main street magazine // issue 14

7/27/2019 Main Street Magazine // Issue 14

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July 26, 2013 Issue 14 Volume 2

C I TY CL ICKS9 FILM & TV

Movies are ar less eectiveat portraying emotionwithout the backgroundmusic - even silent lmshad them. Jen walks usthrough how music comesto accompany our avoriteslms in this issue.

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SPORTS TALKAll-Star Games are hit ormiss in the sports world,according to Chris. Heexplains why but alsoshares what his avoritesport or All-Star Games is!

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SUMMER SERIESFor this round in oursummer series, werepinpointing un indooractivities to escape theheat, both in and out oNorman, as well as wateractivities to cool down aswe approach August.

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CRUISING MAINNot much longer until the summer is over and we get back into gear with school starting,ootball season dominating and the weather cooling down.

Until the weather does decide to stop b uring our skin as soon as we walk outside, wehave some great activities to keep you cool and enterta ined, kids or not. Check them outand have a good time!

Until next time, xoxo,

EdITOR-IN-ChIEF Kelli Smith

ART dIRECTORKelli Smith

COPY EdITOR

Ashley Roy

PhOTOGRAPhYMark Doescher

Carey Flack

CONTRIbUTORSJordan Attebury

Mel GuapoJen HerrmannChris JosephMarty LyonsAshley Roy

Shelby SimpsonLacey Swope

AdVERTISING REPRESENTATIVESJoe Wilhite

PUbLIShER

Joe Wilhite

Main Street MagazineP.O. Box 721494

Norman, Oklahoma 73070

Copyright Main Street Magazine

Phone: (405) 321-2400E-mail: [email protected]

Any articles, artwork or graphicscreated by Main Street Magazineor its contributors are sole property oMain Street Magazine and cannotbe reproduced or any reason without

permission. Any opinions expressed inMain Street are not necessarily that o

Main Street management.

SOCIAL MEdIA

Kelli SmithEditor-in-Chie

MAINSTREET MAGAZINE

MAIN ATTRACTIONVaping has becomea new trend, but itsdicult to nd solid,consistent inormation onthe practice. Shelby laysout her interpretation othe acts and introducesreaders to the local FlavorVapor - which might be agodsend i youre tryingto quit cigarettes!

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Summer is in ull swing, both rom a calendar and meteorological standpoinhas lited all the way up into Canada, taking the upper-level energy and storalong with it. That leaves us with these hot summertime temps, sunny skies awill hit you in the ace when you step outside.

Typically, you have better odds o nding a longhorn jersey in the student seOklahoma Memorial Stadium than you do receiving rain in the month o Julyhas been the exception to the rule in Central OK. We have had a couple cothat storm system that moved in rom the e ast, both providing us with some aI would love to go on about how these things ormed and the science behindthrow in some words like cyclogenesis, retrograde and omega block, but Ill extreme nerdy side tucked away or now. Overall we have had above-avwhich has led to more days below 100 degrees than we have had days abotreat this has been considering the last ew years have been scorchers with hand numerous wildres!

Now we are about to stick a ork in July and call it done! August is sure to bbut may throw a ew curve balls into our climatology as well. More on that lnow enjoy the rare rain when you get it; just stay o the roads in Norman wWe ALL know why.

Lacey Swope Te Swope

COOLWATERACTIVITIES

INDOORS

LOCAL SPORTS8


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You a smoker?

I was. I adored it for a solid ten years. When I was ready to quit, it turned outI was a full-blown addict. Saying goodbye didnt go well. Then vaping enteredmy life.

OK vaping. Ill start by saying you need to do your own research to d etermineyour health s tance on th e subject, and that can be sticky (pun intended). Theinformation available is scattered (most available via the Internet, which totally

has the best and most trusted information ever) and seems to be extremelyweighted toward a hating stance or an all-encompassing love of vaping. As Isaid, be a critical thinker. Dig for evidence. Dis the sheep costume.

Your research may seem hindered due to vaping still being a partiallyunderground movement here in the U.S. E-cigs are not regulated yet. Bigtobacco companies are waging war. Last year e-cigs equaled $300 million insales. That number is expected to double each year into the future because asa quitting method, e-cigs have stepped up as the star of the quitting-smokingshow.

Vaping isnt ne w. Its just new to us. It started in China years ago. Now itsworldwide. So, heres what I believe to be true from the research Ive conducted.Vaping isnt healthy or majorly unhealthy. Its not meant to be done for a lifetime.Its a method to wean you off smoking cigarettes, just like the patch, lozengesor gum.

When you vape, you are pufng on a device that vaporizes a liquid you inhale.The liquid is made up of:

A) USP (United States Pharmacopeia)-grade PG (Propy lene Glycol) usedin food avorings, cosmetics, asthma inhalers, the articial smoke at rockconcerts and antifreeze. (Propylene Glycol is not antifreeze. It is one of manycomponents used in antifreeze. Its natural. Look it up. Decide how you feel

about it.)

B) And/or USP-grade VG (Vegetable Glycerin more syrupy, and derivedfrom veggies).

C) A selectable amount of nicotine (derived from tobacco. The ef fects of nicotineitself are similar to that of caffeine. There is no evidence nicotine causes anysubstantial risk for cancer, and research shows the risk for cardiovasculardisease from nicotine is minimal.)

D) Articial Flavoring (derived from different types of tobacco and/or food/candy avorings).

There. Thats whats supposed to be in your e-cig. Each vaping store purchasestheir avors from different places. Some make the mixes themselves. Others uselabs in the U.S. A few places purchase from China. You can buy your avorsonline or try to get your vape store to give you more information about wherethey get their avors. Good luck with that. Its frustrating because its hard toget clean information on any of this. Most owners of vape stores wont give youmuch information on their avors because they dont want their Willy Wonkarecipe stolen. They could be putting whatever they want in the mix. Thats why

you conduct your own research when you start vaping. Find out what youreputting in your body.

From what Ive learned, I believe if you are currently smoking cigarettes, youshould trade those 43 carcinogens for the four ingredients listed above. Dothis by going to a vape store you trust. Grill them about their avors. Ask amillion questions, and if they dont know or wont tell you answers, move on tosomeone who will.

In Norman, I trust Flavor Vapor at 300 W Grey St. The owner Randy got into thebusiness because he watched his grandmother pass away due to emphysemaand COPD. He wanted his family, which was full of smokers, to not suffer thesame demise. He craved a better alternative to smoking for himself. He startedFlavor Vapor with intention, and he pays attention to its role in the health of itsclients.

In my opinion, I believe that over time vaping will replace cigarettes. Not thatthe tobacco industry wont exist. I believe they will coexist. What vaping will dois force big tobacco to nd better, healthier, safer alternatives to their products.Randy feels strongly about his business. Hes shocked by its current success but

very pleased.

Ive learned there are tons of people out there that want to be healthier buthavent found a great solution yet to quitting. Vaping is a turn in the rightdirection for them, and its a fairly easy transition. Its shocking. For probably

90% of the people that walk in here, I could take their pack of cigs away, andthey would never touch them again once they walk out. People are actuallybecoming healthier by using this product, and its coming quite easily to them.

I didnt know my demographic. I thought vaping would be more of a fad foryounger ge nerations to get into, but Ive quickly learned its not the youngergenerations that want it. Its the older ones that are trying to get healthy so theycan be around for their kids. I think its working. How awesome is that?

Randy and I have talked in-depth many times. His place is clean an d organized.His team takes care of you, and they are patient while talking you through the

vaping process, making sure you understand wha t youre getting into. This isreally nice compared to other places Ive gone. Ive walked in some that seemedmore like an episode of21 Jump Streetwhere the young under covers are at aparty where a weird new drug is being passed around like candy. Extremelyblas and inattentive workers milled about behind desks that were covered in

various vaping parapherna lia. They didnt seem to care about the situation, letalone explaining to me the ins and outs of the vaping world. Also, some of the

vaping centers Ive entered we re swarming with humans like a giant beehive.Literally, it was shoulder-to-shoulder humans being hustled in and out of whatfelt like an adult snow cone stand.

For me, because smoking was one of my best friends, and getting rid of a bestfriend is gut wrenching, I dont want to be treating my attempt at quitting as

such a ippant, stressful and dissatisfying process. I want to go somewhere thatfeels more intimate, more professional and, most of all, well informed.

It seems to me Flavor Vapor takes vaping seriously. Randy makes sure its thatway, as he should, cons idering its not fruit hes selling. He kn ows his productis still being tested, but he believes its better to get people off cigarettes andonto vaping, because its the rst step to having no smoking habit in your life

whatsoever. That is the ultimate goal.

If you want to quit smoking, try hitting up Flavor Vapor. For now, vaping is moreaffordable than smoking cigarettes, and it cant be worse than sucking on thestrychnine and arsenic sticks that pose as your buddy but are not doubt tryingto kill you every chance they get. If other quitting methods led you right back to

your ashtray, pack in hand, why not try something new? Vape it up.

Shelby Simpson

Vape em if You Got em

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The ootball season is closing in on us, thus the start o another highschool ootball season here in Norman. The Tigers will be replacinga three-headed monster in the oensive backeld, but the oensiveline looks to once again be a strong point o the Tiger team.

Head coach Greg Nation has the luxury o having someone likeJake Stinson retur ning on the oensive line. The 60, 270-poundsenior oensive guard is a returning start and will make his secondyear as a starter or the varsity team.

I spoke with Nation about Jake and asked what made Jakeso special. Jake plays the game with re and intensity and his

competitiveness is unmatched, said Nation. Stinson is a two-timequalier or the state wrestling tournament and was a member o theunder-16 national team.

Looking or a good lineman? Get a wrestler. Look at ormer Soonerstandout Kelly Gregg, who spent over a decade in the NationalFootball League. He was a national champion Greco-Romanwrestler. Strong legs and the understanding o how to use leveragemake Stinson such a good guard on the oensive line.

Local schools are showing interest in Stinson, like NEO, UCO andSWOSU. I Jake wants to pursue a uture at the next level in ootball,then the opportunity will be there or him. As ar as the seasoncoming up, watch or Jake to really lead the way or the Tigersoensive line, as I am sure a dominant ground game is in the cardsor the nation-led Tigers.

On a team that was loaded with many talented weapons, a ew othose returning this year, and the addition o big-armed quarterbackDavid Cornwell, Tyler Sipe may be one o the most underrated playersin the state to keep an eye on during this upcoming season.

The Timberwolves had an all-state wide receiver in Jake Higgenbothem,alongside two other talented receivers that played the bulk o theseason and put up record-setting numbers. Tyler Sipe did not have thebig numbers as most o the oensive skilled players, but Sipe came onlate and made some huge plays that showcased his talents that havethe Timberwolves coaching sta very excited about having multipleweapons at their disposal this year.

Tyler Sipe is a combination o size, strength and speed, along withgood hands. Sipe can play tight end or split out and play receiverwith the best o them. Sipe plays the game with a ton o energy andemotion and was a big spark at crucial times during last season. Thisyear the Timberwolves are looking or the same.

Sipe is looking to have a big year and play at the next level. Thereare many division-one schools that are looking at Sipe right now;Sam Houston State and Campbell are the only schools to oer Sipe atthe moment. However, schools like Oklahoma, Oklahoma State andTexas Christian are showing interest in the senior weapon.

With Cornwell chucking the ball to the likes o Sipe, I expect him toimprove on the 18 catches and three touchdowns he tallied last year,as I see Tyler as a bigger part o the oense this year.

Chris Joseph

Tigers Spotlight 3 Timberwolves Spotlight 3

Local Sports


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Whats your avorite movie scene? When you imagine the montage rom Up, do you hearthe piano waltz in your head? Does the image o the Titanic setting o come with a choruso voices rising above the waves? Do you love to imagine a world where Luke Skywalkermakes his quest through galaxies to save not just the world, but worlds? Can you imagine itwithout hearing any music in the background?

Soundtracks are hugely important to movies. In act, they always have been. Even in thedays o silent lms, the showing o the lm was almost always accompanied by live music.Thats why, when you buy a silent lm today, it isnt really silent unless you turn your stereosystem o.

Just like the movies they accompany, soundtracks are diverse. Theyve practically becometheir own industry. Everything rom the latest rap song to old, classic musicals can e ndup on a soundtrack, even i the movie is just coming out this year. Film soundtracks canpull rom compilations o popular songs, create their own instrumental score to establishmoods, write original songs or combine all o these techniques.

But just how does a romantic reunion scene end up with a moving soundtrack? Sometimesthat involves creating a score. (I the soundtrack consists o pre-e xisting songs, those are notconsidered a score). This can start at any number o places in the process, but usually acomposer will show up to watch a rough cut o the lm edited together. The composer anddirector will then make notes together, and the composer will create a score bas ed on thetimes given in the edit so that the nal product is perectly timed.

Sometimes, though, a composer comes along even earlier in the process, star ting notes onthe score early on, and working with the director and editor to create a score the matchesthe fow o the movie. Some big-name lms are edited to the score, but with the rise o

amateur independent lms and the availability o premade music ba nks, editing to music isbecoming more common.

As with most arts, composers known or their scores can oten be recognized. JamesHorner, who worked on Avatarand Titanic, requently uses chorus patches. Hans Zimmeruses bold and brash instruments and musical movements in order to get his musical pointacross. Danny Elman brings in tense, dancing strings to heighten the action o his lms.

Though nothing can perectly imitate an orchestra, digital technology now makes it possibleor a composer to play an entire s core by himsel, rather than using a studio re cording o aconducted orchestra.

Regardless o how it is created, though, what matters is the eectiveness o the music ineliciting the emotion the director wants rom the audience. Tension, sadness or an uplit ohope can all come rom just a ew notes. So Ill leave it to you to decide what emotionalmusic should bring this article graceully to a close. Just pick a Hans Zimmer theme out o ahat and imagine me heroically typing.

Jen Herrmann

Filling the SilenceThe Art of the Soundtrack

Film & TV

The To Do ListJuly 26

Brandy Klarkhas just gradu-ated highschool, com-plete with thetitle o valedic-torian and theconventionalimage thatgoes with it.

She decidesto spend hersummer ac-complishing

all o the things that she never hada chance to do during high school,but she soon realizes that shellneed some help rom her sister andriends i she wants to change hergame.

The WolverineJuly 26

Hugh Jackmanstars as Wol-verine, leadero the X-men,who ndshimsel out ohis depth inJapan, wherehe becomes

locked in alie-or-deathbattle againsthis greatestopponent yet.

As he meets his physical and emo-tional limits, the stakes are raised ina world where he has to conronthis own vulnerability and immortal-ity.

Were the MillersAugust 7

When a small-time, suburbandrug dealergets mugged,hes let withan insurmount-able debt tohis supplier.

Insurmount-able, that is,unless he en-ters the drugunderworldand smuggles

in the next shipment. The dangerturns to comedy when he recruits hisneighborsa stripper, a rebelliousteenage girl and a clean-nosed teen-age boyto pose as his amily sohe can cross the border on vaca-tion.

Movie Reviews

TV Review - FringeThe FBI may not be able to deal with all o the otherworldly occurrences that it

comes across, but under the d epartment o Homeland Security, a ringe divisionbased in Boston makes investigations into what seems to be a parallel world. When

the supernatural invades the normal, these members o the FBI use their criminalinvestigative skills coupled with some unorthodox ringe scientic methods or

looking into the otherworldly. This parallel universe shares many similarities with ourown, but the history takes slightly dierent turns that send it on dierent trajectories.The result is a show that walks the border between procedural, criminal dramas andscience ction. Though the show concluded its ve-year run in January, the episodes

are still available to watch online or through disc order.


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In all o proessional sports, there is the coming-together o its best players to beshowcased, and its an event or the ans, but baseballs version o its All-Star Game iswithout a doubt the best, hands down, out o all the proessional sports today.

Take the National Football Leagues Pro Bowl at the end o the year; it is nothing morethan a gloried 7-on-7 game that most o the elected players at the end o the year donot want to even play in the game. Even the players who show up to the Pro Bowl dontreally even play. They just go through the motions, collect a check and move on atera ree week in Hawaii. No real drama or excitement ever comes rom the Pro Bowl.There are never conversations around the old water cooler about the amazing ProBowl.

The National Basketball Associations All-Star Weekend is a lot o un with its weeklongestivities or the ans like the three-point shooting contest, the skills challenge and themost popular event, the Slam Dunk Competition. Even the dunk contest has lost some oits luster over the last decade. It seems the games great players such as LeBron Jameswont do the Dunk contest, when guys like Jordan, Dr. J, Wilkins and even Kobe Bryanthave participated and won. As or the game, just like the NFL, the NBAs All-Star Game is nothing more than a hyped-up pickupgame. Now, while its un to see the best players high fying and scoring more points than in any other regular season game, it stillisnt really captivating and not many special moments come rom the NBAs mid-season estival.

Hockey well even as a hockey an, there is not a lot to say about the Hockey All-Star events. The NHL added a skills competitionto try and lure the ans back to the event. Sadly, even that did not work unless you are a true die-hard an.

You can throw in the Nascar All-Star Race every year in Charlotte, North Carolina at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Now, these aresome ravenous ans, and they love their sport and show up in droves. Nascar has introduced rock star-type introductions or thedrivers beore the race and even messed with the ormat on how the race was won. I you are a true Nascar an, you love therace, but it, just like the others, does not compete with the best o all.

Major League Baseball has the Mid-Summer Classic, the best representation o all the proessional sports and their All-Star Games.

The pageantry o the introductions the game itsel and how the chosen stadiums and local teams ans do their best to put on agood show or baseball and America, classic moments: Babe Ruth hitting his rst ASG home run in 1933 at old Comiskey Park inChicago, Pete Rose trucking Ray Fosse, Reggie Jackson knocking out the light at Tiger Stadium with a tape measure homerun in1971, the unny side like the Big Unit Randy Johnson buzzing t he head o John Kruk, to Ted Williams returning to Fenway Park orthe Mid Summer Classic in Boston.

This game holds so much passion rom the ans, the history involved and all the wonder that is baseball in the abric o Americana.Major League Baseball does it right with its Mid-Summer Classic, and in this guys opinion it will always remain the best o all theproessional sports All-Star events.

Chris Joseph

Truly a Mid-Summer Classic

Sports Talk

You can ollow Chris Joseph on ...

@chrisjoseph1400

And listen to his show 360 Sports onSports Talk 1400 rom 5-7 P.M. Mon-

day through Friday.

Photo courtesy of faniq.com

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8/9

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Have you ever gazed upon the works o your avorite artists and wished you were able to do more than simple doodles?Maybe you just underwent a bad breakup and need a cathartic release rom your pent-up angst. Or, as a happierscenario, you are moving in with your riends or college and want to decorate your apartment with more personaltouches.

Be Wild or Art satises all o the above. You can just walk in, andor a studio ee o $6 or paint and ring, you can paint your ownpottery without a reservation! (Though you may want to call aheadduring certain times o the year or bigger groups.) Whether youwant to paint with group instruction or go independent and attempt itsolo, the world o Be Wild or Art is your oyster!

The oerings o the Northwest 24th Street location include potterypainting, canvas painting and glass using. Think o glass using asmelting glass together. Cyndy, the owner, showed me some o theneat trinkets that resulted rom glass using: Christmas ornaments,picture rames, dishes and even nightlights (the kiddos can g et downwith that or sure). The cool part about Be Wild or Art is that youcan use whatever pieces you make. Cyndy also showed me some unchip dip trays and blinged out iPhone cases. Even i you stick with the old-ashioned canvas painting, you can hang iton your wall and proudly point to it when you have visitors, saying, I made that, you know. With group-led instruction,it should be quite impressive too.

Be Wild or Art will celebrate its third birthday in August. However, lately itis causing a stir now that its in a more visible, expanded location it is now1,000 square-eet larger, thanks to the act theyre using what was ormerly acar dealership. Artists-to-be now gain a greater sense o eng shui as they work.Wide, open spaces, ahh

Cyndy and her mother Sue, along with her daughter-in-law Desiree anddaughter Jessica, came up with the concept o Be Wild or Art beore everpainting pottery themselves. Ater two stabs at pottery, they then decided theywould chase the vision and open a business.

We just got sick o [what we were doing beore], decided to convert to art, testit and see i it worked, said Cyndy. Theres a lot o behind-the-scenes work thatneeds to be done, but there is also a lot o un.Among the events that occur at Be Wild or Art are summer camps or childrenand ladies nights. The latter occurs the last Thursday o every month rom 6-9PM. The $6 price is reduced to $4, and as the site says, the girls can bringtheir riends, snacks and their avorite beverages and enjoy an evening opainting. I the last Thursday o the month doesnt work out, anyone who isinterested can call up and reserve a private party.

A lot o sorority girls like to come here too, Cyndy adds. Mothers Day isa popular time, as mothers and daughters paint together.Around the holidays we have more themes. We even hostbachelorette parties.

One shining eature o Be Wild or Art is that we havea great color selection and specialty glazes, said Cyndy,pointing to a wall o variegated swatches. And the pottery

is sae to eat or drink out o. So, that sapphire-glazed bowldoesnt have to just be or show. Again, you can use whatyou make at Be Wild or Art!

I youre interested, Be Wild or Art is open Mondaythrough Thursday, as well as Saturday rom 11 AM 6 PM,and Friday until 9 PM. On Sundays its closed but may bereserved or parties. The location is at 209 24th Ave. NW,Norman, OK 73069 and the number is (405) 307-9971.

So what are you waiting or? Go get in touch with yourinner artist. Let it run wild.

Mel GuapoOn a Tank Full

S

ERIES

Let Loose, Get Wild

From the time we are children, we all know that theres no such place asa place where education meets excitement. Its a mythlike unicorns,dragons, the Loch Ness Monster and trickle-down economicsperpetuatedby nerds and junior high school teachers and Mr. Rogers, well-known orhis vile deeds o brainwashing small minds. I dont like sugar in my tea, Idont like butter on my bread and I dont like to mix my excitement up witheducation o any sort, thank you very much. So lets ocus on the excitementbecause I came to Earth or a good time. And theres no better good time tobe had than at The Oklahoma Aquarium. So pack a bag with snacks anda book, ll up the tank and grab your Pike Pass, because were going toJenks, Okla.

EXhIbITS (from te Okla. Aquarium wesite)

With eight exhibit galleries, the Oklahoma Aquarium eatures thousands osalt and reshwater sh and animals. See the largest bull sharks in captivitythrough a one-o-a-kind walk-through tunnel, plus thousands o otherascinating creatures including seahorses, jellysh and eels. Feed and eventouch stingrays and small sharks! Youll be charmed by playul river otters,beavers and raccoons.

LIFE.

Where did it come rom? Everybodys got his or her own ideas about lie,but does anybody really know where it came rom? And i they know,why arent they telling? Its very selsh o them, really. All we do know atthis point in time, unortunately, is this: the rst humans crawled out o theocean, and they were sh people. They had gills and webbed toes andtheir ngers and toes were very, very wrinkly. It was a strange time oreveryone.

Exploring the Aquarium begins with Amazing Invertebrates sponsored bythe Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation. Sponges, barnacles, sea stars andurchins

Think about it: why are all o the major human cities built next to large

bodies o water? Makes a lot o sense, right?

Fish that breathe air? Or can see both above and below the water? Theseare just a couple o unusual characteristics ound in Extreme Fishes, acollection o true survivors. Whether its through camoufage or rainbow-bright colors, this gallery shows how sh literally change or adapt toincrease their chances or survival

Obviously, the Mermen and the Merwomen were a dierent species thanthe sh people. They lived in Atlantis, and they threatened the livelihood othe Fish People because the Mermen and Merwomen were taking all o theFish Peoples jobs. It was a tough economy, and thats something I think we

can all relate to. So there was a war, and the Mermen andeliminated, which is something I think we all regret happelearned a lot about ourselves, and thats why we apprecia

respect or other cultures.Some o the most awe-inspiring creatures are swimming inOklahoma, supported by the Oxley Foundation and ONEmore-than-120-year-old alligator snapping turtle, the unusupaddlesh, and the huge alligator gar

Refecting upon the destruction o the Merpeople, some o started to think that things started going wrong when theythe oceans, and there was a schism in the Fish People socPeople decided to move back to the oceans and just becobecause they were ashamed o what they had done. But tproud and had no remorse or the destruction o the Merpland.

hayes Family Ozark Stream:Transport yoursel to thNortheastern Oklahoma stream with our rst mammals, rivand raccoons plus sunsh, smallmouth bass and many oththis native Oklahoma habitat.

Ater their hands dried up and smoothed out, and their gilFish People eventually just became regular People, and habig thing (as well as hair-donts).

Entering the EcoZone is walking into a whirlwind tour o th Feel the dierence between the slippery, smooth skin ocompared to the rough, sandpapery back o a small shark

The sh, or the most part, were a tolerant race (with the esharks, who were really just very hungr y bullies.

When you reach theRay & Robin Siegfried FamilieAdventure, youll be surrounded by one o the most uniqimpressive shark collections in the world. The walkthroughallows you to see the largest bull sharks in captivity swimmyou and even right over your head!

And thats pretty much how evolution worked. Unless you skeptics.

Some o the strangest but most beautiul sh can be oundMysteries See the delicate but venomous lion sh, grapiranhas and seahorses and hear the electric eels pulsatin

For hours and admission inormation to plan your trip, visWWW.OKAQUARIUM.ORG

The Oklahoma Aquarium: Where Education Meets Exc

Marty LyonsAshley Roy

On a Tank FullIn Norman


9/9

16

June has since given way to a mild July well, thebeginning o it was nice, anyway. An IndependenceDay in the 80s temperature range is almost unheardo! Now summer is coming with a vengeance, andits back to the pavement having the capability to ryeggs. With the real probability o baking when youstep outside, you need a close option or coolingo.

Andy Alligators is a one-stop destination or justabout anything to please the amily, with both indoorand outdoor un: batting cages, arcades, go-karts,rock climbing, bumper cars, mini-gol and activitiesyoud nd at a un park. Sure to delight the heatsuerers o Oklahoma, Andy Alligators has addeda water park to the mix!

For guests under 42 inches (and military members),the price is $15.95, and or people above thatheight, $19.95. Online tickets, however, slash theprice: only $14.95! I youre looking or a blendo indoor and outdoor un, then a dual-park pass is$29.95. Not bad or a wide array o un oerings!

For those wanting the thrill o adrenaline-pumping

slides, the Banzai Pipeline and Riptide Racer aresome options. For the ormer, you can pair up withyour riend and scream together, and or the latter,you can slide down belly-down, headrst! Justcraving some lazing in the water or h2o-wroughtrelaxation? Head over to the Paradise River andtube your way in relaxation around the length o thepark. Then o course theres the Cowabunga Coveand Bubblers Beach, which are good stationaryoptions or the kiddos.

Swimming burns a lot o calories, so youll denitelywant to hit up Snorkels Grill to recharge yourbatteries. There you can help yoursel to a number ocombos, rom pizza to 1/3-lb. Angus cheeseburgers,as well as avorites that maintain the sea theme s uchas popcorn shrimp and grilled salmon sandwiches.To avoid hety cramps while swimming, there aresmaller snacks such as wafe ries and nachos.

Andys Alligators water park is un or all ages. Forthe large groups o 50-100 (great or companies),there are our catering packages: All-Americanpicnic, Taste o Italy pizza buet, Blazin Bar-be-cue and Catsh Cookout. The meals can also becustomized. Then there is the Express Package or20-49 guests, great or smaller groups, which allowsguests to redeem a meal at the ca individually.I youre looking or something simpler, you canalways rent a private cabana with a TV, locker andwait sta.

For birthdays there are packages ranging rom theLittle Gator or guests age six and under, or upto eight guests up to the Big Kahuna birthday

package or both the un park and water park. Theoptions come with pizza or each guest, o course,and a party room.

Check the Andy Alligators website to see the hourso operation on Monday through Thursday, whichvary according to the month. On Saturday it is openrom 11 AM to 7 PM, and Sunday rom 12 PM to6 PM.

Andy Alligators Water Park

Jordan AtteburyIn Norman

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The great outdoors are a vital as pect o the human experience,and so you will believe me when I say that I am an outdoorsman.I love the outdoors, man. Unortunately, Oklahoma is about aslandlocked as it gets. Thats why we, as men (and women, too,Im sure) made so many lakes in Oklahoma. People need water. Itprovides nourishment not only or our bodies, but also or our souls.I you dont believe me, try listening to rain and tell me that doesntmake you eel nice. I dare you.

Throughout the ages, mankind (and womankind, too, Im sure)has been engaged in water activities o all sor ts. Fishing, boating,swimmingyou name it. Actually, I named it, but you read it, andthats hal the work. Theres something about water that just makesus eel better. They say our bodies are made up o 98% water, butthey must have been talking about water grenades.

Would you believe me i I told you that the Oklahoma River is theonlyriver to be named an ocial U.S. Olympic and ParalympicTraining Site in the elds o rowing, canoeing and kayaking? Idont know i thats true, but I did read about it somewhere, andthats good enough or me. I you want proo, then that burden ison you, my riend. My name is Mel Guapo, and thanks or takingthe time to read my ar ticle. So let me tell you about the BoathouseDistrict.

Located at 725 S Lincoln Blvd. in OKC (near Bricktown), theBoathouse District boasts a long list o attractions, includingover 13 miles o trails that wind their way along and around theOklahoma River, the worlds tallest adventure course, awe-inspiring modern architecture and beautiul outdoors spaces opento the public. Youre just going to love the Boathouse District! Asa rule, I told mysel that I didnt want this piece to sound like anadvertisement in a travel magazine. But Im Mel Guapo and Idont play by the rules, not even my own rules. Thats how rockand roll I am. Thats how much I dont care. I spit on rules. I artin the general direction o rules. And youre just going to love the

Boathouse District! Genuinely.Pack a hearty picnic or an all-day un, physical adventure. Therestoo much to tell you about the Boathouse District itsel, so Ill just getto the good stu, which is the RIVERSPORT ADVENTURE PASS. Aday pass will run you $35 or an adult and $20 or a kid, and itswell worth it. But or only $85 or an adult and $65 or kids age3-12, you can get a seasonal pass thats good rom March throughOctober. (They have cheaper breakdowns or single-experience

passes.) The list o water and climbing activities is lgreat way to get outdoors and get the whole amilyconnected with nature.

Te Sanrige Sky Trail Strap into and scalemetal beast. There are a variety o challenging pathtop, and a variety o slides and reealls back downYou literally belt into the structure or else you could think its got the worlds longest dry slide down, andgreat view o the city and the river alongside it all ttop. Theres the 75-oot Air Express Zip Line and 80called the Rumble Drop as well. Be sure to wear cl(no fip fops) i you plan to do the Sky Trail, Sky SlDrop.

Water Activities This has to be a mistake. I muBut i Im not mistaken, I think an adventure pas s prequipment rentals or kayaking, stand-up paddle bostrength-building workout or your core), biking, lonwater bikes, kayak plunge, rock wall, sur zone, kidand dragon boating (on Saturdays at 1 PM). Surelyright. Thats basically a gym membership or the coworld. Give them a call at 405-552-4040 and ndi thats right. Surely that cant be right, but i it is, thyou waiting or?

Route 66 boatouse at Lake Overolser Athat wasnt enough, check out the Route 66 BoathouOverholser, where your adventure pass includes mostand-up paddle boarding (hear its great or your cweekends, the Stinchcomb seated tour and paddle tdont know what these things are, but they sound gthink?

Check out the Regatta at the Boathouse District on Oor an annual water-racing event where participantsamateurs to Olympians. The estival o events includo music and riverside reworks, dozens o ood truco spectators and loads o un!

Oklahoma Citys Boathouse

Mel Guapo

On a Tank Full

Ashley Roy

In Norman

main street magazine // issue 14

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