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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

West Michigan for Kids- Binder Park Zoo

Feeding the giraffe
Shannon and I had the treat of visiting Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek last week. I am a fan of zoos and animals in general, so you can imagine my excitement leading up to this glorious day.

Binder Park Zoo sits on 433 acres of wildlife preserve and is not your typical zoo. One of the main attractions is the Wild Africa exhibit which houses animals you would typically see on an African Safari. In order to get to the exhibit, visitors must take a five-minute tram ride through the lush woods of the zoo.  Once there, you step off the tram and are immersed in African culture in an African-esque village. As you stroll through the village you will find clipboards lying around that look like people have been taking notes, but these really have facts written on them that are easy for kids to read and learn little facts and tid-bits about the animals. If you keep following the trail you will stumble upon the Twiga Overlook, which just happened to be my favorite part! Here, you look out into a beautiful open field filled with zebras, ostriches, and giraffes. The best part? You can feed the giraffes! This was the first encounter I have ever had with a giraffe, and let me tell you it was memorable. I held my piece of lettuce out for one of the giraffes to eat and without hesitation, the largest one stuck his long grey tongue out, wrapped itself around the stalk and took it right back in. The whole act of being able to feed a giraffe is addicting and I could have been entertained by it for hours; unfortunately we were on quite a schedule so we had to make our way onward.

We followed the path through the rest of the exhibit where we saw all different kinds of birds, monkeys, goats, chickens, and bulls all nestled throughout the one mile, wooded engulfed, elevated boardwalk.

We took the tram back down to the main area where we proceeded to see peacocks roaming freely, cheetahs, kangaroos, and prairie dogs (one of my other favorites).

Educational programming
Not only are the animal exhibits fascinating, but some of the greatest parts about the Binder Park Zoo are the educational programs they offer. These programs allow children to explore of the wonders of wildlife and conservation through interactive age appropriate programming. Dedicated to creating experiences that foster a sense of wonder, share knowledge, and advocate active involvement with wildlife and wild places, these programs are available for groups and individuals ages 18 months and up.

The zoo is a seasonal attraction and is open until October 2, 2011. However, the zoo does host a variety of off-season events including the Great Zoo Boo in October!

On July 4 the zoo is hosting another great event for kids called Animal Play Days: Watermelon Madness.  Could you fit a whole watermelon in your belly? Some animals in the zoo can! Who will be the fastest? Enjoy seeing the juice run down the chins of your favorite animals as they chomp on watermelons in the summer sun.

Make sure to add Binder Park Zoo to your “must see in West Michigan” list. It is fun for kids of all ages!

7400 Division Drive
Battle Creek, MI 49014
269.979.1351

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

WMTA Goes to Gun Lake!

Last week, Shannon and Kelly had the pleasure of visiting the Gun Lake area in West Michigan. This beautiful stretch of West Michigan splendor is smack dab between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. They had so much fun in fact, that they chronicled their experience into a video to share with everyone. Here is the final product- enjoy!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Weekend Round-up

 With the start of festival season music and the smell of elephant ears will be filling the air of Michigan's West Coast. Be sure to grab you father, give him a hug and a high five, take him to hear some great music, and give your dear ol' dad something he will really enjoy; time with you. Happy Fathers day Dad!

Happy trails
-Intern Katie


All Month

Muskegon: Muskegon County Convention & Visitor Bureau: Parties In The Park


This Weekend

Kalamazoo: Michigan Festivals & Events: Island Fest
Traverse City: Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau: Grand Traverse Balloon Classic
Muskegon: Muskegon County Convention & Visitor Bureau: Miss Michigan Pageant


Friday
 
Benzie: Benzie Are Visitors Bureau: Lore: a multimedia performance and exhibition
Muskegon: Muskegon County Convention & Visitor Bureau: LST Movies On Deck

Friday and Saturday

Marshall: Cornwell’s Turkeyville: Married Alive!


Saturday

Rothbury: Double JJ Resort: Summer Rodeo
Grand Rapids: Founders Brewing Company: 4th Annual Founders Fest
Grand Rapids: Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpure Park: G. Love & Special Sauce
Mackinaw City: Greater Mackinaw Area Chamber of Commerce: Creole Du Nord

Sunday

St. Joseph: Lemon Creek Winery & Fruit Farms: 27th Annual Fathers Day Festival & Corvette Car Show

Rothbury: Double JJ Resort: Free Golf for Dad

Don’t Forget
Saugatuck: Saugatuck Center for the Arts: PIE: A Slice of Pure Michigan
Through June 20
Grand Rapids Art Museum: Birds of America: Audubon Prints from Shelburne Museum
Through August 14
Grand Rapids Public Museum: Bodies Revealed
Through June 19
Muskegon Museum of Art: Horsepower: Images of Horses
Through June 26
Muskegon Museum of Art: Flippers and Flash: The Art of Pinball
Through July 31

Friday, June 10, 2011

For the Kids! Lakeshore Museum Center


The school year is coming to an end and pretty soon the kids will be burning your ears with the dreaded words “I’m bored”. They have only been out of school for two days and yet, for some reason have already run out of things to do.

We are here to help.

West Michigan has endless opportunities for children and their families. Museums, amusement parks, water parks, zoos, ferries and theatres are just naming a few. Check back frequently as we highlight places that are great for kids! If you are on twitter, follow our feed #wmkids where we will continually be putting up great ideas for kids.

This week we are going to start with the Lakeshore Museum Center in Muskegon. Shannon and I were lucky enough to have been able to visit the museum this past November. The museum looks small from the outside, but we were blown away by how much was in the museum! The greatest part about the Lakeshore Museum Center is that it is absolutely FREE! There is no admission fee for anyone- how cool is that?

The museum has continuing exhibits as well as changing exhibits. There are six continuing exhibits

Coming to the Lakes- Follow a group of people from different ethnic backgrounds through a 10,000-year journey. Learn how people have lived in different parts of our region and the influences that have affected their lives. There is even a full size Mastodon replica!

Michigan: From the Depths of Time- This is a fantastic room that gives the impression of being underwater. The exhibit travels through the depths of time to see the plants and animals that lived in the habitats of Michigan’s distant past. 

             Body Works- This exhibit shows people of all ages how the human body
works. This exhibit promotes healthy eating and living by explaining through different hands-on activities how the way we live and the different foods we eat affect our bodies.

Habitats and Food Webs- This exhibit discovers the relationships between plants and animals that live in Muskegon County and the food webs they create. Explore wetlands, urban backyards, grasslands, and dune habitats to find out what plants and animals consume to survive.

Hackley and Hume Site
Science Center- Learn about simple science through hands-on activities! Ride a bike to produce electricity, learn how a pulley system works, and so much more.

The museum also has three historic sites that are open May- October and are within walking distance of the main building.

The Hackley and Hume site preserves the homes of Muskegon's most famous lumber baron, Charles H. Hackley, and his business partner, Thomas Hume. The Site envelops the visitor in a unique living space, bringing late 19th century craftsmanship to life. Also going on right now At the Hackley & Hume Historic Site, the museum is featuring an exhibit in the City Barn – “Unsolved Mysteries: The Shipwreck Thomas Hume”.  The exhibit explores the loss of the Lumber Baron’s schooner in Lake Michigan 120 years ago.  Divers located the wreck in 2006. Surprising discoveries such as intact clothing, shoes, coins, jewelry, and other historic treasures have provided new insights into the shipment of lumber on Lake Michigan and how the crew lived, worked, and died on the Lake. 

Fire Barn and Scolnik House

The Scolnik House is a historic house of the depression era that tells the story of two common families living under the same roof during the Great Depression.

The Fire Barn Museum serves as a living memorial to the brave men and women who have served as Muskegon County firefighters. The second floor was restored over the winter and now features a replica of a living quarters area for the firemen.  The museum features historic firefighting equipment and photographs of some of Muskegon’s worst fires.  

The Hackley and Hume houses cost $3 to visit (children 12 and under are free). The Scolnik House and Fire Barn have free admission.

The museum is open Monday thru Friday - 9:30am to 4:30pm and
Saturday and Sunday - 12:00 to 4:00pm.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Celebrations!

This weekend calls for celebration! Well, in my opinion, every weekend is a cause for celebration because after all, it is the weekend! Nonetheless, we are celebrating here at the WMTA headquarters today because it is Shannon’s (our lovely Communications Director) birthday!

However, we are not the only ones celebrating a birthday this weekend. Robinette’s Apple Haus and Winery is celebrating their 100th anniversary by hosting a car show and ice cream social! Congratulations, Robinette’s on 100 years!

There are other celebrations going on all throughout West Michigan this entire weekend and as always, we have put them all together for you in one easy to read link round-up.

Check out all the events out below, and as always, if you would like more information you can always visit www.wmta.org.

Enjoy your weekend!

Kelly


All Weekend


Saturday

Sunday

Don’t Forget




Thursday, June 2, 2011

Weekend Round-Up


The weather is getting hotter and so are the summer festivals and concerts. Don’t let the heat or the price at the gas pump catch you off guard as there are a lot of great one-tank trip ideas here in West Michigan. So if you want to enjoy a concert or let your pooch cool off at one of the many dog beaches, this weekend will be a fun filled kick-off to a great summer.


All Month

Starting This Weekend


Friday

Friday & Saturday

 Saturday
Sunday  


Don’t Forget