Surviving Halloween Horror Nights
Having survived a night of gleeful terror at Universal Orlando Resort’s annual Halloween Horror Nights, I can report that #HHN is a blast. It's a frightful fest of doom (Sept 6-Nov 2, 2019 in Orlando and Sept 13-Nov 2, 2019 in Hollywood) that's worth repeating annually. Both Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood reach out annually to a fresh crop of master storytellers,...
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Aw Shucks! Autumn Adventures In A Corn Maze
We think visiting a farm -- one with a huge corn maze the kids can puzzle on -- is a great autumn family getaway and, according to the directory at Corn Mazes America, there are approximately 800 to choose from in the U.S. this season. If you can also pick apples, sit on a hay bale, buy some local produce, and bring home a big pumpkin at half the price it sells for in your home town, it's a value getaway...
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New York Halloween Getaways Upstate
Within a few hours of well-lit Manhattan, the dark dreary forests, fog-shrouded bogs and haunted houses of the Hudson Valley come to life for a spooky New York Halloween. This tranquil region along the Hudson River and upstate New York in Westchester, Dutchess, Orange and Ulster Counties is bursting with fun things themed to the holiday. First,...
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Haunted Houses, Halloween Ideas and Weekend Breaks
Halloween is an estimated $9 billion holiday -- with more than $300 million of that spent to dress up family pets -- so it's no wonder that kids have ghost stories and candy on their minds from the beginning of the school year. When the chill winds blow, a family Halloween weekend away at any of America's haunted houses for kids, an outing to a creepy place, or just a costume shopping spree may restore...
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Washington Apple Farms – U-Pick ‘Em And Enjoy
The late summer and early fall is apple picking time at the u-pick apple farms and pumpkin patches surrounding the city of Seattle. Did you know that Washington State is the country's Apple Capital? It's true, the state produces over a hundred million bushels of apples annually and, of course, is well known for its cherries as well. The best...
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Fabulous Fall Vacations and Getaways
Harvest season. Kid-friendly festivals. Halloween. Let the fall fun begin! There’s no better time than autumn to get outdoors and get away whether you have a day, a weekend or a week for fall vacations. The climate is ideal; there is the right ratio of visitors to locals and grandparents can savor their preschoolers without the crowds. In many places, shoulder season prices make a fall getaway...
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Pennsylvania Apple Farms – U-Pick ‘Em And Enjoy
September and October are our favorite months to tour the Pennsylvania U-Pick farms for apple and pumpkin picking. Even a day in the fields can make a long weekend in the great family-friendly city of Philadelphia seem like a full vacation. If you're a history buff and are touring the great battlefield of Gettysburg, we have a few pick-your-own farms in that region...
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New York Metro Apple Farms – U-Pick ‘Em And Enjoy
The late summer and early fall is pick your own apples time, and a day at a New York Metro U-Pick farm is the perfect staycation or basis for a cheap weekend getaway for many area families. Follow my family to the countryside in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut for the best P-Y-O apple and pumpkin picking farms in the tristate metropolitan area. If...
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Autumn Interludes and Fall Family Vacation Ideas
If a uniquely American and slightly eccentric fall festival in North Carolina,Texas, Wisconsin, Maine or Vermont is your idea of a fun fall getaway, read on. Autumn is the time to harvest some of the many free activities and discounted hotel rooms offered in small towns across America. Whether you combine a stay deal with
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Illinois Apple Farms – U-Pick ‘Em And Enjoy
Stick with us while we drive to countryside U-Pick apple farms in Rockford, Caledonia, Winnebago and other regions near Chicago, Illinois then head southwest across the state to Alton to check out the orchards near the Mississippi River and St. Louis, Missouri. In our family, a day...
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