By Nichole Baldino

CSI: The Experience is a traveling exhibit narrated by characters of the hit TV series using interactive and hands-on exhibits to bring to life the scientific fundamentals and principles used in solving crimes. Children and adults alike can learn about the advanced technology and techniques used in situations on the show while using real equipment and viewing multi-media presentations and life-like exhibits.

“You will sample the following science fields and understand their role in cracking crimes: DNA identification, Toxicology, Forensic anthropology, Forensic entomology, Forensic pathology, Forensic art, Firearm and tool mark identification, Information technology, Latent prints, Blood splatter analysis.”

Use your new forensic skills acquired throughout the exhibit to solve the crime mysteries and answer the who, what, where, when, why and how.

Tickets can be purchased at the museum, located at 222 North 20th Street, online, or via phone (1-877-TFI-TIXS).

Day time tickets include museum admission, 9:30am – 5:00pm and are $25.50 and $18.50 for adults and children, respectively. Evening tickets are sold for Friday and Saturday only, 5:00pm – 8:30pm, and do not include museum admission. These tickets can be purchased by adults for $10.00 and children for $6.00. As always, members get the experience for free!

The Franklin Institute is a hands-on science museum dedicated to keeping the mission of Benjamin Franklin alive. He was committed to educating the community about the sciences and the museum strives to continue this. Come in and take part in this educational experience!

By Nichole Baldino

All websites describe this sport as a mini-tennis game that combines techniques and ideas from tennis, ping-pong, and badminton. It’s played with wood and graphite paddles and unique plastic balls that are similar to a wiffle ball. Pickleball is played on a badminton court with the net lowered to 34 inches at the center. It’s named after the cocker spaniel of one of the co-inventors of the game who used to run after loose balls and hide them in the bushes, according to the official USA Pickleball website.

Pickleball, believe it or not, has a strict set of rules; the abbreviated version is five paragraphs long. It begins by stating that “the serve must be hit underhand and each team must play their first shot off the bounce. After the ball has bounced once on each side, then both teams can either volley the ball in the air or play it off the bounce. This is called the ‘double bounce rule’.” No volleying, or hitting the ball before it bounces, is permitted within 7 feet on both sides of the net. This area is also sometimes referred to as the kitchen.

Players can only win points while serving. The game goes to 11 points and a team must win by 2 points, however in some situations the directors can choose to make it 1 point to speed up play.Traditionally Pickleball is played 2 players on each team, however there can be single player games. In this instance, players must serve with their right hand when their score is even and left hand when it’s odd.

Philadelphia is hosting some Pickleball meet-ups at various locations. Currently, you can play outdoors at Pleasant Playground (6757 Chew Avenue) and indoors at Emlen Elementary School (6501 Chew Avenue) on Tuesday evenings from 6:30pm – 9:30 pm and Saturday morning 9:30am – 12:0pm. There are a few other locations and future locations in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs listed online.

Play ball!

With this month of August now becoming “the rainiest month” many parents are looking for ways to keep their kids occupied, and out of the house.

Located in Cherry Hill New Jersey, The Garden State Discovery Museum, is a sanctuary for children of all ages. Whether you have a crawling baby or an eight year old, every child will find something to play with.

This is not your average museum. Here, children are expected to touch and play with everything that is in front of them. At the Garden State Discovery Museum, each exhibit is set up to allow kids to use their imagination and pretend to be whomever they choose.

Enter the Silver Diner, a life-size diner where kids can serve the parents for a change! They can pretend to cook and serve their “guests” in whichever fashion they like. Kids can challenge their own creativity by creating dishes that can be as traditional or untraditional as they want. Never worry about the clean up, all the food is plastic!

After your “meal” head on down to the news station, the Action News Desk to be exact. Here your child can be a reporter, a camera man, or predict the weather. Answer phones, and update the world about what is going on. The camera is actually real, and will broadcast your children across the museum.

Next you can work out and be the professional athlete in you. Go “Get Fit” in this exhibit fully equipped with golfing, basketball, and even The Flyers mini rink! This promotes healthy lifestyles for children and parents.

If adventure is what you want, go see the turtles and reptiles! Here in this exhibit there are ten different turtles, along with Chinese Water Dragons, Australian Bearded Dragons, millipedes, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, snakes, and Tarantulas.

All this fun  is perfect for yet another rainy day, or even a sunny one. Fees for entry are only 10.95 a person, 12 months and up.

The hours are 9:30- 5:30 with plenty of free parking available.

The address is 2040 Springdale Road, Cherry Hill NJ, 08003. For more information please call 856-424-1233.

The Piazza at Schmidts

1050 North Hancock Street

Philadelphia, PA

Philly Weekly’s free summer concert series continues this  Wednesday, August 17th at the Piazza at Schmidts, which will feature three reggae and jam bands. The Piazza kick-off event will be held at 6 pm, featuring Nicos Gun, Cheers Elephant , and Hezekiah Jones.  One of the only free events in the region offering live music from well-known local and national bands, PW continues its 20 year long history of concerts in Philly. The event is free and open to all ages.

Read more about the event’s featured artists:

Nicos Gun

Nicos Gun’s sound renders a punk-rock Michael Jackson vibe. The group’s experimental technique, which takes from disparate music genres, results in mad beats that bear resemblance to artists from the Velvet Underground to Lil B.

Cheers Elephant

Cheers Elephant is a band whose rootsy and  energetic sound dominates the tendency to ‘overproduce,’ which can often identify the music industry. Cheers Elephant embraces a raw, playful sound, but remains solid and pleases the ear. According to local reporter Katie Feeny, “if you like Philadelphia and breathing, you’ll like Cheers Elephant.”

Hezekiah Jones

Hezekiah Jones is a folk-inspired band whose members include a collection of Philadelphia artists. Centered around acclaimed songwriter Raphael Cutrufello, the band offers a full sound and resonating harmonies.

By Nichole Baldino

Smith is the kids play place in the park. It’s located at North 33rd and Oxford Streets in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park and open to the public for free year round except Mondays and holidays. It was developed in the late 1800′s as part of the American Playground Movement, when reformers, social workers and child psychologists grew concerned with the health of urban children and believed that supervised play helped stimulate a child’s mental well-being. Smith first opened in 1899 as a place where urban children can play and interact with each other safely.

Today, Smith exists for the same reasons – with modern and safe playground equipment and an infamous playhouse and giant slide! Smith also hosts regularly scheduled and special events. On August 13th from 10 am -12:30 pm, your 10 and younger friend and you can enjoy Smith’s playground facilities while participating in a beach party luau! It’s a free event with limbo and games, sand-art, bubbles, hula dancing, Hawaiian lei making, and more!

What a great way to get your kids out of the house on what is hopefully going to be a cool summer morning. Stay the whole day and enjoy Smith’s awesome playground equipment.. this is not your (or mine, and I’m only 20) playground anymore. Come see for yourself why Smith is the best kids playground in Philadelphia! Grown-ups will enjoy as well – guaranteed!

For those in the Philadelphia area who crave a creative outlet, regardless of experience, The Blank Canvas Art group offers gatherings for art once every month. On a predetermined Saturday, The Blank Canvas runs from 5-7 pm. Held at the Peace Center of Delaware County, each creativity circle promotes an environment of acceptance and creative adventure. Past gatherings have included collaging, watercolors, writing, and visual journaling. Though its artistic focus changes monthly, The Blank Canvas stresses that it does not simply talk about what it has done in the past, but rather does visual arts and writing.

On Saturday, August 13^th, the Creativity Circle will embrace everyone’s inner child with its event “Coloring Inside and Outside the Lines.” The event promotes writing, drawing, and scribbling – but only with crayons. It may also be noted that the group will use the highly coveted 101 Crayon box that your mom never let you have. The event is free and open to all.

Any questions should be redirected to Laurie Pollack, who can be reached at webpoet1@aol.com or 610.259.5761.

For directions, visit http://www.delcopeacecenter.org/directions.html. To see what The Blank Canvas has done in months past, click here.

 By Laura Robb

Don’t have the time to travel to Lancaster County this summer? Like many of our Philadelphia locals, time and money has restricted us from taking our families on as many excursions as we would like.

If you want to see how the world once was, try to travel down the Atlantic City Expressway to Williamstown, home to the Stoltzfus Farmers Market, located on the Black horse pike.

Nicknamed the Amish Market, due to the large amount of Amish that work the stands, you have the privilege to try some of the freshest foods you can get. First stop must be for the pretzels, where several young women make hundreds of different pretzels each hour, and where the line can stretch halfway down the market.

In the center of the market, is the candy shop, where nearly every candy you know of, and some you never have, are sold at a discounted price, and always served with a smile.

The market has tons of fresh meats butchered on premise. For the health conscious people, this is the place to buy your meats! The meats are free range, and have no hormones, and it is so fresh, there is simply no better tasting foods out there.

The butcher offers fresh cuts of steaks, ground beef, ribs, bacon and more and all at a competitive price. This is a go to place if you happen to be planning any barbeques in the near future.

If you do not really want to cook, there is a prepared foods section, ranging from a large variety of salads to pot roast, baby back ribs, and Mac-and-cheese. You can purchase already cooked foods and just take it home and reheat it.

The bakery, along with everything else is simply delightful. Fresh brownies pies and danishes will bring out the sweet tooth in any one.

Go past the market, and you will find tons of shops, not ran by Amish folk, ranging from and incredible irish wares store, to wicker furniture, to a puppy shop. You can purchase books clothing or even get a massage!

This market is only open Thursday 9 -5 friday 9-8 and Saturdays 8-4, so get there early to get the full experience of this exquisite market!

For directions and more information, please go to www.williamstownfarmersmarket.com

Next time you decide to dine out with a loved one or meet a friend for happy hour drinks, there is a restaurant you may have never heard of and should try.

Max’s Seafood Cafe, located in Gloucester City New Jersey, is a small privately owned restaurant that will impress you from start to finish, and you might go home with a little piece of history along with your leftovers.

This restaurant was once a shoe store, then turned into Leisingers Saloon in 1912, where it operated as a soft drink shop during the prohibition era.

In 1937, it was passed down in the family, and renamed “Max’s Cafe”. The restaurant operated under this name for 65 years, when it finally closed its doors in 1998.

In 2001, the building was bought and completely refurbished, except for the bar. The building showcases dark wood, and gives off an old world charm.

Along the walls of the restaurant, you will find original documents and pictures of the saloon, framed for everyone to see. The dining room is dimly lit, so please remember to bring your glasses.

 Travel downstairs, and you find a beautiful private dining area that can accommodate up to 25 people. A large long table is placed next to a delicate fireplace, and over looks an elegant wine cellar that holds about 2000 different wines.

With a beautiful restaurant, this restaurants menu will not disappoint. Max’s is infamous for their different styles of mussels; red, white, spicy red and Thai. Walking past the tables, you will notice that nearly every party is enjoying at least one large bowl of the Prince Edward Island Mussels. Also, the kitchen offers a daily selection of raw bar delights, with different clams and oysters on the menu.

After appetizers, the entrees are just as enjoyable. The seafood Jambalaya will leave you begging for more. The cedar planked Salmon is another crowd favorite, with a pecan crusted salmon fresh grilled asparagus and a delicious sweet potato and a side of cranberry chutney.

This is a restaurant that you cannot skip dessert at. The fresh made-from-scratch key lime pie with a pistachio crust will probably be the best you have ever had. They also offer different delicious creme brulee` options, with fresh fruits inside the custard.

Top all of the delicious food with a delightful bottle of wine, or a delicious craft beer. There really is a drink here for everyone.

Monday through friday, from 3-6 there are amazing happy hour specials, each day offering various drinks and appetizers at a discounted price.

This is a little hidden gem located just minutes from the Walt Whitman bridge. This restaurant is sure to please anyone’s palate, after just one visit this will be ranked among you favorite places to go.

For more information, please go to www.maxsseafoodcafe.com

In the deluge of urban shops that make up South Street is Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, a folk art environment, gallery space, and nonprofit organization that showcases the work of mosaicist Isaiah Zagar. From outside the gates of this public installation, you can see partially into a carefully constructed mosaic labyrinth. Yet, the outsider’s view of this glass garden – which stretches down a half of a city block – does not speak to the magnitude of Zagar’s intricate mosaic sculpture. Every inch of both the indoor gallery and outdoor mosaic sculpture is covered, with bicycle wheels, glass bottles, different sized mirrors, Zagar’s hand-made tiles, and sculptures hailing from Latin America and Asia.

$5 gets you admission into the garden, where visitors can walk through at their leisure.  A now permanent art institution, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens originated in a vacant lot near Zagar’s studio in 1994. Though the previously vacant lot’s owner attempted to sell the land in 2002, the community backed Zagar’s art, which helped to incorporate it as a nonprofit organization. With Zagar’s artwork permanently preserved, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens makes art more accessible to the South Street community, prompting “civic engagement, community beautification, and artistic collaboration.”

PMG’s artistic collaboration extends to its public programs, which include film screenings, artists-in-residencies, concerts, and gallery openings. Every other Sunday, the Garden is home to a variety of themed, hands-on workshops for families. From noon until 4 pm, “Family Jams” can include book arts projects, poetry workshops, paper mosaics, and tile pin-making. Workshops and activities are free with admission.

If you head down to South Street this Saturday, PMG is hosting ART/GAGE: Celebrate Philly Creativity, the Garden’s fourth annual summer festival. With over 30 art and food vendors, and performances and demonstrations from local organizations, the festival is expected to double in attendance from last year. For ticket prices, visit http://www.phillymagicgardens.org/news/news.

  

According to Maoz Vegetarian, “when it comes to falafel, we are world experts.” A popular fast service restaurant on South Street, Maoz caters to customers who seek high quality ingredients and nutritious vegetarian eating. As vegetarianism becomes an increasingly more accepted and accommodated lifestyle, the restaurant contributes to what Maoz calls an international “vegolution.” Though a growing franchise, Maoz takes on the originality of its neighboring South Street shops and creates an atmosphere that complements a vegetarian lifestyle.

Amsterdam was home to the first Maoz restaurant in 1991. Since then, Maoz has become an internationally recognized falafel brand, with shops in Paris, London, The Netherlands, Spain, and select cities in the U.S. The Maoz on South Street is one of two Philly shops, with the other located on Walnut Street. Though the falafel shop is small – with one table of three and a counter that overlooks South Street – its veggie-friendly food draws in crowds that can affirm vegetarianism’s growing influence on city life.

Oftentimes, vegetarians do not have the luxury of choice when opting to eat out – especially in on-the-go situations. Existing within a sphere of already prominent, and commonly unhealthy, fast service restaurants, Maoz negates the unfavorable qualities such eateries sometimes connote. The Philly falafel shop features fifteen signature salads and sauces made with fresh ingredients from local farmers and purveyors. For a full list of fresh ingredients that Maoz uses, visit  http://www.maozusa.com/menu/ingredients.

For anyone who hasn’t experienced Maoz, the eggplant and hummus Maoz sandwich is a classic. The falafel balls are fresh, and the eggplant and hummus go great with Maoz’ signature salads. If you head to Maoz on a Monday, you can print out this coupon to get 10% off a Salad Meal Deal (or you can mention the words “Meatless Monday” when placing an order).