The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze

Do you know what is The Great Jack O’Lantern?

There is an old Irish legend about a man named Stingy Jack who was too mean to get into heaven and had played too many tricks on the devil to go to hell. When he died, he had to walk the earth, carrying a lantern made out of a turnip with a burning coal inside. Stingy Jack became known as "Jack of the Lantern," or "Jack-o'-Lantern."

From this legend came the Irish tradition of placing jack-o'-lanterns made of turnips and other vegetables in windows or by doors on Halloween. The jack-o'-lanterns are meant to scare away Stingy Jack and all the other spirits that are said to walk the earth on that night. It wasn't until the tradition was brought to the United States by immigrants that pumpkins were used for jack-o'-lanterns.

Now every October, carved pumpkins peer out from porches and doorsteps in the United States and other parts of the world. Gourd-like orange fruits inscribed with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles are a sure sign of the Halloween season.

By the way in the United States, the carved pumpkin was first associated with the harvest season in general, long before it became an emblem of Halloween.

The tri-state area’s biggest, most exciting, most electrifying Halloween event returns for a whopping 22 nights in 2012 at Van Cortlandt Manor in Hudson Valley!

See more than 5,000 individually hand-carved, illuminated jack o’ lanterns in this elaborate walk-through experience. Meander through an historic, 18th-century riverside landscape and discover a breathtaking display – all made of jack o’ lanterns! Stroll through the Tunnel O’ Pumpkin Love and emerge to the incredible sight of gourd-filled Jack-in-the-Box springing up and bouncing around. Flying pumpkin ghosts will soar above the lantern-lit path...

This event requires advance tickets and has limited capacity

The tickets are going on sale for General Public September 4, 2012

You can order tickets online https://www.hudsonvalley.org/store or by phone 914-366-6900.

The prices are:

Adults, $16, Children 3-17, $12 (Saturdays $20, $16) on line and
Adults, $18, Children 3-17, $14 (Saturdays $22, $18) on the phone (includes $2/ticket surcharge)
FREE for children under 3

Remember: all tickets are for specific day and time and are final sale.

For direction please go to http://www.hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/van-cortlandt-manor/directions.

Labor Day weekend

Symbolically representing the transition from summer to fall, Labor Day gathers friends and family together for one final weekend packed full of events and activities before students return back to school and the journey into the seemingly never ending months that end in “ber” begins.
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers, but it was first celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday and have been celebrated on that day ever since, which, luckily, gives us a long weekend to celebrate.

I’m sure many of you already have plans (as do I), but if you don’t, I would like to remind you about many interesting destination I have featured on my blog. Just go to Friend's Travel Club’s archive (provide link here) and pick something you would consider visiting.

Happy Labor Day and easy travel to all of you!
 

Colorado Springs, CO, Part 2

It took us only 20 min by car to get from the Air Force Academy to The Garden of the Gods – something everyone should see. Unfortunately we had just enough time to drive through the park, but it did give us a chance to appreciate the beauty of the place – each rock formation was more interesting than the other!
Legend has it that two surveyors came upon this natural wonder. One commented that it would be a “capital place for a beer garden.” His partner, Rufus Cable, having a greater appreciation for the uniqueness of the landscape, was taken aback. “Beer garden? Why, it is a place for the Gods to assemble. We will call it the Garden of the Gods!”
Garden of the Gods Park is home to rock formations with intriguing names such as Giant Footprints, Kissing Camels, Siamese Twins, Three Graces, and Tower of Babel.
There are many great trails for easy hiking with families (including trails with good wheelchair access and strollers). And best of all....the place is FREE!
Opening hours are 5 am till 11 pm (May 1 - Oct 31), and 5 am to 9 pm the rest of the year.
Do not forget to bring a camera, and late afternoon seems best since you'll want good lighting for photos of the rocks, greenery and sky!
Garden of Gods, Seven Falls, Royal Gorge Bridge are only several of many attractions of Pikes Peak region. To learn about other attractions of the region please go to http://www.pikes-peak.com/Attraction/24.aspx
One very interesting fact: in 1893, Katharine Lee Bates, author of many volumes of poetry, travel books and children's books, and long-time professor at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, was lecturing at the summer session at Colorado College. During that time she joined an expedition to the summit of Pikes Peak. Electrified by the beauty she saw atop Pikes Peak she wrote the poem that later became known as "America the Beautiful."

Colorado Springs, CO, Part I

Last weekend my husband and I went to Denver for a Family reunion. We also spent some time in Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs region has a lot of interesting sites, but we had time only for three of them.

First we went to United States Air Force Academy – USAF Academy. We went there to see the Cadets Chapel, which you can see even from highway, and we were not disappointed. The Chapel is a real architectural gem on the outside as well as inside; it has separate chambers for each religious denomination. Stained glass windows give the upper chamber a blue look. The chapel is only 1/3 mile from the visitor center.

I would recommend starting your visit by watching a 10 minute movie about the Academy and cadets’ training. Do not miss the small museum and interesting gift shop, both located in visitor center.

The beautiful acres surrounding the Academy offer miles of walking and running trails.

You do not have to make a reservation, just drive in. Lastly, there is no fee to tour the campus, museum and the Chapel.

The second place we visited was Garden of Gods. Be on the lookout for that article next week.

Crayola Factory, PA

The other place in Pennsylvania I’d like to tell you about is Crayola Factory.

At the Crayola Factory, your only creative limitation is your imagination.

Come and see how Crayola crayons and markers are made and learn about the history of the Crayola brand on this self-guided tour.  At each creative space, you will be

immersed in color and creativity and invited to play and explore while learning and having lots and lots of fun.  

Lots of interactive activities for kids age 10 and under like the glow-in-the-dark coloring, creating with modeling clay, sidewalk coloring, making your own puzzles, arts & crafts. You can even make your own binoculars! The kids also enjoy the treasure hunt for crayons!  There are three floors of activities, which allow the young ones to use many of the products sold by Crayola. The kids will leave with several treats that are included in the price of admission. 

At the Crayola Store, next door to the factory, you will be able to see the world's largest crayon and purchase a few fun items for creative art projects at home.

For directions and opening hours please go to http://www2.crayola.com/factory/about_us.cfm.

After Crayola you can go to the National Canal Museum located a few miles from the Crayola Factory in Hugh Moore Park and take a 30 minutes mule-drown canal ride on the Josiah White II boat with costumed interpreters describing life on the canal. Just remember this ride is avaliable during summer months only, so hurry.

A combination ticket for a boat ride and admission to The Crayola Experience is available from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Please call

(610) 991-0503 for more information.

Hershey Gardens, PA

If you were wondering why I didn’t post any new information last week, I want you to know that it was because I spent that week in Poconos, PA with my grandkids. So this week I will try to catch up by posting two articles and of course there is no surprise that both of them are about places in Pennsylvania.

The first place is Hershey Gardens.

 Most people go to Hershey, PA to visit Hershey Park and Chocolate factory, but I want to invite you to Hershey Garden (http://www.hersheygardens.org/) - a must visit place if you go to Hershey World (??).  A natural wonder, with

meticulously maintained plants from all around the world, Hershey Garden provides welcome relief from the noise and traffic of Hershey. And where else can you see a Sequoia tree in the east? By the way, this year the Gardens celebrate 75^th anniversary.

As you wander throughout the Gardens, be sure to explore all 11 distinct theme gardens. My favorite is the Japanese Garden, where you can enjoy the relaxing sound of a peaceful stream and tranquil reflective pond with different kind of colorful fishes.

The Children Garden with its Butterfly House is another place not to be missed.

Make sure to wear comfortable shoes as there is a lot of walking required, although there are benches scattered throughout to take a break.

Hershey Garden’s address is 170 Hotel Road, Hershey, PA 17033.

It is opened till late October and on selected days in November and December, closed January through March.  To see the hours of operation go to http://www.hersheygardens.org/plan_your_visit/hours.php.

I hope you enjoy this place as much as we did! 

Cloisters

My older daughter sent me the following information about one of her favorite places in NYC:

Beautiful, peaceful, and less than an hour away from Manhattan, Cloisters is one of the crown jewels of the NY museums.
A museum within a museum, it was pieced together from five European medieval abbeys and contains some wonderful and rare examples of medieval art that date from the twelfth through the fifteenth century. Among Cloisters' masterpieces are an early fifteenth-century French illuminated book of hours, The Belles Heures of Jean de France, Duc de Berry; a richly carved, twelfth-century ivory cross attributed to the English abbey of Bury Saint Edmunds; stained-glass windows from the castle chapel at Ebreichsdorf, Austria; and of course, the famous Unicorn Tapestry.

The moment you step in, you feel like you're transported back into the Middle Ages and even if you're not much into medieval art, the museum collection is admirable. Don't forget to check out the Cloisters' Treasury, a room tucked away in a corner of the museum, right before you step out into the gardens. It's where the real gems of the place are stored, including the Cloisters Cross. Seeing them all in one room may take your breath away. They are incredible in real life! If you're lucky, you may catch one of the staff-guided tours during the visit. The schedule of the tours is available at the front desk. The Cloisters museum and gardens offers highlights tours, gallery talks, family workshops, and special events for visitors of all ages. During our visit, we were able to listen to a child's author read his book about a medieval knight and then take part in a "spot that piece of art" treasure hunt that enabled the kids to learn more about the legends and history of the Middle Ages.

I think it's best to visit the Cloisters in the summer, when the gardens are in full bloom. The beautiful grounds right outside of the abbey's walls also make for a great picnic area and get that picnic basket ready because- and this is the only downside to this wonderful place- the cafeteria offers very limited, very expensive, and very unappealing choices!

Museum's suggested entrance fee for adults is $25, which of course means that you can pay as much as you would like. To learn how to get there go to

http://www.metmuseum.org/en/visit/visit-the-cloisters/getting-to-the-cloisters.

The High Line in NYC

I’d like to invite you for a nice walk on The High Line along the Hudson River. 

The High Line is a public park built on a 1.45-mile-long elevated rail structure running from Gansevoort St to W. 34th St. on Manhattan's West Side.
What used to be a freight rail line in operation from 1934 to 1980 has been turned into a very pretty park raised above the city streets with views of the Hudson River and the city skyline.
The High Line runs through three of Manhattan's most dynamic neighborhoods: the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea, and Hell’s Kitchen/Clinton. You can find the detailed map on http://www.thehighline.org/about/maps. 

You can bring you own food basket or enjoy the various eateries along The High Line  from http://www.thehighline.org/about/high-line-food.

By the way, New York’s City’s hugely successful High Line isn’t the first elevated urban railroad bed to be converted into a much-loved linear park.  The elevated park in Paris la Promenade Plantée was the model for the High Line.

Projects similar to the High Line are now in early stages in St. Louis, Philadelphia, Jersey City, Chicago, and Rotterdam.

Time off

Because this is a holiday week and many have taken off, I have decided to take off as well. I hope everyone enjoys their holiday and time off. Stay cool during this heat wave. I will see you all next week.

Storm King Art Center

Storm King Art Center www.stormking.org is one of the world’s leading sculpture parks and has welcomed visitors from across the globe for fifty years. It is located only one hour north of New York City, in the lower Hudson Valley. It is a beautiful, peaceful, very sunny place, different and great during all seasons.

My advice: after parking the car take your time walking through Meadows to Museum Hills.
After that, take the elevator down and get on the tram (running every 30 min). You'll give a rest to your feet and learn some interesting facts from the commentary provided on the tram.
The tram makes many stops on its way, but there is no guaranty the seats will be available at every stop. You can go all the way and come back to the elevator (this stop is close to the South and Upper Parking lots) or you can get off at the Three Legged Buddha or Storm King Wall (author A. Goldsworthy)., After walking around South Fields you can take the tram or walk to your parking lot.

Hours: Beginning April 4, 2012, Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:30 pm (grounds remain open until 8:00 pm on Saturdays, May 26–September 1, and on Sunday May 27 and Sunday September 2; until 5:00 pm in November). The place closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, except for the Monday holidays marking Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day. Open only on weekends after November 11 (November 17–18 and 24–25). The 2012 Storm King season closes on November 25.
Fees:  Adults $12
           Senior Citizens (65 and older) $10
           College Students (with valid id) and Students (K-12) $8
           Children under 5 Free
The complimentary map is provided at the entrance.

Touring Storm King by bicycle is another great way to experience the art and landscape Storm King offers. Visitors may rent adult bicycles. For details about go to http://www.stormking.org/visit/bike-rentals/.

For navigation systems, MapQuest, or Google maps, please use the following address:
1 Museum Road, New Windsor, NY 12553.
Finally, very important: there is Storm King State Park and Storm King School you probably see on your way - please do not confuse them with Storm King Art Center.