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Sabtu, 30 Oktober 2010

Smelly feet??!

Submitted by Ami D'Amelio, GSA Programs Manager

There seems to be a lot of spooky and scary Halloween activities around - from Haunted Acres in Epping, The Ghoullog in North Conway to Spooky World and Nightmare New England in Litchfield, from Fright Kingdom in Nashua to Haunted Overload in Lee - but what if you have goblins of the more timid variety or toddlers?

Don't fret, there are lots of options that won't frighten your tiny trick-or-treater. Below are just a few options to consider:

Mall Trick-Or-Treating:

My kids always loved this when they were little - it is a familiar setting, lots of goodies, less walking, no cars, mostly younger children, and everybody stays warm and cozy! This year, your children can do their store-to-store pilgrimage at roughly the same time as most NH communities, but you will be in a climate-controlled venue (i.e. no freezing pre-November winds for your little ones!). The picture to the right was also taken at The Picture People which is conveniently located right in the mall. We decided to have the professionals capture our newly one-year-old's first "real" Halloween and my first handmade, homemade costume.

I found three locations that are offering this type of event this year. First, Simon Malls are offering mall-wide trick-or-treating from 1-3pm on October 31 at both the Mall of NH in Manchester and Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua. Fox Run Mall in Newington is also offering mall trick-or-treating from 2-4pm on Halloween. At any of these locations, just look for the orange pumpkins in the windows of participating vendors. Is your little ghoul a Simon Malls Kidgets member? They can stop by the Guest Services counter for an extra goodie bag!

Tanger Outlets in Tilton also offered a trick-or-treat event on Friday, October 29th. The Management Office provided a Halloween bag with a small treat to all costumed children between 6-8pm. For added fun, they also held a costume contest in from of the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory at 7pm for those 12 and under.

Girl Scouts of Alstead:

Girl Scout troops 20978 and 22297 have organized a Halloween party for kids complete with games, prizes, snacks and crafts. This party is from 5-8pm on 10/31/2010 at the Alstead Town Hall on Main Street. With the Girl Scouts of America, you know that it will be good, clean fun and you can support a great organization at the same time!

Town Events:

Many individual towns have caught on that local residents need a better alternative for the little ghouls and goblins. You can ask at your local town hall or do an internet search with your town name + toddler + trick-or-treat. I found quite a few that would be great for my 2-year old, and possibly even my 1st grader (who is solely interested in Halloween for the goodies!).

When they are ready for more ...

And then when they are older and looking for the more traditional scary, or even downright frightening, Halloween experience, you can check out nicely organized websites like HauntWorld.com that categorize, rate and recommend the best Haunted Halloween venues!

Happy Halloween!

Kamis, 07 Oktober 2010

Shopping with Judi

Submitted by: Judi W. GSA [Inaugural Class 1996]

I confess, I am a mall girl. Some people like to shop in quaint little stores that dot the landscape of New Hampshire (including our southern tier), but I really love to shop in the mall. New Hampshire has some pretty nice malls including the Rockingham Mall in Salem NH at Exit 1 just after the NH/MA border on I-93.

 When I volunteered on a committee at the Salem Chamber of Commerce 10 years ago I had a great marketing idea (that they never used)...

The 3 Best Reasons To Visit Salem NH
Exit 1 SHOPPING (The Mall at Rochingham Park)
Exit 2 ATTRACTIONS (Canobie Lake)
Exit3 FOOD (Common Man)
I still like the idea.... My favorite Exit is #1 - The Mall Exit.... From Manchester NH (where I live) The Mall at Rockingham Park (or as we fondly refer to it the "Salem" Mall) is about 25 miles or about 1/2 hours drive south on I-93. The drive is usually pretty fast except during rush hours, holidays, and Sunday evenings when people are driving south from NH back to Massachusetts and points south.
I also receive Twitter alerts on my phone with any problems and/or construction delays so I can plan accordingly (because, of course, I don't text & drive). There has been quite a bit of construction as they continue the Rebuilding of I-93 Salem to Manchester. If you are driving North to NH from Massachusetts, the traffic will be the opposite, busy on Fridays due to lots of people driving North to NH's beautiful Lakes & Mountains.

I was happy to see a few new stores in the mall since my last visit including Sephora a gigantic makeup store. I love the way they package up what you buy... like it is a little present just for you! I also use CardStar (for iPhone or smart phone users this is a cool app that keeps all your "rewards cards" scanned in so you don't have to carry the actual cards with you... just your phone.)
Speaking about iPhones, there is an Apple Store at the mall. Although closer to my house, I am sad that there isn't one at The Mall of New Hampshire. Everyday since the iPad and the iPhone 4 came out they have LINES at their door to get in. Incredible! I haven't gotten either yet... YET.
Being in the tourism industry, I always look out for our guests and think about them in my everyday life. Shopping is no different. Here are some tips for you:
  • Kids... there is a hurricane machine
  • Parents... there is a wall of brochures giving you ideas of other things to do
  • The mall is 2 levels and if you walk each level twice you will have walked 1 mile.
  • The food court has pretty good choices and has a horse carousel for the little ones
  • There is garage parking so when it is raining or snowy you are under cover
  • Anchor stores include Macy's, Sears, & JC Penny (here is the Floor Plan   
Welcome to New Hampshire! If you have any questions I am one of the volunteers at our Virtual Visitor Center on Twitter @askNH

Sabtu, 02 Oktober 2010

It is HEATING UP in New Hampshire!

The fall is really heating up with all the chili cook-offs that have boiled up left and right. All of the cook-off events sound worth the visit (I do love a good bowl of chili!), so here are a few cook-offs to take note of:




World Championship Chili Cook-Off

The mother of all chili cook-offs in New Hampshire for 2010, the World Championship Chili Cook-Off went through a stringent selection process and chose to have their much celebrated annual world championship in Manchester, NH. The World Championship Chili Cook-Off is organized each year by the International Chili Society (ICS), a non-profit organization that sanctions chili cook-offs with judging and cooking rules and regulations. Winners from sanctioned events are eligible to participate in the World Championship, which is scheduled from October 1-3, 2010. Tickets are only $5.00 and include five chili sampling
(you must enter by 9/26 to be eligible). Finally, if you would like to receive updates as they become available, you can visit the World Championship Chili Cook-Off on Facebook and show them how much you "like" them!


Claremont Fall Festival & Chili Cook-Off

With this family-oriented, high-quality area attraction, Claremont


comes to life with
this city-wide event
produced by the Greater Claremont Chamber of Commerce. During the day, the festival includes a chili cook-off, live music, apple pie auction, 5k certified race, hothead contest, classic car display, art walk, kid zone, lots of vendors, and more! Transitioning into the night, the festival will be offering a pub crawl and a family movie night under the stars.








With major event sponsor Eastern Propane & Oil, this day and evening will be one for the books! The chili cook-off starts at 11am, and tickets are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children under 18. The Greater Claremont Chamber of Commerce is currently redesigning their website, so all Claremont Fall Festival & Chili Cook-Off details can be found on the Fall Festival Facebook page.


21st Annual WHEB Chili Cook-Off

The longest running cook-off I was able to find in NH, the WHEB Chili Cook-Off has the details all squared away! This year's cook-off is scheduled for Saturday, October 9th from 11:30pm until the chili is gone. Adult tickets are $15.00, children tickets are $6.00 and Prescott Park Arts Festival members receive free admission. For this year's event, WHEB has partnered with Strawbery Banke Museum, and the Chili Cook-Off will be offered in tandem with their Fall Festival. Both events will take place on the grounds of Strawbery Banke. In addition, my sources announced that this year's attendees will be able to pair their chili with Redhook beer!



8th Annual Chilly Chili Cook-Off



This annual event has actually outgrown the venue used in years past so are in negotiations to create a "Chilly Chili Cook-Off Stroll" which will stretch through the Village of North Conway. Although a specific date has not been announced, this cook-off is typically held during winter so you have a bit of time to schedule this one on your social calendar. Check the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce website for details in early October. For me, a stroll through crisp winter air with a steaming bowl of chili sounds like a winter wonderland!



Who says the fall isn't hot hot hot in New Hampshire? :-)
 

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