It's week two of our Cabin Fever Reliever campaign, our series of discounts and savings opportunities throughout Montgomery County, Pa. Although the bitter temperatures and accumulating snow have taken a backseat, what has replaced them has been equally as daunting episodes of rain and fog. Are the four walls of your home beginning to push inward just a little?
Thought so.
The answer is to join The Pursuit of memorable things to do this weekend. The following recommendations should get you started:
This weekend, the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center goes to the dogs... and cats and birds and rabbits and snakes. It's the annual Greater Philadelphia Pet Expo, running January 17-19, where info meets fun, all surrounding the wonderful world of pets. From the everyday to the exotic (Rats! Reptiles! Alpacas! Bengal tigers!), the show promises entertaining performances, special attractions, a hands-on-petting zoo, pet adoptions and outstanding shopping.
The Lively Arts Series of Montgomery County Community College stages a multifaceted look at life, its messiness, mortality and hope in Come, and Back Again. The performance, which integrates film, music, memoirs and dance, focuses on the physical and metaphoric resilience of the human spirit. The musical accompaniment is an original score that enhances the soulful visuals. Curtain time on January 18 is 8 p.m.
The January 25 birthday of Scotland's Favorite Son, poet Robert Burns, provides the kick-off for a special meal presented by T. Burke's Lounge at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia - Valley Forge. The centerpiece of a celebration for a Scotsman would be, of course, Scotch, and the amber liquid - all from the Laphroaig Distillery - is key to the January 25 menu. The first course includes bubble and squeak, a British dish of fried vegetables and mashed potatoes; a ten-year-old Scotch accompanies. Second course is smoked trout with pears, and a sip from a Quarter Cask. The menu moves onto roasted loin of venison with pearl barley and roasted root vegetable. Dessert is a sticky toffee pudding with fig gelato, topped off with a nip of Triplewood. Although the meal is scheduled for January 25, reservations are due by January 20. And if you are unsure whether a Scotch-themed event is for you, consider Burns own thoughts on the distilled nectar of his homeland: "O Whisky! soul o' plays an' pranks! Accept a Bardie's gratefu' thanks!"
The changing gallery exhibit at the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove continues with its current display of whimsical birdhouses called Birdtiques (until February 21). The art and creativity of Alison Auth, freelance artist and designer from Richmond, Va., is evident in her expressions of love for birds, houses and architectural salvage. Combining "upcycled" wood and architectural cast offs, bits of tin turned to flowers or flying insects, each Birdtique is one-of-a-kind. The Pursuit interviewed Auth in its Tuesday blog posting, which we consider a real feather in our cap.
Exercise has been shown to be a first-rate boredom buster. Instead of your usual routine on the treadmill in your damp basement, why not check into a local hotel, use your keycard to enter the realm of its heavenly fitness center or spa and dispel the dimness with a rejuvenated workout? Our website has a healthy dose of recommendations.
