Fall fun in Valley Forge, Pa.
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. — Valley Forge was a tough place for George Washington's troops to spend the winter of 1777.
But as a tourism destination this fall, the region sounds like a lot of fun.
You can pick pumpkins or wander through the corn maze at Freddy Hill Farms and Family Fun Center in Lansdale on weekends in October. If you prefer shopping to agritourism, check out the King of Prussia Mall or Philadelphia Premium Outlets in nearby Limerick.
Fans of the old "Three Stooges" show will want to check out The Stoogeum, a museum in Gwynedd Valley dedicated to the slapstick trio. It's open by appointment only; details at http://www.stoogeum.com/id7.html.
For golfers, Montgomery County has more than 40 public golf courses, and for bikers there are 55 miles of trails. Fall is also a great time for birdwatching, as the birds head south for the season. You can look for the migrating species at the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove.
Finally, if you want to find out what it was like to be a soldier at Valley Forge, without the snow, Valley Forge National Historical Park has programs for kids the first Saturdays of October and November where they can receive enlistment papers, be issued dummy muskets and learn how to march.
Exhibit on native dress to open in New York
NEW YORK — An exhibit of 55 dresses from tribes in the Plains, Plateau and Great Basins regions opens Sept. 26 at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.
The show is called "Identity by Design: Tradition, Change and Celebration in Native Women's Dresses."
Dress designs include full skirts to allow for horseback riding, an outfit to mark a girl's passage to womanhood, dresses worn for ceremonial dances, and styles developed to identify membership in tribes or societies for women gifted in beadwork or other arts.
Pink Floyd-themed cruise travels to the Bahamas in May
NEW YORK — Cruises are known for big band music, lounge singers and discos.
But how about a Pink Floyd-themed cruise?
Called the "Great Gig in the Sea," the charter cruise on a Carnival ship will sail to the Bahamas, May 1-4, from Miami. Cabins start at $379 a person based on double occupancy.
The trip will feature the music of the tribute act "Think Floyd USA: The American Pink Floyd Show," which covers the band's hits from albums like "Dark Side of the Moon," "Wish You Were Here," and of course, "The Wall."
Tickets and details at http://www.greatgiginthesea.com.
South Dakota gets ready for Pheasantennial
PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota is getting ready for a "Pheasantennial," celebrating 100 years since the Chinese ring-necked pheasant was introduced to the state.
Six birds were introduced originally, but there are now millions of them around the state, and pheasant-hunting is a $219 million industry, according to Buddy Seiner, spokesman for the South Dakota Office of Tourism.
The official start to hunting season is Oct. 18, ending Jan. 4.
Out-of-staters must purchase a nonresident small game license for $110. It's good for two five-day periods. In addition to pheasants, a small game license allows you to hunt grouse, quail, cottontails, partridges, doves, squirrels, and other small creatures. Hunting licenses may be purchased online at http://www.sdgfp.info/licenses.htm.
Details at http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/hunting/Pheasant/.
Magazine discovers Hudson River Valley
NEW YORK — Looking for a place you can drive to this fall with beautiful foliage, nice places to stay and eat, and interesting towns to visit? Town & Country Travel magazine's fall issue recommends New York's Hudson River Valley, which starts about an hour north of the city.
Recommended accommodations include Beekman Arms, doubles from $125, in Rhinebeck; the Belvedere Mansion, doubles from $225, in Staatsburg; Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa, doubles from $220 in Milton; and Mohonk Mountain House, doubles from $480 in New Paltz.
Eateries mentioned by Town & Country Travel range from the student-staffed restaurants at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park to Swoon Kitchenbar in Hudson to Bear Cafe in Woodstock.
As you meander along River Road, Route 9W and other thoroughfares, consider planning stops at local wineries, antique shops and the Vanderbilt Mansion and Franklin D. Roosevelt home, both in Hyde Park.
Fall happenings in the Charleston, S.C., area
CHARLESTON, S.C. — If you're visiting Charleston this fall, here are a few places in the area to consider visiting to celebrate the harvest season.
The Boone Hall Pumpkin Patch in Mount Pleasant is open throughout October, offering hay rides, kettle corns, pumpkin-picking and Happy Jack, an animated talking pumpkin. Details at http://boonehallplantation.com/fall—festival.php.
You'll find a corn maze, scarecrow contests, hay rides, apple slingshot contests, a farm petting zoo and more at West Farm, in Moncks Corner, http://www.westfarmcornmaze.com/
A little bit later in the season, every Saturday in November, Middleton Place offers "Plantation Days," where craftworkers demonstrate the skills practiced by slaves at harvest time. Details at http://www.middletonplace.org.
— Associated Press
