Things to Do in Springfield

Boasting five all stars in the 2011 Prospect League, the Nashville Outlaws look to continue their ascent toward the top spot in the West Division. With the season coming down to the wire, contests against the first-place Quincy Gems (August 1–August 3) and league rivals the Dubois County Bombers (August 5–August 6) take on playoff implications, their stakes raised like a flag made of filet mignon. The slugging showdowns throw down at the recently renovated Dugan Field, where muscles flex under brilliant stadium lights on turf handsomely outfitted in team colors. Munch on two included hot dogs as the athletic action picks up speed, or use the meaty cylinders to get in some batting practice of your own, swinging at the nearest pair of disco-ball earrings.

Greenville Glides' experienced guides shuttle bands of merry sightseers through Downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods. The fun-loving leaders' history lessons wash over group and private tours propelled by such trusty steeds as segways, vans, and mechanical bulls. Restaurant tours delight palates with local gourmand delights, and city tours explore the history, architecture, and quirky aspects of each locale.

The din of scattering pins echoes like distant thunder over billiard tables and arcade games, sonic evidence of the bustling alleys that tie Oak Valley Lanes' entire entertainment center together. As bowlers unleash balls toward distant pins, digital screens impartially tally scores. The smoke-free facility's billiards room features both full-size regular tables and felt fields for snooker. At the arcade, players can warp into digital football games, grapple the steering wheel in frenetic street races, or make up for the fact that they converted all their pocket change into tiddlywinks by hitting up the coin machine.

A real stock car roars around a banked oval track. As it navigates the chicanes and wrestles g-forces to the floor, a coach's voice crackles in the driver's ear. This isn’t the Indy 500; it's L.A. Racing. Featured on NBC Today in L.A., L.A. Racing's Adventure programs let would-be racers grip the wheel during fast-forward laps around a real track. This video shows the rubber meeting the road at Irwindale Speedway.

Inside, L.A. Racing's instructors educate new drivers with BlueTiger simulators, helping them get a feel for new tracks and learn to follow the proper line through turns. These practice cars feature realistic racing effects—engine vibrations, road-surface texture, bumping, and deer attacks, for example. Competition courses are available for drivers who want to take racing to the next level and master advanced techniques such as throttle control, trail braking, and passing.

Located in the former main post office of Nashville, the Frist Center is an architectural feast of classicism and Art Deco style containing more than 24,000 square feet of gallery space. The non-profit museum hosts an ever-changing array of exhibits that pop in and out of its halls each 10-12 weeks, so commitmentphobes and the easily bored will always have something new and fresh to run their eyeballs across. Fashionistas frustrated by their failure to institute Really Formal Fridays at the office will want to flee to the Frist Center's current Golden Age of Couture exhibition (June 18–September 12, 2010), with its collection high-glamour vintage wares, while fans of ornate glass sculptures can check out the Chihuly at the Frist exhibition (May 9–January 2, 2011).

Cheekwood's assemblage of botanical gardens stretches across more than 55 acres of verdant land, inviting members to explore its natural nexus of wooded streams, gentle pools, and stone grottoes. Visitors can appreciate Mother Nature's leafy hairline by weaving through Japanese, wildflower, and perennial gardens and cruising down avenues of crepe myrtles in lilac-powered lowriders. Green-thumbed guests can also admire each display's unique gardening style and exchange salutations with bursting seasonal flora. Guests can venture inside the 30,000-square-foot Georgian mansion to find Cheekwood's collection of decorative arts and Visions of the American West, a Wild West exhibition on display until May 4. The video-installation galleries explore Buffalo Bill's life and his legacy as Wild West icon and fearsome ventriloquist.