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Do you and your family enjoy theme parks? Ok, silly question. What family doesn't enjoy theme parks? Kids love them because there's always something fun to do. Parents love them because they give their kids such joy. And, let's face it, many parents love the roller coasters and other rides as well.

Many families try to visit all the major parks at least once while their kids are young. It's almost like the tradition of putting a sticker on your luggage to show where you've been. You want as many stickers on that suitcase as you can collect. They become badges of honor for your travels. As far as theme parks go, there are the usual suspects:

California

--Disneyland

--California Adventure

--Knott's Berry Farm

--Magic Mountain

--Universal Studios

--Legoland

--SeaWorld

florida

--Universal Orlando

--SeaWorld Orlando

--walt Disney World

But what about the Not-So-Usual Suspects? Those are the theme parks you might not know about, but should, particularly if you have younger children. Here are a few not-so-knowns that you might want to consider as well:

Bonfante Gardens - Gilroy, California

Gilroy? Where's Gilroy? Chances are many of you haven't heard of Gilroy, California. Gilroy is the Garlic Capital of the World, located off the 101, approximately 42 miles southeast of Monterey and just over 80 miles south of San Francisco. So, if you're visiting the San Francisco, Monterey or Santa Cruz areas of California, a side trip to the Bonfante Gardens should be on your list.

Bonfante Gardens has the distinction of being California's only horticultural theme park, designed for garden lovers and families of small children. It's like a Legoland, only instead of trees and flowers made of Legos, these trees and flowers are real. Imagine that, a theme park with something real. And, while you won't find the amount of thrill rides you would at the other parks, there are some rides to keep the kids (and ride-loving parents interested). rides include a sky monorail, a roller coaster billed as a "thrilling mine coaster" surrounded by nearly 600 trees, a carousel which dates back to 1927, and a giant banana which swings back and forth. Okay, maybe not the most thrilling, but definitely appropriate for younger children.

For the garden buffs among you, Bonfante Gardens has several gardens to astound you, such as the Monarch Garden, filled with hundreds of tropical and sub-tropical trees, flowers and shrubs; the Camellia Gardens displaying many different varieties of camellias; and the Holly Garden, which features over 20 different varieties of hollies.

Bonfante Garden's season begins march 31.

Silver Dollar City - Branson, Missouri

Silver Dollar City is an absolute must-see theme park. Why? It has what the other theme parks don't have. An actual living cave. As a matter of fact, Missouri is chock full of caves, and is known as the "Cave State" due to it containing over 6,000 surveyed caves. One of them is Marvel Cave, which is now part of Silver Dollar City amusement park. Admission to Silver Dollar City also gains you admission to the Marvel City Cave tour, a tour which lasts approximately 60 minutes and takes you 500 feet below the surface. You do have to climb 600 stairs down, but will have a cable train to take you the -mile trip back up to the surface.

Other rides include a giant swing, which launches you 7 stories into the air; a 20-minute steam train ride; a funhouse called Grandfather's mansion; an 80-foot tall, high-speed, roller coaster with a great view of the Ozarks; and several water rides.

Dollywood - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

For those of you not familiar with Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, its one of the towns close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the most popular National parks in the United States. So, a vacation to Pigeon Forge will get you close to peaceful vacation cabins and all the outdoor activities you can handle: boating, fishing, hiking, etc. Plus, you can give the kids a day at a fabulous nearby theme park: Dollywood.

Dollywood is a great place for families with children of all ages. The younger children will really like it because of the mix of rides with educational amusements, such as the Dreamland Forest Treehouse full of kid games, an interactive Dreamland Forest playground area, and the Eagle Mountain Sanctuary, which houses the countrys largest collection of non-releasable bald eagles. There are numerous thrill rides as well for parents and older children, including the new coaster ride, Mystery Mine, where you travel on a 1,811-foot track through an abandoned coal mine, and take an 85-foot vertical plunge.

Five of the South's largest festivals occur at Dollywood between march and December, including KidsFest from mid June to early August. Dollywood is open march 31 through the end of December.

While every kid wants to visit Disneyland, Disney World, Universal Studios, and all the other usual suspects, do give some thought to some of the lesser-known, not-so-usual suspects which can delight, educate and thrill you and your family.

Shari Hearn is a writer and creator of Top Vacation Spots, where you can learn about such things as cheap weekend breaks.

The first time I enter the concert hall I am greeted by an explosion of sensory input, Indian music fills the room, hundreds of people are milling about and there is a small marketplace at the back of the hall with devotees selling a wide variety of spiritual products to eager buyers. All the activity reminds me of the fabulous chaos of india and for a moment I forget I am actually at the manhattan Center in the middle of NYC. Everyone is gathered for one purpose, to have a chance to be in the in the presence of what many consider a living saint.

I find myself once again visiting the hugging saint Amritanandamayi, Ammachi or Amma as she is also called. Being familiar with the environment I feel at home but I am curious as to what my friend Bill, who I brought for the first time and who is not familiar with anything similar to this, will experience.

The evening starts with a simple program. Amma speaks of the virtues of unconditional love and generosity, leads a group with the chanting of bhajans or devotional songs and guides us for a short meditation. The hall is surprisingly quiet considering it is a full house, but it is not to last for long. Once the program ends, darshan is announced. The Sanskrit word darshan means, to see and it is most commonly used as having the vision of the divine. In this case darshan includes the practice of patience, a lot of it, since most people will wait for several hours to embrace Amma. I am told that around 3000 people will get a hug that night since there are a limited number of tickets distributed. The following night is a special night called Devi bhava where no one is turned down, and more than 4000 people are expected to attend. A small crowd compared to darshans in india where gatherings of over 25,000 are not uncommon.

I wonder how it is possible for a human being to greet so many people. I walk towards the front of the hall to watch. There is a lot of activity around Amma and it is hard to see, but I occasionally get glimpses of her smiling and hugging each person that comes forward. She seems full of energy and greets every individual with utmost attention and care, with a wide smile. There are no rests, no restroom breaks, for many hours on end. Where does her energy come from? I wonder.

Mata Amritanandamayi was born in South india on 1953 with the name Sudhamani. Biographers describe her early life as challenging but stress Sudhamanis remarkable ability to remain at ease, joyful and generous no matter what the situation was. Since her teens she would enter trance like states for hours at a time. As a young woman she would spend sleepless nights after a full days work to chant and meditate. In time villagers began to take notice that there was something special in the young woman and her popularity began to spread. Within a few years, Amritanandamayi went from servant of her own modest family in South india to one of the most recognized and prominent saints of india today.

While waiting for darshan, videos on the big screens recount some of the philanthropic work Ammachi has established. The scope of her charitable work is impressive. Some of the projects, mostly in india, include three hospitals, orphanages, a hospice, a University, and GreenFriendsan organization to protect the environment.

Along with other contemporary women saints in india, Ammachi has led a revolution in equality. Being a woman is still not easy in conservative india and the spiritual leader drew criticism in the beginning by embracing everyone who came to her, including men of all ages. Amma was the first to consecrate female priests in india, and her teachings stress the equality of all human beings. In her address to the United Nations in 2002 she said: Which eye is more important, the left or the right? Both are equally important. It is the same with the status of men and women in society Men and women have to support one another. Only in this way can we maintain the harmony of the world

It is 3 a.m. We have been waiting for over seven hours and it is finally our turn to meet Amma for a hug. I am filled with anticipation and cant believe my friend Bill patiently waited for so long. What will he experience I wonder? After getting his embrace ahead of me, his face looks flushed and a little disoriented though beaming with a smile. As I approach, my mind is racing: Should I say something? How long should the embrace last? Then she hugs me firmly, I feel my face on her chest and my hands around her waist. My mind is still racing. Embarrassed, I ask myself: Is this appropriate? When is a good moment to pull back? And suddenly as Amma rocks me with brisk but gentle movements and whispers to my ear, MA, MA, MA, my mind stops. I feel at peace as I am being enveloped by. nothingness, It is like holding a vast vessel of emptiness but paradoxically it is completely alive, loving and vibrant.

As I sit down, feeling little euphoric and energized, Bill narrates his experience, which is uncannily similar to what I felt. And over time I sense the meeting touched my friend and myself deeply, and was a catalyst to some clear and wonderful transformation. The mystical wisdom reminds us how we are all interconnected and like a pebble hitting a pond, every action one takes ripples out and affects everyone around us. It is estimated that Amma has hugged over 12 million people all over the world; thinking of this I am humbled and awed, and I feel such respect for her, her people and everyone else who through their being and actions are making this world a divine place to be.

Vidura Barrios www.innersplendor.com

Vidura Barrios is the president and founder of Inner Splendor Media, music label that produces high quality content for yoga, meditation and relaxation. Releases by inner splendor include chanting Om, Tibetan Singing Bowl and Classical Indian flute by the popular series music for Deep Meditation. Vidura has contributed to various publications including Fit Yoga, Latina and NY Times magazines. To learn more about Inner Splendor please visit http://www.innersplendor.com and http://www.apsari.com

Surprisingly, there are no "all premiership" ties for the third round and has set up more "championship vs premiership" matches than usual. championship sides awarded a home tie against premiership opposition have a good winning record in recent seasons and here are a few matches where an "upset" could be on the cards:

WBA vs Reading @ 3.40
Reading top the championship table and are unbeaten away from home this season, winning nine and drawing five so far. Comparatively, the Baggies are hovering just above the premiership relegation zone.

Sheff Wed @ 4.00 vs Charlton
Alan Curbishleys side have a dismal record in the FA cup against lower opposition, last season losing to Leicester, 2003/04 losing away at Gillingham and at home to Walsall in 2001/02. The Owls are finding life in the championship tough and will do well to avoid relegation but a possible cup scalp could provide a welcome distraction.

Norwich @ 2.75 vs West Ham
Relegated from the premiership last season, Norwich were expected to storm the division and return to the top flight at the first time of asking. This hasnt happened but the Canaries are pressing for a play-off place. West Ham have had a solid season, sitting comfortably in the top 10 after their promotion in May, but will be without the injured Danny Gabbidon and may find their FA cup campaign is a short one.

Ipswich @ 3.20 vs Portsmouth
Perrenial promotion contenders Ipswich Town are finding life hard this season and the new strike pairing of Sam Parkin and Nick Forster have not been firing on all cylinders. However, they will be up for the visit of Harry Redknapps Portsmouth who are in dire straits in the premiership and have won just twice on the road this season.

Watford @ 3.40 vs Bolton
Watford are mounting a surprise promotion challenge under new manager Adrian Boothroyd while Bolton are having another remarkable season and are in touching distance of a Champions league spot. However, the Trotters do not have the largest of squads and their extended involvement in the UEFA cup may sap energy levels even further.

Hull @ 3.60 vs Aston Villa
Hull have found the step up to the championship difficult following two successive promotions but are clear of the relegation places. They have been generally solid at home while opponents Aston Villa have been diabolical on their travels, winning just twice in the league and demolishing Wycombe 8-3 in the Carling cup.

Millwall @ 4.00 vs Everton
After finishing 10th in the championship the last two seasons and appearing in the final of the 2003/04 FA cup, Millwall find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table. After last seasons heroics, Everton have themselves under achieved this term and have also flirted with relegation. Millwall held fellow struggling Birmingham to a 2-2 draw after extra time, losing on penalties, in the Carling cup earlier this season and will fancy their chances against the Toffees.