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Welcome to The Genre Traveler! Please sign up using the form to the right so that you'll get all the latest updates to the site. You also might want to sign up for the RSS feed, which you can do via email or your favorite RSS Reader. One of my favorite amusement parks when I was young was Marine World Africa USA. I remember when it was in Redwood City in the South Bay and when it moved to its current location in Vallejo.

A few years ago, I was there with my husband, an college friend and her (then) boyfriend (now husband). The fact that the park seemed to be moving away from its animal center base and was becoming a more "action ride" based park wit animals came up. We weren't too happy about the idea.

I still have reservations. I'm not sure it is all that good for the animals to be around all that whooshing, clinking, clanging and screaming.

I bring this up, because the transformation has come so far that the park is changing its name. On Jan. 17, the park announced it was changing its name to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom with "thrills by land, sea and sky."

Marine World Africa USA was, according to the press release, "America's original combination wildlife park, oceanarium and theme park."

The park will open for the season on March 24, 2007, with areas organized into three areas: Land, Sea and Sky. "Each area will offer something special for every guest, as the new Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is designed to foster both physical and emotional discovery in a dynamic, family-friendly environment," according to the release.

"The name Six Flags Discovery Kingdom now reflects every aspect of what makes the park so unique," said Six Flags President and CEO Mark Shapiro. "Throughout its history, Marine World offered guests a truly distinctive theme park environment, and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom will build and improve on that great tradition. Only at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom can guests ride world-class coasters, feed giraffes, interact with dolphins and watch a killer whale glide through the water, all in one location."

For more information, visit www.sixflags.com/parks/discoverykingdom/index.asp.

Chiller Theatre, a toy, model and film convention in Parsippany, NJ, has set dates for its next expo. It will be taking place April 13 through 15 at a new location, the Hilton Parsippany. The next one will be in October.

Activities include special guests (who have not been posted yet), vendor room, concert, toy model contest, and more.

Advanced tickets are now available to order at www.chillertheatre.com/c4tickets.htm. The deadline for these tickets is March 26.

DETAILS:
What: Chiller Theater Expo
Where:
Hilton Parsippany
One Hilton Court, Parsippany, NJ
When: April 13, 14 and 15, 2007
Friday - 6 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Saturday - 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Sunday - 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For more information: www.chillertheatre.com.

I was fortunate enough to go see the premeire of Almost Beautifu, a documentary about The Last Dance, a Goth rock band, on Tuesday. I've been trying to catch up on my sleep ever since!

Anyway, the movie was very entertaining and I recommend you see it, whether or not you're into the Goth scene. Rocky Costanzo, the director, took his inspiration from 101, a documentary about Depeche Mode.

Jeff Diehm, the lead singer is quite funny and the interaction between the band members is fun to watch. Both Jeff and the bass guitarist, Peter J. Gorritz, come off as well spoken and educated. The drummer, Thomas Coyne, has a dry, wry wit. In once scene, he convinces some girls that Rick Joyce, the guitarist, is Boy George. What a hoot!

Speaking of Rick, his son is in a few scenes, too. At first I didn't see the resemblance. Then the little boy smiles -- Wow! He has his father's smile.

Anyway, I enjoyed the music -- kind of Depeche Mode with an heavy metel edge -- the movie and the relationship between the band members. They are like a family to one another.

If you'd like to sample some of their work, I've posted both the song and the video for their song, "Once Beautiful," on The Genre Traveler's MySpace page at www.myspace.com/thegenretraveler.

Also, I've posted photos from the event, courtesy of Chris Underwood (www.photoiz.com), on The Genre Traveler's photo album. I took my camera, but the darn thing let me only take a few dark photos while eating through six batteries. Ack!

Enjoy!

Seth Schiesel of The New York Times has started a brave new adventure -- he's playing World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade and writing a travelogue about it.

The first story is already posted at www.nytimes.com/2007/01/19/arts/19warc.html?th&emc=th (free registration required).

"I will be playing the game for most of the next couple of weeks as I write an online serial review and travelogue through the most successful virtual world in, well, the world," he wrote.

Now if that isn't genre travel, I'm not sure I know what genre travel is -- and I made up the term!

Genre Travel Across the US, Part Two
I resume my review of attractions I discoverd on my trek across the nation.
Previous Posts:
Caves, Caverns and Bats, Oh My! (Section One)
Caves, Caverns and Bats, Oh My! (Section Two)
Caves, Caverns and Bats, Oh My! (Section Three)
Caves, Caverns and Bats, Oh My! (Section Four)

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As you know from previous issues of The Genre Traveler, we live in quite the haunted world. So, in the capitolistic style, why not make some money off it? I found brochures about the following haunted attractions on my trip across the U.S.

Tennessee
Haunted Ghost Tours
Presented by America by Foot, this walking tour of Gatlinburg, Tenn., promises you'll get paranormal pictures if you bring your camera. The tour, which is about 90 minutes long, includes stories of strange happenings in a number of hotels and buildings in the downtown area. Reservations are required. America by Foot also offeres haunted ghost tours in Asheville and Orlando, Fla., and Nashville, Tenn.
Gatlinburg.HauntedGhostTours.com

Mysterious Mansion
This is Gatlinburg's oldest haunted house and features a variety of thrills and chills for the brave of heart. Winding staircases, a dungeon and a horde of creepy creatures await those who dare to enter.
www.attractions-gatlinburg.com/mysterious_mansion.html

Texas
Ripley's Haunted Adventure
Located across from the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, this attraction is open year-round. It features special effects and life actors whose sole purpose is to scare the heck out of you. And even better, you can make your own wax hands!
www.sa-guinness-haunted.com

New Mexico
Ghost Ranch
Although not a haunted attraction, Ghost Ranch sounded liek one, which is why I picked up its brochure. Ghost Ranch has education and retreat centers located in both Abiquiu and Santa Fe, N.M. The former includes a museum of anthropology and a museum of paleontology. The latter is nearby a variety of museums and other attractions.
www.ghostranch.org

New Mexico Ghost Tours
Located in Albuquerque, N.M., these tours welcome all -- believers and skeptics included. There is a driving tour and a walking tour, as well as a variety of assorted special events.
www.NMghostTours.com

Arizona
Robson's Mining World
Located in Wickenburg, Ariz., this ghost town has a bed & breakfast, the "world's largest collection of antique mining equipment," and more than 30 artifact filled buildings. Their slogan -- "Our world begins where the pavement ends."
www.robsonsminingworld.com

Gold King Mine and Ghost Town
This 100-year old gold mining town near Jerome, Ariz., claims to be "filled with antique trucks, tractors, construction and mining equipment dating back to the turn of the century." Attractions inlcude a walk-in mine, petting zoo, demonstrations of old equipment and more.
www.goldkingmine.net

Goldfield Ghost Town
Claiming to be "the valley's only authentic ghost town," Goldfield Ghost Town is part of Arizona Scenic Railroad and Mine Tours. This attraction features food, shops, gunfights (January through April), a life reptile exhibit, gold panning and more.
www.goldfieldghosttown.com