takes you through a variety of buildings showing you the various stages in the brewing process.

Learning about all the various ingredients that go into the making of your perfect Budweiser is explained in detail and the tour ends in the cooling rooms where the lager is stored and cooled until it is ready to go through the bottling/packing process.

Free Tasting

Of course the highlight of this tour has to be the free beer tasting that is available. As you make your way through the tour, there is an opportunity to sample a free Bud Light, Budweiser, Shock Top or other beer and you also receive a free chip for a beer at the end of the tour in the Anheuser-Busch Biergarten (Beer Garden).

Cheers Anheuser-Busch for making this whole experience a really memorable one and definitely a part of St. Louis that I would encourage everyone to experience at least once! Trust me, you will want to go back once you have been there.

Have you taken any brewery tours around the world before?

Misfit Shine – Product Review

Product Reviews

Heather Boothman

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Aug 4, 2014

3

How many of you have ever considered tracking how many miles you walked while traveling? You may be surprised just how far you covered and of course in today’s era of health conscious individuals, it is essential that we all understand more about our body and exactly how much activity we are/should be doing!

What better way to do this than by using an all-inclusive activity tracker that does everything for you and with a simple bluetooth connection to your phone, shows you detailed information and data that can help change your lives! We believe that we have found this with the Misft Shine activity tracker which is a great addition as a travel companion.

Activity Tracker Comparison

There are several different activity trackers on the market and we have been trying to decide which one would fit us the best. If you are like us on trips we rarely have time for a dedicated workout, so we thought that this would help us stay motivated to remain active especially on our weekend getaways.

Here are a few of the questions we asked ourselves before deciding on a tracker:

What does the activity tracker have in terms of functionality?
What type of monitoring is available for sleep patterns?
What design features allow the tracker to be functional yet durable?

Of course despite the activity tracker being a relatively new technology product, it is still a hugely saturated market with competitiors such as Fitbit, Nike Fuel+Band and Jawbone. However, I truly believe after using the Misfit Shine it is unlike any of those other trackers. The Shine is a circle that comes in various colors that you can track your activity,sleep, steps and even show the time.

The main differentiating factor between this and all other trackers is the unique design and the fact you can use this metal disc on a variety of wristbands, clasps, necklace or even just hooked on the corner of your shorts.

In the box you get the Shine, a sport wristband and the clasp for your shoes or shirt (in addition to the battery and a tool designed for replacing the battery). The cool part about the Shine is that it will automatically sync with an app for your phone and there is NO charging! That’s right, you read that correctly.. no charging of this device!

The App

The Shine is easy to set-up out of the box and once you get the app that is available on iOS and Android devices, you are almost ready to start moving!

The first thing to do is setup your personal profile on the app, create a realistic goal that is calculated in increments of 1000 pts (more information on how you achieve the various levels later!) and finally synchronize your tracker for the first time. Start your daily activities and watch as your Shine works in conjunction with your everyday movements! You can sync your tracker as frequently as you like, though I would personally recommend only doing this at the end of the day so that you can review your daily activity.

The cool thing about this app is that it gives you a detailed graphical representation of your daily schedule. No longer can you get away with forgetting those moments that you just lazed around in the living room watching TV! This is shown on the tracker, just like when you head out for a leisurely walk/jog.

Reviewing this data can really give you the inspiration to change your lifestyle, I will be the first to admit that it certainly made me rethink a few things about my exercise routines!

Activity

I have used the Shine sport band while playing tennis, running and of course wearing it on a day to day basis at work. For cycling, I use the clasp around my shoe strings which really works well because you don’t even notice it is there, yet it is still calculating every movement you make on the bike.

So let’s talk about exactly how this tracker works when you are partaking in strenuous cardio activity. The Misfit Shine uses points as a way to measure physical activity, both from your steps and other physical movements.

For example, if you walk for 10 minutes, you can earn about 100 points, depending on your pace. If you run for 10 minutes, you can earn closer to 3-5 times that amount, depending on the intensity of your running. The more active you are, the more points you receive. 1 dot on your Shine is equivalent to 1/12 of your goal or in other words a little over 8% of your daily goal.

Sleeping

Don’t worry, the Shine isn’t just a great tracker of your daily strenuous activities! It is also a great tool to see exactly how well you sleep. Prior to using this, I tried to convince Chris that I wasn’t sleeping very well but he rarely believed these comments. Well after wearing the Misfit Shine, I was able to prove to him by showing him evidence from the app after synching the previous night’s sleep patterns.

The Shine analyses your movements during the night and compiles an overall representation of your sleep both in terms of the overall number of hours you slept and more importantly how much of this was classified as ‘Restful sleep’. I set my goal at 6 hours for restful sleep but so far I have been falling short of this, ranging from 3-5 hours – clearly I need to change my daily patterns somewhere so that I can sleep better at night but that’s another story!

Pros

Extremely elegant design
Durable metal disc that also provides flexibility as it can be switched between variety of holders (necklace, wristband etc.)
Bluetooth connectivity makes it easy to sync with your mobile device
No charging!

Cons

Wristband durability

Summary

Despite having one or two issues with the wristband, I have to admit that I have been completely satisfied with the Misfit Shine. The overall look, design and most importantly functionality of this product makes it a real bargain in my opinion.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, the modern era of traveling and lifestyle in general means that we all need to be more active and ensure that we are keeping fit. Well I sincerely believe that I can achieve this with the Misfit Shine on my wrist!

*Disclosure of Material Connection: A Brit & A Southerner was not financially compensated for this post. We received a free sample from Misfit for consideration of review purposes only. This is solely our personal opinion/experience*

Saturday Snaps #6 – Lower Antelope Canyon

Photographs

Chris Boothman

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Aug 2, 2014

11

Saturday Snaps #6 – Lower Antelope Canyon

Location: Heart Shaped Canyon located in the Lower Antelope Canyon of Page, Arizona

Author: Will Tang @ Going Awesome Places

This photo was taken in the Lower Antelope Canyon of Page, Arizona which was truly a photographer’s dream. The slot canyons practically shoot themselves with the fiery sandstone that wave and snake their way around every bend.

The important thing when shooting slot canyons is to look up and when I did, I stumbled upon this heart shaped formation.

You can reach more of Will’s awesome work at his website and the following social media networks:

Website: Going Awesome Places

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoingAwesomePlaces

Twitter: https://twitter.com/goawesomeplaces

Instagram: http://instagram.com/goingawesomeplaces

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/GoingAwesomePlaces

Petit Jean State Park – Outdoor Adventurer’s Dream

Chris Boothman

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Aug 1, 2014

18

Petit Jean State Park – Outdoor Adventurer’s Dream

Having traveled so much over the last 18 months, I am not sure what has come over us recently given that we seem to have been doing quite a bit of exploring in our home state of Arkansas. Maybe it’s the fact I feel it’s beneficial to highlight and share some of our home grown experiences with everyone especially given that Arkansas rarely receives much in terms of media coverage.

If you read our recent post on the Clinton Presidential Center you will know that there is much history and fame in the state of Arkansas, yet I think the real strengths of this state are related to the beautiful natural landscapes and outdoors adventure opportunities that are available! Mount Magazine State Park is probably the most famous of all throughout Arkansas, which is clearly known as ‘The Natural State’ for good reason.

Not too far from Mount Magazine State Park along I-40 is the small town of Morrilton, AR. The burning question that most folks will have is what is there to do in Morrilton, AR. Well the reality is not a great deal….at least that is until you venture just outside of this town to the wonderfully named Petit Jean State Park.

Without a doubt this is the ultimate outdoor adventurer’s dream, simply because of the trails, waterfalls and other natural features that are present here.

History of Petit Jean State Park

Let’s start out with a brief history lesson on Petit Jean State Park because you are probably wondering how on earth a place in Arkansas could be named that! If you have any knowledge of the French language, your first instinct would probably be thinking something French related. You would be correct with this because the history of this park dates back to the early 18th Century, when a young French Nobleman who went by the name of Chavet, set out to explore the Louisiana territory and beyond.

Legend has it that this Frenchman was engaged to a young girl who requested that he marry her prior to setting out on his journey. Chavet refused this request and went on his way. Unfortunately the young girl (Adrienne) refused to give in and disguised herself as a young cabin boy so that she could accompany her one true love. Adrienne named herself Jean and by all accounts did a great job with her disguise because even Chavet failed to recognize her. Given her small stature, the rest of the crew decided to give her the nickname ‘Petit Jean’, translated in English as ‘Little John’.

While sailing between the Mississippi River and the Arkansas River, they arrived at the foot of a mountain but unfortunately for Petit Jean, she immediately fell ill that night. At this point while laying on her death bed, her identity was discovered and of course she begged forgiveness from Chavet. Her final request that should she die that night, they would bury her at the top of the mountain overlooking the Arkansas River.

Petit Jean Grave and Overlook

So you probably have painted a picture in your mind of this tragic love story between Chavet and Petit Jean. Well, imagine as you pass through Morrilton, AR and approach Petit Jean State Park and the first sign gives you the opportunity to explore the summit of the mountain and see Petit Jean’s Grave Site.

Overlooking the Arkansas River, this really is a peaceful location with a walkway that has been constructed to provide scenic views around the state of Arkansas. On a clear day the views really are spectacular and we were very fortunate to have picked a great day to explore this part of Arkansas.

The only downside was the temperature which soared into the mid to late 90’s and this really took it’s toll later in the day as we experienced more of Petit Jean State Park.

Visitor Center

After pondering the history behind Petit Jean and taking in some stunning scenery, your next stop is to enter Petit Jean State Park and I would highly recommend taking some time to wander around the Visitor Center.

Not only can you pick up some souvenirs (of course we found our traditional magnet and pin) but there is a plethora of information available here, not only regarding the hiking trails and other outdoors activities inside the park but also the surrounding region.

Cedar Falls Overlook

Leaving the Visitor Center and heading into the heart of Petit Jean, we first paid a visit to the Cedar Falls Overlook. Cedar Falls is probably the most iconic feature at Petit Jean State Park so of course this was one of our researched spots prior to making the trip. The overlook provided some great views but we were a little obstructed by the abundance of trees covering the creek where the waterfall flowed into.

The pictures probably don’t do the waterfall justice because it really is a magnificent sight especially if you are as interested in waterfalls as I am!

Cedar Falls Trail

As I mentioned, there are so many awesome hiking trails throughout Petit Jean but the most famous trail that we would dearly have loved to fully experience is the Cedar Falls Trail.

Unfortunately given the temperature and the time it was going to take, we were only able to walk about half way down the trail which I have to admit is not for the faint-hearted. Heading down a steep, 200ft drop with a series of cutbacks makes the first half mile a tricky obstacle.

After covering about the first half mile and seeing the number of hikers making their way back up the slope and really struggling, we decided to turnaround and make the hike back to the top and save this experience for a cooler day when we could really enjoy the experience. Of course we were disappointed but realistic at the same time and looking forward to returning here in a month or two when the temperatures are less harsh.

The trail in total is 2 miles and the guidebook indicates you should allow anywhere between 1 1/2 hours to 3 hours to experience this trail, depending on how long you want to spend in the canyon floor.

Hidden Gem in Arkansas

Both Heather and I really enjoyed our short time in Petit Jean State Park. The drive to and from the confines of the park is scenic and of course there is plenty to see and experience while inside the park.

Whether you are a novice hiker or someone more experienced, there is something inside Petit Jean for you! If hiking doesn’t interest you at all, why not head over to the park’s boathouse and marina to rent a boat or partake in other fun-filled activities.

Even many local Arkansas residents probably don’t know much about Petit Jean, simply because of it’s location and the fact it probably plays second fiddle to the more popular Mount Magazine State Park that is not too far from this part of the state. Petit Jean does not get the coverage even in Arkansas that it deserves and I hope that this post encourages those reading this to pay a visit because it is natural beauty personified!

What do you enjoy most about exploring state parks?

Weekend Wanderlust Collaboration

Does this post give you some inspiration to start traveling and getting involved in some outdoor activities this weekend? Well, if that doesn’t spark your interest we are delighted to announce our ALL NEW WEEKEND WANDERLUST (#WeekendWanderlust) collaboration with our fellow travel friends.

Every Friday, ourselves and our friends will be hosting Weekend Wanderlust using the hashtag #WeekendWanderlust throughout our social media networks and our websites. Please link-up your latest travel posts with us and spread the word to inspire everyone to travel the world and really enhance the experience of ‘Exploring the world one weekend at a time’ which is our ultimate travel motto that we live by!

Let’s introduce our co-hosts that are proud to be partnering with:

Carmen from Carmen’s Travel Tips

Jessi and Tara from Outbound Adventurer

Ashley from A Southern Gypsy

Justin and Lauren from Justin Plus Lauren

We will be introducing our co-hosts in more detail in the next few weeks.

An InLinkz Link-up

A Tour of the Clinton Presidential Center

Chris Boothman

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Jul 30, 2014

14

A Tour of the Clinton Presidential Center

If you read Heather’s review of our experience at the JFK Presidential Library and Museum in Boston earlier this year, you will understand that Heather is a huge American History buff so it was no surprise that during our recent trip to Little Rock, Arkansas that we headed to take a tour of the Clinton Presidential Center. What is probably even more surprising is that despite living only 2 hours away from Little Rock, this was the first time that either of us had visited this attraction!

As a local Arkansan, he is clearly still a very popular figure in this part of the world and it’s not surprising to see this museum full of locals and tourists alike learning more about him.

Approaching the Clinton Presidential Center from the east, it is located on the Arkansas River and is an impressive looking building with a modern day architectural design and a cantilever style look that arcs over the river. Echoing Clinton’s promise in 1996 to take the nation to the next level, the building and nearby Clinton Memorial Bridge really emphasizes his vision throughout his tenure as President of the United States.

Tonight, let us resolve to build that bridge to the 21st century, to meet our challenges, protect our basic values and prepare our people for the future (Clinton, 1996)

Admission

As I mentioned, the exterior design of the Clinton Presidential Center is really impressive and this continues as you enter into the foyer where you pass through a brief security check and then head over to the admission desk. Tickets are relatively cheap in comparison with other Presidential libraries and for $14 for the two of us, we were really looking forward to taking advantage of this apparent bargain.

A small gift shop is available for memorabilia but I would recommend resisting the temptation here and then heading over to the official Clinton Museum Store which is just down the street and you can actually head over there after the tour in a free shuttle that is provided by the center (it’s only on the back of a golf cart but it’s a cool experience even though the store is only about a 5 minute walk away).

I’m not sure the reason behind having the official store ‘off-site’ so to speak, but it was worth heading there to pick up a souvenir magnet and pressed penny!

The First Floor Exhibits

There are three levels to the center, each with different aspects of Clinton’s Presidential history and also information that leaves you learning more about Bill Clinton as an individual along with his family.

The highlight of the first floor is Clinton’s 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood that is proudly on display yet this is really the only exhibit worth exploring. The rest of the first floor was reserved for a special exhibit by the glass artist Chihuly. Dale Chihuly is credited with revolutionizing the glass movement and enhancing the reputation of glass sculptures around the world.

I really had a hard time understanding the relevance of this despite the clear beauty of these sculptures, but after learning that Clinton was a huge fan of Chihuly’s work I guess it makes sense that the work is shown in conjunction with the permanent exhibits.

The Second Floor Exhibits

The second floor is where the main exhibits stand though my main issue was after climbing the escalator you really had no idea where to start. A reproduction of the Oval Office was probably the most interesting spectacle on this floor and really takes you to The White House to get a feeling of the space, decor and day to day business that Clinton would have experienced while at the helm.

One aspect that was really interesting was a series of folders that showed Clinton’s daily schedule throughout his Presidency. The amount of structure and planning that clearly goes into the day to day scheduling of the President’s life is astounding.

The Third Floor Exhibits

The third floor contained more of Clinton’s personal life and included a dining table containing the presidential china that was used for global guests and dignitaries. Clinton was an avid sports fan and of course a keen Arkansas Razorback supporter.

His love of golf saw him play with some of the game’s leading players including Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, and the library showed a few of Clinton’s rickety clubs that probably saw a few rounds of golf!

Summary

I will be the first to admit that the Clinton Presidential Center was a major disappointment! Sorry Little Rock, but this center is not in the same league as the JFK equivalent in Boston. Whereas the JFK experience involves a guided tour with real structure and organization, everything at the Clinton Center is self-guided and makes it really difficult to comprehend the best order to see all of the exhibits.

There is very little in terms of information both prior to and after Clinton’s presidency. There is nothing regarding Clinton’s impeachment, so the reality is there not much that depicts anything beyond what most Americans and global followers probably already know.

If you are a true Clinton follower and want to learn more about his life, campaign and presidential tenure, you may find some interest here and I guess for only $7 you can’t complain too much. I am glad we experienced this living so close to Little Rock but I doubt that we will be heading back there any time soon!

Have you visited the Clinton Presidential Center? Have you visited another museum or library that was a disappointment?

Interview – Peter and Lindsay (Where Is Your Toothbrush)

Interviews

Chris Boothman

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Jul 28, 2014

3

Interview – Peter and Lindsay (Where Is Your Toothbrush)

Working in the travel blogging industry has many rewards, one of which is enabling us to meet a whole host of new friends around the world that share our interest in travel and wanderlust! Today we are delighted to welcome Peter Korchnak and Lindsay Sauve from the uniquely named travel site – Where Is Your Toothbrush?

Please feel free to comment, ask questions and connect with the Peter and Lindsay using their various social media fronts listed below.

We would like to give a special THANK YOU to the folks over at Where Is Your Toothbrush?for taking time to interview with us!

Name: Peter Korchnak and Lindsay Sauve

Introduction: We are Peter Korchnak, of Kosice, Slovakia, and Lindsay Sauve, of Placerville, California. When not traveling, we live in Portland, Oregon.

Website: Where Is Your Toothbrush?

Social Media:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WhereIsYourToothbrush

What is your favorite aspect of traveling and if you are a travel blogger, why did you decide to create your website?

We love the freedom to decide what to do with our time. No one is telling us where to be and when, it’s all up to us. It has taught us to be more mindful, more deliberate (though not necessarily more planned), and more responsible about our time.

We love our little travel blog, which is just about 13 months young now. We write Where Is Your Toothbrush? for four reasons:

To document through writing and photography our travels around the world for our friends and family and any other good soul that comes along;
To provide helpful tips/advice/information for those who want to travel long-term and those who visit places we’ve visited;
To process and first-draft material for an eventual book or two about Toothbrushism, our travel philosophy (see below); and
To hone our craft as travel writers in order to break into the world of travel writing.

Travel blogging has been a lot of fun and we look forward to many more months and years of it to come.

How many continents have you visited?

Five

How many countries have you visited?

30+

What is your favorite destination in the world and why?

This is one of the most difficult questions about the trip (we’re bracing ourselves for, “How was your trip?” when we return in less than a month). Toothbrushism means that home is where our toothbrushes are. We’ve made ourselves at home in every place we’ve visited, whether the process was smooth or challenging.

Having said that, we gauge our love of a place by whether we’d like to return there. We love visiting Slovakia because it is Peter’s homeland and because we always discover new facets of it. We are definitely going back to the Greek islands because they are spectacular and we love the culture and the pace. Thailand – Bangkok and beaches. Malaysia – food. Australia – the bush. Argentina – Patagonia and asado. Bolivia – Uyuni Salt Flat.

We could go on. But then, if you can say why you love someone (or some place), do you really love them?

If money/time was no object and you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you travel to and why?

With unlimited resources, we’d travel and write about it indefinitely. We’d make sure to visit all the countries and islands of the world plus Antarctica. The next place we would visit would probably be Iceland, a country we skipped this time around due to cost and time.

Which of the following gadgets do you take on your travels?

Laptop, Phone and Camera….Do a headlamp and a water filter count?

What is your preferred method of transport?

Train.

Complete the following, “Everywhere I go, I visit….”

…a market, a cemetery, and a train station, if there is one.

Here is your chance to sell yourself and your website! Tell us some more information about yourself, what your travel philosophies & future plans are and anything else that people may find interesting to read about…

Years ago one of us said the following:

“Why don’t we quit our jobs and travel the world someday.”

While the idea, the plan, and the itinerary transformed several times over the years, in June 2013 we found ourselves boarding a plane with enough savings to travel the world for one year. We had sold our house, our car, our stuff and transformed our lives.

We changed our our idea of home. No longer is home simply a roof under which we stored our possessions. No longer is home just one location or one city or one country. Home is wherever we can get a cup of coffee, take a nap, or go on a bike ride. Home is Santorini, Greece. Home is George Town, Malaysia. Home is Bariloche, Argentina. Home is where we happen to sleep at night. Home is where our toothbrushes are!

Saturday Snaps #5 – Shrine of Remembrance Brisbane

Photographs

Chris Boothman

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Jul 26, 2014

7

Saturday Snaps #5 – Shrine of Remembrance Brisbane

Location: The Shrine of Remembrance is located in the heart of Anzac Square, Brisbane Australia!

Author: Chris & Heather Boothman (A Brit & A Southerner)

In December 2012, we headed on a ‘late’ honeymoon to Australia and after a 16 hour flight from Dallas we landed in Brisbane. Taking the train from Brisbane International Airport to the downtown area, our accommodation was the Sofitel Brisbane Central located directly in front of where this image was taken.

The Shrine of Remembrance Brisbane is the focal point of Anzac Square which is a small park that locals and tourists frequently head to as a spot for relaxation. It was unveiled in November, 1930 and is a war memorial dedicated to the Australian and New Zealand army corps.

Depicting the ‘Eternal Flame’ as the only color in this image really emphasizes the remembrance that takes place every year on April 25th in Australia and New Zealand (commonly known as Anzac Day!)

Parking and Admission

The Louisville Slugger Museum

Louisville Slugger Factory Tour

The Big Bat

Ballpark Village

Busch Stadium Layout

Cardinals vs Brewers

A Day at the Ballpark

History of Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch Admission and Introduction

Budweiser Clydesdale’s

The Brewing Process

Free Tasting

Activity Tracker Comparison

The App

Activity

Sleeping

Pros

Cons

Summary

History of Petit Jean State Park

Petit Jean Grave and Overlook

Visitor Center

Cedar Falls Overlook

Cedar Falls Trail

Hidden Gem in Arkansas

Weekend Wanderlust Collaboration

Admission

The First Floor Exhibits

The Second Floor Exhibits

The Third Floor Exhibits

Summary

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