Fall into FUN - Getting happy/spooky at Storybook Forest

Well, the Olaf costume came just yesterday, and my two-year-old son is pretty pumped - to look at it. No worries, I'm sure he'll be ready for it's cuddly warmth when Storybook Forest opens on October 23.

Fingers crossed the weather will cooperate.

Anyway, my little guy is trying to figure out this Halloween thingy, so his older sister now has him doing the craziest thing. First he says "Happy" with a bright smile, followed by "Spooky" in an obligatory deep voice and complimented by wide eyes. (Update...we discovered they learned this from an episode of Team Umizoomi).

It's so very funny. And it reminds me of exactly what Storybook Forest feels like to me. First off, there's nothing like driving up to Lake Arcadia, parking, and breathing in the smell of campfire as people roast marshmallows and sit on hay bales. This is all before you get in line for the main event - the "forest." You enter under a sign that says, "Once Upon a Time," which sets you on a wooded path.

Lake Arcadia at dusk, right before heading into Storybook Forest!

Spooky!

Once on the path, you begin a journey through nursery rhymes and fairy tales. One of the first things you'll see is Rapunzel letting down her hair and throwing candy at you.

Happy!

Of course, as you wind through the fairy tales, your child receives more candy at each one. (BTW, don't forget your trick or treat buckets! I've learned my lesson the hard way, with coat pockets stuffed to the brim with melting chocolate!) You may find some of the setups a little disturbing, but nothing too scary for the kids - Snow White, the three little pigs, and Hansel and Gretel's witch, to name a few.

Spooky!

At the end of the trail, one finally arrives at the hayride (get there early, as the line gets long) and carnival type games that bring back those fall festivals my school used to have. Little prizes can be added to your child's candy stash, and your little one will go home with the scent of autumn in their spirit and their hair (I means, seriously, that campfire smell really sticks around!).

Happy!

So check it out, and if you haven't already, check out last week's post on the Parkhurst Pumpkin Patch. Because autumn comes 'round only once a year, and if you blink, you'll miss it.

Spooky!