A call for submissions

As you have no doubt noticed, I haven't had much time to update the site as of late. I'm still in the midst of working two jobs and spare time is very far and in between, so finding time to actually sit down and write up posts is very difficult. I have a number of half finished postings that I just have never had time to put up.

So, I have decided to open up the site to guest submissions. If you have visited something interesting in the Tallahassee area and think that it would fit our site here, feel free to submit it to us for publication. I'll read it, and if I approve, I'll put it up with full credit to the author. That said, there is no payment for your work, since this site doesn't make me any money, but you will have my full thanks.

Just keep in mind the guidelines we try to keep for any posts here:

1. We like to focus on things that are for the most part family friendly. That's not to say however that I'm opposed to running a story about a new bar or adult dining experience, but keep in mind the demographic we're aiming at.

2. We don't run negative stories. The goal behind the blog is to showcase businesses and events in the Tallahassee area, not to tear them down. While I certainly don't mind a focus on some negatives in the experience, the tone of the post needs to be positive overall.

So if you'd like for us to consider publishing something, e-mail it to kevin@outandaboutintally.com and we'll take a look.

In the meantime, enjoy our latest post regarding the Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic.

Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic

This past weekend we took part in a clinic that Lowe's runs every other Saturday called the "Build and Grow Clinic". I had heard about this before as friends of ours had signed their kids up for it but I had never checked it out. After reading about it on our sister site (You can read their blog about it here) we decided to give it a shot as well. I'm glad we did as we had a lot of fun.

The basic idea of the Build and Grow clinic is for parents to come with their children where they can build a small toy together. I was certain that this was going to cost something but was very surprised to see that the entire thing is free. All that you have to do to participate is to go to the website at www.lowesbuildandgrow.com and sign up for one of the clinics. Each clinic features a different toy to build together, so you could do this every couple of weeks and come up with a new toy each time.

We walked into Lowe's at about 9:50 and were directed to the clinic area towards the back of the store. There was a large table set up with toy kits laid out at each one with a small kid sized hammer. The experience wasn't exactly as I expected, but I think I enjoyed it more. I thought it was going to be a session where someone demonstrates how to build the toy and everyone followed along, but instead you're left to your own devices. That said, its not difficult and we had a lot of fun building the toy together. Last week's toy was a ball and cup game and it consisted of about 6 pieces of wood that had to be nailed together and a string that was tied to a ball. It was very simple to do, so even if you have two left hands you should be able to do it. I was surprised however that although it was simple, and free, that it didn't feel cheap when we were done with it. Kudo's to Lowes for not skimping out on the quality of something that they're offering for free.

The best part is how much my son loves that toy. He's a bit too young for it, but he loves to show it off to everyone who comes by and proudly proclaim "I built this with Daddy"! To me that makes it all worth it. Due to my work schedule I don't get a lot of quality time with my family and to be able to do something together that he can bring home and play with over and over is very cool. We'll definitely be back. It's a lot of fun, and the price is absolutely right. Free! You can't ask for much more than that.

The Specifics
Lowes Build and Grow Clinics
Any Lowe's Store
Saturday's at 10:00 AM
Website: www.lowesbuildandgrow.com

Editor's Note:

My apologies for the lack of updates as of late.  I have been in the process of a job transition which has been consuming much of my free time.  I sincerely hope to once again have more consistent content for you in the future.  Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy our latest article about the Piggy's PorkZilla Contest.


-Kevin Carter

The PorkZilla Challenge at Piggy's BBQ

I've written about Piggys BBQ before, in fact they were the very first article I ever penned for the site.  However, I have never mentioned their massive food challenge, PorkZilla.  Eating challenges have long been popular at restaurants all over, but the recent success of shows such as Man vs. Food has propelled them into the limelight.  Ever eager to please their customers, Piggys has jumped onto the bandwagon as well with the PorkZilla.

The PorkZilla is a monster of a sandwich weighing in at 6 lbs of pulled pork, coleslaw, bacon, and cheese all piled onto a bun the size of your head.  If you favor a trip to the hospital, this may very well be the sandwich for you, but be warned, its not for the faint of heart.  Luckily, there are prizes attached to lure the foolhearty into the challenge.  If you can finish the whole thing in one hour you'll get your picture on the wall of fame, in 45 minutes you'll get the picture and a t-shirt, and if you're superhuman enough to finish the whole thing in 30 minutes you get all of the above, plus the sandwich is free.  To be honest, I'm not sure the beast will ever be subdued, especially after what I saw last night.

Piggys held their first Porkzilla challenge last night.  There were 4 competitors all together and while they were all talking trash before the sandwiches came out, I don't think I heard any more bragging afterwards.  Those things are monsters and I'm fairly certain I smelled fear. The contest started at 6:20 and they were off to the races.  All 4 had a different strategy.  Harry threw all manners aside and just dove in with both hands, Nate began to hit it hard using a fork, and the other two competitors (Ashley, and Troy) seemed to take a more subdued approach.  It wasn't long before the effects of several pounds of pork started to hit.  At one point I heard one of the competitors utter that this was the dumbest thing he'd ever done.  While Harry seemed to have the advantage at first, he was the first to bow out proclaiming all the other competitors a bigger man than him.  I'm not really certain that was ever in doubt to begin with.  A few minutes later and both Troy and Ashley bowed out leaving only Nate to eat alone.  At that point the strain became too much, and all alone he too bowed under the pressure of the PorkZilla.

All in all it was a fun night.  It was a shame to not see anyone try to fight their way all the way to the hour deadline, but I have to admit that I wouldn't even try this to begin with so they all made it further than I was.  When the final tally was run, they all showed a respectable effort with Ashley actually making it through about 3 full lbs of pork.  I'm not certain how they're feeling today, but they gave a fun show last night.

If you too are interested in conquering the PorkZilla, contact Brian at Piggys.  I'm sure he'd be willing to set you up with your very own PorkZilla challenge.

For full video of the competition view this link thanks to sectionb.com.
Porkzilla Challenge Video



The Specifics:
Piggy's BBQ
1887 Capital Circle NE
Tallahassee, FL
Phone: 850-668-BBQ1
Website: www.piggysbbq.com

Photo Credits: Shannon Thomas 

The Tallahassee Jewish Food & Cultural Festival

While I'm on the subject of announcing upcoming events in the area, I'd like to tell you about a brand new family event which is debuting this weekend.  The Tallahassee Jewish Food Festival aims to provide a family friendly event where they can share the culture and food of the Jewish traditions.  It seems that it is being modeled after the highly successful Greek Festival that is held each year.

The Tallahassee Jewish Food Festival will not only be presenting food from the Jewish traditions, but also art, music, and education such as dance lessons and an educational tour.  The event will take place Sunday, March 21 from 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM at Temple Israel.  The schedule of events includes:

Festival Stage (Outdoors)
11:00 Am Shirei Or - Children's Entertainment
11:45 Am Klezmer Band From The FSU College Of Music And JASA (Jewish Arts Student Association
12:15 Pm Shirei Or – Acoustic
12:45 Pm Temple Israel Junior Choir
  1:00 Pm Tallahassee Klezmer Band
  2:00 PM Israeli dancing led by Ron Barhai
  2:30 PM Shireem Klezmer Band
  4:00 – 5:00 PM  Leah Cassorla & Preston Neimeiser - Israeli pop tunes
   Cantor Tanya Tamarkin
Indoor Entertainment:
1:00 and 3:00 PM  Temple Tours
1:00 - 3:00 PM Jewish Storytelling

The Specifics:
Tallahassee Jewish Food & Cultural Festival
Sunday, March 21st
10:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Temple Israel
2215 Mahan Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32308
Phone: (850) 877-3517
Website: www.tallahasseejewishfoodfestival.com  

The Visit Tallahassee T.O.U.R Guide Program

I was recently contacted by the marketing wing of the Visit Tallahassee organization about a brand new program that they're offering to promote the wonderful activities that Tallahassee has to offer.  I was excited to be a part of assisting in whatever way possible.  The mission of this website has always been to spread the word about the many activities that the city of Tallahassee and surrounding areas have to offer and this seems a perfect way to do so.

The idea behind the Tallahassee T.O.U.R Guide program is to enlist the help of fellow Tallahasseans to spread the word to others about the fantastic opportunities found within our city.  To assist in this project, many of Tallahassee's wonderful locations are teaming up to offer free admission over the next six months.  So if you've ever wanted to visit any number of our great locations but have been deterred by cost, now is your time to head out.

It all starts this weekend when the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Sciences opens its doors to everyone for free.  I've written about the Brogan before and if you've never been I highly urge you to visit.  The Brogan is still offering its fantastic Dinosaurs exhibit as well as the award winning Kinsey Collection.  And if you've wanted to get out and see the Kinsey collection, this is your last chance, because next week it gets packed up and sent to the Smithsonian.

If you can't make it out this weekend however, its not your only chance.  These events will be ongoing over the next six months.  Each month will feature one or more locations opening their doors for free on the third Saturday of the month.  For more information about all the locations that will be open as well as the dates, visit the official website at http://tour.visittallahassee.com.

Schedule of upcoming free events:

Date	Location
03/20/2010	Mary Brogan Museum
04/17/2010	Tallahassee Museum
05/15/2010	Museum of Florida History
05/15/2010	Knott House Museum
06/19/2010	Florida Historic Capitol Museum
06/19/2010	John G. Riley Museum of African American History and Culture
07/17/2010	Maclay Gardens
07/17/2010	Goodwood Museum & Gardens
08/21/2010	Challenger Learning Center
08/21/2010	Mission San Luis

The Red Hills International Horse Trials

This weekend is the return of one of Tallahassee's most interesting events, the Red Hills International Horse Trials.  The horse trials have been a fixture in Tallahassee since 1998 bringing some of the world's greatest equestrians to our humble community.  While the event was not held last year due to a number of reasons, it is back in full specter for this year.

Unfortunately for me, I will be out of town this weekend and unable to attend, but I did want to do a brief preview of the event for those of you who may be looking for something to attend this weekend.  The event will take place for three days from Friday March 5th through Sunday March 7th.  Tickets can either be purchased per day for $15.00 or a three day pass can be purchased for $25.00.  Each day brings a separate event.  Friday is Dressage, Saturday is the cross country competition, and Sunday is stadium jumping.  All three events begin at 8:00 AM and run until around 5:00 PM.  In addition to the horse trials there will also be a number of educational opportunities and vendors on hand.

The Specifics:
The Red Hills International Horse Trials
Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park
1700 Miller Landing Road
Tallahassee, FL 32312
Website: www.rhht.org