The Radio City Music Hall Marquee

Halloween just passed.  Thanksgiving hasn’t even come yet, but the malls and department stores are decked with boughs of holly and other Christmas decorations and ‘Tis the Season is already playing on the public address systems.

Where else has Christmas arrived already?  At Radio City Music Hall in New York City.  Performances of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes began this past weekend.  Whether you like to get in the mood early or you wait to see Christmas shows until just before the holiday, the time to buy tickets—for Radio City Music Hall or any Christmas event—is now.

Some families go to the Christmas Spectacular every year.  Others go less often.  For others, it’s a once in a lifetime experience.  As for us, my wife and I have taken our seven year-old daughter twice in the past few years.  My daughter loves everything about New York and everything about seeing a show.  To be honest, when we were first going to the Christmas Spectacular I would have preferred seeing something on Broadway.  But, after going to the Christmas show—and seeing how much my daughter loved it—I was so glad we chose it.  Her favorite part of the show, she said, was “the Santas.”  There were a few dozen dancing Santas on stage (with more descending into a screen behind them while Santa explained that he had “helpers” to be in so many places at once.)  My wife and I loved when it actually snowed on the audience—and not just fake foam or plastic but wet snow that actually melted on us.  The second time we all saw the show, my daughter said that her favorite part was the life-size teddy bears dancing The Nutcracker.  She also loved the Rockettes dancing as rag dolls and soldiers.

Several parts of the Christmas Spectacular are repeated each year and new scenes are added as well while others are phased out.  Traditions like the Rockettes’ Parade of the Wooden Soldiers and a Living Nativity have been included every year since the show first opened in 1933.  Appearances by Santa, more from the Rockettes, scenes of Christmas in New York, and other songs and dances fill out a usual ninety-minute performance.  The show isn’t even the only attraction there.  Radio City Music Hall itself is a 1932 art deco movie palace that underwent a $70 million renovation 1999.  Some of its highlights include the original five-ton thirty-two foot high Wurlitzer organ, the largest theatrical curtain on earth, and a twenty-four carat goldleaf ceiling.

Ice Skating in Rockefeller Center

One of the best things about seeing the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall is that there’s also so much else to see during the holidays in midtown Manhattan.  Radio City Music Hall itself is part of Rockefeller Center—home to one of the country’s most famous Christmas trees and a great ice skating rink.  Other attractions within just a few blocks are St. Patrick’s Cathedral, FAO Schwarz toy store, and the windows of Saks Fifth Avenue.  For hotels and dining, options in New York City are endless.  (Seriously, before I could name them all I bet at least one more would open.)  For eating in midtown though, kids would probably love the American Girl Café, Mars 2112 or the Hard Rock Café.  The food is good to mediocre at these restaurants, but it’s not the main attraction—it comes in second to the surroundings.

There’s no denying that New York City is loud and crowded.  During heavy tourist months like December, it’s even more loud and crowded.  But there’s a reason that so many people still love going into the City for the holidays.  With the entertainment, the excitement, the stores and the sights, it’s a pretty magical place to be.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular plays through December 30, 2008.  See the Radio City Music Hall website for detailed performance times and ticket prices. VIP Packages are also available which include priority seating, a pre-show reception, and deluxe gift bags and souvenir books.

If you’ve never had a reason to visit the shores of Lake Erie in the fall, now just might be the time. While the Lake is typically thought of as a summer spot, in Sandusky, OH, there are quite a few fall happenings as well. I, for one, am pinching pennies right now and can honestly say that a family trip to Hawaii is not in my near future. Fret not, however—Midwesterners still have options! Sandusky is on its way to becoming the Indoor Water Park Capital of the World. So I suggest booking a weekend in one of the area water park facilities as a way to extend the use of this season’s swimwear.

While you are there, be sure to plan an evening at Cedar Point. Their Halloweekends are running through that last weekend of October and they are a spooky smash! And stop on your way out of town for some good old-fashioned pumpkin and apple picking in nearby Berlin Heights!

The first big waterpark in Sandusky was the Great Wolf Lodge, full-service, year-round family destination resort designed to capture the atmosphere and adventure of the northwoods. Great Wolf Lodge’s amenities include 271 family-sized suites; a 41,000 square-foot indoor entertainment area, featuring a grand scale waterpark, spacious outdoor pool, arcade with ticket redemption, children’s craft and activity room, fitness room, two family restaurants, meeting space, a gift emporium and a performing Great Clock Tower.

The next large structure built was Kalahari, which is now America’s largest indoor waterpark. Surf indoors? Yes! An uphill water roller coaster? Yes! Kalahari offers the following, all under one roof: Indoor Waterpark, Spa Kalahari, Kahunaville Restaurant and Bar, Pottery Pizzazz, Candy Hut, Ivory Coast Lounge, Great Karoo Marketplace Restaurant, Zakanaka Imports, Madagascar Indoor Mini Golf and more. No worries about fall weather, you can spend all day long indoors at Kalahari and never get bored.

Cedar Point then converted one of their hotel structures into Castaway Bay. With its tropical theme, Castaway Bay feels like an island paradise upon entering this lush indoor waterpark resort. The complex features a 38,000-square-foot indoor waterpark loaded with water activities for all ages, a day spa, fitness center, state-of-the-art arcade, restaurants, retail shops, adjacent marina and space for meetings, group events and birthday parties. The indoor waterpark includes Rendezvous Run water coaster, a 100,000-gallon wave pool, three 35-foot-tall body slides, Lookout Lagoon Family Funhouse, Toddler’s Tide Pool and an 80,000-gallon activity pool.

About a year ago, the Quality Inn built Rain, an indoor waterpark that offers a smaller setting with thrill slides and water play, featuring a 50 foot tower with two giant slides, 275 foot and 251 foot in length, and a play structure with additional slides and water activities. As its name insinuates, guests of the waterpark are frequently showered with rain. The Rain complex also includes a 32-lane state-of-the-art bowling center, laser tag, an arcade and great eats and gambling in the exciting atmosphere of off-track horse racing. In all, Rain offers over 35,000 square feet of affordable family fun – all under one roof.

Most recently opened is Maui Sands, which is now Ohio’s second largest indoor waterpark. This Hawaiian-themed resort connects three distinct lodging properties, and features a fun and relaxing island paradise all year round. The 55,000-square-foot indoor waterpark includes 70 cabanas and tons of splish-splashing waterpark attractions including SurfRider®, the country’s first real, deep-water surf simulator. Enjoy an authentic Hawaiian luau every evening in Ono Poi, play arcade and redemption games in the 6,000-square-foot Ohana Center, or just kick back and relax in the full service spa and salon called Lokahi.

You can spend your days splashing away at the waterparks, but be sure to reserve your evenings for Cedar Point’s Halloweekends which have become the Midwest’s premiere family-friendly Halloween event!

Kids will find not-so-scary fun like their own fun house, shows that will induce smiles, the Monster Midway Invasion Celebration Parade and more.

Adults will get the in-your-face scares they crave in three haunted houses and four haunted outdoor walk-through attractions.

More than just spooky chills, Cedar Point offers more rides and roller coasters than any other park on the planet, and has been voted “Best Amusement Park in the World” for ten years in a row by Amusement Today readers. Besides exhilarating rides, Cedar Point provides quality family entertainment including live shows, PEANUTS^TM characters on ice and numerous games of skill.

Finally, no family can leave Ohio in the fall without stopping by Burnham Orchards for every tasty treat imaginable. Not only can you pick your own apples and pumkins here, but they have a bakery, homemae cider, and lots of other goodies. Your family can make a scarecrow or go on a hayride, pitch pumpkins, see the antique tractors, or even try their hand at that giant corn maze!

For those of us in the Midwest who can’t afford to jet off to exotic locations once the weather gets cooler, it’s good to know that we still have family getaway options. Make your travel arrangements today before Sandusky get buried under snow. It won’t be long, so enjoy these crisp fall days with your family while you can!

Just can’t get enough of Halloween? You and your family may want to extend the chills and thrills of All Hallow’s Eve into a long weekend or a haunting family vacation. It seems like ghosts abound throughout the year.

Here are my top five haunted vacation destinations:

1. Savannah, Georgia. Savannah was voted America’s most haunted city in 2002 by the American Institute of Parapsychology and offers 30 ghostly tours of homes and cemeteries. The town’s history of the Revolutionary and Civil wars, lynchings, voodoo and murders make for a perfectly chilling place to visit.
2. Alcatraz Island, San Francisco. Many tour companies offer night tours of Alcatraz prison. Even if you don’t see a ghost, the prison is creepy enough in the daytime, let alone on a dark, damp, windy San Francisco evening. Dress warm, the night tour will be chilly and a bit unnerving.
3. Somewhere in your neighborhood. RealHaunts.com lists 46 states with eerie houses, castles, streets, bridges and cemeteries. Pick your state and find a ghostly locale near your home. A search on Washington, my home state, revealed six places where a ghostly presence has been seen or felt. Ghosts seem to inhabit interesting sites, each place usually has its own story to tell, even if no ghosts are found.
4. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Sleepy Hollow was voted the #1 ghostly tour by Haunted America tours. New Orleans tops their list and Galveston, Texas comes in at number two. I prefer to visit their third choice, Gettysburg to see if I can spot a soldier’s uneasy spirit wandering the battlefields and maybe learn a bit more about the bloodiest battle during the Civil War.
5. Stull Cemetery. I think it is worth a trip because of its other name, the Gates of Hell. The site, zerotime.com features a total of thirteen haunted cemeteries around the U.S. Why not create your own tour and visit each of them on a long drive trip around the U.S. this summer?

With just a bit of searching, it is possible to find spine tingling destinations throughout the year. If you do actually experience the paranormal at any of these places, please let me know.

My friend recently lost her dog on a long weekend hike. She finally found him after two weeks of a county wide search. Whether your travels take you far away or just around the corner, keep your collar on your pet with your name and phone number. I also realized with Halloween approaching, pet owners everywhere need to be a bit more vigilant about protecting their dog. As you and your kids travel the streets this Halloween in search of some fabulous treats, remember to keep you pet safe and warm at home.

1. Halloween can be scary. Keep your pet inside, preferably in their crate with a nice toy and a good chew toy or treat. My little dog is an escape artist that rivals Houdini. She will out the door in a flash if she sees an opening.

2. Keep that chocolate up high and out of reach. It is poison to dogs, but they don’t know that. My lab once casually walked by my chocolate cupcakes cooling on the counter and wolfed four down in four seconds, paper and all. He was fine. I had to make another batch for the school party.

3. Light up your dog. If you must take your dog with you, keep it on leash and attach a little neon glow stick to its collar. You can also purchase a glow- in-the- dark collar. Your pet will be seen by pre-occupied drivers and you can find your roving friend easily if it takes off in a fright. Glow sticks work for kids too.

4. Keep it warm. My little Shih Tzu gets cold easily. Her costume is just a warm coat to ward off the chill.

5. Costumes can be a bit tricky. Make sure they won’t choke your pup or hamper their movement.

6. Candles and tails don’t mix. A tail and a candle can be an inflammatory combination. Make sure all glowing candles, especially those inside pumpkins are out of reach of your dog’s wagging tail. Those glow sticks can also be used inside your pumpkin. I really love glow sticks, can you tell?

7. Protect your dog. As the night progresses, tricksters may see your pet as a target for a prank. Keep it safe inside.

8. If you have a cat, I assume it already knows what to do on this day, especially if it is black.

Have a great Halloween.