Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

IMAX Space Adventure Hubble – St. Augustine, Fl

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Latest IMAX Space Adventure Hubble Blasts Off From World Golf Hall of Fame IMAX® Theater

Blast off with the Atlantis STS-125 crew to experience Hubble’s awe-inspiring imagery and also to witness some of the most challenging spacewalks ever performed. Through the power of IMAX, Hubble will enable viewers to journey through distant galaxies to explore the grandeur and mysteries of our celestial surroundings, and accompany space-walking astronauts as they attempt some of the most difficult and important tasks in NASA’s history.

Look into the Hubble Space Telescope
Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, the film will offer an inspiring and unique look into the Hubble Space Telescope’s legacy and highlight its profound impact on the way we view the universe and ourselves. Hubble is an IMAX and Warner Bros. Pictures production, in cooperation with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The film is recommended for general audiences and has a running time of 43 minutes.

Glow-in-the-dark Golf, Dinner and the movie
The adventure begins on Friday March 19, 2010, with an “Out-of-this-World VIP Dinner and Movie Package” featuring a dinner buffet at Fairways Café from 6 to 7:15 p.m. The package includes glow-in-the-dark golf at the Hall of Fame’s 18-hole putting course from 7:15 to 8 p.m., authentic meteorite fragments for each guest and chances to win prizes including lunch with an astronaut at Kennedy Space Center and a star registry kit. The feature presentation, Hubble, will be shown at 8:15 p.m. VIP tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for children ages four through 12 and may be purchased by calling (904) 940-4118. General admission tickets for the 8:15 p.m. show are also available for purchase.

NASA flight suit Photo Op and More
The following day, Saturday, March 20, families can enjoy a variety of activities around the new film from noon to 3 p.m. including photo opportunities with a NASA flight suit, NASA items on display, courtesy of Kennedy Space Center, a bounce house, Cold Stone Creamery samples and an assortment of giveaways. Guests also can enjoy the theater’s “Cosmic Combo” which offers $2 off a large popcorn and drink. Hubble will run at noon, 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday.

For tickets and show times, call (904) 940-IMAX or visit www.WorldGolfIMAX.com.
hubble

St Augustine Lions Seafood Festival 2010

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Spring is the time for festivals on the coast. The air is cool and fresh, and it’s a great time to be outdoors. In St Augustine it’s time for the annual St. Augustine Lions Seafood Festival.  Here you can of course get  great seafood  nearly any way you want it, but you can also enjoy  live  music from bluegrass, to folk and country music.

There will also be more than 100 arts and crafts exhibitors at the event.  This is a fun event for the whole family.  You can even win groceries, gifts and prizes. The festival is held at Francis Field at 25 W. Castillo Drive next to the Visitors Center. Festival hours are 3-9 p.m. on Friday, March 12th, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is only $2 for adults. Net proceeds go to Lions Club charities.

Visit www.lionsfestival.com for more information.

First Friday Art Walk March 2010 – St Augustine, Fl

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The First Friday Art walk is one of St. Augustine’s most popular events. The art walk for March 2010 is scheduled for Friday March 5, 2010, from 5 – 9 p.m., rain or shine!

Start your artwalk at any of the participating AGOSA galleries and pick up a free map – or click here to download the map!

As usual there is a FREE Artwalk Train and a FREE Artwalk Trolley. Just hop on board starting at 6pm on King Street. The train and the trolley each make a loop around town to the galleries about every 15 minutes.

Enjoy exhibits, music, entertainment and refreshments at over 20 participating galleries around town.

For more information about the event, please call 904.829.0065 or visit www.staugustinegalleries.com.

artwalk-st-augustine

The Sack of St Augustine 2010

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This is a great opportunity to relive history in St Augustine when the Historic Florida Militia re-enacts the Sack of St. Augustine, March 6th, 2010. The sack happened back in the year of 1668. Captain Robert Searle and his privateers left Jamaica and set course for St Augustine to loot the silver ingots held in the royal coffers at St. Augustine.

At the encampment at the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park on Magnolia Drive, visitors can relive history. Take an up-close look at authentic 17th century arms, equipment and food at the encampment.
(The camp is set up Friday thru Sunday)

Then, on Saturday March 6, the buccaneers will gather and proceed to the Plaza de la Constitucion in downtown historic district of St Augustine. At 5 p.m. they will attack Spanish soldiers and St. Augustine citizens. Townspeople and soldiers will flee up St. George Street to the Redoubt at Orange and Cordova Streets in the Historic St Augustine.

For more information, please call 904.534.6168 or visit the website

The World Sword Swallowers Day

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I don’t know how they do it.  Really.  What possesses a person to even try to swallow a sword?  How does it work, or is it all just made up?  When I was a kid, a boy next door had one of these fake, plastic swords that collapse when you pushed a button. You could make it look real, without any trouble.  I was wondering if that’s what they do, the real sword swallowers.

What made me start thinking about the whole thing was a press release that showed up in my inbox the other day.  It’s a mad, mad world – at least at Odditoriums around the world when Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is “crossing swords” with the Sword Swallowers Association for a special celebration of the Fourth Annual World Sword Swallower’s Day.  Nowadays everyone seems to have a “day”,  so why should sword swallowers be any different.  Go “Fourth and Swallow” I say.

A Bitter Pill To Swallow

Back to the issue at hand, is it real or is it all a fake? To find the answer, I went and did some research online. The first place I visited was of course the www.sword swallow.com – a website with a lot of general information about…should we say, the sport or maybe the art form?

Before you click on the link below, I must warn you. I found these xrays a bit difficult to stomach, but the images proved it to me.  There’s no magic or funny business going on here. All you have to do is to repress reflexes in your throat so you can swallow the sword.  Sounds like a logical explanation, but I’m wondering how on earth you practice to get to that point?

If you feel inclined to learn more about sword swallowing, and you want to check out the xrays for yourself – click here.  Remember, I did warn you.
Watch xrays of sword swallowers here
I still wonder, who wakes up one day and says “I really would like to learn how to swallow a sword”?  Apparently some do, because on February 27th more than 25 sword swallowers will be performing around the world to honor the special Sword Swallower’s day.

Sword Swallowing will take place at Odditoriums worldwide on February 27 at exactly 2:27:10 pm.  Get it – 02/27/2010 – all this is  in celebration of the Fourth Annual World Sword Swallowers Day at Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

Swords to be Swallowed in St Augustine Too!

Sword swallower Ted Campbell will perform at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! St. Augustine Odditorium on Saturday, February 27th at 2:27 pm local time – all part of World Sword Swallowers Day.
Come watch Campbell show off his amazing sword swallowing skills for free. Sword swallowing shows begin around 1:30 pm local time, with the grand finale set for 2:27 pm.

The Odditorium is located at 19 San Marco Ave., 904-824-1606.

Nerves of Steel
It is said that more than 100 feet of solid steel is set to go down the hatch – hopefully without a scratch! Just the thought of it makes me nervous.

It all started a long, long time ago.  Actually the art of sword swallowing began more than 4,000 years ago in India.  According to the information we received the practitioner “uses mind-over-matter techniques to control the body and repress natural reflexes to insert solid steel blades from 15 to 25 inches down the esophagus and into the stomach”.  Sword swallowers used to be common in traveling circuses, but now there are less than a few dozen full-time professional sword swallowers around the world.

World Sword Swallowers Day was founded by the Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) and is co-sponsored by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! locations around the world.

On February 27, SSAI sword swallowers will be performing at more than a dozen Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, including: New York City; Orlando and St. Augustine in Florida; Hollywood, Calif.; Niagara Falls, Can.; Ocean City, Md.; Atlantic City, N.J.; Gatlinburg, Tenn.; Branson, Mo.; Grand Prairie, Texas; Surfers Paradise, Australia; and Guadalajara, Mexico.

Highlights at Believe It or Not! locations during the day will include:

· Red Stewart will attempt to swallow a world record 52 swords at one time in Atlantic City.
· Dai Andrews will attempt to swallow a very dangerous 120-degree curved Sword at Ocean City.
· Dan Meyer will swallow hedge clippers and a giant straight razor in Grand Prairie, Texas.
· Erik Kloeker, the youngest professional sword swallower in the world will perform in Gatlinburg.
· Travis Fessler will swallow a sword with his mouth full of live cockroaches in Gatlinburg.
· George The Giant, the world’s tallest sword swallower, will attempt to swallow a giant 33-inch long sword in Hollywood.
· A bevy of swallowers, led by legendary Todd Robbins, will perform at New York City’s Ripley’s.
· Mike Harrison will swallow a bayonet, rammed down his throat by a rifle, in Orlando.

For more information, visit www.ripleys.com