Last year we took our first trip to Sleepy Hollow, New York. I have been wanting to explore more of our state and we figured Sleepy Hollow was the perfection Fall season destination. Mini or day trips are easiest and most affordable for our family of five. We explored a great deal of the area and did most of the activities they have to offer. Everyone enjoyed themselves so much that we all want to go back again one day soon.

Here are some useful tips that might help you if you are planning to visit Sleepy Hollow

• You can get a lot of your research done by checking out the website Visit Sleepy Hollow.
• You can take a train to Sleepy Hollow or drive. The drive was easy peasy but parking around the town can be tricky because parking spaces can be very tight.
• The town area is a lot smaller than it looks on videos. Be aware of how hilly and challenging it can be to walk around. 
• There are many food options-best to do your research on the places you want to eat before going.
• Book all your events way before the trip. Especially The Great Pumpkin Blaze.

Here are the places we went to and the things we did that I recommend the most:

Sleepy Hollow Street Fair 

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Tour 

Headless Horseman Bridge 

The Cube Inn 

Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze 

Washington Irving's Sunnyside 

The Taco Project 

The Armour-Stiner Octagon House

Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)

Daughters of Darkness (1971)

Necromancy (1972)

The Wicker Man (1973)

Black Christmas (1974)

Burnt Offerings (1976)

Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)

Suspiria (1977)

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Stranger in Our House (1978)

One of the things I enjoy doing the most is taking my family to see a movie in the movie theater. The experience of getting out of the house, the excitement of what we are about to see, and the treat of seeing a movie on a big screen are what I love the most. 

We mainly support our local movie theater which is privately owned and also a historic landmark but we also indulge in other types of movie theater experiences such as; IMAX, Fathom Events, theaters that serve meals, and small theaters in the city. 

Here are 7 reasons why you should still go to movie theaters:

1. Get out of the comfort of your home and watch a movie in the comfort of your favorite movie theater.
2. See a film on the big screen the way it was meant to be seen.
3. Hang out with your loved ones to watch something fun.
4. Watching a film on the big screen will feel like an immersive experience.
5. Seeing a movie in the theater allows you to view it from a different perspective. 
6. Your kids won't be able to talk, get on electronics, or leave-they will learn to be still, pay attention, and enjoy what they are watching.
7. Opportunities to watch films from years ago instead of just on your t.v. at home will be a magical and unique experience. 

Every role Karloff undertook with passion and dedication. Many of his roles required the use of stage makeup. The makeup artists of the time had the task of creating monsters that Karloff would embrace and dedicate himself fully to. It is said that the makeup process for his role in The Mummy (1932) would began at 11 a.m., with the makeup artist Jack Pierce applying cotton, collodion and spirit gum to his face; clay to his hair; and wrapping him in linen bandages treated with acid and burnt in an oven, finishing the job at 7 p.m. Karloff finished his scenes at 2 a.m., and another two hours were spent removing the make-up. Karloff found the removal of gum from his face painful, and overall found the day "the most trying ordeal I [had] ever endured".

Karloff acting in films from 1919-1968, on television from 1938-1968, and also performing on stage from 1928-1961. He acted in thirteen episodes of the "Starring Boris Karloff" anthology TV/ radio series in 1949: this show was broadcast as both a TV show and a radio show simultaneously. He hosted many anthology shows including on called Thriller (1960-1962). And let's forget his narration of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' 1966) and his voice work as the Grinch.

Karloff gifted the world with his talents and characters which were always unique and unforgettable. Here are a five Boris Karloff film recommendations to get you acquainted with his work. I highly recommend delving into more of his films when you get the chance. You won't be disappointed. 

Have you seen any of these film recommendations? What Boris Karloff films have you enjoyed?

Frankenstein (1931)

The Man with Nine Lives (1940)

The Haunted Strangler (1958)

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

One of the things I love discovering when I am watching films are actors that I recognize from other films. I am especially  intrigued by Old Hollywood actors and actresses who took roles in horror movies. Horror films can be a toss up between really good and really bad. Some horror films never move past their cheesy status, while others may earn cult status. For example, Glenn Ford in Happy Birthday to Me (1981) oozes with cheese (for the record I am a huge fan of cheesy movies-the more cheese the better), while Donald Pleasence's role in Halloween (1978) has reached beyond cult status-he has become a horror icon. 

I have watched most of the films on this list such as; Fred Astaire in Ghost Story (1981), Melvyn Douglas in The Changing (1980), Betsy Palmer in Friday the 13th (1980), and Ava Gardener in The Sentinel (1977). Each of these classic film actors brought years of their acting skills to the horror films they were in. They parts in the horror films they were in always managed to not only uplift the quality of the film itself but also of the genre. There is something special that happens when an Old Hollywood actor or actress is in a horror film-its like two worlds colliding to make something magical.

If you would like to read part one of 16 Classic Films Stars in Unexpected Horror Film Roles you can read it HERE.

The Night Walker (1964)

Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)

 Dear Dead Delilah (1972)

Burnt Offerings (1976)

The Omen (1976)

Carrie (1976)

The Sentinel (1977)Donald Pleasence in

Halloween (1978)

Friday the 13th (1980)Melvyn Douglas in 

The Changing (1980)

The Hearse (1980)

Ghost Story (1981)

Glenn Ford in 

Happy Birthday to Me (1981)