Things To Do In Springfield

Since 1962, the experienced and USPA-certified instructors at Connecticut Parachutists, Inc have helped new and experienced skydivers foster a love for skydiving. Two miles above the plush green landing area, the professionals harness themselves to novice divers for tandem jumps, and then leap from the bellies of prop planes as spectators and envious penguins look on from an open landing area. The instructors can also help their students obtain skydiving certification, learn to perform accelerated free falls, and make solo dives.

In addition to training new cloud kickers, Connecticut Parachutists, Inc also accommodates seasoned skydivers with facilities for members. Their turbine Twin Otter elevates members for as many jumps as possible, and a clubhouse helps jumpers wind down with a shower and video debriefing area. The skydiving haven also plays host to special events such as jump nights and Q&As with famous parachutes.

Both options include the YMCA's $65 joiners fee.

Visiting The Zoo in Forest Park and Education Center is a lot like stepping into a nature documentary. On guided tours, a knowledgeable narrator takes small groups on a journey to meet more than 200 creatures from across the world. They stop by the habitats of the black and white ruffed lemur, the western bobcat, and the spotted leopard. Along the way, guests learn a lot: for instance, that the Bennett's wallaby carries its young in a pouch, and that the critically-endangered cotton-top tamarin has lost more than 75% of its native habitat.

But in at least one way, the zoo accomplishes something that David Attenborough never could. Visitors can actually reach out and touch a creature during discovery programs. They can even adopt certain animals, perhaps helping provide tasty grasses and career guidance to a red kangaroo.

These programs exemplify the nonprofit zoo's dedication to wildlife education and awareness, something they hope to instill in their visitors from an early age. In the summer, educators spin "Animal Tales" for rapt young audiences and hold a Zoo Camp, where kids start to learn about diet and animal care. As kids' love of animals grows, the zoo invites them to volunteer as Crew in Training members. Once they hit college, students can become interns working on projects such as field studies of the patas monkey.

Licensed acupuncturist and herbalist Stan Baker draws from extensive experience in Eastern healing methods to adeptly perform numerous Eastern-medicine modalities. Baker's acupuncture and bodywork sessions help to stimulate the body's vital energy channels, working to alleviate such medical ailments as migraines and musculoskeletal pain. A Sun Do mountain yoga instructor with a black belt in aikido, Baker bolsters his understanding of the East by attending weekly chen-tai-chi classes and boycotting three out of four cardinal directions.

Edward and Kristine Mele were driving their son to baseball practice one day when a downpour caused the team to relocate to indoor batting cages. This serendipitous change led the Mele family past Sand Trap Mini Golf, which was derelict and for sale. Within a week, the Meles owned the course. Gathering up their sons, daughters, siblings, and friends, the couple renovated the grounds, removing the debris and haunted windmills that littered the place. Today, Sand Trap's gleaming 18-hole course draws families and friends outdoors to revel in spirited competition. As they progress through the course, Coca-Cola beverages and Blue Bunny ice cream help visitors keep cool and stop them from burrowing into a bunker hidden beneath the 18th hole.

The course at East Mountain Country Club escorts golfers over lush fairways buffered by thick groves of pinewood forest. In order to challenge the par of 71, golfers must tread carefully over 6,010 yards of golf anchored by SR 7200 velvet bentgrass greens. The putting surface grows in thick to keep out weeds and magical beanstalks, allowing a smooth roll. Course manager and PGA Professional Ted Perez Jr. conducts lessons on East Mountain's driving range and putting and chipping greens. His teaching philosophy emanates from 34 years of golf instruction, centering on improvement of the short game and fundamental mechanics in order to achieve lower scores. Course at a Glance: * 18-hole, par 71 course * Total length of 6,010 yards from the back tees * Course rating of 68.8 from the back tees * Course slope of 120 from the back tees * Three sets of tees per hole