On a dark desert highway
Cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas
Rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance
I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night.

Who would guess the lyrics to Hotel California were written to alert the American public to the dangers of living the high life?

According to an Internet source that quotes Eagles’ band member Don Henley, the song Hotel Califronia, released in 1977, was written to make a statement about the condition of the world: ‘It was a bicentennial year and the country is 200 years old. We figured since we are the Eagles and the eagle is our national symbol, we were obliged to wake people up and say, ‘We’ve been okay so far for 200 years, but we’re gonna have to change if we’re gonna continue to be around.’

I’ll admit, my interpretation of the song’s meaning was something less honorable, such as the pleasures of indulging in some things that might get you arrested.

Whatever the purpose behind the penning of Hotel California, the album of the same name became an instant success. The song ‘Hotel California’ was ranked #49 on Rolling Stone’s list of ‘The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time’.

The album became the band’s highest selling with over 16 million copies sold in the U.S. The album topped the charts, yielding three Top 20 singles: ‘Hotel California’, ‘New Kid in Town’, and ‘Life in the Fast Lane’.

It won the band two Grammy awards for ‘Hotel California’ and ‘New Kid in Town’, both of which topped the Billboard Hot 100. And, the album was ranked #37 on Rolling Stone’s list of ‘The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time’.

Hear your favorite Eagles hits live at the Foellinger Theatre.

You can hear ‘Hotel California’ and other Eagles’ greatest hits (‘Take It Easy,’ ‘Heartache Tonight,’ ‘Get over It’ and ‘Love will Keep Us Alive’) at a tribute band concert on Thursday, July 26 at the Foellinger Theatre. The concert begins at 8:00 p.m. Tickets cost $12.00.

For additional information call 260.427.6000 or go to http://www.fortwayneparks.org/.

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Growing up in Fort Wayne, I often saw museum visits as an opportunity to get out of school.

Today I see our museums as some of Fort Wayne best assets. The African African-American Historical Society Museum is one of those great museums. I recently got a chance to revisit it with a fresh outlook and open mind. And I really enjoyed it.

The African African-American Historical Society Museum takes you back to a village in African as part of the Museum's experience.

The museum is located in Downtown Fort Wayne and gives an in-depth look into African and African-American history starting from the time when Africans were brought to America as slaves through present day. Each room is dedicated to a specific part of history. There is one room that is dedicated to a traditional African village, one that is dedicated to African-American inventors, another that is dedicated to the protests, the sit-ins, and the movement to get rid of segregation during Dr. Martin Luther King’s life, still another room is dedicated to the many “Firsts” for African-Americans in Fort Wayne. There is a lot to see and learn.

One of the best things about the museum is that it is a guided tour through the house-turned-museum. My tour guide was full of insight, not only because he grew up while much of the history was taking place, but also because he personally knew many of the people where were some of the “firsts.” It gave a personal touch to a part of history that can sometimes seem so distant and removed.

So next time you are in Fort Wayne, and have a couple of hours to spare, stop by the African African-American Historical Society Museum, located at 436 East Douglas Ave. Fort Wayne IN 46802. It is open Tuesday – Friday 9 am- 1pm; Saturday 12 pm- 4 pm; Sunday by appointments only; and Closed on Mondays. Admission is $3 for children and $5 for adults.

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It would not be summer without a county fair. The Allen County Fair opens on Tuesday, July 24 and closes on Monday, July 30. These seven days will be filled with animals, children, competitions, carnival rides, and fun. Just as it should be.

The Allen County Fair holds a special place in my heart. It was my first “real” county fair. By “real” I mean a fair  with 4-H competitions, a rodeo, big dinners, carnival rides, and lots of animals. My home county, down South, has a fair, but there is no commercial chicken competition or llama tent. Instead there is a car show, quilt competition, and coal tent. See the difference?

At my first Allen County Fair in 2011 a young chicken competitor kindly taught me how to hold a chicken properly, I had my picture made with a llama, and I learned that swine have no sweat glands. I also learned a lot from the 4-H Exhibit Tent, which is open 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. during the fair. It was exciting to see children and young adults developing very important professional and personal skills through these activities and competitions. The 4-H organization is a great thing. Everyone should support these young people. The fair is a great opportunity for learning, for both participants and visitors – young and old.

This year every day of the fair is full of entertainment and activities. Bring your family and enjoy a day or evening of fun. Activities at the fair start daily at 7:00 a.m. and continue until 10:00 p.m. General admission is $5.00 and children younger than 5 get in free. The Allen County Fair grounds are located at 2726 Carroll Road  Fort Wayne.

A few daily highlights of the fair include:

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

5:00 p.m. – Poultry Show

7:30 p.m. – Rodeo ($7.00)

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 

3:00 p.m. – Goldenaires Vocal Ensemble

6:00 p.m. – PULSE Performing Arts Dance Studio Performance

Thursday, July 26, 2012

11:00 a.m. – Indiana Wild Animal Show

3:00 p.m. – 4-H Silent Auction

8:00 p.m. – Living Stones Music Performance

Friday, July 27, 2012 

4:00 p.m. – Classic Car Cruise-In

7:00 p.m. – 4×4 Truck Pull ($5.00)

7:30 p.m. – Farmer Olympics

Saturday, July 28, 2012

9:00 a.m. – Antique Tractor Cruise

3:00 p.m. – Dog Agility Demonstration

7:30 p.m. – Demolition Derby ($7.00)

8:00 p.m. – Josh Copp Band Performance

Sunday, July 29, 2012

9:00 a.m. – Horse Show Opens

1:00 p.m. – Hearts of Fire Performance

5:00 p.m. – 4-H Awards

Monday, July 30, 2012

12:30 p.m. – Livestock Auction

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Among the many ‘A Summer to Remember’ concerts offered at the Foellinger Theatre, Midnight Special would be top of my list!

I’ll admit I recall hearing these songs on the radio at the time of their release, but hat’s OK because they were my Dreamy Song Groups (Meaning I got all dewy-eyed listening to them).

They’re still popular today, as witnessed on my son’s Wii Rock Band—we’ve played ‘More than a Feeling’ by Boston enough times to wear it out!

Midnight Special

Some sticklers might want to argue that Queen’s music isn’t really dreamy (‘We Will Rock You’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘We are the Champions’). But they are really fun songs and you’ll hear ‘Champions’ played during nearly every Komet hockey game. In Fort Wayne that means something!

This concert is an awesome opportunity to re-live some of the great tunes in your life!

If you need a review of bands and their hits to be included during Midnight Special here it is:

Boston – ‘More than a Feeling’, ‘Peace of Mind’

Journey — ‘Don’t Stop Believing’, ‘Faithfully’

Styx —‘Babe’, ‘Lady’, ‘Come Sail Away’, ‘The Best of Times’

Led Zeppelin — ‘Stairway to Heaven’, ‘Kashmir’, ‘Whole Lotta Love’, ‘Black Dog’.

Foreigner — ‘I want to Know What Love Is’, ‘Cold as Ice’, ‘Waiting for a Girl like you’, ‘Urgent’.

The show starts at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 for reserve and stadium seating.

For more information visit them online or call the box office at 260.427.6715 (Summer only).

Foellinger Theatre is located at 3411 Sherman Blvd — in Franke Park next to the Children’s Zoo on Sherman Boulevard.

Foellinger Theatre offers free parking at all concerts.

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Do you want to take a trip to Australia, but don’t have the time to fly Down Under? Take a trip to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, voted Indiana’s #1 Gotta Do Summer Attraction, and see what they have to offer.

Watch this video in our Tour Fort Wayne series as Conner shows you just a few of the things that you can expect to see in the Australian Outback section of the zoo.

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