Entry bubble Happy Halloween

By: Sam | October 31, 2007 | Category: Home and Family

I love Halloween.  The Great Pumpkin is on.  The stores are over-stocked with candy corn (I can’t resist).  From lattes to muffins, pumpkin is the ingredient of choice.  And no matter your age, there are so many entertaining and creative things you can do to celebrate. 

I'm celebrating by taking a ghost tour in Georgetown with my best friend.  Although it didn't make the recent list of the "10 Great Places to Get Spooked by Your Surroundings," I'm sure there will be plenty of scary stories to keep a permanent chill up my spine.  Best of all, Georgetown on Halloween night is unlike anything else in D.C.  The streets are filled with people who are dressed in some of the most inventive and unique costumes I've ever seen.  Maybe I should wear my Care Bear costume from childhood.

If ghost tours aren't your thing, then check out all the great Halloween links on USA.gov.  You can find tons of fun facts about the holiday and its history and folklore.  Here’s one I couldn’t believe-in 2006, the U.S. produced 1 billion pounds of pumpkins.  That’s a whole lot of Jack-O-Lanterns and pumpkin pies! 

If you’re like many of my friends who are attending a pumpkin carving or costume party tonight, make sure to check out the Halloween recipes on USA.gov.  The Eyeball Soup is guaranteed to win you “Best Dish.” But if you're heart is set on  “Most Original,” you should try an office favorite, Dead Man's Meatloaf.

And for the many who are taking kids out trick-or-treating, here’s some tips to ensure the evening is a fun but safe one:

Consumer Product Safety Commission-Halloween Safety

U.S. Food and Drug Administration-Safety Tips for Halloween

National Crime Prevention Council-Halloween Tips

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Entry bubble My Favorite Colors of Fall

By: Sommer | October 12, 2007 | Category: Fun

My friends and family would probably tell you the only reason I like autumn so much is because the leaves turn my favorite color – orange! While that’s partly true (I won’t lie), I also love the crispness of the weather, getting to wear warm sweaters, picking apples, and campfires. To see the leaves change from bright, vibrant greens to all shades of orange, yellow, red, and brown is just a bonus.

I have to wait a little longer for the orange of autumn here in the Washington, DC area, though, than in South Dakota where I grew up. There, we’d almost always experience ourautumn leaves first frost and sometimes even our first snow by early October. Usually in mid to late September, before settling in for the long winter, our family would pile into the car for a ride up to Spearfish Canyon. Once there, we hiked back into the woods about a mile to Roughlock Falls where the stunning waterfalls, colorful leaves and fresh air make one want to stay forever! I’ll never forget the fall foliage in the Black Hills. 

Now, since I'm a city dweller, I’d like to get back out into the country and find a way to enjoy the fall leaves and festivities once again. Jake’s post this week inspired me to go apple and pumpkin picking. And, who doesn’t love a hayride? I also checked the U.S. Forest Service’s Fall Colors site (you can also call 1-800-354-4595) to see when the leaves will be at peak color in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. (We can drive to all four states in less than 3 hours.) It looks like our best bets for early October include PA’s Allegheny National Forest and Shenandoah National Park in VA. We might just have to make a weekend trip out of it.

| Comments [4] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: autumn  blackhills  fall  family  fun  leaves  sommer