If you are a rock climbing novice, you may only have begun to tackle some harder 5.8 and 5.9 routes before winter spoiled your fun. Rather than concentrating on breaking into tougher territory, your first step should be to ensure your equipment is still safe. The four most critical items to review are your climbing rope, webbing, harnesses and anchor-point tools such as carabiners (and quickdraws) and pro (nuts, hexes and cams).

Start by inspecting the full length of your rope for any frays and wear spots in the sheath. While some abrasion may be normal, you’re particularly concerned about damage that exposes the core. As you look for visible damage, pinch the rope. You want to feel for flat spots that indicate the core may be damaged.

Remember, though, that knowing your rope’s history is as important as a visual and tactile inspection. Serious falls, frequent short falls and frequent use all shorten your rope’s life expectancy. As a general rule, replace your rope every 3-4 years if you use it infrequently. Regular weekend climbers should replace rope every one to two years. Frequent falls (common with sport climbing) or very hard falls (you trad climbers know the drill) should prompt replacement every 6 months or immediately (respectively).

Inspecting your harness requires checking for visible damage in the soft material. Fraying or wear should prompt you to at least consider replacing your harness. A visible rip or tear leaves no question it should be replaced. Also inspect any metal parts such as buckles for damage. Frequent bashing against rocks can leave these seemingly invulnerable element compromised.

Quickdraws and carabiners – Inspect both the carabiners and connecting webbing for wear or damage. Minor abrasion of the carabiners is normal but any cracks should call for immediate retirement of the equipment. Never use a real biner as a keychain. Your partner may grab it in a pinch without realizing it has been retired. Toss it.

For all types of pro (nuts, hexes, cams) your weakest point is of greatest concern. Kinked or frayed wires should immediately prompt you to retire the gear. Ensure cams open and close cleanly as well.

This article isn’t intended to offer complete instruction on inspecting and caring for your gear. Rather, it is intended to be a warning. Don’t let the excitement of the upcoming climbing season blind you to caution. Take care of your due-diligence now or face the wrath of fate later.

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Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular is simply amazing! A time honored tradition that has been entertaining families from around the world for over 75 years!  The world famous Rockettes are the main attraction in this fun filled Christmas production. During the Christmas season, the Rockettes perform in five shows a day, seven days a week. They also perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and at the Rockefeller Center Tree-Lighting Ceremony. The Rockettes are famous for their complicated tap routines and eye-high kicks!

The Rockettes aren’t the only famous attraction you will see during the Christmas Spectacular. Santa Claus flies high above the crowd thrilling the old and young alike! There is also a live nativity that is simply beautiful and truly reminds us of the real meaning of Christmas. This show is a one of a kind tradition that has been enjoyed over the years by millions of people.

Radio City Music Hall is located in the heart of Rockefeller Center at: 1260 6^th Avenue (Avenue of the Americas), New York, New York 10020. Tickets to the Christmas Spectacular are sold at the box office or can be purchased through TicketMaster. The tickets cost between $10 and $18. After the show, you can begin your next great adventure by going ice skating at the Rockefeller Center Outdoor Ice Rink. Or, if you wish, you can grab a cup of hot chocolate, sit on a bench and just take in the sights and sounds of New York City! Here’s to a very merry adventure! Stay tuned. There are more holiday adventures to come!

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There are several rules that must be followed when trying to navigate your way through the maze. You must always stay on the designated pathways. Cutting through the cornstalks would be cheating and would also hurt the corn (and you, as well!). There is absolutely NO SMOKING of any kind at Benson Farms.  As you can probably imagine, dry corn and cigarettes really don’t make a good combination.  Also, there is to be no picking or throwing of the corn! If you are not kind to the corn, be prepared to be shown the barn door. Finally, don’t use foul language. Being lost in a corn maze for over an hour can be very frustrating, however, it is important that you keep your language clean. After all, corn has very sensitive ears. 

While getting lost between corn stalks is a lot of fun, there are many other exciting things to do at Benson Farms. Bring your family and partake in the many adventures that the farm has to offer! There are large bales of hay for children to climb on, educational farm displays, hay rides, the hay jump, corn box (think of a ball pit but filled with corn instead of balls), photo opportunity signs, a mini maze for young children, and of course, great food!

So what are you waiting for! Take advantage of the beautiful fall weather and head to Benson Farms for a maze of an adventure! Now go get lost!

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The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a time honored tradition, an American classic and nothing short of a great adventure! The first parade took place in the 1920s. It began as a celebration by Macy’s Department Store employees who were proud of their American heritage and wanted to celebrate! The parade has since blossomed into one of the most well known parades in the world. Each year, families flock to New York City to experience one the most magnificent parades of the year…a parade that they will most certainly never forget! 

Each year the parade begins at 9:00 AM. In order to secure a prime parade viewing location people begin lining the streets as early as 6:00 AM! The parade begins at 77^th Street and Central Park West. When the parade reaches Columbus Circle (59^th Street), it then turns on to Broadway. Heading down Broadway, the parade marches through Time Square and down to 34^th Street where it will then turn at Macy’s Herald Square and eventually, end on 7^th Avenue. 

There is seating available for viewing the Macy’s parade, unfortunately, the seating is reserved for Macy’s executives, corporate sponsors, charitable organizations and politicians. Several hotels offer a view of the parade route (the Marriott Marquis, Holiday Inn Crown Plaza, Trump International, and the Mayflower…just to name a few), however, good luck getting a room as they book up months (if not years) in advance! 

The beautiful giant balloons that are used in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are probably the biggest attraction…especially for children! The balloons are inflated the night before the event. Inflation starts around 4:00 PM and takes place on 77^th and 81^st Streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. Watching the balloons come to life as they are filled with helium is definitely a sight to see…an adventure in itself! The first balloon ever to fly in the parade was Felix the cat. Over the years there have been hundreds of other character balloons including Garfield, Betty Boop, Shrek, Hello Kitty, Clifford the Big Red Dog and Spiderman…just to name a few! 

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a once in a life time adventure! For those of you that would rather stay home, you can, of course, view the festivities on television. Each year, more than 40 million people tune in on Thanksgiving morning. NBC has been the official broadcaster of the parade since 1955 and it is usually hosted by members of the Today Show cast. 

Whether or not you attend the parade in person or watch from the comfort of your living room, one thing is certain. The parade, to many families, has become a yearly Thanksgiving tradition. After all, there is nothing like family, turkey, pumpkin pie and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!! Happy Thanksgiving! And here’s to another great adventure! Gobble Gobble!

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My wife and I spent our entire afternoon enjoying the kiddy section of the park with our 4 year old niece and had a wonderful time. She met Scooby Doo, Dora the Explorer and enjoyed at least a dozen different age appropriate rides and attractions (and enough junk food to possibly constitute child abuse). We then handed her off for the trip home with her mother, enjoyed some surprisingly good pizza for dinner and settled in for the scare of our lives!

Kings Dominion literally transforms from a kid-friendly, Nickelodeon-themed paradise into a zombie rich fear-fest after 7pm; from G-rated entertainment suddenly hopped up to a PG-13 scare-o’-ramma. This is one Halloween adventure you don’t want to miss!

Events available at the park include a handful of “scare zones” complimented by more than a half dozen terrifying mazes and several leap-from-your-seat shows such as the chilling Haunted Homecoming and Disturbia. Scares aren’t just limited to the themed areas, though. Something creepy might jump out at you anytime, anyplace!

While many of the props are out during the day, they don’t give away what you’re in store for once the Sun goes down. The park simply takes on a much more sinister (but delightful) feel at night.

I do want to make parents aware that there are several props around that might “spook” very young children a bit during the day. Our niece found the giant skeleton ghost hanging from the tower frightening enough that we had to dodge around it a bit. The section of the park for young children, however, is free of such obstacles.

It also warrants repeating that the evening adventures are best suited for children 13 and above (trust me on this). Besides, the elements that very young children enjoy (KidZville and Nikelodeon Central are suspended after 7PM anyway.

Finally, the haunt is in operation on Friday, Saturday and Sunday through October. Friday Nights – September 26, October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31. Saturday and Sunday – September 27, 28, October 4,5,11,12,18,19,25,26, November 1. So there’s still some time left to get scared out of your skin!

Oh, one more thing for you adrenaline junkies out there…, not only will there be plenty scares around the park to keep your heart pumping but the best rides of the park are open at night, as well and nothing beats a great roller coaster ride such as the Volcano, the Grizzly or, my favorite, the Anaconda! That takes this from just your ordinary, everyday Halloween adventure and turns it in to a truly GREAT Halloween adventure!

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Though fall color begins a showing in higher elevations as early as mid September, the best is yet to come for many of us. Is it too early? Is it too late? Here’s just a sampling of what awaits you in the great outdoors around the United States. 

Arizona – The Coconino National Forest is about 50-55% into its full fall plumage as of October 9^th. The Apache and Sit-Greaves National Forests are around 40-60%. Remember that fall colors are short lived in Arizona so you should try to get out soon and enjoy the spectacle. 

Washington State – As of October 9^th, the Gifford Pinchot National forest is just starting its show with spectacular reds, oranges and yellows at higher elevations and more beauty coming soon at lower elevations. Vine Maple is displaying fine colors through out the forest. 

Minnesota – For the week of October 6^th you will find abundant color in the Chippewa National Forest! The drive from State Highway 371 from Walker to Cass Lake is simply spectacular. Red oaks are displaying burgundy, the aspen is yellowish-gold and the maples are hanging on to their bright orange color. Any road you travel is sure to provide a feast of color for your eyes.

Michigan – Huron-Manistee National Forest is enjoying vibrant colors in magentas, burgundy and orange with scattered yellows throughout! The park is at about 40-60% of peak color season. Forecasts predict peak in mid to late October so get out and catch it soon!

Virginia – Shenandoah National Park – Only at about 30% so far with the best yet to come. Head out this weekend to catch the startling contrast of green, yellow and red leaves mixed with the lingering beauty of colorful fall wildflowers. Take a spin along Skyline Drive and marvel at the colorful display. Peak season is usually in the 3^rd week of October and if you should happen to see a beat up silver 4-Runner winding along the road ahead of you, give a quick honk of your horn. It’ll probably be me!

So get off your couches, folks. There’s an amazing fall adventure with the entire world a brilliantly painted canvas just waiting to wow you. This is definitely a weekend adventure worth heading out for. Check with your local parks or the National Parks Service for current fall foliage conditions in your area.

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I’ve long been a fan of haunted houses and anxiously await their arrival every year. We’ve searched the web for the best available this year so you can start a Halloween tradition of your own. Don’t stop here, though. We are focusing on those that have received best-of-the-best recognition but there are dozens of terrifyingly great adventures for Halloween waiting for you around your state. If we don’t list something nearby, check your local newspaper for up-to-date listings of area Haunted Houses and Haunted Hay Rides. 

Included in our interactive map of the best haunted houses, hayrides and attractions below are HauntWorld’s top 13 Haunted Attractions for 2008 marked with green pins. The blue markers represent other fantastic haunted houses, haunted forests, hay rides and corn mazes around the country.

We’ll be adding locations to this map as time allows. Some states seem a bit light on the haunted experience, but we’ll try to find something ghoulish for you soon. 

Finally, we’ll be selecting one or two of these great haunted halloween adventures in fright and terror to feature in separate posts coming soon. Until then, stay spooky!

New locations added for Connecticut and Massachusetts!

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The Eastern State Penitentiary located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania offers tours everyday, all year long. In the fall, they add a special event called “Terror Behind the Walls” and trust me, it is not for the faint of heart! If you lean towards the “scaredy cat” side of the fence, I suggest you stick to the daytime prison tour….it is the lesser of two evils. 

 The Eastern State Penitentiary, also known as ESP, was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world and housed some of  America’s most well known criminals. The daytime tour includes an intimate look at death row, a chance to be locked inside of Al Capone’s cell, and an up close and personal look inside the world of solitary confinement. Solitary confinement inside of ESP was no laughing matter and caused many inmates to go insane. In fact, many people swear that the ghosts of insane prisoners still roam the grounds. Many television shows and movies have been filmed at ESP and several paranormal discovery groups have investigated reported ghost sightings and sounds. 

In the Fall, just in time for Halloween, “Terror Behind the Walls” opens and is one of the most popular Halloween adventures on the East Coast. It was rated one of the TOP FIVE best haunted attractions in the United States! There are five separate attractions in all. Night Watch, one of my favorites, is a haunted house located within the prison walls. Each guest is given a special flashlight before the event begins…hold on tight as this will be your only source of light the entire time! Drop your flashlight and you are doomed….you will never get out! Intake, another popular attraction, is based on the prisoner processing experience. Lock Down, the newest haunted attraction at ESP, is located within Cellblock 12 which was built in 1911. Good luck getting out of THERE alive! To find out about all of the other gory things to do and see…you will have to make a trip to ESP and find out for yourself. Unless, of course, you are AFRAID!! 

If visiting a haunted prison sounds like a great adventure to you I highly suggest a road trip to the Eastern State Penitentiary. Tickets will cost you anywhere from $20 to $30 depending on what day you visit. Hotel and food packages are available if you want to save some cash. If you do decide to visit the penitentiary, good luck. I’ve heard that at least five people each year are never heard from again. Just kidding…or am I? Guess you’ll have to find out for yourself.

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