PODCASTS

Tag: #staycation

Staycation: “All Things Oz” Museum – Allison Lehr – 7/12/24

Staycation: “All Things Oz” Museum – Allison Lehr – 7/12/24

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Family Life’s “Staycation Destinations” this week takes you to Somewhere Over the Rainbow!….

L. Frank Baum’s hometown — Chittenango, New York — has a claim to fame that draws together everyone from cowardly lions to scarecrows to tin men…. and your little dog too.

Baum wrote the book that inspired the 1939 Judy Garland movie “The Wizard of Oz”.  The “All Things Oz” Museum celebrates that legacy, and a century’s worth of so many more stage, literary and screen versions of the “classic American fairy tale”.

Museum Director Allison Lehr talks about the displays and archives available at this museum, once you step off of the Yellow Brick Road and into the building. Greg Gillispie asks her to talk about why Dorothy and her adventures in the Land of Oz have such a significant place in American culture.  (And it’s not just Americans either — visitors from multiple countries have dropped by this attraction in Madison County of central New York.)

 

The “All Things Oz” Museum has a website and multiple social media outreaches. [www.AllThingsOz.org] Its hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. through 5 p.m.  (The Museum and its Historical Foundation host an annual festival too — Oz-Stravaganza — typically in early June.)

 

   

 

“Staycation Destinations” is our weekly summer series, broadcast each Friday at noon on the radio and online, then posted to our News Podcasts page. Each offers a radio tour of a unique site in Pennsylvania or New York, fairly close to home, fairly inexpensive, and good for a potential day trip or longer visit by individuals, couples, families, friends or church groups.
National Soaring Museum – Elmira NY – Staycation Destinations – 7/05/24

National Soaring Museum – Elmira NY – Staycation Destinations – 7/05/24

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National Soaring Museum – Elmira NY – Staycation Destinations

The Soaring Museum is an interesting placed to visit any time, but the week ahead (July 6-13) has a unique event while comes to our listening area only once every four years.

 

Some two dozen motorless aircraft “descend” on Elmira, New York for the International Vintage Sailplane Meet. The event is free and open to the public.

Sailplanes are more than “gliders”. Gliders are towed into the air and remain aloft only as long as they can resist gravity. Sailplanes though are specially engineered to catch the updrafts and wind currents so they can stay aloft much longer.

Local aviation historian Traff Doherty is our guest for this week’s “Staycation Destinations”. He provides:

  • details about the experiences for spectators of the Sailplane Meet
  • history of how the unpowered planes were used, especially in wartime
  • why Harris Hill and Elmira became the center of the national Sailplane community
  • more about the National Soaring Museum, for anyone who wants to visit — during the Meet, or beyond those eight days

 

For further information:

This month’s Sailplane Meet:  details about July 6-13

National Soaring Museum:  guest information (the museum is open year-round, Wednesdays through Sundays)

America’s “Soaring Capital”:  the history of how motorless aviation developed in the Elmira region

The U.S. Soaring Hall of Fame:  the people & their stories
Staycation – Hanford Mills Museum NY – 6/28/24

Staycation – Hanford Mills Museum NY – 6/28/24

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It’s “Staycation Destinations” on Family Life

“Staycation Destinations” takes you to a museum which celebrates how a water-powered sawmill fostered a transformation of America.

The Hanford Mills Museum in Delaware County New York displays a still-operating waterwheel that powered the mill’s equipment. Education Coordinator Ryan Jones tells us about how economic, geographic and social history has been affected by the way that farmstead were built from the abundant wood in the forests of the region. The Hanford Family was a major player in the industry through a 40-year span.

The Hanford Mills Museum shows its guests the Fitz waterwheel — working exactly as it did when it was installed 98 years ago — during four daily one-hour tours. Also on display: woodworking machinery, milling equipment, photos and historical records, and farm implements from the 1870s to the present. Individuals and families can walk to several buildings across the property, as well as take advantage of an outdoor picnic area.

In addition to its ongoing exhibits (open Wednesdays through Sundays), Hanford Mills offers Exploration Days on selected Saturdays (https://www.hanfordmills.org/events/) with themes like New York’s dairy industry, conservation of natural resources, and the annual Antique Engine Jamboree.

 

 

Staycation Destinations – National Women’s Hall of Fame – 6/21/24

Staycation Destinations – National Women’s Hall of Fame – 6/21/24

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:36 — 11.8MB)

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It’s “Staycation Destinations” on Family Life

We begin the Summer 2024 tour of Pennsylvania and New York in the Finger Lakes region, celebrating 300+ people who transformed medicine, culture, sports, politics, the arts and so much more.

Every one of these special people — a woman.

National Women's Hall of Fame

The National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls has used a nomination process through which the general public can nominate potential inductees.

The Hall marked its grand reopening in an expanded facility this spring, and debuts new exhibit space in July with interactive exhibits on loan from the Smithsonian. “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” will be paired with displays of fiber arts from local and regional crafters. A guest presenter is Hinda Mandell of the Rochester Institute of Technology who has explored a unique parallel between textiles and smartphones.

In this exclusive Family Life News podcast, Executive Director and CEO Jennifer Gabriel tells you about the Hall and its history, its mission and its summer schedule.

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The National Women’s Hall of Fame is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Details are at www.WomenOfTheHall.org.

 

“Staycation Destinations” is our weekly summer series, broadcast each Friday at noon on the radio and online, then posted to our News Podcasts page. Each offers a radio tour of a unique site in Pennsylvania or New York, fairly close to home, fairly inexpensive, and good for a potential day trip or longer visit by individuals, couples, families, friends or church groups.

 

Some weekends, we also give you a “Sidetrip Suggestion” -- another place in our two states which stands out in a unique, quirky, or enlivening way.
For this weekend, a completely different angle on what a Hall of Fame can celebrate:



The Bare Knuckles Boxing Hall of Fame celebrates John L. Sullivan. With none of those bulky boxing gloves, and 75 rounds later, Sullivan won the world championship.
It was in barns built in 1889 where Sullivan trained with a very original fitness guru. William Muldoon is celebrated as the "Father of the Modern Medicine Ball". Some of his other fitness innovations are still in use in that industry today.

The Bare Knuckles Boxing Hall of Fame [BKBHOF] is seven miles north of exit 30 on I-86, in the town of Belfast, NY.

 

Autumn Leaves – a Fall Foliage Tour of PA & NY – 10/06/23

Autumn Leaves – a Fall Foliage Tour of PA & NY – 10/06/23

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Many New Yorkers and Pennsylvanians (plus guests to the two states) spend an afternoon, a weekend, or a week — out in nature and enjoying the divine design of autumn’s leaf colors.

Certified Arborist Jerrod Webber and Natural Resources Specialist Ryan Reed gives you a forecast on the best views in our two states this month. They also explain how wet/dry weather, wildfire smoke, and the temperatures of the week you go touring all affect the abundance and the beauty of your leaf watching.

Pennsylvania’s weekly Fall Leaves Forecast

New York State Department of Forestry

Staycation Destinations – Noon Report Special – Labor Day 2023

Staycation Destinations – Noon Report Special – Labor Day 2023

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:13 — 41.5MB)

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It’s “Staycation Destinations” on Family Life!

This special edition of the Family Life Noon Report offers a radio version of our “vacation slideshow” from Summer 2023.

This half-hour special recaps our Staycation Destination interviews from the past few months. Hear these stories, about the women who launched a cultural movement from an upstate New York home 175 years ago, to the WWII soldier whose love for art led to creation of an outdoor art museum — where children can climb on many of the statues. There is even a new interview with the director of the Little League World Series, where thousands of players in the “Summer Classic” returned to Pennsylvania to see their entries in the museums records.

Each Friday afternoon, our Noon Report took you to a unique location in the Family Life listening area. Our goals were to find a variety of places which connect with a variety of interests, fairly close to home, and fairly affordable — whether for a day trip or a longer journey.

 

Click here {https://familyliferadio.blubrry.net/?s=staycation} to hear extended versions of these conversations, take a “radio tour” of other stops along our 2023 journeys, or scroll back into previous summers as Family Life took you to many, many other unique and intriguing places in New York and Pennsylvania.

(Use the older posts and newer posts links at the bottom of the page so you can scroll through more of these Staycation Destinations features across the years. You also can enter a specific item or location in the search bar.)

Staycation Destinations – a Labor Day Weekend Special

Staycation Destinations – a Labor Day Weekend Special

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:13 — 41.5MB)

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It’s “Staycation Destinations” on Family Life!

Each Friday afternoon, our Noon Report took you to a unique location in the Family Life listening area. Our goals were to find a variety of places which connect with a variety of interests, fairly close to home, and fairly affordable — whether for a day trip or a longer journey.

 

Click here {https://familyliferadio.blubrry.net/?s=staycation} to hear extended versions of these conversations, take a “radio tour” of other stops along our 2023 journeys, or scroll back into previous summers as Family Life took you to many, many other unique and intriguing places in New York and Pennsylvania.

(Use the older posts and newer posts links at the bottom of the page so you can scroll through more of these Staycation Destinations features across the years. You also can enter a specific item or location in the search bar.)

Staycation – Museum of Play – Rochester – 09/01/23

Staycation – Museum of Play – Rochester – 09/01/23

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“Staycation Destinations” on Family Life

The Strong Museum of Play opened a generation ago (in 1982) and unites multiple generations with the delights– and the necessity! — of play. Rochester native Margaret Woodbury Strong (starting in her childhood) became a prolific collector of dolls, toys and many other household items. Her legacy now brings hundreds of thousands of guests to the Museum of Play, where people of all ages can see and interact with games, electronics, and playthings from across the decades.

This summer marked the opening of a major expansion of The Strong, with 90 thousand new square feet, expanding exhibit space and a welcome area, plus a new outdoor interactive play area. Shane Rhinewald gives us details about what is new. He also describes the history and development of the museum, offers suggestions of what do see, and tells about diverse range of guests. He also talks about why play is so important, plus how strongly people hold memories of their games and toys.

[ Greg Gillispie closes out this feature with a preview — and your invitation — for one last half-hour journey of the summer. On Labor Day, Family Life relieves many of our radio road trips from our summer Fridays. We will give you highlights from our 2023 Staycation Destinations, plus add in one brand new stop you haven’t heard yet. Join us for our Labor Day Staycation Special, online and on the air, Monday September 4 at 12 Noon. ]

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Side Trip Suggestion: The “Smallest Church in New York” … and quite possibly the World

Each weekend, we also add a note and a picture from another unique spot in the Family Life Listening area, for you to know about — and perhaps decide to visit.

It doesn’t matter which search engine you use, it won’t take long until the Internet tells you that dozens of various U.S. states claim to host “the smallest church building in the world”. However, one in Oneida, New York, might be more diminutive that a lot of others that advertise itself as such.Plus the World Record Academy does give this one the official status as “the world’s smallest (non-denominational) church.”

In addition to its comparative size Cross Island Chapel has a lot of uniqueness going for it. It sits on a platform in the middle of the lake. Even with only two seats, the chapel is put to use as a holy space fairly frequently. With internal dimensions of 51 inches by 81 inches, there is room for a groom and a bride and a clergyperson. If this ever becomes your “destination wedding” setting, your friends can join you there. They may have to watch and listen from a collection of boats floating outside.

 

Staycation – Presque Isle PA – 08/25/23

Staycation – Presque Isle PA – 08/25/23

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 “Staycation Destinations” on Family Life

Presque Isle extends about five miles into Lake Erie, giving northwest Pennsylvanians — and visitors from a wide range of the region — a combination of lake front beaches, walking trails, natural settings and so much more. Visitors can enjoy picnicking, swimming, wildlife watching, and rentals of kayaks and paddleboards and boats.

Environmental Education Specialist Tom Laskos gives us a radio tour of Presque Isle State Park, which sees 4.2 million visitors a year.

The popular summer Pontoon Boat Tours continue until the week of Labor Day (Fridays and weekends, through September 10, 2023). Laskos also highlights upcoming autumn events, including a butterfly catch/tag/release event, and a cast-iron cooking challenge between three Pennsylvania state parks. (Cooks AND diners can sign up now.)

Presque Isle State Park is just west of Erie in Mill Creek Township, Pennsylvania. Admission for the day-use park and the pontoon tours are free. First-come, first-served sign-ups for those who are in line begin 15 minutes before each of the three rides through the lagoon.

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This weekend’s Side Trip Suggestion:

A visit to a garden representative of Bible times doesn’t necessarily take a flight to the Middle East’s Holy Lands. You can walk through one — with a trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Biblical Botanical Garden displays more than 100 tropical and temperate plants from Biblical times. The garden at the Rodef Shalom Temple displays the horticulture, agriculture and archeology of the ancient Bible lands. Cedars and olive trees are there, as are barley, figs, pomegranates, and dates. You can see a waterfall, a desert, and a natural representation of the River Jordan flowing from Lake Galilee to the Dead Sea.

Staycation – Griffis Sculpture Park – 08/18/23

Staycation – Griffis Sculpture Park – 08/18/23

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:32 — 10.4MB)

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It’s “Staycation Destinations” on Family Life

A World War II soldier carried art supplies with him onto battlefields. When he could, he painted to find balance amid the violence around him. After his return home in western New York, Larry Griffis Jr. felt a tug between his budding career running a family business, and fulfilling his inner calling to be an artist. In this Family Life News Feature, you will hear how the choice he made led to an outdoor sculpture museum near East Otto, New York.

The Griffis Sculpture Park offers a unique collection of large steel sculptures, by Griffis and other nationally- and internationally-renown artists. As the founder’s granddaughter Nila Griffis Lampman tells us, this is an incredibly opportune day trip for anyone, but especially for families with young children. Unlike many art museums where young children might be bored (“don’t run…”, “don’t touch…”) this sculpture park encourages young guests to climb on giant animal sculptures and more. It’s all outdoors, with room to walk, play and picnic. Hiking trails connect the 250+ pieces throughout the 450-acre park.

Lampman tells the fascinating story of her grandfather’s life journey, artistic discoveries, and his philosophy on making the results of creative endeavors accessible to children.

Griffis Sculpture Park is in Cattaraugus County, about halfway between Buffalo and Salamanca on Route 219. (The park’s annual Summer Festival is Sunday afternoon, August 20, 2023. Night Lights happen selected weekends in September and October)

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“Staycation Destinations” is our weekly summer series, broadcast each Friday at noon on the radio and online, then posted to our News Podcasts page. Each offers a radio tour of a unique site in Pennsylvania or New York, close to home, relatively inexpensive, and good for a potential day trip or longer visit.

Each weekend, we also give you a “Sidetrip Suggestion” another place in our two states which stands out in a unique, quirky, or enlivening way.

Eckley Miners’ Village at Weatherly, Pennsylvania, offers a free walking tour (dawn to dusk) where you can stroll into the 19th Century at what was said to the largest concentration of anthracite coal in the world. Historic buildings show what a company town of the era looked like. A state commission oversees the attraction, and a museum and guided tours are scheduled. This is about 25 miles south of Wilkes-Barre, not far from the I-80 / I-81 interchange.

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