Harleysville-Lansdale Real Estate and More

Looking for something fun to do this October?  Philadelphia and the surrounding suburban counties host some of the Top Halloween Haunts in the country.  Consistently ranked in the Top 13 are the Bates Motel in Chester County, Shocktoberfest in Lancaster County, and Terror Behind the Walls in downtown Philadelphia.  In addition, you can have a very scary time at Scream Mountain and Scare Brothers, both located in Montgomery County, PA.

Scream Mountain is Montgomery County’s newest haunted attraction.  Located at Spring Mountain Ski Area in Schwenksville, PA, Scream Mountain has a haunted ski lodge and haunted hayride.  Legend says that years ago, miners and their families who lived and worked at the mountain were murdered while they slept by arsonists.  The burned victims still haunt the grounds looking to exact revenge on anyone who sets foot on the mountain. 

For those who suffer from claustrophobia, they may not make it through the entrance passageway in the haunted ski lodge.  Once inside, there are all kinds of fun, scary and gory surprises awaiting the brave visitors including a room that has no way out!  After the ski lodge, visitors board the hayride that takes you up through mountain’s wooded trails.  Again many surprises will be found throughout the 20 minute ride.

For the true thrill seekers, you can also experience Nighttime Vertigo which is a zip-lining/canopy tour through the darkness of the haunted woods.  Tickets for Nighttime Vertigo are sold separately and reservations are a must.

There really is no better way to spend a cool October evening than to get in the spirit of Halloween and enjoy a good harmless scaring!  Once you get home, be sure to light a fire, make s’mores and tell ghost stories!

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Scream Mountain at Spring Mountain
Scream Mountain features a Haunted Hayride, Ski Lodge and Nighttime Vertigo
Dates:  October 2-4, 9-11, 16-31
Cost & Times:  Peak (October 16-17, 23-24, 29-31 - $30), Non Peak ($22 for adult, $20 for 12 & under), Tickets for Nighttime Vertigo are sold separately at $69 each
Location:  Spring Mountain Ski Area, 757 Spring Mount Rd, Schwenksville, PA  19473
Website:  www.SpringMountainAdventures.com/screammountain.php

 
Scare Brothers
Scare Brothers features the House of 1,000 Zombies which includes Claustrophobia, Dungeon of Darkness, The Circus of Fear, and The Haunted Nightmare
Dates:  October 2-3, 9-11 16-18, 22-25, 29-31
Cost & Times:  Fridays & Saturdays ($25 for adult, $18 for 12 & under, 7pm-midnight), Sundays & Thursdays ($25 for adult, $18 for 12 & under, 7pm-10pm)
Location:  354 S. Warminster Road Hatboro PA 19040 (Inside Station Park Business Center)
Website:  www.ScareBrothers.com

 
Bates Motel
Consistently ranked in the Top 10 haunted attractions in the U.S, the Bates Motel features a Haunted House, Hayride, and Corn Maze
Dates:  October 2-4, 9-31
Cost & Times:  Fridays & Saturdays ($40, 6:30pm-10:30), Weeknights ($30 for adult, $25 for 12 & under, 6:30pm-9:30pm)
Location:  1835 Middletown Road (Rte. 352), Glen Mills, PA  19342
Website:  www.TheBatesMotel.com

 
Shocktoberfest
Often ranked in the Top 13 haunted attractions in the U.S., Shocktoberfest features Toxic Asylum, Biohazard Hayride with Saw Kill, and Prison of the Dead
Dates: October 2-4, 9-11, 15-18, 22-25, 29-31 and November 1
Cost & Times: Fridays & Saturdays ($34, 7pm-10pm), Sundays & Thursdays ($34, 7pm-9pm)
Location: 94 Park Avenue, Sinking Spring, PA 19608
Website: www.Shocktoberfest.com

Terror Behind The Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary
Often ranked in the Top 13 haunted attractions in the U.S., Terror Behind the Walls features Intake, Lock Down, Infirmary, Night Watch, Yard Out, and The Experiment
Dates:  October 2-4, 9-11, 14-18, 20-25, 27-31 and November 1, 6-7
Cost & Times:  Saturdays ($30, 7pm-midnight), Fridays & Sundays ($25, 7pm-11pm), Weeknights ($20, 7pm-11pm)
Location:  22^nd Street and Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia
Website: www.EasternState.org/Halloween

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What’s So Great About Montgomery County PA?  Tops for Halloween Haunts.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 to buy or sell a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Copyright © 2009, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.  WSGA Montgomery County PA: Tops for Halloween Haunts.

Is a dog park right for you and your dog?  Dog parks are springing up in more and more communities.  They offer dogs a chance to run, play, and interact with other dogs off-leash and in a safe setting.  In Montgomery County PA, we’re friendly to man’s best friend with several dog parks in and around the area.  Check out this list for a dog park near you:

• Hatfield Dog Park (at Hatfield Community Park), 2500 N. Chestnut St, Hatfield
• Horsham Dog Park (at Kohler Park), 1051 Horsham Rd, Horsham
• Bark Park Montgomery Township, Welsh Rd, North Wales
• Mondaug Bark Park (at Mondauk Manor), 1130 Camphill Rd, Fort Washington
• Reynold’s Dog Park (near Schuylkill Canal Park), 100 Longford Rd, Phoenixville
• Pretzel Dog Park (At Manayunk Park), Silverwood and Rector St, Philadelphia

There are a few “rules of etiquette” and precautions that you would want to follow at a dog park:

1. Never leave your dog unattended. 
2. If your dog becomes too unruly, take them out of the park.
3. Always clean up after your dog.  Failing to do so is the #1 complaint of dog parks visitors.
4. Make sure your dog is up-to-date on their shots, flea/tick prevention, and has a valid license.
5. Take extra care if you dog is not spayed or neutered.
6. Don’t bring food or cigarettes to the dog park.
7. If you bring children with you, supervise them closely so they don’t have any problems with the unleashed dogs.
8. Don’t bring too many dogs or kids, you are responsible for them and you may not be able to adequately supervise all of them.
9. Let your dog off their leash as soon as you arrive in the off-leash area.  Leashed dogs may feel threatened and growl or bark when off-leash dogs greet them.
10. Keep moving in the park.  This keeps the off-leash area neutral territory.
11. First time visitors should come during non-peak times to acclimate themselves and their dog to the park when it is not crowded.
12. Each park will post their own set of rules, read them over and respect them.
13. Watch for potential sprains, cuts and overheating from your dog’s play.  Make sure your dog has plenty of water and take him home when he seems tired.

Now that you are equipped with a destination and some guidelines, enjoy a trip to the park with your pooch.

What’s So Great About Montgomery County PA?  We’re doggone friendly.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 to buy or sell a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Copyright © 2009, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.  WSGA Montgomery County PA: We’re Doggone Friendly.

For this post, it’s all about location and the plethora of fun things to do nearby.  From most places in Montgomery County, you can be skiing in the Pocono Mountains in as little as an hour.  For those who like the big city, Philadephia is very close and even New York City is reasonably so.  But consider that it also takes just 2 hours or less to get to the beaches.  In my mind, that’s close enough for a day trip and last week I took take advantage of the fact with a needed day off.  My friend Ed and I recently heard some reports of big bruiser bluefish (up to 20 pounds) being caught from the beach.  So, we packed up our gear and headed to Island Beach State Park for a little surf fishing. 

For background, Island Beach State Park is a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay.  The park has a lot to offer and explore.  If you like the usual summertime lounging on the beach or dip in the ocean, there’s nearly a full mile of guarded beach.  This stretch of sand is served by ample parking facilities and large, well maintained pavilions with restrooms, changing areas, first aid stations, and concessions.  The park extends for a whopping 10 miles, however, and offers so much more than sunbathing and fishing.  There are 8 walking trails throughout the park with nature and history exhibits along the way.  Three different interpretive centers provide fun and educational tours for a more in-depth view of the park’s history and ecology.  The main road has an 8 mile designated bike path.  The park also allows horseback riding in the off season and bonfires are permitted in certain locations on the beach.

As summer fades to fall, the park becomes a haven for surf fishermen (and yes, we are graced with the presence of the occasional fisherwoman).  In my view, there are two main reasons.  First is the good probability of actually catching some fish.  From late September through November large schools of bluefish and striped bass migrate south feasting on mullet and bunker along the way.  This is known as the fall run and it passes right by Island Beach State Park often bringing these fish within casting range of the beach.  There’s also a spring run when the fish return northbound, but it’s typically not as productive.  Another big reason for the park’s popularity with fishermen is that you can drive on the beach (assuming you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle and a proper permit from the park).  This makes it easy to cover a lot of beach in search of good fishing action.

So, back to last week.  Ed and I left Lansdale a little before 5 am.  I know that’s nuts for an ordinary person’s day off, but it’s actually a bit on the late side for fishermen.  We made the usual stops at a WaWa to fill-up on gas and get some snacks and then off to Betty and Nick’s bait shop for a couple of bags of mullet (snacks for big bluefish).  We were at the park gatehouse just before 7am and stopped to talk to the ranger and get our drive-on permit.  Just as we were heading out of the door, we were greeted by Scooter.  Scooter is a red fox that, according to the ranger, frequents the gatehouse in the hopes of an easy breakfast.   Red foxes are pretty common in the park, but this was the first time I had seen one.  Somebody hit the nature button for us; awesome!

With our permit in hand, we aired-down our tires (a must for driving in deep sand) and assembled our fishing rods.  We were on the beach and actually fishing by 7:30am; not bad.  Within about 20 minutes, one of our rods bent over like a party switching politician.  A real exciting start, but the fight was short lived in this fish which turned out to be just a cow-nosed ray.  Not exactly what we were hoping for, but it was still fun to real in and neat to see.  We had similar luck for the rest of the day with a total count of 3 cow-nosed rays, 3 flounder, 2 small bluefish, and one sea robin.  So, we didn’t catch any bruiser blues, but I got a needed dose of nature, caught a few interesting fish, and spent the day with a good friend.  We packed-up our gear, aired-up the tires, got on the road just after 3pm, and beat rush hour to make it back to Lansdale by 5pm.

What’s So Great About Montgomery County PA?  For me, it was being less than 2 hours from the beach one day last week.

Note: I forgot my camera on this outing (bag blogger).  So, the pictures are actually from a few previous trips to the beach.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 to buy or sell a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Copyright © 2009, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.  WSGA Montgomery County PA: Being Less Than 2 Hours from the Beach

If you live in the Harleysville or Lansdale areas of Montgomery County, PA and are looking for some summer fun at the local parks, you won't have to look far.  There are several parks in this area that offer numerous amenities to please the whole family.  As a parent of young children in this community, I've had the opportunity to visit many of the parks and two of our family favorites are described below.

Fischer's Park, Towamencin Township (2225 Bustard Road, Lansdale, PA 19446).  As Towamencin Township's largest park, this is a nature lover's haven.  Covering over 77 acres of wooded land, this park is especially popular with my twin boys, Jack and Andrew.  The park boasts 3 miles of walking trails.  Some of the trails are paved, others are gravel, and some even venture into the forest.  The trails are great for walking and biking, but if you go, bring sturdy shoes or a mountain bike.  The park claims fame to one of Lansdale's most beautiful scenes- the Towamencin Creek runs through the property and over a scenic waterfall.  If you're lucky, you'll catch glimpse of some of the parks stunning resident swans.  This area of the park is very popular with both the children splashing in the shallow waters of the creek and with the area fishermen.  Every year the park hosts a Fishing Derby and also a Phillies Home Run Derby on one of the few Connie Mack baseball fields in Towamencin Township.  

If you enjoy music and the arts, you'll find plenty of opportunities to enjoy them at the Arneth Entertainment Center.  This outdoor amphitheater is host to numerous performances throughout the summer, whether it be movies under the stars, music concerts or plays put on by local artists.  Hungry?  Bring your appetite and a picnic lunch to enjoy under one of the parks many covered pavilions.  Charcoal grills are present on the property and the pavilions may be reserved for gatherings.  Finally, there are very clean bathroom facilities for use, so no need to worry about the little ones!  Learn more about this great park by visiting www.towamencin.org.

Parkside Place  (1 Parkside Place, North Wales, PA 19454).  If you have young children, this park will definitely provide great entertainment this summer!  Probably the most popular attraction is the park's towering climbing castle, slide and playground aptly know as ParkSci Playground.  This adventurous playground was built by hundreds of community volunteers in 1995 and has been a popular spot with young and old alike ever since. Parkside Place is also a popular walking spot, with half mile loops of flat, paved trails.  The park also has numerous lighted tennis courts and basketball courts for the sports enthusiasts and is also home to Upper Gywnedd Township's community pool.  Parkside Place also has an outdoor ampitheater that hosts summer concerts.

Forgot your picnic basket, but want to enjoy lunch or dinner at one of the numerous picnic tables in the park?  Not a problem, as you can enjoy a great lunch or dinner by visiting the Parkside Deli, open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  They serve everything from tasty pulled pork sandwiches and fries to more flavors of popsicles and treats then you can count.  The deli also has clean and convenient restroom facilities nearby.  For more information on this great addition to the suburban Philadelphia area, visit www.uppergwynedd.org.

So if you are already lucky enough to live in Montgomery County, PA or are planning to purchase a home in this beautiful area, you won't be disappointed with the parks and recreation services.  For a full list of other parks to visit this summer, check out the website:  www.parks.montcopa.org.

Copyright © 2009, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved. Lansdale Area Parks and Recreation - Things To Do - Free Summer Fun in Montgomery County, PA

Join us for the Harleysville Country Days Parade on Saturday, May 23rd.  Re/Max Realty Group will host an open house from 10am-1pm that day.  There will be food and activities for the kids (moon bounce, mini golf).  The parade starts at 11am and marches right past our office.

We'd love to see you there!

439 Main Street, Harleysville PA  19438