Out and About in Tally

A call for submissions

2010-07-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

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:

2010-05-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-04T12:20:00.000-08:00

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

Lucy and Leo's Cupcakery

2010-02-17T07:54:00.000-08:00

This year, we decided to make Valentine's Day into Valentine's Weekend. Instead of doing one big night, we decided to do a number of smaller things with each other throughout the weekend that were special. One of my wife's favorite things in all the world is cake. I think it falls right after her love of chocolate, which hopefully falls right after her love of our son and myself. So to feed this passion of hers I promised to take her to a place she's been asking to visit for several months, Lucy and Leo's Cupcakery.

If you are a fan of cupcakes, which we are, then you will love this quaint little shop. These cupcakes were to die for. In fact to call them simply a cupcake is a bit like calling a Porsche a compact car. These were the best cupcakes I've ever eaten. If there is such a thing as a gourmet cupcake, then these would fall into that category. They are a bit pricey however, $2.25 per cupcake, so its not something we'll be doing often. However, for a special occasion, I feel very certain that we'll be back.

After taking a few moments to check out all the fantastic cupcakes on display we made our decisions. I'm a huge fan of anything with bananas in it, so I was excited to try a banana bread cupcake with chocolate icing. My wife decided on a red velvet cupcake. How were they? Well, they were gone in seconds. I actually meant to take a photo of them before we began eating them, but by the time the thought crossed my mind there was nothing left but crumbs. We were both very pleased. My only complaint was that I wish they'd have been just a little bit bigger. I think that was born a bit out of my expectations after seeing the price, and out of my desire to eat more. That is a minor quibble however as we truly enjoyed everything about our visit. The location is easy to access, the staff very friendly, and the cupcakes were excellent.

I feel very comfortable in recommending that you give this locally owned business a shot. They deserve it, and I hope to be eating cupcakes from here for many years to come.

The Specifics:
Lucy and Leo's Cupcakery
1123 Thomasville Road
Tallahassee, FL 32303
Phone: (850) 765-0374
Website: www.lucyandleoscupcakery.com

FSU Baseball Fan Day

2010-02-10T14:17:00.000-08:00

I'm not certain yet whether I'll have time to head out and cover this event or not, but I wanted to make a quick post to alert you all to this upcoming event. If you're a fan of FSU baseball then you may want to head out to the ballpark this Saturday, February 13, for their annual Fan Day festivities. There will be activities for the kids, food, an autograph session with the coaches and team, as well as a scrimmage.

Activities at Fan Day include:
10:30 a.m. - Picnic In The Park - featuring Build your own Fajita Bar
11:00 a.m. - Autograph session with players and coaches in Haggard Plaza
Kids Speed Pitch (throw three balls for $1)
Kids Laps Around the Bases
Kids Play Catch in the Outfield (must bring own ball and glove)
1:00 p.m. - Player stretching/Batting practice
2:30 p.m. - Full team scrimmage

For more information, visit www.seminoles.com or call 850-644-8003.

Ribits Enchanted Cottage

2010-02-10T08:02:00.000-08:00

About a week ago, my wife convinced me to join her along with my son, on a trip to a pottery studio. Like most men, my first reaction was to roll my eyes. However after a few days of prodding with her magical powers of wifely persuasion she convinced me to go with them. She wanted our son to paint a piece of pottery as a birthday gift for her parents. So I put on my best face and joined them on the excursion. I was certain that this would be the most boring, womanly thing I had joined her on in a long time. It turns out, I was wrong. We had a fantastic time.

The shop is located in the cottages surrounding Lake Ella, and it has a very charming exterior. I'd seen it a number of times on previous visits to Lake Ella but had never paid much attention to it. Upon entering, we were greeted by the very friendly staff. That is one point I want to make very clear. This may be the nicest group of employees I've ever dealt with at any business. They were genuinely happy to have us and treated us with the greatest of courtesy throughout our entire time, even during my son's temper tantrum when we refused to let him paint the huge pumpkin that he wanted. They quickly found some toys for him and helped us take his attention off of this disappointment and on to something fun.

Your first course of action is to select the piece of pottery that you would like to paint. They come in all shapes and sizes, some playful such as the dinosaur we chose, and some far more serious. They also come in a large range of prices, which I was glad to see. Each piece has a price written on them. This price includes the piece, your paints, and the glazing and firing process. I found the prices to be completely reasonable. Our dinosaur, for example, was 10 dollars.

I also found the painting process to be actually quite fun. It took a bit of work to convince my son that the dinosaur shouldn't be light blue, but once we got started he had a blast. My son laughed and smiled the whole time as he painted his dinosaur, occasionally taking a break to play with him and make him roar at anyone who entered the store. The whole process took about 25 minutes or so on this small piece. Granted we kept it simple and just used a few colors. I'm certain that some of the larger, more complex pieces could take a few hours to paint well.

One thing I do want to point out is that it does take approximately a week before you can take your piece home with you. Once you're finished painting they have to fire and glaze it to give it that nice shine that you see so often on pottery pieces. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice his dinosaur turned out. Granted, it’s no professional painting, it was painted by a 2 year old after all, but it is something you wouldn't mind displaying for others to see. I'm sure his grandparents will love it.

Surprisingly, I truly enjoyed our little visit to this location and I wouldn't mind going again. If you decide to go, they have a number of different ways for you to enjoy their service. In addition to the individual sessions like what we took part of, they also offer a wide range of special events each month such as their mommy and me days or their date nights. They also support birthday parties, group events, etc... If you're looking for something just a little bit different to do someday, keep Ribits in mind. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

The Specifics:
Ribits Enchanted Cottage
215 Lake Ella Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32303-5532
Phone: (850) 671-5859
Website: www.ribitsenchantedcottage.com

Marie Livingston's - Apalachee Parkway

2010-01-14T11:38:00.000-08:00

Marie Livingston's has long been one of my favorite restaurants in the Tallahassee area, and for many years I even listed them as the best steakhouse in Tallahassee. Whether they can still claim that title or not remains to be seen as Tallahassee has some good competition now with the opening of Carl's Steakhouse and especially Shula's 347. Unfortunately, those restaurants are currently a bit out of my price range so I haven't had a chance to try them out. Either way, Marie Livingston's is still a fantastic place for a steak. And while I normally focus my reviews on things in Tallahassee that are new to me, I thought this deserved an exception since they've recently relocated to a new location on Apalachee Parkway.

Last night was the first time I've had the opportunity to visit. I was very excited to see that they were moving back to Apalachee Parkway as driving all the way across town to their location on Monroe street was a bit far from where I live. It seems that I wasn't alone in this excitement. We've tried to visit at least twice since they opened and both times we've been unable to get in due to the crowds, so I was happy to see it not too crowded at 5:45 PM Wednesday night. I will note that by the time we left the crowds were building and people were starting to be forced to wait for tables. I've heard reports of over an hour wait on busier nights, so beware. So what were my thoughts? In a nutshell I'm a bit mixed. There are some things about the change that I really liked, and some things that I'm not certain I'm happy about. Allow me to elaborate.

I'll start with the food since this is the main reason you're visiting either way. If you've long been a fan of Marie's food then you'll be happy to note that absolutely nothing seems to have changed. The menus even appeared to be the exact same menus they used at the old location. My steak tasted absolutely the same as it always has and even the presentation of the food is exactly the same. If you were worried about a change to the menu, then there's no need to fear. If you were however hoping for a change to something a bit more upscale in the food or presentation, then you'll be a bit disappointed. As I have always found their food superb, I was happy to see it stay the same. As an aside, I will mention that an update in menu design and plate presentation are needed to match the new decor.

The decor and layout is where you're going to notice the biggest change. If you're not familiar with their new location, they've moved into the old Durango's restaurant, and the layout seems to be fairly similar, although the interior decoration is vastly improved over Durango's. While Marie has kept her food exactly the same, she's decided to make a drastic change in the interior of the restaurant which also creates a much different feel for the diners. In the past we've been treated to very rustic, Texas Chophouse style interiors, and in her last location a large spacy, but dark environment. The new location is much smaller than the old and the decoration is far more upscale featuring beautiful and elegant curtains and chandeliers, carpeted floors (versus her older wood floors), and light tan walls with nice white molding everywhere. There's not an exposed beam in site, and the dark, almost private dining of the old venue has given way to a very bright, but almost cramped dining experience.

It is this change that leaves me with mixed emotions. In many ways it is far better than the old location. Its beautiful, elegant, and very upscale. It now feels like the kind of place that you'd want to bring someone for a very special dinner, or to impress an important client. So I know many will be excited about this change as I've often heard complaints that the old restaurant was a bit too casual in design. That however, was one of my favorite things about the old location. I often felt just as comfortable dining there in a suit and tie as I did in jeans and a polo shirt, and I never felt worried about bringing my family (including my two year old son). That's not necesarily the case any longer. We decided to visit Marie's at the last moment, so we weren't dressed up, and for the first time I felt very underdressed in my jeans. I also felt a bit uncomfortable with my son there which I've never felt before. I think that I'll enjoy dining here far better for a very nice evening out, but I'm afraid that it may become a far less often visited place for family or spur of the moment casual dinners. I'll be interested in visiting a few more times to see if this is the new culture of Marie's or if it was just a one time occurence.

All in all though, if you're a fan of Marie Livingston's I think you'll still be happy here. There are some changes you'll need to grow accustomed to. The restaurant is smaller, the decor is more upscale, and it seems that while there is no official dress code, that it is becoming more of an expectation that you be dressed up than an option. On the other hand, the food is still outstanding and the staff was still very friendly and didn't treat us any differently with our young son or dressed down than they did anyone else. Overall I think its a very nice addition to the Parkway area and that Marie's will continue to be successful as she always has.

The Specifics:
Marie Livingston's
2705 Apalachee Parkway,
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: (850) 270-9506‎

Free Planetarium Show - The Challenger Learning Center

2010-01-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to visit the Tallahassee Astronomical Society's monthly planetarium Show at the Challenger Learning Center. I can remember as a child, living in the country, and sitting out on cold, clear nights trying to pick out all of the constellations that I had just recently learned about in school. I was never very good at it, and to this day, the only one that I've ever had any success at finding was the Big and Little dipper. Either way, the night sky has always been interesting to me.

A year or so ago, my father purchased a telescope and we set out in his front yard to attempt to focus in on the moon and see how defined we could make the craters. We quickly discovered that focusing and aiming a telescope properly was far more difficult than we imagined. Somehow we overshot the moon but managed to instead, find Saturn. We were blown away with how clearly we could see the rings that we had only seen in photos before. To this day, we still talk about that night that we managed to accidentally find the rings of Saturn.

So with those experiences in mind, I was excited to see that there was a free Planetarium show at the Challenger Learning Center on Saturday. For those of you who may not be aware, it is the home of several IMAX screens, a NASA Mission Simulator, and the Planetarium (The Downtown Digital Dome). I'd been to see a few IMAX movies before, but had always wanted to get a chance to visit the other offerings.

I had only visited a Planetarium once before, when I was very young, and all I remembered was falling asleep because of how bored I was. If you're afraid that this is what you will experience here, let me put aside those fears. I had a great time. The show was from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM and it ended much too quickly. It is presented by the Tallahassee Astronomical Society and focuses on the night sky as seen from Tallahassee. Each month they cover the history, descriptions, and locations of two constellations, an event that can be seen with simply binoculars, as well as one learning topic. This week’s learning topic was about the retrograde motion of Mars. If you've ever set under the dark sky examining the stars as I have, then you will be completely enthralled.

The show is narrated by one of the members of the society and he attempts to inject humor into the subject whenever he can. He’s hit or miss, but its an enjoyable type of corny comedy that I have an appreciation for, so it worked for me. In addition, he’s quite knowledgeable, and has a way of sharing that knowledge with you that seemed perfect. He was neither too intellectual, nor did it ever seem that he was talking down to the audience. The show seems about perfect for people of all ages as I observed school age children to adults all happily following along.

If you’re interested in going, the show is held on the first Saturday of every month at the Challenger Learning Center from 10:00 – 11:00 AM. While you’re there, take the time to visit one of the IMAX movies that the center has as well. The Challenger Learning Center truly is a nice addition to the Tallahassee environment, and I highly recommend everything that I’ve seen there before.

The Specifics:
The Challenger Learning Center
200 South Duval Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: 850-645-7774
Website: www.ChallengerTLH.com

The Tallahassee Astronomical Society
Website: www.Stargazers.org

Happy New Year - New Domain Name

2009-12-31T17:57:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all of our readers. While we've just recently started this blog, I'm definitely excited for the opportunities to learn more about the Tallahassee area that 2010 will bring. One of the major opportunities is to fully brand this site. So as our new year gift to you, we've created a new URL to access us at. So instead of typing in the old, and long, blogspot address, you can now type in http://www.outandaboutintally.com to find all the latest posts about events in the area.

So we wish you a fantastic New Year and hope that 2010 brings you all the joy that you deserve.

The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science

2009-12-28T16:59:00.000-08:00

I've lived in Tallahassee off and on now for the better part of 20 years, and until today I had never visited the Brogan Museum of Arts and Sciences. Last week I saw an ad in the Tallahassee Democrat that advertised their current science exhibit, Dinosaurs, and immediately told my wife that we had to go to that. I'll admit, that ever since my childhood days, I have been fascinated with dinosaurs. In fact, fascinated might not be a strong enough word to describe my obsession with the prehistoric. One of my greatest aspirations about being a Dad has always been the ability to share this obsession with my own son. I'm proud to admit, that over the last few months, he has begun to become fascinated with them as well. So needless to say, I was excited to take our family on this prehistoric adventure.

We ventured out this morning into what this Florida native will call freezing weather and were very happy to walk into the warm confines of the Brogan Museum. We were greeted upon our entry by a huge pteranadon hanging over the main entrance, and after paying our entry fee ($10.00 for adults, $5.00 for children over 2, Free for children 2 and under) we were on our way back in time. There are nine dinosaurs on display, all animated and many voiced, as you might see at a theme park attraction. In fact one of the first exhibits you see is a robot dinosaur demonstrating how they move. This may have been my son's favorite part of the exhibit because it featured a button panel that allowed you to be able to make the dinosaur move and roar. My son begged to come back and play with "the robot" over and over.

Once you pass the robot, you're in to the main exhibit. While it was a bit smaller than I was expecting, it was still very enjoyable. In addition to the afore mentioned Pteranadon, you will also see a number of other dinosaurs including a Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus, Triceratops, and of course the Tyrannosaurus Rex. All are animated and voiced so that they resemble an actual dinosaur, but are also displayed in a "natural" environment with great mood lighting as well. You're not going to be fooled into thinking that you're seeing the real thing, aside from the knowledge that they've long been extinct, the clicking and clacking of their hydraulics are readily apparent. However, if you're a fan of dinosaurs as I am, it is still very enjoyable. In fact, my son asked to go back through the exhibit several times, and his Dad was more than happy to oblige.

Once we finished with the Dinosaur exhibit on the first floor we made our way up to the second floor which is full of entertaining, hands-on exhibits. This area will appeal mainly to children, but there were quite a few exhibits that I thoroughly enjoyed; most notablly, the whispering dish exhibit. There were two dishes separated across the room from one another, if you spoke closely into one of the dishes, someone standing all the way at the other could hear you. I'm still perplexed at how it works, but I was clearly able to hear my wife and son speaking on their end.

While we enjoyed this floor, my son had a great time turning on lights and making things make different sounds, this was also the one area of disappointment I had with the museum. Its apparent that many of the exhibits here are a bit run down. I'm afraid that upon repeated visits, that the exhibits here will become a bit boring. This floor needs a bit of TLC to bring it up to the standard of the rest of the museum. Hopefully at some point, it can receive it, however its not run down to the point that it detracts upon your visit.

Finally we made our way up to the third floor which houses the art exhibits. The current exhibit is The Kinsey Collection, which is described as:

an extensive exhibition drawn from the artistic and historical treasures collected by California residents and FAMU alumni, Bernard and Shirley Kinsey. THE KINSEY COLLECTION presents the journey of the Kinseys as they embrace and acquire art and artifacts. From rarely seen slave owners’ documents and brilliant expressions in paint to glimpses into private eighteenth and nineteenth-century lives, THE KINSEY COLLECTION reflects a rich cultural and historical heritage which they hope to preserve for future generations.

This exhibit covered the entire floor, and included a large amount of art and historical artifacts. Unfortunately, none was really in the styles that tend to interest me. It was however very well displayed, and if it is of the style or theme that interests you then I'm certain that you'll enjoy it greatly. Looking on the website at some of the previous displays, I see several that I probably would have enjoyed and am very interested to see what they bring next.

In addition to the current exhibits at the Museum, The Brogan also hosts a number of other smaller events every month including the Brogan Buddies program (an event focused on preschoolers) and the art for all program which takes place every Saturday. We found the Museum and upcoming events enjoyable enough that we decided to purchase a membership for the year. There are a number of different memberships you can purchase, we decided on the membership for two which is only $35 dollars a year. Since our son will be two through most of next year he'll still get in free. If you have older children you'll need the family membership which is $50. We were able to place our earlier paid entry fee towards the membership so it only cost us an additional $15 which we felt was a great deal.

The Specifics:
The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science
350 S. Duval St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: (850) 513-0700
Website: theBrogan.org
Hours: Monday - Saturday 10:00am - 5:00pm
Sunday 1:00pm - 5:00pm

If you're interested in the either the Dinosaur exhibit or the Kinsey Collection, they are currently slated to be showing through March 2010.

The Winter Festival Write-up

2009-12-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

Editor's Note: I apologize for the lateness of this post. Christmas Travel delayed me from finishing the write-up. I've decided to post a short, and unfortunately, late entry anyhow.

The Tallahassee Winter Festival is an annual Tallahassee tradition for families of all ages. Unfortunately, this year it was cut a bit short due to budget shortfalls, and its a shame because downtown Tallahassee lit up is beautiful. Instead, this year it was cut back to only a few weeks. It was still great fun however.

My family headed out last Saturday night to take in all the sights and sounds. Unfortunately, we didn't get to experience everything as we had some previous family obligations that took up much of the afternoon. So instead of getting there in the early afternoon and checking out all the vendors and exhibits that were on display, we only made it for the main events, the lighting ceremony, the start of the Jingle Bell Run, and of course, the parade.

While these were enjoyable, there's not a lot to talk about. The lighting ceremony was breathtaking as usual, with downtown Tallahassee springing to life with the colors of Christmas on all of the large oak trees and my son was especially dazzled by many of the lights. I should mention that he loves lights and there are plenty of them here. Shortly thereafter, the Jingle Bell Run began. With no one running that I knew I wasn't too interested except to marvel at the short shorts many runners were wearing, I haven't mentioned yet, but it was very cold.

As the runners took off, we staked out a spot for the parade. I highly recommend finding a roadside spot early, because they do fill up quickly. The parade was enjoyable, but nothing to truly point out. Its a typical parade with all the local businesses and organizations out to display their floats. The catch in this parade, is that its at night, and all the entries are supposed to use Christmas lights on their floats. While there were a few that were interesting, there was nothing truly spectacular to point out. However my son, aside from the loud noises of the police sirens, did enjoy the parade, especially the large amount of loot he piled up from the passing entries. I guess it helps to have a cute kid with you as I think someone from every float stopped to personally hand him candy, a small toy, or the like.

Finally, after about an hour and a half, the parade ended with the traditional fire engine bearing Santa Claus. This was my only real complaint, the parade was very long and occassionally had spacing issues which made it longer. It was close to 9:30 by this point and time to head home as it was well past my sons bedtime. We did have good time as a family however, and if you have younger children, I highly recommend this as a fantastic family outing. Next year I hope to have more time to truly take in all the festival has to offer.

The Tallahassee Winter Festival is this weekend.

2009-12-17T18:24:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take a quick moment to remind all of my readers that the Tallahassee Winter Festival takes place this weekend. If you're thinking that's a bit late, it is. The Festival normally kicks off weeks earlier, but due to dwindling budgets this year it had to be pushed back a few weeks.

If you're unfamiliar with the festival, the official website has this brief description:

"Welcome to the "Winter Festival - A Celebration of Lights, Music, and the Arts." The City of Tallahassee is proud to present its annual Celebration of Lights, honored by the Southeast Tourism Society as one of the top 20 events in the southeastern region of the United States. Designed to bring together friends, families, and treasured visitors, the Celebration of Lights is chock-full of fun and entertainment sure to please everyone in attendance."

The Festival kicks off Friday night with a special visit by Santa Claus and seasonal music at Kleman Plaza. The main festivities will begin on Saturday from 3:00-10:00 PM with vendors, the Jingle Bell Run, the Lighting Ceremony, and of course, the Nighttime Holiday Parade.

I hope to attend with my family if all goes well so you can expect a full report after the fact, but that will be too late for you to attend. So make sure to mark your calendar's as this is always a great time.

For more information, visit the official Tallahassee Winter Festival website.

Piggy's BBQ:

2009-12-16T06:08:00.000-08:00

If there is one thing I like to do above much of anything else, it is to eat. And if there is one type of food I enjoy above all else, it is BBQ. Unfortunately, until recently, Tallahassee has not had much in the way of great BBQ. Certainly, we've had BBQ restaurants, but none that have ever struck me as true BBQ. I must admit, I am a bit of a BBQ snob. True BBQ should be so tender that you can cut it with a plastic fork, so juicy that you have to go through quite a few napkins, and so flavorful that the sauce is not needed. Unfortunately there hasn't been a single place around Tallahassee who has met those requirements, until now.

Piggy's BBQ opened its new location just a few short months ago and has quickly rocketed to the top of the charts in the BBQ hierarchy. Piggy's began as a small catering company and slowly began to develop a large amount of fans through its amazing offerings at local events and functions. By the time it opened into a full fledged restaurant, there fans were beating down the doors. Is it worth all the hype? I say 100% yes.

The food at Piggy's is simply to die for if you love great BBQ done right. They offer meats from all the major styles including Pork Ribs, Beef Brisket (make sure you get there early, once it's gone, it's gone), Pulled Pork (they even offer NC Style vinegar based BBQ sauce!), Smoked Sausage, and Chicken. And everyone of these meats is done right, smoked for hours until its absolutely perfect. In addition, they often offer special meats of the day such as smoked ham, smoked turkey, smoked meatloaf, etc... You simply cannot go wrong with any of their meats, I've loved every single thing I've tried.

In addition to their meats they have a large number of sides to choose from including BBQ Beans, Corn Casserole, Cheesy Broccoli Casserole, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole (my absolute favorite), Cole Slaw, French Fries, Green Beans, Mac & Cheese (my wife's favorite), and Potato Salad. While the sides are good they don't blow me away like the meats do. But that's fine, you don't go to a BBQ restaurant for their amazing sides, you go for the meat, and I've gone back a number of times.

Eating at Piggy's is a great experience as well. It's an interesting concept. Instead of your typical full service restaurant its more like what we've seen at Moes and the like. All the food is prepared in bulk ahead of time, and while that seemed strange to me at first, I soon realized its perfect as that's the only way to properly prepare BBQ anyhow due to the long cooking times. You enter the line, view the food in front of you and make your selections. The great thing about this concept is that even on days when the line is out the door, you have your food and are eating in just a matter of minutes. And don't worry, everything is always wonderfully warm and tasty.

Our favorite days to visit are on Wednesday nights and Saturdays since these are kids eat free days. The food is very affordable and my wife, son, and myself can always eat until we're full for well under 20 dollars. Most sandwiches are around 7 - 8 dollars and that includes a side and a drink, and most plates around 8-9 dollars. The restaurant is also beautifully decorated and you'd be hard pressed to realize its locally owned by the decor. From the wonderful sign out front, to the food lineup on the wall, and the hi-def tv's in the corners, everything is done first rate here. The only thing you need to be aware of is their hours. They're not open all day long like most restaurants, due to the smoking time needed of the meats their hours are a bit more sporadic than most. I've listed their operating hours at the bottom of this post.

I highly suggest you visit. If you love good BBQ you will not be disappointed here. There simply is no better establishment in town.

The Specifics:
Piggy's BBQ
1887 Capital Circle
Tallahassee, FL 32308
Phone: (850) 668-BBQ1
Website: PiggysBBQ.com
Hours: Mon - Fri 11 AM-2:30 PM, 5-9 PM
Sat 11 AM-9 PM, Sun 11 AM-3 PM

Welcome...

2009-12-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the brand new "Out and About in Tally" blog. I hope that you find the information presented here helpful and engaging.

I have lived in the wonderful city of Tallahassee for years. While I have moved away at times, something has always drawn me back. And like many others who have grown to love Tallahassee, I've not been immune to its criticisms. Tallahassee isn't a big city; it doesn't have the bright lights and lifestyle that many larger cities do; and like a younger brother, there are times where we are envious of those who do. But that does not mean that Tallahassee is a backwoods town as I have heard it compared at times.

Tallahassee has many wonderful qualities, and as a new father I've begun to appreciate the family lifestyle that it has to offer. I have created this blog in the hopes of sharing many of the wonderful events, locations, and recreation that Tallahassee has to offer. I've also begun this blog for my own personal growth. Over time I've found myself so busy with work and family that I haven't taken the time to truly learn what Tallahassee has to offer. This blog is as much my own journey of exploration of the wonderful city that I live in as it is a desire to inform.

Throughout this blog you will hear from myself, Kevin Carter, as your primary narrator; but at times my family may join in to share their opinions and thoughts as well. I am not only a college educator in the field of Information Technology, but also a husband to a beautiful wife and a father to an amazing, energetic son. My wife, Tiffany, is currently a stay at home mom to our 2 year old son Caleb. It is our hope that as we explore all that there is to do in the city of Tallahassee, that you too will be informed, and desire to do so as well.

I'd also like to say a brief word of thanks to a good friend of ours and my wife's best friend, Erica Humbert. Without her inspiration this blog would not exist. I will have to admit to not possessing the greatest of creativity at times. In fact I stole the very idea and name of this blog from her; with her blessings of course. She runs a very similar website out of Jacksonville which has proved to be successful in both informing others of the events around them but enriching her life as well. If you're interested in reading her many adventures I urge you to do so by clicking this link.

So thank you for visiting, and I hope that you enjoy following us along on our many adventures. Feel free to comment as it inspires me to write more. If you know of any events that we might enjoy please pass them along. It is my greatest desire that together, we may form a community of friends who will learn to enjoy our city to a far greater extent..

Until next time,

Kevin Carter