August 31, 2011
Today is National Trail Mix Day
National Trail Mix Day features a high energy, tasty treat for the trail or snacks. You can buy packages of trail mix at a store. Or, you can make up your own, using the ingredients you like best.
When you head out to a campout, a hike or to go biking, take the Trail Mix along with you. It provides the extra energy boost to keep you from tiring along the way, and allows you to reach your destination full of pep. Don’t limit trail mix to the trail. It is also good at campouts. (Or if you are me, my desk at work.)
Here is a fun way that the Boy Scouts make Trail Mix:
Ask each hiker or camper to bring a box or bag of their favorite cereal, nuts, pretzels, raisins, dried fruit, M&Ms, etc. For younger hikers or new members of the group, it’s best to provide them with a list of the types of food that can go into trail mix. That way, the inexperienced hiker won’t bring something that can not be easily carried. At the campout or before the hike, bring the group together and mix all the food in a big, big bowl. Put the mix into sealable baggies and pass them out to each hiker.
Tips: When making your own trail mix, avoid messy items that leave your hands sticky, like mini chocolate pieces. If you MUST have chocolate, use M&M’s or something with a shell.) Also avoid too many salty items. For example, unsalted nuts are better than salted ones.
Happy trails to you!
If you love hiking, you might be interested in trying out Festiva’s own Rangeley Lake
Resort. Rangeley Lake Resort is a four-season vacation destination in Maine where each season offers a variety of opportunities for vacationers. Summer is ideal for hiking, canoeing, kayaking, water skiing, fishing, golf, tennis, mountain biking, ATV excursions and trying out your trail mix recipe. If you’re in Portland, stop by Festiva Adventure Club and view a quick presentation on how much you can save on fun family vacations. Festiva Adventure Club has been around for over 10 years and has the experience you can trust. Festiva has resorts all up and down the east coast and more. Call 1(888)695-0200 today to set up a reservation!
August 30, 2011
2 Pianos 4 Hands
Love theater and music? Come down to the Portland Stage and see 2 Pianos 4 Hands. The production will kick off September 1st and run through September 30th. Group rates are available for groups of 10 or more. The production is back by popular demand. Last time it was on stage many of the performances were sold out. 2 Pianos 4 Hands follow two boys that comically grow into adulthood with big dreams of becoming musicians. Throughout the whole show they skillfully play grand pianos. So if you want to see a great show filled with music and comedy this one is for you! The Portland Stage is located at 25A Forest Ave in Portland. The Portland Stage Company has been showing great productions such as 2 Pianos 4 Hands since its opening in 1974. The Portland Stage Company originally held its productions in a variety of venues until finding a permanent home in 1976. Since the Portland Stage Company has been in business they have produced over 305 shows. If you want to really have a great experience The Portland Stage is the place to be!
Love getting out an trying new experiences? Why not swing by Festiva Adventure Club located at 190 Riverside St. View a quick 120 minute presentation and learn how much Festiva can save you and your family on their next vacation. Festiva Adventure Club has been around for over 10 years and has the experience you can trust. Call 1(888)695-0200 to set up a reservation today!
August 29, 2011
Blue Hill Fair
Looking for something fun and exciting to bring the kids to? Why not take them to The Blue Hill Fair? The fair will be kicking off Thursday September 1st and will run through Monday September 5th. Friday will be Senior Citizens Day so if the grandparents are around this would be the perfect day to bring them along. Like Blueberries? Saturday is the day you want to be there it is their Wild Blueberry Day. The Fair will have loads of fun for the whole family all weekend long. Like seeing animals? There will be tons of exhibits including a draft horse and oxen pull, Harness racing and the Sheep Dog Trials that The Blue Hill Fair is famous for. Are rides more your thing? You’re in luck there will be tons of rides open all weekend. Looking for some fun events you can only find at a fair? Again you are in luck, There will be fun events such as Antique Tractor Pulling, Fireworks, Hot Dog Pig Racing, The Great Maine Lumberjack Show and The Blue Hill Idol contest. Friday will have discounted admission all day depending on what time you show up. Senior admission on Friday will be capped off at a maximum price of 4$.
Love fun events? Why not swing by Festiva Adventure Club located at 190 Riverside St in Portland. View a quick 120 minute presentation and learn how much Festiva can save you on vacations. Festiva has been around for over 10 years and has the experience you can trust. Call 1(888)695-0200 to set up a reservation today!
August 28, 2011
Fun Indoor Activities
Hurricane Irene have you stuck indoors on the last weekend of Summer vacation?
Fret not, you and the kiddos can still have a great time! Here’s a list of some great indoor activities you can do with your kids ro give them one last super fun weekend before it’s back to hitting the books.
Have a dance party. Put on some good dance music and have a dance party. This gets you up and moving and laughter and smiles will certainly follow! This is also great exercise, have them learn Zumba with you! Have fun, be silly and dance like nobody’s watching!
Indoor Camping. If your family enjoys camping in the summer why not take out the tent and set it up in the living room complete with sleeping bags and all? We don’t recommend a fire but a woodstove toasts marshmallows nicely and you can turn ofdf all the lights and tell ghost stories.
Bake a yummy recipe. Include your kids when baking a special treat. If they are too young to be around the stove or oven let them pour ingredients and stir. Either way, they will love to help you eat the end result!
Arts and Crafts. Make a caterpillar from an egg carton and pipe cleaners or a mask from a paper plate and string or macaroni necklaces. From tidy to ultra messy, there are hundreds of crafts to make. There are numerous resources on the web with a ton of great arts and crafts ideas for kids of all ages.
Dress up. Time to pull some clothes out of the closet and don some jewels. If you’re children like jewels less and monster makeup more, go with it. Get crazy, dress up as monsters and have a photo shoot! They will be fun memories and your kids will love being treated like celebrities.
Scavenger hunts. Ever love getting one of those $2 toys from the grocery store where you shoot a plastic dart at a window or get to see the little tablets turn into sponge dinosaurs in water? Buy one of those, and hide it! Then give them clues to where it is hidden. The scavenger hunt will keep them busy and then the toy will provide entertainment for hours.
Make paper airplanes. There are many ways to make a paper airplane, experiment with different types and see which ones work the best and fly the furthest.
Sail boats in the bathtub. Fill the tub with water and sail plastic boats or make boats out of paper or milk cartons. If you want to get elaborate, add ducks, plastic dinosaurs and any other water-friendly toys and you migth just have the makings of a monster movie on your hands. Film it with your phone or other small device and have your kids provide the sound effects.
If you value family time and want to show your kids the world, think about stopping by Festiva Adventure Club atour Portland location to learn about how you can vacation with your family at nicer places for the price you pay already. You will receive some free gifts as a thank you for sitting through one of our 120 minute presentations.
August 27, 2011
Season’s Grille
Ever eat at Seasons Grille in Portland, ME? If not it’s a must. The picture to your left should convince you.
Seasons Grille is open Monday-Thursday from 4 p.m.-10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m.-11 p.m. They are closed on Sundays. The bar is open an hour later than the dining room. The restaurant is located at 155 Riverside Street in Portland right next to the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel which features an indoor pool, two hot tubs and a fitness center. They can be reached at 207-775-6538.
If you would like to try this great restaurant for free, give Festiva’s Adventure Club a call at 888-695-0200! For just a small amount of your time Festiva will be glad to give you a gift certificate to Seasons Grille. All we ask in return is for you to tell your family and friends about Festiva Adventure Club.
August 26, 2011
Bates College Art Exhibit
Put on your pensive face and head on over to Bates College in Lewiston, ME to check out some really cool art exhibits!
By Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Venatna a los magueyes (Window to the agaves), 1976 gelatin silver print
Through September 10
“Emerging Dis/Order: Drawings by Amy Stacey Curtis, Alison Hildreth, and Andrea Sulzer.” These Maine artists explore themes of memory and loss, order and chaos, and emerging and converging human behavior and activity. Part of the statewide visual arts initiative “Where to Draw the Line: The Maine Drawing Project.” This exhibition is being generously supported by the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation.
From Sept. 9–Oct. 29:
“Manuel Alvarez Bravo: Fotografías de México: Bravo (1902-2002)” is a leading figure in 20th-century photography and Mexican art. His photographs are deeply rooted in the culture, people and landscape of Mexico.
The Bates College Museum of Art is a laboratory that provides an environment for broad audiences to explore and discover synergies created by the visual arts across the academic disciplines of a liberal arts education. The Museum works collaboratively with artists, students, faculty, and fellow museums throughout the region to create educational programming and original exhibitions that offer innovative and diverse scholarly explorations that commit us to expanding the traditional study of the history and practice of art, while addressing local and global issues.
Bates College Museum of Art 75 Russell Street, 04240
(Picture Courtesy of the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago)
August 25, 2011
Family Contra Dance with The City Chickens!
DANCE,
DANCE,
DANCE!
The Kids Are Alright Series concludes with daytime contra dance for parents and kids, featuring caller Maggie Robinson and The City Chickens playing traditional New England dance tunes. With friendly, lively fiddling designed to get the feet moving, this event with have the mama hens, papa roosters and baby birds swinging alike. This is the real deal roots music of Maine. First time contra dancers more than welcome!
Wednesday 08.31.2011, Doors at 11:45 AM, Starts at 12:00 PM, $3 Adults/ $2 Kids, All Ages
Sponsored in part by Bull Moose Music and The State Theater. Located in the SPACE Gallery annex. Tickets available at the door.
Love bringing the kids to fun events? Why not do it more often. Swing by Festiva Adventure Club located at 190 Riverside St in Portland and view a quick 120 minute presentation. Learn how much you can save on your vacation with Festiva. Festiva Adventure Club has been around for over 10 years and has the experience you can trust. Call 1(888)695-0200 to set up a reservation today!
August 24, 2011
Bull Feeney’s
Bull Feeney’s is an excellent place to eat in the Old Port. It’s kid friendly too, so the whole family can go enjoy a meal during the hours of 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 a.m. There is live music and great food in the heart of Portland. What more can you ask for?
Bull Feeney’s got it’s name from the founder’s son. He was a successful football champion and his nickname became “Bull.” He earned it because he would lower his helmet like a bull and charge through the lines. John was born in Ireland in 1854. In 1878 he moved to Portland, Maine, and opened a grocery store that posed as a front for a saloon. His saloons were gatherings where he would greet new immigrants, help them settle, register them for citizens and acquire a job.
You can also host your next gathering at Bull Feeney’s for 10-170 people. There are four fireplaces to stay cozy and five themed rooms. They have food from seafood to steaks and soups. Don’t hesitate to go try it out, it’s an awesome experience. It’s on 375 Fore St in Portland, Maine. Don’t forget to call (207)-773-7210
August 23, 2011
Crown of Maine Balloon Festival
Looking for something fun to bring the kids to? Why not come down to The Crown of Maine Balloon Festival! The festival is being held at the Northern Maine Fairgrounds at 84 Mechanic St in Presque Isle. The Balloon Festival will kick off Thursday August 25 and Run through Sunday August 28th. Thursday events will be a street fair that will kick off at 5pm and run through 9pm. The street fair will include a car show, entertainment, and of course food. The street fair will benefit Maine Children’s Cancer. At 5:30 there will be a mass ascension of the hot air balloons for the first time. Fridays events will kick off at 5:30am with another mass ascension of the hot air balloons. A craft fair will begin at 4pm and run through 9pm. At 5:30pm there will be a Ribbon Burning Ceremony also another mass ascension. At Dusk there will be a Balloon Glow. Saturday will be the most fun filled with a mass ascension at 5:30 am. All other events will kick off at 7am and run through dusk, ending in a balloon glow. Sunday Morning there will be one last mass ascension of balloons to end the festival at 5:30am.
Love bringing the kids to fun events? Why not do it more often. Swing by Festiva Adventure Club located at 190 Riverside St in Portland and view a quick 120 minute presentation. Learn how much you can save on your vacation with Festiva. Festiva Adventure Club has been around for over 10 years and has the experience you can trust. Call 1(888)695-0200 to set up a reservation today!
August 22, 2011
The Portland Jazz Orchestra
Love good music? Why not come down to One Longfellow Square and see the The Portland Jazz Orchestra preform. The show will take place Thursday August 25 at 8pm. The Orchestra is an 18 piece ensemble with Dr Chris Oberholtzer leading the crew. Tickets for the show are only 5$. The Orchestra preforms all types of jazz music from contemporary big band literature as well as original pieces. The Orchestra is made up by 4 different groups, the saxes, trumpets, trombones and the rhythm section. All sections are made up by established musicians. If you have little ones and want them to experience some real music a trip to see the Portland Jazz Orchestra may be the perfect thing! Its educational without being boring so it will keep the little ones entertained throughout the show!
Want to do something fun and exciting every year? Why not come down to Festiva Adventure Club while you are in Portland, located at 190 Riverside St. Festiva Adventure Club is a family friendly members only discount travel club. Come down and view a short 120 minute presentation and learn how much you can save on your vacation with Festiva. Festiva Adventure Club has been around for over 10 years and has the experience you can trust your vacation in. Call 1(888)695-0200 to set up a reservation today!
