ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 27, 1997 TAG: 9703270078
SECTION: QUICK LOOK PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: NANCY GLEINER
Does spring break refer to what happens to your home while the kids are out of school? A couple of ideas to keep them from uttering the ``b'' (as in "bored") word by midweek:
Ice skating at the Roanoke Civic Center. Wednesday, 7 to 9:30 p.m.; Thursday and April 4 and 5, 12:30 to 3 p.m. Cost: $5, plus $2 for skate rentals. Thursday and April 4 are half-price. It's cheaper than a movie (if you count the popcorn) and gets them moving. Get there early. A limited number of tickets are sold and are available an hour before each session starts. It's always a sellout.
The Zoo Choo rides again starting Tuesday at Mill Mountain Zoo. When you get tired of walking or chasing kids, sit down in the train car and enjoy the more than 40 species of animals. The cost is $1 over zoo admission.
To learn a bit of history, go to Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest in Forest, near Lynchburg. It reopens Wednesday and will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays through Sundays. The octagonal house that was Jefferson's retreat has been under heavy restoration, inside and out, but there's enough done to get a feel for the villa and, with archaeologists' excavating there, enough dirt is being thown around to make it more interesting to kids. Admission is $5 for adults, $4.50 for senior citizens and $1 for 6- to 16-year-olds. For directions, call (804) 525-1806.
LENGTH: Short : 35 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Eric Bardy. The Roanoke Civic Center will be open forby CNBskating on Wednesday, Thursday and April 4 and 5.