Whats a Family To Do 2012

WHAT’S A

FamilyTO DO?

WHAT’S A

FamilyTO DO?

JUNE2012

A special supplement of the I-75 Neswpaper Group

Piqua Daily Call, Troy Daily News& Sidney Daily News

BY NATALIE KNOTHStaff Writer

[email protected]

Nothing beats relax-ing by the pool on a hotsummer day, and thank-fully opportunitiesabound in Miami andShelby counties.Opened Memorial

Day weekend, TroyAquatic Park at 460 W.Staunton Drive hasthree water slides, a div-ing board, a heated babypool and fun activitiesfor beating the heat.About 500 season passesare sold each year.For more information

on season memberships,swim lessons, water aer-obics and more, call 937-335-5171 or visittroypool.com. Member-ships and fees for pro-grams can be paid onlineat troypool.com or at theTroy Recreation Depart-ment at Hobart Arena.Piqua Community

Pool in PitensbargerSports Complex boasts a150-foot water slide, ababy pool and swim les-sons.Teen nights are

hosted 6-9 p.m. Tuesdayand family nights 5:30-9p.m. Sunday.Regular hours are

11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.Monday,Wednesday andThursday; 11:30 a.m. to5 p.m. Tuesday; 11:30a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday andSaturday; and 1-5 p.m.Sunday.Call 937-773-7665 or

visit piquaoh.org formore info.Sidney Municipal

Pool, 12 Tawawa Dr.,kicked off the beat-the-heat season June 2. Thepool features a 295-foot-long slide, comprised of a

speed slide and spiralslide.Hours of operation

are 1-7 p.m. Mondaythrough Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday.For more information

on the facility, call 937-498-8171.Tippecanoe Family

Aquatic Center offers aspray grounds area, twowater slides, divingboards and three poolsfor everyone in the fam-ily.Located at 225 Park

Ave., the pool attractsmore than 50,000 visi-tors, with an average of600 people daily.Hours from May 26 to

Aug. 19 are noon to 8p.m. Sunday throughThursday and 11 a.m. to7 p.m. Friday and Satur-day. From Aug. 20 toSept. 3 the pool is openfrom noon to 5 p.m. Sun-day through Thursdayand 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.Friday and Saturday.A special event for

dogs is slated for 5-7p.m. Sept. 3. Each visitor18 and older can bring adog to splash around inthe pool.Located at 800 E.

Pike St., Jackson CenterMunicipal Pool has adiving board, shallowarea for children and aspray park.It’s open 12:30-7 p.m.

daily in June and 12:30-8 p.m. in July and Au-gust.More information is

available at 937-596-6314.Some swimming pools

allow residents to rentthe facility for corporateor group outings.Contact individual

parks for more informa-tion.

*These offers expire November 30, 2012Not valid for Holidays or Golf Outings

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June 15, 2012 • What’s A Family To Do? •

A handful of pooloptions for stayingcool this summer

STAFF FILE PHOTO/ANTHONY WEBER

Josh Browder of Troy slips down the slide at the Troy Aquatic Park.

BY LAURA WILLISOhio Community Media

MIAMI COUNTY —With 15 parks, naturepreserves and recre-ational spaces, the MiamiCounty Park District of-fers a variety of familyactivities every day of theyear — but especially dur-ing the warm summermonths.

Amanda Smith, parkdistrict marketing direc-tor, offered several ideasfor all types of families.The Miami County ParkDistrict, she said, offersspace for fishing, canoe-ing, biking, picnicking,using trails or just enjoy-ing nature.

Which one would youchoose?

• CanoeingKeep cool by gently

rowing down the manywater sources, whichoffer both canoe andkayak access at the parks.

"A great way to getoutdoors and stay coolthis summer is to go for acanoe ride," Smith said."Twin Arch Reserve, Far-rington Reserve, FL Bla-nenship RiversideSanctuary, Maple Ridgeand Goode Prairie Re-serve offer canoeing andkayaking access."

• FishingDid you know that the

Miami County Park Dis-trict offers several placesthat you can fish withouta license?

"Twin Arch Reserve,Mape Ridge, Garbry BigWoods and StillwaterPrairie Reserve are parksthat have ponds whereyou can fish without a li-cense," Smith said.

License-holders canadditionally fish the Still-water River from the FLBlanenship Riverside Sac-tuary, Goode Prairie Re-serve, Stillwater PrairieReserve or Maple Ridge,

as well as the GreatMiami River from TwinArch Reserve or theGreenville Falls StateScenic River Area. TheGreenville Creek also canbe accessed with a fishinglicense.

"Summer is a greattime to relax and go fish-ing," Smith explained.

• PicnickingCharleston Falls Pre-

serve, Twin Arch Reserve,Greenville State ScenicRiver and Lost Creek Re-serve all offer picnic ta-bles.

Other parks offergrassy green areas to set-tle down for a family pic-nic as well.

• Trails and NatureThe Great Miami River

Recreational Trail offers10.5 miles of trail to walk,jog, run or bike. Addition-ally more than 30 miles of

nature trails are offeredwithin the Miami CountyPark District.

Smith said there areplenty of options thatcan provide partiallyshaded trails for thosehot days.

Stillwater Prairie Re-serve, Charleston FallsPreserve, Garbry BigWoods Sanctuary or Re-serve, Lost Creek Reserveand Maple Ridge all offerpartially shady optionsfilled with various natu-ral habitiats.

"Nothing compares tothe sight of prairie flow-ers that bloom in Augustand September," Smithsaid, encouraging familiesto take a walk to seethese flowers at parkslike Honey Creek Pre-serve, Charleston FallsPreserve, StillwaterPrairie Reserve, Goode

Prairie Reserve and Ho-bart Urban Nature Pre-serve.

• Up for an adven-ture?

The 2012 RambleQuest provides a way forfamilies to complete ahiking challenge.

"The new 2012 RambleQuest Challenge is to goto our new trails, startingwith Maple Ridge (10430State Route 185) in Cov-ington. Every two months,a new trail will be added.When you have hiked allfor of the new trails, youcan call and make an ap-pointment to turn in your2012 rubbings and receiveyour Ramble Quest Pin,"Smith said.

The Miami CountyPark District also ispleased to offer otherpublic programs thissummer including:

• Night fishing withnaturalist Deb Barger atGarbry Big Woods Re-serve, 8:30 p.m. June 20.

• Night Songs Walk atCharleston Falls Pre-

serve, 9-11 p.m. June 22• Music Picnic at Lost

Creek Reserve, 4-6:30p.m. July 29

• Old Fashioned IceCream Social at GarbryBig Woods Reserve, 2-4p.m. Aug. 19

• Blue Moon Campfireat Charleston Falls Pre-serve, 8:30-10:30 p.m.Aug. 31

• The 21st AnnualYouth Fishing Derbry atStillwater Prairie Re-serve, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sept.9

• Music of the StarsCampfire at CharlestonFalls Preserve, 8-10 p.m.Sept. 14

• Sunset Songs at LostCreek Reserve, 5:30-7:30p.m. Sept. 23

There are many otherevents happening at theparks this year includingFamily Quest NaturalistSeries focusing on spiders,straight arrows, snakes,and flutes; dog socials;and the Trail Run Chal-lenge, a series of 5K andmore races.

Late registration de-tails for the races as wellas registration and moreinformation for the abovelisted activties may befound at www.mimicounty-parks.com

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June 15, 2012 •What’s A Family To Do? •

County parks come alive in the summer

OCM PHOTO/MIKE ULLERYFishing is one of the many things offered by the Miami County Park District.

BY PATRICIA ANNSPEELMAN

[email protected]

In Miami and Shelbycounties, activitiesabound for children, teensand adults to do withtheir peers. But the areaYMCAs and librarieshave developed programsthat whole families canenjoy together.Some of what they

offer are listed here:The Sidney YMCAThe Sidney YMCA is

committed to strengthen-ing families in ShelbyCounty. The Y gives fami-lies the chance to connect,have fun and spend qual-ity time together. Activi-ties for families includeswimming, tennis, basket-ball, use of the indoor soc-cer gym, and a fun center

with games, an interac-tive sport wall, andShelby County’s only in-door climbing wall. Sum-mer hours of operation forfamilies are 5 a.m. to 9:30p.m. Monday thru Friday,and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Saturday.“Approximately 81 per-

cent of Americans believethat a strong communitycan only be achievedwhen we invest in ourkids, our health and ourneighbors,” said SamCasalano, associate execu-tive director. “Familiesneed a place to go wherethey can feel supported.Children need safe envi-ronments where they’renurtured and inspired toreach their full potential.”To learn more about

the Sidney YMCA and toget involved, contact

Casalano at (937)492.9134 or [email protected] or visit www.sid-ney-ymca.org.

The Piqua Public Li-brarySummer Reading Club:

Reading Clubs beganJune 4 for all ages: pre-school, school age, youngadult/teen and adult.

These clubs run throughJuly 28. Events will be on-going, including movies,games, reading chal-lenges, library tours andmore.Movies: The library is

offering an air-condi-tioned refuge for familiesthis summer with a widevariety of family movies.All movies are projected

on a big screen. The audi-ence is welcome to take infood and drink.Every Wednesday af-

ternoon through July 25at 2 p.m., a PG- or PG13-rated movie with asports/Olympic theme willbe shown. On AugustWednesdays, other familyfilms rated G or PG willbe shown. The fourthThursday of each monthat 6 P.M., the library willshow a family movie witha G or PG rating. Familiescan take in snacks.Crafts: Spend creative

time with youngsterswithout having to plananything or clean up af-terward, as the librarywill provide supplies, in-structions, and a helpinghand to do fun familycrafts. Advance registra-tion is required. Sessions

will be at 2 p.m. July 20and Aug. 17.Wildlife Encounter:

Brukner Nature Centerwill exhibit live, nocturnalanimals that may includean owl, an opossum or abat at 2 p.m. July 5. Reg-istration in advance as-sures a reserved seat atthe presentation.Safety Fair: The

Safety Fair will be heldoutdoors, in the lot at thecorner of Main and WestHigh streets July 28. Itwill include fire trucks,police cars, games, bicyclesafety lessons, and more.See the event

calendar atwww.youseemore.com/piqua for additional detailsabout library programs.To register for partici–pation, visit the library onthe square in downtown

Summer Fun at theYMCA…

Where there is something for everyone:

• Join the “Call of the Wild” Summer Day Camp…for ages five to 12 years. Wherefun, swimming, fieldtrips and adventures are part of everyday activities!

• Try the challenging, “themed” full and half day gymnastics, acrobatics andSpecialty Camps for children ages pre-school and up.

• Sign-up for swimming lessons for all ages, orbring in the whole family for a cool dip inthe pool.

• Stay active and competitive by signing up forone of the many Youth Sports Camps andSummer Leagues.

• Up to two hours of Child Watch is provided eachday as a member added value for moms anddads while staying in shape at the Y.

Sidney-Shelby County YMCA300 East Parkwood St, Sidney, OH • 937-492-9134

www.sidney-ymca.org • Find us on Facebook

FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENTFOR HEALTHY LIVINGFOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

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Frontier

September1,2&3

American Bus Association namesPiqua Heritage Festival One of North America’s

100 Best Events for 2009

RodeoALL 3 Days!Labor Day Weekend


How do you spell family fun? Y-M-C-A

OCM PHOTO/LUKE GRONNEBERGReagan Schloss, (left), 4, plays catch with her mom Amber Schloss, both of Minster, during the Babies,Books and Blocks program at the Amos Memorial LibraryThursday. Reagan is the daughter of Scott Schloss.

Piqua or call (937) 773-6753.

Miami CountyYMCABoth the Piqua

branch and the Robin-son branch betweenTroy and Tipp City offerbasketball, swimming,indoor soccer and rac-quetball.“Any of them can be

enjoyed by families,”said Donn Craig, branchexecutive at Robinson.The family hours areMonday through Friday,5 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Satur-day, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.;and Sunday 1 to 6 p.m.

Amos Library inSidneyFriday, 1 p.m. —

Brukner Nature Cen-ter’s “A Wildlife En-counter” Meet someanimals of the night.June 29, 11:30 a.m. —

Gather at the gazebonear the covered bridgein Tawawa Park for “If Iwere an Earth Worm, Iwould Dream About …”July 20, 1 p.m. — Sto-

ries by Sally Driver.Shake out the sillies, tapyour toes and enjoy afun-filled afternoon ofstories.On Mondays through

July 16, there will beFamily Fun Nights at 6p.m. where parents andchildren can interactwith various crafts andthemes.See the online

calendar for children’sevents athttp://amos.lib.oh.us/kids.htm

Anna CommunityBranch LibraryJune 27, 2 p.m. —

Lynda Adams, of ShelbyCounty Soil and WaterConservation, will pres-ent a program, “WigglyWorms.”Family Fun Nights

and Family MovieNights Mondays from 6to 8 p.m. through July16.

Botkins Branch Li-braryFriday, 12:30 p.m. —

Sally Driver, storyteller.June 29, 12:30 p.m. —

Brukner’s Nature Cen-ter with live animals.July 6, 12:30 p.m. —

The movie, “BedtimeStories,” with popcorn.

Fort LoramieBranch LibraryMonday, 7 p.m. —

Stephanie Moorman, ofFort Loramie StatePark, will present a pro-gram on nocturnal ani-mals.

Jackson CenterBranch LibraryFriday, 11 a.m. —

Stories of the night bySally Driver.June 29, 11 a.m. —

Wiggling Worms byLynda Adams, of theShelby County Soil andWater Conservation.July 6, 11 a.m. —

Evening Dreams pre-

sented by Rich Mill-house.

Tipp City PublicLibraryThe library’s fourth

annual worm races willtake place at the libraryTuesday at 6:30 p.m. Ac-cording to Julie Smith,children’s services assis-tant, families and indi-viduals take their ownlive worms to compete

on a course constructedespecially for the races.“You have to find

yourself an athletic-looking worm,” she said.Night crawlers are goodcompetitors.“Worms with legs

don’t count” and won’tbe permitted to race, sheadded. The worms areput into the center ofthe course and must

crawl to the edge. Theraces are run in heatsand a trophy is awardedto the winner.“There is also an

award for team spirit,”

Smith said. “It’s kind oflike Nascar: familiesmake T-shirts and wearfunny hats to supporttheir worms.” Registerin advance or at thedoor.A Family Fundama

will be July 17 at 6:30p.m. Participants willmake different versionsof a ball-and-cup toy.For information

about the races andother library programs,call (937) 667-3826.

Milton-Union Pub-lic Library in WestMilton“We’re gearing up for

a fun time at the li-brary,” said public rela-tions specialist TinaWeber recently. She saidthat a family night andmovie screenings laterin the summer areunder consideration.

Troy-Miami CountyLibraryThe summer reading

theme is “Dream Big:Read.”Midnight Munchies

will be June 23 at 10:30a.m. Participants willmake snacks and enjoyeating them.“Things that Glow in

the Dark” will be thetheme of a family funnight July 17 at 6:30p.m. There will be craftsand stories about fire-flies.

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OCM FILE PHOTO/ANTHONY WEBERThe Miami County YMCA offers a variety of classes for fun and fitness.

BY LINDSAY NOCEOhio Community Media

The Great MiamiRiver Bike and Recre-ation Trail offers folks agreat opportunity to expe-rience local attractionsand nature while burninga few calories in theprocess.The bike trail is the

perfect option for thosewho enjoy staying activeand want to encounterwhat point’s local and sur-rounding areas provide.The trail has markersevery half-mile to keeptrack of distance covered.With nearly 52 miles oftrails, area residents cancertainly enjoy a day oran entire weekend on thepath it provides access

into towns. The GreatMiami River RecreationTrail runs from Piqua,south to Fairfield, con-necting numerous townsand cities throughout fourcounties in Ohio.The idea for the trail

was devised in 1965 bythe late Horace HuffmanJr., of Dayton, and presi-dent of the Huffy Corp.Huffman, who worked athis father’s bicycle factoryin east Dayton, inheritedthe family business andlater formed what is nowknown as the Miami Val-ley Regional BicycleCouncil.To bring it closer to

home, the Linear Parkproject in Piqua, com-pleted in 2001, consists of11 miles of trail and built

atop of an abandoned rail-road bed. From FrenchPark to Lock Nine Park,much of this section runsalong the Great MiamiRiver and in some placesfollows the former Miamiand Erie Canal. Thisstretch of trail features atree-lined paved asphaltpath that runs throughthe city of Piqua and atpoints also overlooks thecity. A tunnel extendsunder Sunset Avenue anda bridge spans over Col-lege Street and a 2000foot retaining wall in thelevee of the Great MiamiRiver offer no streetcrossings the entire sec-tion, which makes thepath safe and relaxing.A highlight of this sec-

tion is a peaceful trail

passing through thewooded area north ofHigh Street located onWashington Avenue. Thissection of the path followsthe portion of the hy-draulic canal that wasfilled in years ago. Thepath user will also comeacross the original Piquawater plant that was lo-cated just south of FranzPond but only a stonefoundation wall remains.The path provides anamazing water side viewof Echo Lake and runsthrough Fountain Parkwhere there is playgroundequipment and restrooms.Swift Run Lake is wherethe asphalt ends and apaved lot is available forconvenient parking foranyone looking to fishand/or put in a smallboat.The entire trail is open

to walkers, joggers, bikersand rollerbladers. Thereare plenty of access pointswhere one can enter orexit the trail includingSpiker Road, Davis Park-

way, French Park, theMunicipal GovernmentComplex, Lock NineRiverfront Park, theMiami Valley CentreMall, Patrizio Place, andTroy-Sidney Road, Foun-tain Park, Roadside Parkand the City’s WaterPlant.Users of the trail often

spot great blue heron,kingfisher, and otherbirds, beaver, white-taileddeer, and a variety of fishand aquatic life.The city of Piqua re-

ceived an Honorable Men-tion Award for ParkDevelopment from theOhio Parks and Recre-ation Association (OPRA)in 2002 for the develop-ment of the initial five-mile section of the LinearPark. Most of the pathhugs The Miami River al-most the whole route. Thetrail which begins inPiqua near JohnstonFarm & Indian Agency,snakes along a mostlypaved surface. A smallgap is south of Piqua and

follows the shoulder ofCounty Road 25-A. Thisgap is expected to be filledby 2012. Anew section oftrail has recently beenadded. The grand openingof the “Paul G. Duke Me-morial Bikeway” was heldin Troy on June 1.The design incorpo-

rated use of the oldFairview-Snodgrass RoadBridge that was donatedby the county engineerand extends from LytleRoad south to EldeanRoad.There is even more

trail to be added, joiningthe Twin Arch Reservetrail to Peterson road byway of a bridge over theGreat Miami River. Con-struction is set to begin inthe fall of 2013. Sowhether you are alone,with friends or with yourfamily, The Great MiamiRiver Bike Trail providesample entertainment forthose who enjoy an appro-priate balance of health,nature, exploration andnight life.

Join Us ForSummer Fun!Join Us ForSummer Fun!

225 Park Avenue, Tipp City • 937-667-2781Regular Season Hours Of Operation • Saturday, Jun 2nd through Sunday, August 19th • Sunday – Thursday 12:00 noon – 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Mon., August 20th through Mon., September 3rd • Sunday – Thursday 12:00 noon – 5:00 p.m. • Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.The Aquatic Center will be closed Saturday, July 21st (rain date July 22nd) for the summer swim team championship meet

The Tippecanoe Family Aquatic Center features a spray ground area, twowater slides, diving boards, and two pools to accommodate all ages.

Close outthe year with fido

at our Dog Day at the poolMonday, September 3rd

5:00-7:00 p.m.(One dog per person and must beaccompanied by an adult 18 years

or older. Cost is $5 per dog.Owners are free!)

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• Birthday Parties(After hours rental available)

• Swim Lessons and Swim Teams

• Two 1-Meter diving boards anda 25-Meter Competitionswimming pool


Get on your bike and ride

OCM PHOTO/MIKE ULLERYTyrese Basil, 12,Tayvian Elder, 9, and Danasa Evans, 7, of Piqua, enjoy a leisurelyride on the bike path near Upper Fountain Park.

FREE! FREE!

Herman’s Hermitsstarring Peter Noone

also scheduled to perform...The Chase Classic Rock Band

Frankly Speaking BandWalt Sanders & The Cadillac Band

Artists subject to change.

Comfort Inn Hotel located at the mall is available for overnight stays.Call 937-778-8100 for reservations.

at the Miami Valley Centre MallI-75 & US Rt. 36 (exit 82) Piqua, OH

937-773-1225

August 11, 2012 11am-9pmCome early, stay late!

Dash plaques to first 500 cars, trophies, door prizes & more!NO PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

For updates check out www.miamivalleycentremall.com

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BY JENNIFERBUMGARNER

[email protected]

Many families arelooking for alternative“stay-cations” this year,and there are a lot ofcamping spots for peopleto get away from it allwithout spending a for-tune.

A popular local spot isLake Loramie State Park,located between Minsterand Fort Loramie inShelby County. The parkfeatures 115 electric sites,45 electric premium sites,15 non-electric sites,showers, flush toilets anda dump station, boat tie-ups, three group campareas available by reser-vation to organizedgroups and free WiFi ac-cess is available at thecamp office to registeredcampers.

For Betty Platfoot ofRussia, camping is a wayto bring the family to-gether.

“We used to camp with

our kids back in the1980s, and it’s improved alot since then,” said Plat-foot. “We actually just gotback into camping be-cause of our grandkids.They love the outdoors.”

Platfoot and her familycamp at Lake LoramieState Park throughoutthe summer. She likestaking her grandchildrenthere during the week.“It’s quieter because thereare a lot of older folksthere” and “there aren’t asmany vehicles drivingaround.”

Platfoot also remarkedthat her family has al-ways gone camping andthat it’s a great way forthe kids to have a goodtime and it is not very ex-pensive. There is minia-ture golf and aplayground area for kids.There also are fishing,boating and swimming.

“The grandkids wentfishing before we came tothe playground today andI don’t think I have a sin-gle working pole left,” said

Platfoot with a chuckle.“But they enjoyed them-selves and caught littlefish.”

The 1,655-acre lake al-lows unlimited horse-power boat motors andhas six launch ramps and

91 docks and tie-ups.Water skiing is prohibitedand the entire lake isclassified as “no wake”with the exception of thedesignated “speed zone”in the west end of thelake. There are canoerentals available. There isalso a 600-foot sandybeach with picnic areasand shelter houses.

For people who want toget away but don’t have acamper, the park also fea-tures three cedar cabinsand four rent-a-campsites which consists of atent, dining shelter, cook-stove and other equip-ment which can berented.

For more informationcontact the park office at937-295-2011.

While there is cur-rently an advisory forhigh levels of algae toxinsin the water, Grand LakeSt. Marys State Park hascamping available at adiscounted price. Swim-ming and wading are notrecommended for the veryold, the very young orthose with compromisedimmune systems. Thepark has 25 percent offcamping, getaway rentalsand shelter house feesand 50 percent off privateand state dock fees. Thediscount will not be validfrom June 30 to July 8.

The park offers 176electric sites, 28 non-elec-tric sites, flush toilets,laundry, showers and adump station. Pets arepermitted except for the2289888

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OCM FILE PHOTO/DAVID FONGGrand Lake St. Marys offers a number of camping opportunities, along with an opportunity to see sites suchas this lighthouse in the greater St. Marys area.

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area in and around thegetaway rentals. Thereis free WiFi access avail-able at the camp store toregistered campers anda separate swimmingbeach, boat launch andboat docks/tie-ups.There is a full servicecamp store which loansgames, fishing andsporting equipment tocampers and also thereare bike rentals and aminiature golf course.There are five air condi-tioned camper cabinsavailable for rental andtwo cedar cabins.Boats of unlimited

horsepower are permit-ted on the 13,500-acrelake, and there are sev-eral private launchramps and eight stateoperated launch ramps.There is a 300 foot no-wake zone around thelake’s 52-miles of shore-line.The state wildlife

refuge is located on thesouthwest corner and isoff limits to boats at alltimes.The park also fea-

tures basketball andvolleyball courts, horse-shoe pits, playgroundequipment, nature cen-ter programs and theFur-Ever Friends DogPark, which offers aplace for pets to run un-leashed.For more information,

contact the park officeat 419-394-3611.Lakeview’s Indian

Lake State Park boaststhe most camping sitesin the area with 405electric sites, 35 electricpremium sites and 12full hook-up sites.Twenty boat campingspaces and three cabinunits are also available.Cabin units are avail-able from early Maythrough October 31 eachyear.The park also has a

limited number of petcamping sites available.There is also a beach,boat ramp and boat

docks which are pro-vided for exclusivecamper use.At the park there are

heated shower houses,flush toilets, a laundryfacility and camp comis-sary and games andsporting equipment areavailable to registeredcampers.A popular event at

Indian Lake is the Ringof Fire.The event started in

1961 and is one of lake’soldest traditions.Flares are lighted

around the perimeter ofthe lake at precisely 9p.m. on the Sunday be-fore Labor Day.The flares display a

red glow that dots thelake.The Ring of Fire cere-

mony marks the end ofthe summer season andthe start of the Autumnseason. The idea for theRing of Fire originatedfrom a similar traditionby the Seneca Indiansfrom New York wherebonfires were lit aroundthe shore of the lake tocelebrate a bountifulharvest.For more information

about Indian Lake StatePark, contact the parkoffice at 937-843-2717Kiser Lake state Park

in Conover has 10 elec-tric camp sites and 108non-electric sites avail-able for campers.The park features

picnic tables, fire rings,a trailer waste stationand latrines are pro-vided.Sailing is popular at

the 396-acre Kiser Lakeand boats with motorsare not permitted.Boats can be rented

at two boat rentals atthe park.For people who enjoy

fishing, there are fivefishing piers on the lake.There is also a 600-footbeach with a refresh-ment stand.Scuba diving is per-

mitted except within the

beach area, and diversmust be accompanied byat least one person.For more information

about Kiser Lake StatePark, contact the parkoffice at 937-362-3822.Poor Farmer’s RV

Sales, Service andCampground Inc. inFletcher is open yearround and features 504sites with electricity andwater with a dumpingstation, heated showersand flush toilets.There is large RV ac-

cess and a tent area isavailable. The camp-ground features a fish-ing pond, playground,basketball court, horse-shoe pit and volleyballcourt.There are also a pic-

nic table and fire ring atevery site and two largeshelter houses.For more information

including rates, call PoorFarmer’s at 937-368-2449.

AP

Camping is becoming a popular alternative to more traditional vacations.

BY MELODY VALLIEUOhio Community [email protected]

Whether it’s thrills,chills or just a little natureyou’re looking for this sum-mer, amusement parks andzoos throughout Ohio aimto please.Visitors to Kings Island

also will have an opportu-nity to step back in time toperiods between 245 mil-lion to 65 million years agowith the world’s largest an-imatronic dinosaur park.More than 60 life-sized di-nosaurs will be on displayin Dinosaurs Alive!, includ-ing 56 animatronic models,in an outdoor Jurassic for-est setting.The multi-sensory and

interactive dinosaur parkbrings inspiration, scienceand technology together atKings Island where guestswill also hear the soundsand see the movements of60-plus full-sized anima-tronic creations made toreplicate nearly every fea-ture of the dinosaurs.

Each of the animatronicdinosaurs is hand-carvedand covered with skin-likematerials. The six mainscenes and nine thematicexhibits tell a story forguests about what the di-nosaurs ate, when andwhere they lived, how theyprotected themselves andhow they adapted to theirprehistoric world. Thehighlight of DinosaursAlive! is the world’s largestanimatronic dinosaur, theRuyang Yellow River di-nosaur, which measures anincredible 72 feet long, 12feet wide and 30 feet high.Other animatronic di-nosaurs include the viciouslooking Irratator and itscousins, the Baryonyx andthe Spinosaurus, thelizard-like Stegosaurus, themeat-eating TyrannosaursRex, three-horned Tricer-atops and the flying Ptera-nodon.Four of the dinosaurs

have interactive consolesthat allow guests to guidedinosaur movement sothey can see how scientists

believe each dinosaurmoved its arms, tail, mouthand eyes. Other highlightsinclude an excavation sitereplica, a kids’ paleontolog-ical dig site where visitorscan uncover prehistoric fos-sils, and a 1,500 square-foot dinosaur-themed giftshop that will feature morethan 500 items.The Dinosaurs Alive! at-

traction is located nearWindSeeker and the expe-rience can last as long as avisitor wants it to. The at-traction is spread out over12.5 acres and has a 4,000-foot-long path.“It’s really a park

within a park. It could be astand alone attraction,”Helbig said of the life-likecreatures. “You’re in a dif-ferent world when you’re inthere. You’re not hearingthe sights and sounds ofKings Island anymore,you’re in a different wholeworld.”Response to the exhibit

— which opened in 2011 —has been positive, accord-ing to Helbig, and guestsare impressed with howeducational DinosaursAlive! is. He said well-in-formed tour guides also areavailable at all times to an-swer questions. And, unlikemany of Kings Islands at-tractions, there’s no line tostand in.“It’s a walk through ex-

perience. You can gothrough at your own pace,”Helbig said.Unlike most other

parks, Kings Islands water-park, Boomerang Bay, isincluded in the price of ad-mission, Helbig said. And,a two-day admission ticketpurchased online for$52.99 is a deal from the1990s, Helbig said. He saidthe two-day passes don’thave to be used on consecu-tive days, but anytime dur-ing the regular season.In Sandusky,Wind-

Seeker also is receivingrave reviews, and offers anearly 30-story view of

Cedar Point, Lake Erie andthe Cedar Point Beach.With the opening of Wind-Seeker in 2011, CedarPoint now has 75 rides, in-cluding 17 roller coasters— more rides than anypark in the world.In addition, the park

has recently opened sev-eral new live shows for theseason. This summer’s newofferings range from coun-try favorites to classic rockand a gravity-defying stuntshow with rollerbladers, askateboarder and dancers.An ice-skating show featur-ing Snoopy and the Gangalso recently opened.One of Cedar Point’s

other 2011 offerings will bePink’s Hot Dogs, a Holly-wood legend for more than70 years, that will open itsfirst franchise east of LasVegas on the Cedar PointMidway. Pink’s is world-renowned for its gourmethot dogs, chili dogs, onionrings and fresh toppings.

• Cincinnati Zoo &Botanical GardenNight Hunters opened

this spring at the Colum-bus Zoo and will transformthe traditional strollthrough an existing exhibitbuilding into a virtual ex-perience with surprise the-atrical effects that engageall of the visitor’s senses.“The renovated exhibit

will take the best of theNocturnal House and CatHouse exhibits and createan environment that im-merses visitors in theworld that becomes activeafter the sun sets — thepredator’s realm,” saidDavid Jenike, chief operat-ing officer at the Cincin-nati Zoo & BotanicalGarden.The indoor Night

Hunters exhibit is phaseone of a larger outdoor CatCanyon expansion, whichis scheduled to open in fullby 2013. The expanded CatCanyon will link the NightHunters experience withthe current Tiger Canyonexhibits and include newspace for pumas and snowleopards. The project aimsto provide visitors with anew, exciting adventureinto the world of greatpredators, while strength-ening the zoo’s commit-ment to the conservation ofthreatened species througheducation and scientific re-search in the wild and atthe zoo, according toJenike.Night Hunters is home

to Eurasian eagle owl, Pal-las’ cat, clouded-leopard,vampire bat, aardvark,ocelot, black-footed cat,sand cat, fishing cat, cara-cal, fennec fox and bearcat,among others.

• Columbus Zoo andAquariumThe Polar Frontier at

the Columbus Zoo willtransport visitors from cen-tral Ohio right into theheart of the Arctic. Thereguests will watch polar

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bears swim overhead andAlaskan brown bearspractice their swimmingtechniques.Arctic foxes will watch

you from their homes aschildren explore a polar-themed play area. TheBattelle Ice Bear Outpostoffers interactive gamesand information, detail-ing the wonders of theicy Arctic world — andwhat we can do to helpsave it.The zoo also recently

said goodbye to manateesFraulein and Bartlett,but welcomed orphanedBernice to its ManateeCoast. As a partner inthe United States Fishand Wildlife Service’sManatee Rescue and Re-habilitation program, thezoo takes in manateesrescued from the wildand cares for them untilthey can be releasedback into the wild.Fraulein and Bartlett

were released back into

the wild and Bernicejoins Hamilton andTippecanoe.The Columbus Zoo

also is enhancing itsNorth America regionwith the addition of theOhio State Solar De-cathlon House, an en-ergy-efficient solar housethat will allow zoo visi-tors to see up close thedesign and workings of asolar powered home.Guests can tour thehome from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. Sundays.The Zommbezi Bay

waterpark also is boast-ing two new waterslides— the Python Plungeand Big Boa Falls.Python Plunge offers

thrill seekers an uphillwaterslide. Riders willaccelerate to exhilaratingspeeds as they’re blasteduphill on jetted waterand then shot into a 70-foot long landing pool.One of only six in the

United States, Big Boa

Falls will whip ridersfrom side-to-side andthrough an enclosed tun-nel at high speeds. Expe-rience the rush ofweightlessness as you ca-reen over a zero-gravityhill and splash down intoa landing pool.• Toledo ZooNot only is the Toledo

Zoo home to more than9,000 mammals, fish,reptiles, amphibians,birds and invertebrates,representing more than800 species, but the zoo’sinnovative exhibits alsoget visitors up close tomany of favorites.The zoo’s African ele-

phant — born June 3 —has been named Lucasand he and his mother,Renee, are available forviewing each day.Visitors can make a

stop at the Arctic En-counter and get face-to-face with a polar bear, orstop by the Hippoquariumand watch as a massive

hippo floats gracefully by.Interactive learning sta-tions throughout the zoomake the visit even moreengaging — and educa-tional.Opened in 2009, the

popular Nature’s Neigh-borhood at the ToledoZoo gives children achance to connect withan array of animals, fromthe familiar to the exotic.This summer, Nature’sNeighborhood offers pro-grams all day long foryoung or young-at-heartvisitors. At 10:15 a.m.,visitors can make pettreats. At noon and 2p.m., zoo staffers presentfun, animal-themedshows at the Fisher-PriceDiscovery Stage.The afternoon wraps

up with spider feeding at3 p.m., and aviary feed-ing/enrichment at 4 p.m.• Kings Island,

Masonwww.visitkingsisland

.com

(513) 754-5700Single-day admission

is $35.99 if purchased on-line and $52.99 at thegate for adults and$32.99 for junior/seniorentry if purchased onlineand at the gate.Hours are 10 a.m. to

10 p.m.; Boomerang Bayhours are 11 a.m. to 7p.m.• Cedar Point, San-

duskywww.cedarpoint.com(419) 627-235Tickets are $47.99 for

adults and $22 for guests48 inches tall or shorteror 62 and older and anddoes not include SoakCity waterpark entry.Soak City entry is

$31.99 for guests 48inches and taller and$17.99 for those lessthan 48 inches tall or 62and older.• Columbus Zoo

and Aquarium, Powellwww.columbuszoo.com800-MONKEYS

Admission is free for 2and under, $9 for chil-dren 2-9, $14 for those10-59 and $10 for those60 and older. Parking is$5 per car.A two-day pass for the

Columbus Zoo andZoombezi Bay is $30.99for age 2-9 and $42.99 forages 10 and older.• Cincinnati Zoo &

Botanical Garden,Cincinnatiwww.cincinnatizoo.orgHours are 9 a.m. to 6

p.m.Admission is $19 for

those 13-61, $15 for forchildren 2-12 and $15 forseniors 62 and older• Toledo Zoo,

Toledowww.toledozoo.orgHours are 9 a.m. to 5

p.m. dailyAdmission is $11 for

adults, $8 for children 2-11 and seniors 60 andolder and free for those 2and younger.

ENTERTAINMENT TENTNightly at 8:00 p.m.

July 22 • 7:00 P.M.King & Queen Coronation

July 23 • 8:00 P.M.The Hipnotix

152nd Annual

2012Shelby County Fair

July 22-28

2289

978

DavidCrone

Love & Theft

July 24 • 8:00 P.M.Timmy “G” & The Buckeye Bandits

July 268:00P.M.JasonMichaelCarroll

July 278:00 P.M.Love & Theft

July 28 8:00 P.M.David Crone

July 258:00 P.M.Doublecut

Doublecut

JasonMichaelCarroll

Whats a Family To Do 2012

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