Autumn Comes
When my kids were little, sharing the magic of this time of year was so easy! We visited the pumpkin patch, picked, decorated, painted, and baked with pumpkins. We covered the porch in hay bales, pumpkins and gourds that we scoured our favorite farm stands to find. We did corn mazes and trick or treated at Hershey Park.
We did the monster mash in the kitchen and taught each other Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance. We wore the heck out of our halloween costumes and had a blast playing pretend and watching the leaves change all October long.
Gone are the days of crunching leaves for hours when we should be raking them, and although we still do many of the things we did before, they’ve taken on new twists and turns as the seasons have changed and my little ones have grown into teenagers.G
I went through a season of clinging onto what was, much like some of our trees seem to do with the leaves that are trying to break free, but ultimately, I’ve learned the beauty of letting go and growing with the seasons. I’ve become masterful at finding new traditions steeped in the magic of the old ones, curating new adventures and chances to connect on a different level. We don’t do October better or worse than before…just…differently.
When it comes to October with big kids, I don’t do ultra-scary stuff so the haunted everythings and everywheres that pop up around the county, filled with zombies and jump scares are a hard no for me (call me a chicken, I’m good with clucking along in my happy place). My adversity to terror, doesn’t mean I’m not always looking for something special to share with my big kids as old traditions give way to new ones the way summer gives way to fall.
All Aboard!
This is why, I was excited when Strasburg Rail Road announced their newest fall attraction and invited us for a sneak peek. My son Connor was train obsessed as a little kid. We frequented Strasburg Rail Road for special events, weekends with Thomas and The Santa Train. If you have kids around the same ages as mine and you’ve been to Lancaster County, chances are you too, found your kids delighted at the grandeur of the rail road and the steam trains moving in and out. I’m excited to share with you, that Strasburg Rail Road has a number of events and adventures geared to bigger kids and adults.
The Legacy Of Sleepy Hollow
Strasburg Rail Road
The event breathes new life into the old story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman from Washington Irving’s short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. Your theatrical journey begins on the train platform where you meet a woman who shares that she has been “cursed to a lifetime of fear and foreboding by an ancient evil.” You’ll soon learn that this woman is Isabel Crane, the great-great-granddaughter of the legendary Ichabod Crane and your host and storyteller for an evening of theatrics, adventure, lore and amusement. You’ll learn more of the classic story, as well as some new Lancaster-based twists and turns on the sometimes scenic and sometimes spooky train ride through the Lancaster countryside.
Not Everything Dies...
At stops along the way you’ll be wowed by pyrotechnics, sword fights, and live horses, all bringing the story to life and bringing you into the action. Whether you’re familiar with the original tale or just hearing it for the first time, you may find your mouth hanging open as the story concludes with a twist, back on the train platform where you began. Although there are no jump scares or terrorizing aspects to the adventure, this experience is suggested for riders who are at least 8 and I would say maybe even closer to 10 based on some of the imagery.
“The Legacy Of Sleepy Hollow” is the second show of it’s kind produced by the Strasburg Rail Road, and one of many experiences that can be enjoyed. I loved the opportunity to bring my Connor BACK to Strasburg Rail Road to make more memories together. We laughed and clutched each other and gasped and hung our heads out of the train windows to get a closer look. We had a blast together and are excited to see what our friends at Strasburg Rail Road will dream up for us next!
If you’re in or visiting the Lancaster County area this fall, with big kids, tweens or teens, we hope you’ll take this suggestion to bring some spooktacular into the spookiest of seasons as well!
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