“SEALIFE ENCOUNTERS”

SPIRIT OF THE RED RIVER CRUISES

SPLASH KINGDOM WATERPARK

GATORS AND FRIENDS

Planning a summer vacation with tightening budgets and everincreasing gas prices can overwhelm any family’s travel agent and even make for an almost impossible task. With some clever and enterprising approaches, the family getaway does not have to get away.

Both Shreveport and Bossier draw tourists from across the state and Ark-La-Tex, so staying in town not only saves on hotel and gas costs, but also keeps the economy stimulated by keeping spent dollars local.

According to the most recent report conducted by the U.S. Travel Association for the state tourism office, visitors to Caddo and Bossier parishes made $935.8 million in travel-related expenditures and left behind $22 million in local taxes, which Brandy Evans, vice president of communications for the Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau, said is an extremely important industry to the local economies.

Evans said tourism numbers are relatively steady from February (due to Mardi Gras) to July (Independence Day celebrations), when they slow before picking up again from September to October, due largely in part to the Red River Revel Arts Festival.

“We are largely a leisure travel destination, with leisure travelers making up 69 percent of our visitors, according to a study conducted by Destination Exploration in December 2012,” Evans said.

In-state visitors make up a significant number of those tourists, Evans said.

“We are actually running a Dallas/regional summer campaign to promote all of the wonderful things [tourists] can see and do in Shreveport this summer, such as gaming, festivals and attractions,” Evans said.

Although many tourists are drawn to the casinos (including the recently opened Margaritaville Resort Casino) and the Louisiana Boardwalk, there are many other

Continued from Page 19 unique opportunities for tourists and locals looking to experience something different, Evan said.

SCI-PORT: LOUISIANA’S SCIENCE CENTER

For students looking to keep their

mind engaged during the summer or for adults with an appetite to learn how things work, Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center is a unique place that houses interactive exhibits, rooftop programs and the only IMAX dome theater in the state.

Awarded the 2012 Attraction of the Year by the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association, Sci-Port features 290 hands-on exhibits, 70 interactive programs and demonstrations, a space

center, planetarium, IMAX dome theater, cafe and gift shop, all in 92,000 square feet. Local residents (Caddo Parish and Bossier City) can visit the center on the first Tuesday of every month for $3 between 10 a.m. and noon. IMAX shows are at a discounted rate during that time.

Visitors can expect to learn everything from how a toilet flushes to how to harness heat from the sun to cook hot dogs and what the planets are made of. Throughout the summer, there are various camps for youth to attend and attractions for adults alike.

“We try and provide programming for all ages throughout the year, but during the summer, we have activities for ages 2 to 92,” Karen Wissing, public relations and communications manager for Sci-Port, said.

Currently, Sci-Port’s main traveling exhibit is “SeaLife Encounters,” where visitors can learn and explore wonders of the deep blue, how the sun and moon affect tides, as well as weather patterns. Visitors also have the chance to touch and feed live, wild stingrays (with defensive barbs removed) at an additional cost. The exhibit will be at

Sci-Port through July 14.

There are also camps during the week for children to come and learn different topics at Itty Bitty Scientists: Little Learners. Students can drop in and are able to attend with the price of admission. For adults looking for a more mature science experience, Science on the Rocks is held at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of the month in different locations. Adults can expect to learn the science behind wine, hypnosis and horror films.

“Bring a sense of curiosity, because we’re definitely going to ignite it,” Wissing said. For more information on upcoming events, visit www.sciport.org, or visit 424-3466.

SPLASH KINGDOM

When the heat and humidity get to

be too much, locals can visit Splash Kingdom Waterpark to cool down in a new Banzai Slide, a 26-foot slide tower with five slides attached, a beach-front pool, a turtle slide, gator slide and a lazy river. The park is undergoing facelifts and visitors have access to three kitchens at the park.

Splash Kingdom is open at 11 a.m. daily, and tickets are $21.95 plus tax for visitors taller-than 42 inches and $16.95 plus tax for those shorter than 42 inches. Discounts are available for seniors and military. For more information, visit www.splashkingdomwaterpark.com.

GATORS AND FRIENDS

For locals looking to view one of the

Pelican State’s most notorious residents up close, Gators and Friends offers 200 American alligators to observe. In addition to the alligators, the center, located in Greenwood, has a petting zoo where the entire family can walk through and pet miniature horses, kangaroos, deer, goats, llamas and more; guests can also assist with feeding times. Gators and Friends recently added a zip line that traverses the park for guests more than 60 pounds.

Adult admission into the park is $7.95; children 3 to 12 are $5.95 and feed for the animals can also be purchased for $2. For more information, visit www.gatorsandfriends.com, or call 938-1199.

ARTSPACE

Children who are fans and enthusiasts of Fox/Blue Sky Studios’ recent film “Epic” will want to be sure to visit Shreveport’s artspace to see “Moonhaven: Lair of the Leafmen,” the exhibit modeled after it. Children can visit the center and be transported into the movie’s world, complete with an interactive playground, hands-on activities, workshops and events.

Modeled after William Joyce’s children’s book, “Epic” was first transformed into a play produced by the Strand Theatre, before it was made

into a movie. Visitors can visit the world inside the book at the “FUN- A-TORIUM,” complete with life-size windchimes, clothespins and other objects.

“There is something kids at any age and adults can do and have a good time doing it,” said Tiana Kennell, SRAC media coordinator. “It’s all here at artspace.”

Aside from the current “Epic” exhibit, artspace also displays local talent, allowing visitors to connect to different forms of art.

“Many visitors do not realize we have a cafe to eat lunch if they are here during that time, complete with a kids’ menu, and even a cash bar on the first floor,” Kennell said. “There is also a gift shop selling books, posters and other books by Joyce.”

Moonhaven will run through July 27. For more information, visit www. artspaceshreveport.com.

SPIRIT OF THE RED RIVER CRUISE

For visitors who are

curious or locals who are not quite sure why the Red River is so named, Capt. Sandy Jackson

is available to take passengers and educate them. The one-hour cruise provides local historical and wildlife information, including facts from the Civil War, casinos and what type of animals call the area home.

Jackson said passengers are welcome to board The Spirit of the Red at the top of every hour between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday (the last cruise is at 4 p.m.) at the dock directly across from Sci-Port, facing the Discovery Center.

Jackson said on his tours, he has seen everything from squirrels swimming in the river, to men floating down in a tire on an ice chest, so guests should be prepared for anything; cameras, drinks and food are allowed. Adult tickets are $15, and children are $10. For more information, visit www.redrivercruise. com.