(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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

Nestled in the Hudson Valley, Croton-on-Hudson is rich with New York State History and is home to fantastic scenery, quaint shops and one Van Cortlandt Manor. The Van Cortlandts were a very prominent family in the area, and if you live here, the name is as common as Carnegie or Rockefeller. The manor has been turned into a living history museum and is worth the visit even if you’re not here around Halloween. However, if you’re here in October, the Great Jack ‘O Lantern Blaze is a can’t miss family activity. If you think that you and yours are pumpkin … Continue reading →