Let's go, G.N.O.

Truth be told, we had no business spending money on the tickets. But yesterday, Kelly and Zoë were on the road again, headed to San Jose for their second gymnastics-junkie outings in as many summers. Yep, it was another gymnastics...er, girls' night out.

Compared to the three-day 2007 US Nationals tournament they attended last August, yesterday's event—The 2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars—was just a tad less formal. But according to Zoë, the chance to see gymnasts she's quickly come to idolize able to let their hair down while performing to choreographed musical numbers was still very exciting—and a lot of fun to boot.

It didn't hurt that Zoë was sitting on the floor, in the second row, just a few feet from the apparatus upon which the athletes were performing—even closer than the lower-section VIP seats she and Kelly had for the Nationals. Credit good luck and timing for that, as I'd been fortunate enough to be sitting at my computer in July when notification of ticket pre-sales had arrived in my e-mail.

Nor was Zoë going to complain that the organizers of the event had wisely teamed up with Radio Disney to cross-promote a new CD titled "Girlz Rock 2," featuring every last one of Zoë’s favorite female artists. To do so, they'd brought along hot new girl band K.S.M. and singer Jordan Pruitt to perform live on stage, also just a few feet from where Zoë was sitting.

So, for two hours, the Hamilton girls were treated to a flashy, fast-paced and sometimes comical show by reigning gymnastics royalty and Beijing Olympians, including All-Around Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin, All-Around Silver Medalist Shawn Johnson, Team Silver Medalist Chellsie Memmel, and US men’s Bronze-medal-winning team members Jonathan Horton, Kevin Tan, Joe Hagerty and Justin Spring. Former Olympic medalists Paul Hamm, Morgan Hamm, Shannon Miller and Blaine Wilson also took part.

Never mind that Zoë’s favorite part of the show involved gymnasts dressed up like The Jonas Brothers and their girlfriends and groupies. On a Sunday night, after driving all day to get there, I was relieved to hear that the show was lighthearted and kid-friendly, if not Gymnastics with a capital "G." From Zoë and Kelly's descriptions, it sounded like the gymnastics equivalent of "Stars on Ice," with a pop-rock soundtrack for good measure. That’s smart marketing, perfect for the tween audience, and perfect for a tired girl who unabashedly laps up Hannah Montana-style glitz.

Though Zoë was disappointed when Kelly refused to wait in the several-hundred-person-long line waiting for autographs from Jordan Pruitt, more concerned about the four-hour drive that awaited them on a school night, the trip home went far smoother than we'd hoped. Zoë dozed for a bit before waking at a gas stop, and then helped Kelly stay awake so that they arrived home, safely and in good spirits, just before midnight.

I’m sure that to some degree, Zoë’s getting spoiled by getting to see her high-flying heroes so often and so close—in last night’s case, close enough that the ushers warned Zoë and Kelly not to stand up during the performance. But in an era of lightning-speed childhoods and hard-to-find heroes—think Barry Bonds and how Zach’s idealism was crushed after years of idolizing him—gymnastics manages to a large part to remain wholesome and innocent. Just look at Shawn Johnson. What better role model could we hope for Zoë to have?

I know Kelly won’t argue. And, I'm betting she won't complain when the next opportunity arises for a G.N.O.—regardless of whether it's "Girls'," "Gymnastics," or both.