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If you happen to be looking for awesome autumn fun and activities; you need look no further than the Pocono Mountains!

I really think that I enjoy decorating for fall as much as I enjoy decorating for Christmas. I absolutely love the autumn colors and carving jack-o-lanterns out of nice big, fat, round pumpkins!

This weekend you will find me wandering around The Great Pocono Pumpkin Festival at Country Junction in Lehighton. This family oriented festival is a great way to enjoy a day of seasonal fun as well as pick up some fantastic items for your autumn decorating.

As you know, I am a big kid at heart and when it comes to the Halloween season, I probably always will be. Therefore, I will most definitely be visiting the Ghost Town at The Great Pocono Pumpkin Festival. Ghost Town admission is only $6 and will offer a spooktacular time of unlimited access to hayrides, the corn maze and much, much more! I'm sure that kids of all ages will get a thrill from the haunted house!

Those of us that don't want to wait until next summer to ride the midway carnival rides will be able to ride till our heart's content for a small additional fee. There will be plenty of kiddie rides for all of the little goblins to delight in. You will be able to find me riding the Ferris Wheel and the Scrambler. I may even take a trip down the giant slide!

After a pleasant afternoon of riding the rides and a visit to the Ghost Town, you will definitely want to do a little shopping for your fall decorations. Country Junction is the perfect place to get everything you could possibly think of to decorate every nook and cranny of your home. I know that I will be going home with a car full of autumn ornaments. Did I mention that pumpkins are only $3 each and baby pumpkins are only $1?

The Great Pocono Pumpkin Festival will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-6pm. The Ghost Town activities and hayrides will also be open from noon-5pm on Monday through Friday. The General Store and Pet Shop are open from 8am-7pm Mondays through Saturdays and from 9am-6pm on Sundays.

As always, have an awesome autumn weekend in the Pocono Mountains! Happy Hauntings, and I hope to see you at Country Junction and The Great Pocono Pumpkin Festival!

In celebration of the season, I will be climbing aboard the Stourbridge Rail Line on Saturday to enjoy this year's Bavarian Festival. The train will depart from the station at the Wayne County Visitor Center at 12noon for a five hour round-trip to Lackawaxen.

I'm looking forward to a glorious afternoon of singing, dancing and German oompah music, and if you like all of the above you won't want to miss this fabulous trip! I'm also looking forward to gazing out of the train window and taking in all of the beautiful scenery as the train winds its way along the tracks.

For those of us that take pleasure in dining on on delicious authentic German cuisine, we will be in for a real treat as Bavarian Festival will feature a belly filling German style buffet feast that will be served outside complete with entertainment performed by Joe Lindner and his band.

Tickets for this fantastic trip are $59 per person. Reservations are recommended by calling 1-866-637-2457. So, bring your camera and come enjoy an afternoon filled with German Style fun aboard the historic Stourbridge Rail Line!! I'm definitely going to be taking lots of shots for my festival album.

The Stourbridge Rail Line has several terrific fall excursions scheduled for the upcoming season including the annual Halloween Ghost Train! I'm sure that all of the little ghosts and goblins will want to be aboard for this one!

Best fall wishes to everyone as the autumn season begins. May you enjoy the first weekend of fall in the Pocono Mountains; and as always I want to hear of your adventures and see your photos. I hope to see you aboard the Stourbridge Rail Line!!

You probably already know that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, and I am planning to start celebrating early by being at the Sherman Theater for a night of fright with the Severed Sinema!

If you enjoy watching classic horror flicks you will definitely want to grab your friends and head to the historic Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg on Friday, at 7pm for a little "Fear from the Fields" on the big screen! I'm a huge fan of old time horror and am totally looking forward to a double feature of sheer fear with Children of the Corn and Scarecrows! Tickets are only $5 per person and will be available for purchase at the door the night of the show.

Before settling down to watch the films with your beverage of choice from the full bar along with some traditional theater snacks and popcorn, make sure to check out the awesome horror and fantasy art pieces of John Kolbeck and Michael Parsons that will be hanging on the blood stained gallery walls of the theater.

A stop at Siamsa Irish Pub for a few cocktails and delicious wings has become a tradition for my friends and me before we stroll down the beautiful Main Street of Stroudsburg to the Sherman and the Severed Sinema. Feel free to join us or to stop in at one of the other many fine pubs and eateries in town.

Let the Haunting Season begin! Make sure to watch for all of the seasonal events taking place at the Sherman Theater including the Zombie Walk being held on Thursday, October 27.

As always, I'm dying to hear about your plans for an early autumn weekend in the Pocono Mountains! I hope to see you at the Sherman Theater's Severed Sinema!

I totally can't believe that the kids are back to school, Labor Day Weekend is upon us and the summer of 2011 has come to an end in the Pocono Mountains!

I am planning once again to celebrate Labor Day Weekend by attending the 17^th Annual Pocono Garlic Festival being held on Saturday and on Sunday between 10am and 6pm at the beautiful Shawnee Mountain!

If you are a faithful attendee of Garlic Fest, you already know that this fabulous garlic themed festival gets bigger and better every year!  I can already smell the scent of garlic mixed with the fresh mountain air!

Garlic Fest always offers a fun-filled weekend for everyone, so bring the whole family for a most enjoyable time! There will be over 70 food and craft venders offering everything from garlic ice cream to garlic themed knick-knacks and art pieces! Perhaps you'd like to do a little early holiday shopping and pick up that perfect gift for the garlic lovers on your list!

There will be many fun-tastic activities for the kids including magic shows, face painting and even an animal petting zoo! Although it has been many years since my childhood, I am a big kid at heart and am looking forward to seeing the juggling show and watching the water balloon toss!

Make sure to stop by the Garlic Growers Association's tent as they will have awesome tote bags for sale. These bags will be great to carry all of your fantastic garlic themed purchases. I always go home with so much stuff that I should probably purchase two bags!

In between checking out the many creative arts and crafts venders, strolling shows and feasting upon all of the delicious garlic dishes, I'm sure that you will want to visit the Educational Tent! Make sure to visit the Chef Alice Cooking Demo as I'm sure that she will be cooking up some fabulous garlic recipes!

I absolutely love everything about Garlic Fest, but I do believe that my favorite part would be the beer, wine and, of course, the music! Make sure to bring your dancing shoes and grab your beverage of choice and head to one of the two stages as several local bands and musicians will be filling the mountain's air with tunes of various genres all day long!

I enjoy listening to all types of music and hope to hear all of the bands performing at Garlic Fest; but as you know I'm a Southern-Rocker through and through. If you too are true fan of southern rock, make sure to be at the main stage on both Saturday and Sunday at 10am, 1:30pm and again at 5pm for my personal favorite, the Blue Emerald Band. This awesome band has been together and rocking their audiences for over 30 years and they are looking forward to rocking your weekend!

Tickets may be purchased online or at the gate. I'm planning to attend on both Saturday and Sunday; so I'm going to get my tickets online and take advantage of the discounted savings!

As always, I'd love to hear from you and about your plans for a fantastic Labor Day Weekend in the Pocono Mountains! I hope to see at the Pocono Garlic Fest!!

As August draws to a close and the summer of 2011 fades away into another fantastic memory in the Pocono Mountains, I am making plans for one last summer getaway!

I'm sure that you will agree that the best place to begin the end of sunny summer fun is near the water. This weekend you will be able to find me at beautiful Lake Wallenpaupack as the 2nd Annual Wally Fest will get under way on Friday and run through Sunday, August 28!

This terrific event will be packed with lots of fun-filled activities throughout the Lake Region for the whole family to enjoy. I will probably begin enjoying Wally Fest on Friday by checking out Arts on the Edge exhibit at the Hawley Silk Mill and then meandering through the Hawley Farmer's Market in Bingham Park.

After a full day of exhibits and shopping I will most definitely be ready to unwind with a bite to eat and a few cocktails. If you happen to be a lover of Jazz music you will want to unwind between 5pm and 9pm at the Settlers Inn for some Blues, Brews and Barbeque! The musical entertainment will feature the Liberty Trio.

I know that after spending the night in one of the region's wonderful lodging facilities that I will be ready for Saturday's many awesome activities beginning with the Open Market Fair! I'm sure that you will want to wander through the Open Market and do a little shopping or just a little browsing. This fabulous market will be open from 10am-6pm.

It wouldn't be Wally Fest without the Boat Parade!! I'm sure that everyone will enjoy seeing the parade of boats on the lake at 4pm on Saturday with Sunday as the rain date. The "Best Dressed" boats will win prizes. Perhaps you would be interested in entering your boat; if so, call 570-226-4518 for more details!

After a full day of fun in the sun on the lake, complete with tours, displays and activities, I'm sure that I will be ready for another good night's sleep in order to be ready for more fun on Sunday! I keep telling my son, who is an avid golfer,that one of these days I am going to learn how to hit a golf ball. So, I just may spend Sunday afternoon at Costa's Family Fun Park practicing my drive at the driving range. Maybe I'll get lucky and win a prize by hitting a ball closest to Wally!

There is no better way that I can think of to spend a Saturday, summer evening, than with good friends and rocking out with a great band under the stars! This is exactly what I plan to do on Saturday, August 20 at 8 p.m.  You will once again be able to find me, along with my friends, at the Mountain Laurel Pocono Mountains Performing Arts Center in Bushkill, as ZZ Top takes over the mountain and the stage! I'm already in the mood for some "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers," as well as my many other favorite ZZ Top tunes!

Being a fan of both the Mountain Laurel Center and ZZ Top, I am naturally looking forward to a great time! If you too are planning to attend this fabulous concert, you may want to arrive early and experience the Pre-Concert Event taking place between 5 and 7 p.m. The great folks at the Mountain Laurel Center have put together a unique way to spend time while waiting for the concert to begin. You may want to participate or just watch the participants in a variety of different contests, including:

• Wing Eating
• Longest Beard
• Look-A-Like
• Hotrod/Bike Display (the best hotrod and bike will be treated to a Meet & Greet)
• There will also be carnival and concession stands
• And much, much more!

Tickets may be purchased at the Mountain Laurel Pocono Mountains Performing Arts Center Box Office or online. If purchasing online, you will want to use the promo code SPONSOR and get your tickets at a discount!

Before heading to the concert and pre-concert event, John and I will be meeting our good friends Charlie & Sandi at Garris's Log Cabin Bar and Restaurant in Bushkill (just minutes from the Mountain Laurel Center) for a few beers and a bite to eat. We'd love to have you join us! The Cabin will be offering a special concert menu for your dining pleasure; may I suggest one of their homemade pizzas or perhaps a bowl of Shirley's famous Chili?

As always, I want to hear all about your plans for a rockin' weekend in the Pocono Mountains! I hope to see you at the Mountain Laurel Pocono Mountains PAC jammin' with ZZ Top!!

I always enjoy a nice cup of tea as well as getting back to nature with a nice walk in the woods; so it was a cinch to make my plans for the upcoming weekend. On Saturday, August 13 from 10:00AM and 1:00PM the Monroe County Environmental Education Center will be hosting Wild Teas for Free with tea enthusiast and naturalist Don Miller.

If you're a tea drinker and would like to learn how to identify plants and wildflowers suitable to put in your teacup you will want to take advantage of this incredible, enjoyable and educational stroll through the Kettle Creek Wildlife Sanctuary.

I'm sure that you will agree that we all have become spoiled with a world full of convenient stores and supermarkets; not that this is a bad thing, but I really think that it would be fun to learn how to identify and hand pick wild plants and then home brew them into a flavorful aromatic pot of tea!

After wandering through Mother Nature's beauty and gathering a few of her precious bounties, Don will take us to a serene and shady spot to talk about the basics of plant guides and identification. I'm looking forward to sipping some delicious fresh iced mint tea while looking over the day's harvest. We may even be able to sample some fresh brewed teas from the day's plant gathering!

Make sure to dress in comfortable clothes and shoes. You may also want to bring your camera as I'm sure that you will be able to get some beautiful nature shots for your nature album.

The cost for this awesome experience is only $10.00 or $7.50 if you are a member of the Center. Pre-registration is required by Friday, August12 by calling 570-629-3061.

As always, I would like to hear from you and all about your plans for a fabulous weekend in the Pocono Mountains! I hope to see you at Kettle Creek Wildlife Sanctuary and Wild Teas For Free! 

It seems like only yesterday that we were celebrating the beginning of spring in the Pocono Mountains and now August has arrived to kick off the season of local annual fairs.

Ever since I was a child, attending the area's summer fairs has always been a tradition in my family and I'm looking forward to spending the weekend wandering around the 149^th Wayne County Fair in Honesdale.

What comes to your mind when someone mentions the word "FAIR"? Could it be cotton candy, funnel cakes or perhaps rides, games, exhibits or shows? All of these words pop into my head but if I were to sum it all up in one word it would definitely be FUN!

The Wayne County Fair will be offering up lots of fun for everyone beginning Friday, August 5, and will run through Saturday, August 13. The grounds will open at 9:00 a.m. daily and the midway and rides will run from noon until 11:00 p.m.!

I always enjoy strolling through the exhibit areas as there is something about seeing things that are homegrown, homemade and handcrafted that really warms my heart. I'm sure that you will also get that feeling of old-fashioned comfort when you see the gorgeous handmade quilts, as well as home-canned fruits and veggies, not to mention the fresh local grown produce and live stock that will be on display! Oh, don't forget to check out all of the awesome 4H projects!

If you're anything like me, you simply love everything about a local county fair from the thrilling rides and sensational shows right down to the games and of course the fantastic fair foods. I can already smell the aroma of the sausage sandwiches and pizza drifting through the air!

Admission is only $8.00 per person and includes parking, side shows, some grand stand shows and this low admission fee even includes all of the rides! Senior Citizen Days are Friday, August 5 and Wednesday, August 10. Admission on these days will be $3.00 for those of you who are 62 or older.

As always, I want to know how you are planning to spend the weekend in the Pocono Mountains! I hope to see you at the 149^th Wayne County Fair!!

The dog days of summer have arrived and the last few days in the Pocono Mountains have been extremely hot and sticky!

Being a summer girl, I absolutely love the lazy, hazy days of the season. If you share my love of summer fun and hot summer sunshine, you are probably looking for some activities to enjoy the weather and stay cool at the same time.

As much as I adore attending festivals and outdoor celebrations, I have decided to stay cool and plan my entire weekend with water related activities. I think that I might begin the weekend by packing a picnic lunch and heading to Milford Beach for a relaxing day along the shoreline of the beautiful Delaware River. I'm really looking forward to a much needed day of doing absolutely nothing but lounging along the river's edge with a good book! If you're in the mood for a little outdoor adventure on the water, you may want to consider a canoe, kayak or rafting trip on either the Delaware or Lehigh Rivers!

A weekend filled with water adventures wouldn't be complete without a water park! On Sunday, you will be able to find me at Camelbeach! If you have never been to this hot cool water park I recommend that you pack up your family and your sunscreen and plan to spend an entire day filled with water rides and slides!

Camelbeach has everything to beat the heat on a hot summer day. I'm sure that anyone who likes water slides will love the Sand Storm and the Dune Runner; the newest coolest slides at the beach! Even if the lines are long they move fast and believe me, its well worth the wait!

After the thrill of the slides, you might enjoy a relaxing tube ride down the Lazy River. You can even have your photo taken as you float through river's waterfalls. Check out my photo; as you can see we had a fantastic time during my last trip to this fabulous water park!

I'm also planning to lounge around the Olympic Swimming Pool and ride the wicked waves in the Wave Pool. Anyone who loves the water will most definitely love a day at Camelbeach!!

May I suggest making the most of the day by purchasing a picnic table package? This is a great way to ensure a place to enjoy your lunch or to relax with a cold drink when you are taking a break from the water.

As always, I want to know how you are keeping cool on a hot summer weekend in the Pocono Mountains! I hope to see you relaxing at Milford Beach and gliding down the slides at Camelbeach! Enjoy your weekend!

After a busy work week, I am totally looking forward to another wonderful fun filled weekend and am planning on a Hawaiian getaway in the Pocono Mountains!

"Aloha Honesdale" sidewalk sales will be taking place from Thursday, July 21 through Saturday, July 23 in the beautiful town of Honesdale between the hours of 9:00Am and 6:00PM. I always enjoy visiting this awesome town and the many unique shops and eateries and am expecting to have an extraordinary time at this event! I could spend hours browsing through the Wallflower and the shops in Maude Alley alone.

If you like to shop and you like to have fun you won't want to miss this annual shopping event! It will definitely be a great way to pick up some fantastic gift items or just do some shopping for yourself as there will be a wide array of shops offering their wares at great prices. It should be fun to see the merchants dressed in their Hawaiian best!

In addition to the sidewalk sales there will be lots of other things to see and do. On Friday evening at 6:30 you will be able to relax and enjoy some special entertainment in Central Park. Personally speaking, I can't wait to see the "It's Not Your Mama's Muumuu "Contest at 7:30PM! There is no cost to enter, so perhaps you would like to be a participant in this contest rather than a spectator. If so call 570-253-5006 for the details and to register.

This event promises a great time for the entire family and I'm sure that the kids will enjoy watching the free movie at 8:30PM. Being a big kid myself as well as a Scooby Doo fan, I'm definitely going to sit back on my lawn blanket and watch "Aloha Scooby Doo!"

You may want to plan to spend the entire weekend in beautiful downtown Honesdale as Saturday offers another fabulous day of shopping and Hawaiian themed activities including a Hawaiian Fashion Show and Parade at 11:00AM.

Every Hawaiian getaway includes a luau, so make sure to dress Hawaiian style and head to J.J. Macks located next to the Wayne County Fair Grounds for a summer evening filled with island music, tropical drinks and fun contests. The luau begins at 7:00PM and tickets are only $10.00 per person with a cash bar. The proceeds will benefit the future Honesdale Skate Park.

As always, enjoy your weekend in the Pocono Mountains and please share your plans and photos with me! I hope to see you in your Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts at Aloha Honesdale!