Elise Claycomb Departmental Story 9.26.2013 Your Holiday Road !ap "rom your "ello# students...

$%is t&e season to be 'olly( ri)&t* +ell( maybe not ,uite -t&e season- yet( but #e are )ettin) t&ere. .et#een /pril and September t&e "esti0ities seem to simmer do#n and allo# 'ust enou)& time "or recuperation be"ore t&e end o" 1ctober &its( and its Hallo#een2 S&ortly t&ere a"ter( %&an3s)i0in)( C&ristmas( and 4e# Year5s are 'ust around t&e bend.

6or many( t&is is t&e most 'oyous time o" year. 7ts all about )i0in)( to)et&erness( "amily( "riends( nice #eat&er( cra"ts and "un. +e don5t #ant to miss out on any o" t&e e8citement do #e* 1" course not( so let me be your tour )uide as #e ta3e a stroll t&rou)& /u)usta t&is &oliday season.

6irst stop( in celebration o" Hallo#een( 9lantation .lood. 9lantation .lood is a multi"aceted( multi t&emed &aunted &ouse located on t&e sout& side o" /u)usta. %&is year( you can e8pect more t&an 30(000 s,uare "eet o" :terror(; ne# t&rills and &aunt e8pansion. 1penin) ni)&t is September 2< and runs t&rou)& 1ctober 31. You can pay only =22 per person at t&e )ate. >ust remember to enter at your o#n ris3... t&ats i" you dare.

:+&en you #al3 in( its dar3( dimly and ominously lit #&ic& only adds to t&e "ear "actor( ?a3ary Sammons( 'unior at @eor)ia Re)ents Ani0ersity( said.

Sammons said t&at t&ey separate you into )roups o" 12 to 1B people( led by a tour )uide and only t&e tour )uides are )i0en "las&li)&ts.

-C7t5s dar3D enou)& to lea0e it to t&e ima)ination( and enou)& to #&ere you cant see too "ar in "ront o" you and t&ey can de"initely )et t&e upper &and on you(- Sammons said( re"errin) to t&e costumed )uides.

Sammons &ad a )ood time and recommends t&at you attend.

-7t #as #ell #ort& t&e #aitE 4ot only are t&e costumes #ell done( t&e decorations are 0ery intricate and 0ery real. C7t5sD not 'ust some cobs C#ebsD up t&ere. E0eryt&in) loo3s #eat&ered and tattered so you can tell t&at t&ey actually put some time and t&ou)&t into it(- Sammons said.

>os& .iron)( 'unior and communications ma'or at @RA( 0isited a number o" &aunted &ouses includin) %&e 4et&er#orld in /tlanta and Ripley5s Haunted /d0enture in @atlinbur)( %enn. and said t&at neit&er o" t&em -&eld a candle- to 9lantation .lood.

-Scary mo0ies and &aunted &ouses( usually don5t scare me because 7 ne0er allo# mysel" to )et cau)&t up in t&e #&ole "ear part(; said .iron). :7 al#ays 'ust 3no# t&at its not real( but 9lantation .lood #as probably t&e most le)itimate &aunted &ouse t&at 7F0e been to.-

%&is attraction is )eared to#ard a mature audience( .iron) #arns( and it can be scary because you donFt 3no# #&at to e8pect.

Re"errin) to %&e 4et&er#orld in /tlanta( -Cunli3e plantation bloodD it #as 'ust one lon) line o" people rat&er t&an bein) separated into )roups( so li3e 1B people a&ead o" me( someone #ill 'ump out at t&em( and 7F0e already seen it(- .iron) said. Sammons su))ests t&at( once inside( you donFt turn bac3 because its :a &ec3 o" a lot more scary by yoursel"2;

4o #orries t&ou)&( i" youFre too c&ic3en to participate in t&e main e0ent( you may entertain yoursel0es by interactin) #it& t&e "ortune tellers( t&e carnies( #atc&in) t&e pyrotec&nics or simply perusin) t&e )i"t s&op.

/ll aboard. 1ur ne8t stop is %&an3s)i0in). %&is is t&e season #&ere e0eryone( not 'ust "amilies( comes to)et&er to ac3no#led)e all t&at t&ey &a0e to be t&an3"ul "or. !any o" t&e local c&urc&es &ost t&eir o#n %&an3s)i0in) day "easts to in e""orts to brin) t&e community to)et&er. 7" you are interested in participatin) t&ere are also many opportunities to )et in0ol0ed in "eedin) t&e &omeless. 1ne o" t&e more #ell 3no#n "eedin) t&e &omeless e0ents is &osted by t&e /u)usta Rescue !ission.

/not&er opportunity to )i0e bac3 is to participate in t&e senior citiGen meal deli0ery. %&is e0ent caters to seniors BB and older #&o may not &a0e t&e ability or opportunities to celebrate ot&er#ise.

Ap a&ead in t&e distance( carolers sin) a "amiliar melody.

->in)le bells( 'in)le bells( 'in)le all t&e #ayE- into t&e C&ristmas season.

%&e only e0ent t&at /mber 9i3e( @RA "res&man and Hinesiolo)y ma'or( participates in aside "rom spendin) time #it& &er "amily( is Ii)&ts o" t&e Sout&.

Ii)&ts o" t&e Sout& opens 4o0ember 20 and runs t&rou)& December 30. %&ey are open e0ery day at 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. and is &eld in /pplin)( @eor)ia. 'ust outside o" /u)usta. +&at better #ay to )et into t&e C&ristmas spirit t&an by ta3in) a &ay ride t&rou)& t&e B million li)&ts on display*

-%&e place is &u)e(; said 9i3e. :%&ere is a ton o" people t&ere but it ne0er really "eels cro#ded. You donFt "eel li3e your bein) rus&ed or youFre #aitin).-

You may ride on t&e &ay ride or #al3 but be sure to #ear your #al3in) s&oes because t&ere is more t&an 100 acres to na0i)ate. 7" you #ould rat&er rela8 and obser0e( roast mars&mallo#s by t&e camp "ire #it& your s#eet&eart.

-%&ere are "amilies Ct&at )oD but it #as more li3e a s#eet&eart( couples t&in)( rat&er t&an &an)in) out #it& a bunc& o" your buddies and )oin)(; 9i3e said. 7t5s more o" a one on one( )o #it& your )irl"riend( )o #it& your )uy "riend type o" t&in).;

9i3e said s&e &ad ne0er seen anyt&in) t&at dramatic and t&at it loo3ed li3e somet&in) you #ould see in a mo0ie. S&e also li3ed t&at ri)&t ne8t to t&e "ood area t&ey &ad &ot cocoa #&ere you could ma3e smores.

:7t #as a#esome. 7 &adn5t &ad cocoa in "ore0er( and t&e &ot cocoa #it& t&e mars& mello#s in it... 7 "elt li3e a little 3id a)ain(- 9i3e said.

6or our last stop( only a #ee3 a"ter C&ristmas Day( #e are "ortunate enou)& to brin) in t&e ne# year. %&is year( and possibly e0ery year( t&e place to be is t&e Country Club Dance Hall and Saloon "or t&eir .alloon Drop e0ent.

-+e are t&e bi))estJ one day somebody #ill come alon) and be bi))er t&an us but #e &a0e been t&e bi))est "or a #&ile(- said %om .yrd( Entertainment !ana)er at t&e Country Club. -7t5s nice and its clean and #e &a0e deputyFs( #e don5t &a0e bouncers. 9eople come &ere because its sa"e(- .yrd said in re"erence to t&e bar.

.yrd said t&at %&e Country Club &osts a .alloon Drop( a concept de0eloped by a pre0ious promotions mana)er( e0ery year and &as done so "or t&e last t&ree years.

Durin) t&e summer season( t&ey also &ost a .alloon Drop e0ery 6riday ni)&t but )enerally its "or t&e ladies only.

.alloons drop "rom t&e ceilin) and inside t&em are :cas&( priGes( concert tic3etsE#&ate0er #e can come up #it&.- .yrd said( -but t&e 4e# Years .alloon Drop t&at ni)&t is "or men and #omen. /nyone can participate.-

.yrd said t&at t&ey c&an)e t&e t&eme e0ery year( and try to 3eep t&eir prices lo#. @enerally t&ey only reser0e K79 sections( but on 4e# Years E0e t&ey also reser0e tables. %&e last couple o" years( its been =100. %&at )ets you "our tic3ets to )et in t&at ni)&t( a )uaranteed table( a bottle o" c&ampa)ne and party "a0ors. 7tFs basically only =2B per person.

:%&ats not bad on 4e# Years E0e(; said .yrd. :%&e K79s( t&ey can be B or 6 &undred but you are tal3in) about &a0in) 30 tic3ets so 30 o" your "riends can )et in.

>ared /s&ley( 4as&0ille sin)er and son)#riter &as been boo3ed 6 mont&s in ad0ance to per"orm( unless anyt&in) c&an)es( and patrons &a0e already be)un to reser0e t&eir K79 sections.

-+e &a0e )reat bands. #e don5t &a0e bands t&at you )o( yea&( t&ey are alri)&t(- .yrd said. -1ur bands are )reat and e0ery one o" t&em &as a c&ance to ma3e it Cbi)D.-

.yrd says t&at it #ill be busy because people come out on 4e# Years t&at ne0er come out ot&er#ise.

DonFt be t&at person. @at&er your "amily( your "riends( and e0en t&eir "riends( ma3e some memories and support your local economy t&is &oliday season. Heep in mind t&at t&ese are 'ust a "e# &oliday "esti0ity stops to consider but t&at your options are seemin)ly endless.

+e &a0e reac&ed our "inal destination and 7 as3 t&at you all remain seated until #e &a0e come to a complete stop.

1n be&al" o" 9&oeni8 tours( t&an3 you "or c&oosin) us and #e &ope t&at you en'oyed t&is tour t&rou)& /u)usta.