Exploring Lost Vegas -- Davis Megamaze Opened Today

The newest maze - the 10th - will be the Day Trip Destination feature inside the September issue of Bay State Parent.

New England Aquarium Named One of America's Best

Boston's own New England Aquarium has been designated one of the nation's top five aquariums for kids by Parents Magazine. The Aquarium will be featured in the article 10 Best Aquariums for Kids in the August issue. The magazine reviewed more than 60 aquariums nationwide to determine the nation's best aquariums for kids and ranked the New England Aquarium fourth. Each aquarium was rigorously evaluated by the magazine and a panel of experts on a variety of kid-friendly factors, such as interactive features and exhibits, services and special programs available to families and groups and dedication to conservation efforts.
Parents magazine recognized the Aquarium for its unique interactive elements, including "large, huggable sculptures of penguins and loggerhead turtles."
The Aquarium emphasizes fun and engaging experiences for kids through specially designed theme programs. "Walk Like a Penguin" provides children with passport guides to eight different interactive stations that help create lasting take-home memories. Opportunities for visitors to touch live marine animals, such as sea stars, hermit crabs, and sea urchins, through the tide-pool touch tank and the Curious George Discovery Corner were highlighted as exceptional features for children. The Aquarium's educational and exploratory features were also praised. The behind-the-scenes tour of the Aquarium Medical Center shows visitors exactly how much effort is required to care for the thousands of different animals. The seal training presentations were recommended because of the interaction between trainers and active, playful seals.
Additionally, the article encouraged visitors to attend the "fabulous" whale-watching cruise to Stellwagen Bank, which gives guests of all ages the rare opportunity to see some of the largest creatures on Earth.
(Bay State Parent magazine readers can see a review of the aquarium's whale-watching cruise in the August issue written by Calendar Editor Carrie Wattu.)
For more information on the aquarium, visit http://www.neaq.org/

Time to Hit the (Rail) Trail!

I’ve hesitated to write about the Cape Cod Rail Trail as a family attraction because it’s been done. A lot.

But at the risk of giving the CCRT just a bit more ink, or pixels, this is not your father’s Rail Trail. On June 21, 2007, the CCRT officially re-opened after two years of long-needed upgrades.

Gone are the roots that ran beneath the 28-year-old path, pushing up asphalt in such tire-tripping configurations that bore nicknames like “the anaconda” and “the rattler.” The roots have been lowered and a root shield placed beneath the surface. Tunnels passing under Routes 6A and 6 have been regraded so the descents aren’t as treacherous. An unpaved shoulder has been added for horseback riding and running. Granite mile markers let you know where you are and how far you’ve gone. Best of all, the 22 miles of trail from South Dennis to Wellfleet have been resurfaced to backside-caressing smoothness.

It is now sheer joy to pedal beside the cranberry bogs of Harwich, the forests of Brewster, the salt marshes of Orleans and Eastham, and up to the National Seashore in South Wellfleet. The Harwich-to-Chatham spur, finished last year, runs along rolling woodland and serene ponds, with easy access to their respective town centers (although it’s best to walk your bike along Chatham’s busy Main Street sidewalks).

I can now say unequivocally, bring the bikes, or rent them from one of several establishments along the way, and hit the Trail.

And if your kids are like mine, they’ll seek destinations like Pleasant Lake General Store (near Mile 5) for ice cream, or the Brewster Express (near Mile 8) for ice cream, or Arnolds (near Mile 17 - pictured above) for… you guessed it, ice cream and a chance to stop, enjoy the scenery and refuel.

Thank you, Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation. The CCRT upgrade is $6.2 million well spent.

For a map of the CCRT, go to: Cape Cod Rail Trail Map.

Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston: Great for Kids!

This morning, my family went to the brand-new Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston (ICA) for its Family Play Date. Play Dates are offered the last Saturday of every month for families. Best of all, the performances, activities, and tours are FREE!
We knew my 6-year-old daughter, Margot, would love exploring the unique artworks but wondered how our 3-year-old twin girls would do.
We were so surprised how family-friendly and fun ICA was for our whole family. It is in a gorgeous spot overlooking Boston Harbor and offers a wonderful, bright space for kids to be in awe.
You can read more about my family's experience at ICA in the Day Trip Destination feature inside the May issue of Bay State Parent.
In the meantime, if you would like to visit ICA's next Play Date, mark your calendars for Saturday, April 28 from 10 a.m. - noon. This Play Date introduces children to drawing from live models, a tour of the Museum, and a special performance using dance and video by choreographer Cathy Weis.
There are also special children's offerings planned for April school vacation.
Visit www.icaboston.org for more information.

Photo by: Peter Vanderwarker

Honored with 20 National Awards!

Bay State Parent magazine won 20 awards at the national Parenting Publications of America (PPA) Conference this past weekend in Nashville, Tenn.
Thus far this year, the magazine has won 28 awards. In fact, Bay State Parent has won 74 awards since changing our name to Bay State Parent from Today's Parent three years ago. We truly are Massachusetts' Premier Magazine for Families.
As always I am thrilled that we were honored by our peers, but what is most important is how loved we are by our readers, who passionately call, e-mail, and write to me often. Thanks so much for your input.
I'm most proud of our first place awards for overall reporting and investigative reporting, since I come from a newspaper background. The judges wrote: "From special reports to annual guides, The Bay State Parent offers superior coverage of its community along with a wide mix of timely articles. It represents the best kind of work a medium-size monthly can offer."
We swept the special section category with gold, silver, and bronze awards (Last year, we took gold and silver in the same category.) We must be doing something right with our guides & special reports!
Our March 2006 & November 2006 covers took first and second place respectively.
We compete in the medium circulation division - 30,001 to 50,000.

Below is a rundown of our 20 awards & what the judges had to say (I'd apologize for the length of this blog entry, but I'm NOT sorry we did so well.)
I'm very proud to be editor of Bay State Parent and extremely proud of our entire staff and all the freelance writers & photographers (including Portrait Simple Studios, who won three awards for us) of the work they do to produce a high-quality publication month in and month out!

DESIGN AWARDS:
Front Cover: Newsprint with Original Photo:
Gold: March 2006 issue - Puddle Jumpers (Photographer: Portrait Simple Studios)(www.portraitsimple.com)
Judges comments: Terrific color coordination makes this cover pop. Cute subject and popsicle colors blend perfectly. And the type works well without obscuring the image.
Silver: November 2006 - 4th Annual Adoption Guide (Photographer: Steven King)
Judges: This endearing portrait doesn’t need any adornment to draw readers into the cover. The subtle lighting and colors focus attention on the subject.

Interior Illustration
Silver: Camp illustration by Steve Haske
Judges: Haske visually tells the story of camp burnout with a creative illustration that has camp activities weighing on a young camper’s brain. The expression of the camper emphasizes the idea of the story and helps entice the reader.

Original Interior Photography
Silver: Puddle Jumpers - March 2006 (Photographers: Portrait Simple & Nancy MacDonald)
Judges: The photographer, designer and editors invested space, wit, style and, most importantly, a sense of fun, all of which are on display by both the young models and the generous layout. In this world, rain equals joy, not gloom. A great example of taking a standard fashion assignment and turning it on its head.
Gold: Rebuilding Families after 9/11 - September 2006 (Photographer: Portrait Simple Studios)
Judges: These pictures speak volumes of a mother’s ability to pull together and move forward a family that faced unbearable tragedy. Those faces and the joy they now share overshadow the horror described in the accompanying story. Instead, the pictures and full story offer inspiration to all.

Feature Layout - Black & White
Silver: Designed by Paula Monette Ethier - Coping With the Baby Blues.
Judges: This layout works thanks to its simplicity and grace. The designer very artfully conveys the content with a portrait and only minimal display type, but what a portrait it is. The entire story is conveyed through emotion, and the type works just enough to help make the connection.

Best Special Section - Design
Silver: Designer Paula Monette Ethier - Baby Guide - March 2006
Judges: The strength of this section lies in the photography. Stock images are played well – they illustrate the point, they're not just there to break up the grey. The cutouts on the fashion spread give the pages a real 3-D feel, and the generous use of images with the feature on the Pampers model really drive home why this one little girl was selected. Overall, a great example of how to make the most of your photography.

EDITORIAL AWARDS
Cover Lines
Bronze: Submitted was June & October 2006 covers written by editor Susan Scully Petroni
Judges: Bay State Parent cover-line writers manage to fill lots of information in a little space. These lines also promote stories that we see every year in a refreshing way.

Family Matters Column
Bronze: Family Health columns written by doctors Robert Lindeman & Mark Vining
Judges: Informative, yet entertaining. A strong voice throughout helps carry the reader through the piece.

Family Fun Column
Gold: Day Trip Destination columns written by Stacy Juba and Susan Spencer
Judges: Each of the writers excels at combining a good topic, lots of "how to do it" info and a conversational style. Great anecdotes and structure easily lead the reader through the adventure – and, indeed, these pieces do capture that sense of excitement.

Humor Column
Silver: Pondering Parenting columns by Kerri Augusto
Judges: These columns aren't just funny and well written, they contain parenting advice from a licensed clinical psychologist. The combination is appealing and make for good value to readers.

Travel Feature
Silver: Camping with six children on Cape Cod written by James Lang and Matt Robert
Judges: The title becomes even more intriguing when the opening paragraph reveals that this adventure is fathers and kids only. The combination of humanity and utility makes this feature both enjoyable and helpful.

Profile
Silver: "Rebuilding Families After 9/11" written by Kate M. Jackson
Judges: Excellent attention to detail and good use of quotes make this profile of two 9/11 widows worthy of note. The story is a good read, from the scene-setting lead to the conclusion that revisits it. A focus on how these women have moved forward make this story relevant to all readers, not just those who lost someone on 9/11.

Investigative Reporting
Gold: Special Report: Protecting Our Children (October 2006) written by Sarah MacDonald, Marguerite Paolino & Susan Scully Petroni
Judges: This package of articles offers an exhaustive look at troubles with sex offenders and online predators. The stories are filled with rich detail about local incidents that will no doubt strike a nerve with readers.

Service Feature
Silver: Embracing Your Child's Culture written by Rosemary Cafasso
Judges: This article about celebrating an adopted child's cultural heritage presented a topic not often seen, and it did so in an interesting and informative way. The writer made good use of regional experts but also found a local family to use as an example for the recommendations offered by the experts. An 8-point sidebar of how-to’s gave specific recommendations.

Feature Writing
Gold: Rebuilding Families After 9/11 written by Kate M. Jackson
Judges: A story of surviving a horrible tragedy that doesn't stoop to being maudlin. Instead this is a tale of widows reaching out to other widows of terrorism in Afghanistan. It's an absorbing read with a window of hope.

Special Sections
**Gold: 4th Annual Adoption Guide - Nov. 2006
Judges: This comprehensive guide for adoption does not shy away from the tough issues. You'll find not only local stories about traditional parents but also stories about single people wanting to adopt and others about same-sex couples. A courageous undertaking.
Writers were: Marguerite Paolino, Amy Rodgers-Dryfoos, Peter Gibbs, Carrie Wattu, Barbara Ford, Sarah MacDonald, & Susan Scully Petroni
**Silver: Special Report: Protecting Our Children - Oct. 2006
Judges: In this Internet age, what parent isn't worried about online predators? Strong reporting and writing about local communities help this section stand out. Excellent.
Writers were: Sarah MacDonald, Marguerite Paolino, & Susan Scully Petroni
**Bronze: 7th Annual Day Trips & Weekend Getaway Guide - July 2006
Judges: Family vacations for Massachusetts folks don't have to break the bank when they can take fun and adventurous day trips and one-night sleepovers. This guide tells you where to go and what to see if you're on a budget. It's full of great information.
Writers were: James Lang, Matt Robert, Sarah MacDonald, Carrie Wattu, Amy Benoit, & Susan Scully Petroni

Overall Reporting
Gold: Judges: From special reports to annual guides, The Bay State Parent offers superior coverage of its community along with a wide mix of timely articles. It represents the best kind of work a medium-size monthly can offer.
Writers for the submitted issues of August, October & November 2006 included: Carrie Wattu, Kerri Augusto, Amy Benoit, Elizabeth Eidlitz, Peter Gibbs, Heidi Hynes, Robert Lindeman, Sue Lovejoy, Sarah MacDonald, Marguerite Paolino, Amy Rodgers-Dryfoos, Roderick Robinson, Robyn Silverman, Susan Spencer, Debbie Swanson, Donna White, Joanna Zarkadas & Susan Scully Petroni

Parenting Publications of America (PPA) gave out more than 350 Editorial and Design Competition awards to 80 parenting publications. PPA's Editorial and Design Awards Competition recognizes excellence in journalism, photography and design achieved by publishers, editors, writers and designers at member publications. Prof. Daryl Moen of the University of Missouri's School of Journalism coordinated the annual contest. A panel of judges reviewed 1,184 entries this year (up from last year) to choose the winners in each category. All judges have had significant professional experience.