Tour Michael Jackson’s hometown

by Katie Hammel on

The Michael Jackson madness continues!

When the announcement of Michael Jackson’s death circulated around the globe in late June, news outlets went crazy. We watched day after day of non-stop Michael mourning on TV. CNN talked about his kids, his declining health, and the rumored cause of death. E! reminisced about the scandals that plagued him, and his decidedly eccentric behavior (baby-dangling, anyone?). VH1 and MTV paid homage to his musical contributions. And I wouldn’t have been surprised if the Food Network had profiled his favorite meals. People Magazine and Us Weekly ran multi-page spreads in every issue for weeks. Even the funeral was televised so that we could watch as the former “King of Pop” took the stage one last time in a rumored $25,000 gold-plated casket (and am I the only one who thought that thing looked like a chafing dish?).

And just when I thought the never-ending frenzy of Michael Jackson mania was winding down, I learned that a company is now offering bus tours of Jackson’s hometown of Gary, Indiana.

For just $55, you can visit such historic sites as Jackson’s childhood home at 2300 Jackson Street, the junior high school he attended and the venue where the Jackson 5 first performed. According to the tour website, the “King of Pop” tours are narrated by Gary residents who knew the Jacksons themselves or their friends and classmates.They also promise never-before-heard stories about Michael and the family.

The first tour will launch Saturday, July 25th at noon. Tours depart from the south side of Chicago and last about 4 hours.

Budget summer vacation from Chicago – road trip to Santa Claus, Indiana

by Scott Carmichael on

Chicago is in the unfortunate position of being surrounded by a whole lot of nothing. It doesn’t matter which direction you are heading, you’ll need to drive several hours till you finally reach something that isn’t in the Chicagoland metro area, or anything remotely fun (Sorry Milwaukee, but I don’t consider you to be that cool a destination, unless it is during Summerfest).

If you are looking for a fun weekend away (way, way away) from it all, but still within driving range, head down south to Santa Claus Indiana. This quaint little village is home to Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari.
Holiday World is where you’ll find 4 roller coasters, including the #1 rated wooden coaster in the world, but you’ll also find loads of family friendly rides, plus some just for toddlers.

In addition to the rides, Holiday World also offers one of the largest water parks in the Midwest with 16 different rides and attractions.

Admission to Holiday World is $40 for adults and $30 for guests under 54 inches. The admission price includes free soft drinks all day long.

When you are in Santa Claus, the most appropriate place to stay is of course at Santa’s Lodge.

This Christmas themed hotel is decorated for the Holiday season year-round. Rooms start at just $79.95 a night.

The hotel offers several indoor and outdoor pools, 2 restaurants and a mini-golf course.

Planning this trip wouldn’t be fun if you didn’t take advantage of some of the great other attractions on the way to Santa Claus. Your halfway point is Indianapolis, home to the largest children’s museum in the world.

Admission to the museum is $14.50 for adults and $9.50 for kids. Be sure to leave enough time in your schedule to see this place, as your kids will need several hours to visit all the exhibits.

With a little bit of luck, younger kids will be so tired from their visit, that they’ll sleep for the rest of your drive.

If you don’t have any kids (or you left them back home), then you can schedule your halfway stop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in (where else) Speedway, IN. Just be sure to stay far, far away from this area on race days. The Speedway is home to a museum and “behind the scenes tour”, but only on select dates, so be sure to check their schedule.

Finally, adults will be happy to know that the last part of the drive to Santa Claus passes through Louisville, home to the recently renovated Louisville Slugger museum. For $10 ($5 for kids), you get to see where this world famous baseball bat it made, plus you’ll be able to visit their factory outlet for some discounted Slugger gear.

Baseball not your thing? The Louisville Museum Row has 8 other attractions all within walking distance.

It would be considered a crime to drive to Louisville without stopping for some authentic Kentucky barbecue! A lineup of some of the best meat in the city can be found here.

So, there you have it – an affordable roadtrip from Chicago to Santa Claus, with 2 awesome stops on the way. Total distance from Chicago to Santa Claus is 360 miles.

Be sure to check out more budget summer vacations here!

New energy efficient waterpark with retractable glass roof just opened

by Jamie Rhein on

Back in 2007 the West Baden Springs Hotel reopened in French Lick, Indiana as part of a casino resort complex. Today French Lick has a new addition, this one something kids will also like. Big Splash Adventure Water Park.

Just like the spectacular atrium of the hotel makes it unique, the water park has a feature that most indoor water parks don’t. The glass ceiling is retractable making the year round status more year round. For adults who want to relax away from kids who are careening down water slides with voices up a few notches, there’s a section called the Palm Cove. It’s adults only.

Big Splash Adventure is part of the Valley of the Springs Resort that opened on February 20. The various room combinations at Big Splash come with admission to the water park. Weekdays are $30 or so cheaper. For those of you interested in staying and playing “green,” the resort has received notice as because of its energy efficient design.

For one thing, that retractable water park ceiling that is perfect for warmer weather, also adds ventilation and improved airflow which adds to its energy efficiency. There are more energy efficient design elements. The ceiling is just the most noticeable.

Lincoln’s boyhood home is well worth the trip

by Jamie Rhein on

Because Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Indiana near the Kentucky border is not on a main highway, it’s not crowded. At least it wasn’t crowded the sunny Sunday afternoon in August when we swung into the parking lot after winding our way along the shady road that led there from Indiana Highway 162.

I was surprised by the size of the park’s visitor’s center. It’s scope is impressive–massive amounts of limestone and lumber. Inside, the interpretive displays and the short film about Lincoln’s life offered background information to frame our visit–one I recommend.

Our son was most impressed by the size of Lincoln’s shoes. Replicas, available for trying on in front of a life-size cardboard figure of grown-up Abe, offer the chance for a boy (or a girl) to see how he or she physically measures up. But, it’s through the woods where one sees what helped make the 16th president, who was born today 200 years ago, so unique.

Across the parking lot in the midst of the woods on a hilly spot is a cemetery with a simple grave marker. It belongs to Nancy Hanks Lincoln, Lincoln’s mother. Although the actual burial site is not known, the marker is an estimation of the grave’s location. Nancy died of milk sickness when Lincoln was nine years-old.

Caused by drinking milk from a cow that ate white snake root, milk sickness was more common during dry spells in certain sections of Indiana, Illinois and Ohio when there was not much else for cows to eat. As the story goes, Nancy knew she was dying, and afterward, Lincoln helped his dad bury her.

Down the hill from the cemetery is the site of the original house’s location. The size of the foundation’s outline attests to Lincoln’s humble beginnings. A short distance away, the Living History Farm shows what life was like for Lincoln as he headed towards his teen years. The one-room house, out buildings, barn, animals. and people dressed in period clothing tell about the days when Lincoln sat reading by firelight after a day of chores.

In a clever form of story-telling, a walk through the oldest stand of oak and hickory trees in the forest goes along the Trail of Twelve Stones— stone markers from various sites that were significant in Lincoln’s life. The first stone is from his birthplace in Kentucky, for example. One stone is from the battleground at Gettysburg. Another, my favorite, has four bricks from his wife Mary Todd Lincoln’s house. When you follow the trail, you get a sense of the scope of Lincoln’s experinces.

As majestic an awe-inspiring as the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. may be, I was inspired by walking through the woods where Lincoln once walked. Because this is an off-the-beaten-trail location, largely untouched by development, a lot of it looks, smells and sounds the same it did almost two centuries ago.

Casinos offering travel deals in U.S. gambling spots

by Jamie Rhein on

Here at Gadling, Grant gave the scoop about Las Vegas’s economic woes last September. Gambling was down 16% from the previous year this past November, according to Steve Stephens, the Travel Editor for the Columbus Dispatch. The downturn has not just been in Vegas. This past week, I heard on the radio that Donald Trump’s casino company in Atlantic City is in danger of bankruptcy if the economy doesn’t pep up. With the new train service from New York City to Atlantic City, I wonder if this will help?

Along with Las Vegas, Stephens covered other casino economic troubles and how this translates to deals for travelers in his column Ticket to Write in today’s Dispatch.

Detroit’s Greektown and MotorCity Casinos are not doing as well as last year. Either are Indiana’s. This is the time to look to these places for vacation deals. At MotorCity Casino there are overnight packages that include a variety of perks like food credit and Red Wing hockey game tickets. The Detroit MGM Grande, that actually did well last year is still jumping in on the deal making. You can stay for three nights for the price of two.

Stephens also suggests is the Belterra Casino in Belterra, Indiana. There is a promotion that gives people a $100 resort card that can be used on various services ranging from golf to spa treatments on weekdays.The room rate is $100. On Friday, the room rate is $150 and on Saturdays it’s $200.

For the 55 and over crowd, more deals are to be made. Sign up for Club 55 membership at the Casino Aztar in Evansville and you’ll be able to stay for a screaming deal that range from $30 on Sundays to $69 on Fridays.