Maya 2012 Exhibit Coming to Penn Museum

The exhibition MAYA 2012: Lords of Time, opening next May at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, confronts the current fascination with the year 2012, comparing predictions of a world-transforming apocalypse with their supposed origins in the ancient Maya civilization.

MAYA 2012 leads visitors on a journey through the Mayas’ time-ordered universe, expressed through their intricate calendar systems, and the power wielded by their divine kings, the astounding “lords of time.” Visitors explore the Maya world through interactive experiences and walk among sculptures and full-sized replicas of major monuments.

The exhibition features more than 100 objects including artifacts recently excavated by Penn Museum archaeologists from the site of Copan, Honduras. Visitors follow the rise and fall of Copan, moving across the centuries to discover how Mayan ideas about time and the calendar have changed up to the present day. Contemporary Mayas peak to their own heritage and concerns for the future.

MAYA 2012: Lords of Time opens May 5, 2012 and runs through January 2013.

Discounted group timed tickets for groups of 10 or more (includes admission to the rest of the museum) are available for purchase now:
•    Adult: $17.50
•    Senior (65+)/Military/Students (full-time with ID): $15
•    Children (6 to 17 years): $12

Call or email about extended group hours, tailored package options and reservations: 215-746-8183 (K-12 student groups) or 215-746-4174 (all other groups) or email grouptickets@museum.upenn.edu.

(www.penn.museum/maya2012)

About the Penn Museum
A visit to the internationally renowned University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, on the Penn campus in Philadelphia, is a visit through time and across continents—under one roof.  Three gallery floors feature materials from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Asia, the ancient Mediterranean World, the Americas and Africa. Amenities include inner gardens, two shops and the glass-enclosed Pepper Mill Cafe, operated by Wolfgang Puck Catering.

Philadelphia Flower Show to Present Paris Theme

The Philadelphia International Flower Show salutes the City of Light during “Springtime in Paris” March 6-13 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

This year’s Flower Show, one of the nation’s top horticultural events,  will transport winter-weary guests to the streets of Paris, through acres of gardens, cafes, parks and floral displays. Visitors first enter a Parisian park filled with the scent of lilac, lavender and roses and thousands of tulips blooming beneath the glittering, 33-foot-high arch of the Eiffel Tower. A cadre of colorful topiary animals – including a peacock, unicorn, ostrich and butterfly – created by Valley Forge Flowers, will sprout from the display and lead to the Carousel Stage. Here the magical recreation of Paris continues with daily performances by French can-can dancers and cabaret singers, all under the ornate canopy of one of Paris’s iconic landmarks.

The region’s landscape and floral designers will spark the imaginations of visitors as they capture the many facets of Paris in lively, bold and colorful depictions. Jamie Rothstein Distinctive Floral Designs will team up with French antiques collector John Whitenight on an exhibit that epitomizes “Opulent Paris,” with a glamorous interior parlor and exterior garden in the style of the Bell Epoque. “Romantic Paris” will come to life through the designs of Robertson’s Flowers in a glorious fantasy wedding scene at Notre Dame. The masterpiece of France’s greatest artists will be interpreted by Michael Petrie’s Handmade Gardens in an inspired portrayal of “Artists’ Paris.”

Exhibitors will also pay tribute to the Champs-Elysees, the Tour de France, ateliers, a perfumerie, and even a renowned Parisian burial ground in massive displays of exquisite floral and landscape design.

Plants are always the stars of the Flower Show and this year thousands of beautifully groomed plants and a host of artistic designs will be entered by individuals in the competitive classes. Education is also a large aspect of the Show and more than 150 free presentations and instructional displays will focus on the newest gardening trends, featuring renowned experts and designers.

Shoppers will find a bustling Marketplace with a vast array of plants and products for the garden. Foodies will enjoy culinary demonstrations by the region’s noted chefs and a Wine and Spirits Garden, with free tastings, presented by the PA Wine & Spirits Store in the Grand Hall. (www.theflowershow.com)

Duck Boat Company Suspends Operations

Ride the Ducks, a Georgia-based tour company, has suspended operations nationwide after an accident Wednesday in which 37 tourists were thrown into the murky waters of the Delaware River near Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia. The body of a young female has been recovered and one passenger is still missing. The other passengers were rescued by other vessels.

A 250-foot barge collided with Ride the Ducks’ stalled amphibious boat, which sank in about 50 feet of water on the Pennsylvania side of the river.

The missing person and recovered body were among 13 Hungarian students, two Hungarian teachers, four U.S. students and three U.S. teachers on a tour hosted by Marshallton United Methodist Church in suburban Philadelphia.

The six-wheeled duck boat, which had suffered a mechanical problem and small fire, had been adrift a few minutes before being hit by the tugboat-pushed barge transporting sludge.

Ride the Ducks, acquired by Hershcend Family Entertainment in 2004, also operates tours in San Francisco, Atlanta, Newport, Ky. and Branson, Mo. A Ride the Ducks operation in Seattle is independently owned and remains open for business.

Thirteen passengers were killed when a duck boat in Hot Springs, Ark., sank in 1999, the most deadly accident since the former military boats were converted for tourism.

The U.S. Coast Guard performs annual inspections of the duck boats’ seaworthiness, and Philadelphia’s streets department has a hand in regulating the vehicles.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the Philadelphia accident.

Philadelphia Offers New Itinerary Suggestions

To assist group tour operators with planning itineraries, the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB) has expanded itinerary options in the group tour section of its website, www.philadelphiausa.travel/itineraries. Eighteen tours, from historical and cultural to student and religious, allow tour operators to offer packages geared to the interest of any group. Each program offers a list of suggested activities for groups visiting Philadelphia. Options range from a half-day visit to three days.

Among the new itinerary choices is a “Girlfriend Getaway,” which includes botanical garden tours, ballet or opera performances, a spa retreat and shopping. For the men, there’s a “Guys Getaway” featuring sports, local brew pubs and classic cars. And for the “foodies,” groups can discover the tastes of Philadelphia with a “Culinary Tour.”

“More and more group tours are being built around specific interests,” said Fritz Smith, vice president of tourism, PCVB. “With so many sightseeing possibilities and new group product attractions, we will continue to create innovative itinerary suggestions based on the needs of the tour operator’s customers.”

Tour operators can follow the suggested itineraries or mix and match to create their own.

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