Waterfront Winterfest

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Winter is approaching rather rapidly and along with it traditional holiday activities. Waterfront Winterfest at Penn's landing is the perfect way to jump into the Christmas spirit.

 Penn's landing offers an Olympic size skating rink, to the public, over looking the vibrantly lit bridge that stretches across the Delaware River. Even though this a great winter sport families, friends, and lovers alike look forward to it's not all Winterfest has to offer. Surrounding the skating rink are spectacular tress, sparking lights, rustic wooden benches, 360degree walk ways, and other outdoor attributions that make guests feel as if they're right at the heart of a winter wonderland.

Winter nights can get chilly, especially after spending hours on ice. Luckily, there are enchanting stone fire pits surrounding the rink that offer warmth to skaters or fervent onlookers.  This year's added feature includes cozy huts to rest in before getting back onto the ice. They are decorated with festive wreaths, twinkling lights, strung from the stone fireplaces, and comfy couches. Hungry? Check out the Lounge, a huge heated tent, decorated to make guests feel right at home, cabin style. There are plenty of tables, couches, and wooden rocking chair, for families, hungry guests, or those looking to get out of the cold. The Lounge has delicious hot chocolate and coffee, for numb fingers and warm bellies, as well as classic dinner options. The best part is admission is only 3$ and skate rentals 10$. If you're a Blue Cross member admission is free! 

Late Night Diner Runs

College students are all too familiar with the nights that consist of tons homework, two six-page papers (that have yet to be written), a chemistry lap to be typed, a power point presentation to be made, a room to be cleaned, along with countless of other things to do all by midnight, and yet we can't seem to do any of it. This is mostly because we are off eating food, that preferably isn't campus made, with our friends. I think I can safely say that many of us are guilty of this but quality time with friends and quality food is always worth it; most of the best college memories are always made during these nights. Our go-to diner on these nights has been Minella's Diner. They offer great food that is sure to satisfy late night cravings and distraction from a night of procrastination. Whether you'e in the mood for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, or just a cup of coffee the diner is the best night spot to eat out at, and the best part is its open 24/7! 

Shore to Please

Believe it or not, one of the best times to go to the beach is in the fall. It's a beautiful time of the year without the extreme heat, unbearable cold, and overwhelming crowds. It's the perfect time to pick a sunny day and make a day trip down to the shore! It's just a short drive, only an hour and a half, over the bridge into New Jersey. You would be surprised how many of your favorite shops are still open on the Ocean City Boardwalk and even more surprised how many of them have great sales going on. Many of the clothing, furniture, surf, jewelry, and others are open all year round, whether on the boardwalk or on Asbury Ave, starting at 5th street. Because the Christmas season is just around the corner, you can pick out presents and decorations at Mia's Christmas Gallery on the boardwalk.  Even if it is on the cooler side, you can stay warm with some delicious, gourmet coffee from Ocean City Coffee Co and grab some lunch from the shore's favorite Manco and Manco's Pizza. If you're looking for a nicer seafood dinner, The Crab Trap is the place is the place to go.

Hit the Trail

We are a generation all too consumed with technology. We often forget that there is a world beyond our computer screens and life on social media. I want to encourage you to put down the smart phones and to get in touch with the outdoors, after you read my blog of course.

Valley Forge National Historical Park is a beautiful get away, conveniantly only a short distance away. The park has 19.5 miles of hiking trails that take you anywhere from the Appalachian trail to Mount Joy. You can choose to from a variety of trails, such as, hilly, flat, historic, depending on your intended adventure, including, hilly, flat, long distance, and historic.  If you want to take on Valley Forge National Park by bike there are 21 miles of trail available to the public, both paved and unpaved. 

If you aren't into the whole physical activity there is no excuse not to get involved in the outdoors. The park offers guided old fashioned trolley tours so you can enjoy 90 minutes of historic information and the beautiful scenery all at the same time. Times may vary so be sure to check out their website for more information. Even if this doesn't appeal to you, the park provides a self-guided driving tour that takes you through some of the most beautiful scenic views, as well as, monuments. It can last as short as 20 minutes and as long as 2 hours, it is up to you. 

Valley Forge National Park provides interesting for other actives like bird watching and offers special accommodations, such as, story telling benches. They are continuously active with children, offering scout programs and historical soldier actives. So the moral of the story is, there is a way everyone can get involved with the outdoors! 

Bringing Bowling Back

I can take a guess, that for most people, the last time you went bowling was most likely for someones 8th birthday party. I'm sure that most of us clearly remember using those dinosaur shaped bowling shoots that guaranteed at least a spare or pretending that we were some sort of astronaut with those slightly ridiculous bowling shoes. Even though times have changed, and we don't go around searching for the heaviest ball to throw down the lane or turn every knob of the prize machines to see if one will magically come out, okay maybe sometimes, bowling still lives on.