“It’s the Great Pumpkin Carve, Charlie Brown”

The Great Pumpkin Carve is a fun Halloween tradition in the Brandywine Valley

The Great Pumpkin Carve is THE anticipated event of the fall season in the Brandywine Valley of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Set aside any preconceived notion you may have of jack-o-lanterns with triangle eyes and a saw tooth smile.  The 400 pound vegetable specimens serve as a canvas for artists, sculptors, and anyone up for the challenge of creating an artistic pumpkin masterpiece.

Continue reading ““It’s the Great Pumpkin Carve, Charlie Brown””

Hiking Ricketts Glen in Pennsylvania’s Prettiest State Park

If you love waterfalls like I do, then Pennsylvania’s Ricketts Glen State Park should be at the top of your hiking list. With 21 named waterfalls along Kitchen Creek, you won’t find a more gratifying hike in the state, especially in the fall when the leaves start changing color. Hiking Ricketts Glen is my choice for the best state park in PA experience.

Continue reading “Hiking Ricketts Glen in Pennsylvania’s Prettiest State Park”

A Colorado Road Trip (Part 2) – In Search of Aspen Gold in Aspen, CO

Our fall trip “leaf peeping” trip this year took us to Colorado.  We did a nine day trip focusing on three different parts of the state. In Part 1 of this series I described our trip on the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway and visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. (You can read the post here ). In Part 2 we visit the areas around Aspen, CO, aptly named as we found out. Continue reading “A Colorado Road Trip (Part 2) – In Search of Aspen Gold in Aspen, CO”

A Colorado Road Trip (Part 1) – Finding Aspen Gold in a Rocky Mountain National Park Fall

Every autumn, my husband and I plan a “leaf peeping” road trip to catch the peak fall color changes. We’ve done trips to New England, driven the Blue Ridge parkway and discovered the Finger Lakes in New York. This year, we went out west for a Colorado road trip to look for aspens at their golden peak. We started our road trip with a Rocky Mountain National Park fall tour.

Continue reading “A Colorado Road Trip (Part 1) – Finding Aspen Gold in a Rocky Mountain National Park Fall”

Hunting for Gold – Aspen Gold in 25 Colorado Fall Pictures

Sharing my favorite 25 Colorado fall pictures to inspire your next autumn road trip to Colorado to see aspens at their golden peak of color.

My husband and I just returned from a wonderful nine day loop around the state, searching for gold- aspen gold. I think we succeeded in finding it, along with other great scenery – don’t you?

The feature photo for this post was recognized in the 2018 North American Travel Journalists Association awards competition with a Silver in the Photography,Featured Photo, Illustration – Online category.

Continue reading “Hunting for Gold – Aspen Gold in 25 Colorado Fall Pictures”

PhotoPOSTcard: Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

Bear Lake is a popular, easy half mile hike in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Towards the end of September, the mountains around the lake start to glow as the aspens change their color from green to gold. The scenery is particularly beautiful in the early morning.  Going early also has the added advantage of avoiding the majority of the crowds that flock to this part of the park to hike the many popular trails in the area.

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

 

Chocolate for the Mind, Body and Soul – A Fabulous Day at the Chocolate Hotel

I have never been to a spa. So this summer, when a girlfriend and I were planning a weekend in Hershey, PA, we decided to indulge ourselves to a day of chocolate spa treatments at the chocolate hotel, or as it is better known, the world renowned Hotel Hershey Spa. Continue reading “Chocolate for the Mind, Body and Soul – A Fabulous Day at the Chocolate Hotel”

Mushrooms, Muskets and Funnel Cakes – A Festival Weekend in the Brandywine Valley

On the second weekend of every September, the Brandywine Valley of southeastern Pennsylvania-northern Delaware hosts three major festivals that are a huge draw for visitors to an area that is already rich in historic and cultural attractions. Continue reading “Mushrooms, Muskets and Funnel Cakes – A Festival Weekend in the Brandywine Valley”