Spooky Halloween Adventures

These are no kiddie Zoo Boos. The following Halloween travel attractions are not for the faint of heart. Literally. Many theme parks post large signs warning guests that suffer from heart conditions NOT to partake in the gory Halloween hauntings that are a dime a dozen this time of year, for fear it may cause serious medical emergencies. If you are cool as a cucumber and creepy mazes, disorienting strobe lights, fog and fake blood don’t make your heart skip a beat or trigger panic attacks, then you might consider traveling to the following Halloween events: Busch Gardens Williamsburg in … Continue reading

Halloween Travel: Something for Everyone

This week is prime scaring time for Halloween lovers the world over. The second week in October is traditionally when most venues open their haunted houses and other spooktacular attractions to shrieking guests. While some major theme parks kicked off their fright fests and horror nights at the beginning of the month, the vast majority of smaller organizations waited until this week to debuted their ghoulish thrills and chills. If you are looking to feel the tingle of terror this month or you simply want your kids to make the most of their expensive costumes, then consider these varied Halloween … Continue reading

Halloween Happenings for Kids

(My daughter pretending she is Sylvester the Cat attacking Tweety Bird at Six Flags Great America’s Scare-Free Fright Fest Zone.) My six-year-old is a cream puff when it comes to Halloween spooks and scares. She refuses to walk near store aisles that contain Halloween decorations, which makes trips to Wal-Mart and Target sheer horror this time of year. However, she is not alone. The world is filled with kids, who love getting candy at Halloween, but despise getting freaked out by the gory sights that are trademarks of the haunted holiday. Fortunately, there are a number of not-so spooky Halloween … Continue reading

Serious Scares in Sin City

Who says amusement parks are the only places you can get your scare on during the Halloween season? October is primetime for spooktacular fun in Las Vegas… and I’m not referring to triple digit losses in the casinos. Sin City is home to a growing number of terrifying attractions that will haunt even the hardiest travelers: CIRCUS CIRCUS The hotel with the magical Big Top is home to some of the scariest attractions in the nation, according to TV’s Travel Channel. The horror begins at the resort’s Adventure Dome, which has undergone a death defying transformation and now bears the … Continue reading

Scream-o-ween Attractions

I parent a young child, who is petrified of all things related to Halloween, save for the candy. However, I realize there are some kids, who not only embrace the bloody zombies and grotesque gargoyles that haunt the holiday, but actively seek them out. If your child loves to get his scare on this time of year, then consider the following spooktacular events: SCREAMS HALLOWEEN THEME PARK Waxahachie, Texas is home to what is billed as “The World’s Largest Halloween Theme Park.” The Dallas-area park is open through October 31st and boasts five haunted attractions including the Maze of the … Continue reading

Kid-Friendly Halloween Happenings

My 5-year-old’s favorite theme park is Six Flags Great America. However, she won’t go near the place this time of year. Her fear of all-things ghoulish makes the amusement park’s popular Fright Fest off limits during the weeks leading up to Halloween. Fortunately, there are several scare-less Halloween events taking place through October at other parks around the nation. Some kid-friendly favorites include: HallowBoo at Idlewild in Ligonier, Pennsylvania is perfect for your littlest ghosts and goblins. The theme park’s Halloween events include trick-or-treating through Storybook Forest and meeting Ricky Raccoon and other characters. There are also Halloween-themed rides and … Continue reading

Naturally Spooky Travel Destinations

Haunted houses with crazed ghouls chasing you with bloodied limbs is great for teens and adults, but if you are traveling with young children, then you might want to keep the Halloween chills and thrills to a minimum. Fortunately, there are a myriad of naturally semi-spooky Halloween-related options available for parents with youngsters. The following attractions skip the fake blood and haunted howls, and rely on nature to amuse visitors: TEXAS Kids love exploring Austin’s Bat Colony during the month of October. That’s when the world’s largest urban bat colony preps for Halloween. Mexican free-tail bats emerge in downtown Austin … Continue reading

Halloween Travel: Super Spooky Sites

Saturday is Sweetest Day, so why not take advantage of the holiday by giving your love a squeeze at a spooky Halloween event? After all, nothing says amore like a Halloween Frightfest filled with thrills and chills, that’ll have your sweetie running to snuggle in your arms. The following spooktacular travel sites are waiting for fresh blood this weekend: It may look like Dracula’s castle, but the former Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield is far creepier. The popular haunted house boasts more than 50 demons and devils breaking out of rusted cells along with big-budget special effects, elaborate sets, and … Continue reading

Where To Have a Haunted Halloween

It’s that time of the year again. Time to get your scream on at amusement parks nationwide. According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, 81 percent of amusement parks are hosting Halloween or fall-themed events this year. Thrill-seekers can partake in a variety of hair-raising events from haunted houses complete with bloody zombies and three-eyed monsters to corn mazes featuring ax-wielding madmen. Here’s a list of some of the most spooktacular Halloween events taking place this month: “Hall of Terror” and “Haunted River Ride” at Adventure Landing in Jacksonville Beach, Florida “Howl-O-Scream” at Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay, … Continue reading

Family Travel—-What You Can Learn at an Apple Orchard

We just returned from our annual trip to the local apple orchard and I’m staring at the receipt from our adventure. My 3-year-old daughter spent more than an hour happily bouncing from branch to branch plucking ripe red apples and placing them into her plastic bag. (This was after I convinced her that the farmer might ask us to leave if she continued to throw rotten apples into the nearby buffalo pen.) Gazing at my receipt it appears the hands on lesson in produce growing and harvesting was included in the price of the apples. The apples at the U-Pick … Continue reading