Noisy 2-year-old kicked off Southwest Airlines flight: Is this fair?

Yesterday, the Associated Press reported on a 2-year-old boy named Adam and his mom who were kicked off a San Jose-bound flight for being too noisy.

Story goes Adam was screaming "Go! Plane! Go!" and "I want Daddy."

The mom figured Adam would quiet down once the plane took off, but instead the plane returned to the gate in Amarillo Texas, and escorted them back to the airport.

The mom is demanding an apology and compensation for a portable crib and diapers she had to buy for the extra night away from home.

Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis told the AP that removing a crying child from a flight is unusual but that crews have leeway to resolve situations as they see fit.

It's hard to judge the incident without really knowing how long Adam was screaming for, but let's say he was screaming for about 30 minutes, the time it takes to board everyone and roll over to the runway. Did he and his mother deserve to get kicked off the plane?

Vampire vacations

My parents grew up with Stroker's Dracula. I was an avid reader of Anne Rice. And now the next generation is reading the popular Twilight books, and vampires are more popular than ever. No doubt, a vampire themed vacation could appeal to just about anyone in the family--and Forbes just put together a roundup of 10 destinations around the world where you're bound to find someone who will want to suck your blood.

The area of Romania known as Transylvania—"home to Vlad the Impaler, the historical inspiration for Dracula"—is on the list. So is New Orleans, where you can go on a Haunted History Tours, "which take guests on “bone-chilling” tours of real and fictional vampire sites throughout The Big Easy."

To read about all 10 vampire haunts on Forbes, click here.

Photo: Bran Castle is famous for its association with the Dracula legend.

The muppets take Pennsylvania

Jim Hensons Fantastic World, Through November 29 James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA

Without "fences" to limit where his imagination could roam, Jim Henson (1936-1990)—artist, puppeteer, film director and producer—created elaborate imaginary worlds filled with unique characters, objects, environments and even languages and cultures. Jim Henson's Fantastic World, an exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and the Jim Henson Legacy, offers a rare peek into the imagination and creative genius of this multitalented innovator and creator of Kermit the Frog, Big Bird and other beloved characters.

This exhibition features 100 original artworks, including drawings, cartoons and storyboards that illustrate Henson's talent as a storyteller and visionary. Among the variety of exhibition objects are puppets and television and movie props, photographs of Henson and his collaborators at work and original video productions, including excerpts from Henson's early career and experimental films.

Experience Fall on the farm

Feeding animals and picking crops might not sound like typical vacation activities, yet this is a popular trend taking off throughout the U.S. by the name of Agritourism. That's right. Thousands of families are loading up and heading to the country -- and having tons of fun along the way. After all, apples taste better minutes after you pull them off a branch and goats are quite friendly when you're feeding them alfalfa from your own hand.

Below are three places oozing with farm fun.

Hood River, Oregon

Just follow the "Fruit Loop"-that's all you have to do to find the dozens of farms dotting the valley that spreads between town and Mount Hood. The 35-mile drive passes by pumpkin patches, alpaca farms, lavender fields, harvest festivals, corn mazes, and more fresh pies than you can possibly eat. Play: Don't miss Rasmussen Farms, where kids can pull pumpkins off their vines, Kiyokawa Family Orchards where you can pick your own apples and go on a hayride, and Cascade Alpacas, where you can help feed the animals and learn to spin yarn. Eat: The menu at Celilo Restaurant features ingredients grown at Hood River Valley farms. Stay: Best Western Hood River Inn sits on the banks of the Columbia River.

Bennington, Vermont

It's hard to visit this state without passing a working farm because there are so many (find a guide to all the farms through the Farm Association). But you'll encounter a particularly scenic area in the southern part of the state surrounding this pretty town best known as a Revolutionary War battle site. Drive the tangle of roads and you'll find yourself in the heart of rural country with old covered bridges, grazing animals and fields of crops. Play: At the Apple Barn, tour the orchards, run through a corn maze, and pick up a freshly baked pie. At Adams Farm in nearby Willmington, feed the goats and chickens and go for a hayride. Eat: After a day in the field, the fresh pizzas at Marigold Kitchen hit the spot-try the Mimi Pie with local goat cheese. Stay: Best Western New Englander Motor Inn offers a free continental breakfast.

Sevierville, Tennessee

Corn mazes, pumpkins and apples, oh my! This state has much to offer for travelers hoping to celebrate the fall harvest. And outside this town near Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the best places to do that. Play: Get lost in the five-acre corn maze and go for a hayride at Kyker Farms. Shuck corn, pick pumpkins and pet farm animals at Echo Valley Farm (pictured) in nearby New Market. Eat: Break for fried apple pies and fresh cider at the Apple Barn. Stay: Best Western Greenbrier Inn is also near Dollywood theme park.

iPhone apps for getting around Disney parks

Disneyland and Disneyworld may be the happiest places on earth but they also can the most overwhelming. How do you navigate them? How do you avoid long lines? Where do you get a decent meal for a fair price?

Enter a bevy of iPhone apps aimed at helping you answer these questions. In the iTunes store, you'll find options ranging from WaitWatch offering up wait times to Hidden Mickey helping you find the mouse ears cleverly hidden throughout the parks.

Of the dozens of apps, here are the best for navigating Disney parks:

MouseWait--This newly released free iPhone app provides accurate wait times at Disneyland and California Adventure, and the chance to bring your Facebook friends into the app to create a true social Disneyland experience. Free.

Disneyland Wait Times--ride wait times for Disneyland and California Adventure. Users submit wait times so the level of accuracy is dependent upon the number of users. Free with ads; 99 cents without ads.

Notecast Disneyland and Disneyworld--a guidebook to the parks wtih over 120 pages of in-depth info on everything from parade times to "must dos" to finding Disney characters. 99 cents.

Disneyland Checklist--Are there a few rides you must go on? This app allows you to develop a checklist. 99 cents.

Disneyland Facts--Did you know that sleeping Beauty Castle was given its name four years before the movie was released? Did you know that until the 1960s young men with beards were not allowed to enter Disneyland? This app will bring alive the history of the parks--and it provides educational entertainment while you're waiting in line. $1.99.

Do you have a favorite Disney park iphone app?

Business trips with baby: Can they work?

About eight months after giving birth to my son and returning to work, my boss at the time asked me to attend a convention in Chicago. I was working on a travel magazine, and one of my many responsibilities was to track new travel products--from the latest suitcase designs to high-tech gadgets for working on the road.

"Sure, I'll go I said, but I'm bringing my baby."

My boss gave us the go ahead and a few weeks later we were on a plane to Chicago.

My work obligations consisted of attending the two-day convention where travel companies were showing off their wares. I walked up and down the aisles lined with booths and spoke with salespeople--and wore my son on my back in an Ergo Baby Carrier (like the one pictured).

He slept most of the time. He never cried. He was at the perfect age when he had passed the fussy stage yet he was still sleeping a lot. I remember sneaking away into the rest room a few times to nurse. There were no meetings or presentations to attend, which made things easy.

While I was definitely the only one at the convention with a baby, no one seemed to mind. Mostly, people just wanted to hold him or told me what a doll he was.

The trip was a huge success, and I was able to take the trip without leaving my new baby behind.

Have any other readers brought a new baby on a business trip? What made it work or not work?

Best Western: Fall savings

Best Western just kicked off its week-long deal bonanza, Countdown to Savings, and the clock is ticking. Through 4 p.m. ET each day this week, folks can score great deals on www.bestwestern.com for hotels located in popular fall destinations. Each day, Best Western introduces a new group of destinations and discounts under a new theme. This week’s include:

· Monday, October 12: Haunted Houses and Mazes

o Orlando, Fla. (hotel rates from $59)

o New Orleans, La. (hotel rates from $94)

· Tuesday, October 13: Basketball Season Steals

o Phoenix, Ariz. (hotel rates from $39)

o Los Angeles, Calif. (hotel rates from $75)

· Wednesday, October 14: Fall Festivals

o Sonora, Calif. (hotel rates from $89)

o Hebron, Conn. (hotel rates from $97)

· Thursday, October 15: Great Walking Cities

o San Francisco, Calif. (hotel rates from $79)

o Honolulu, Hawaii (hotel rates from $109)

· Friday, October 16: Grab Bag of Destinations

o Homer, Alaska (hotel rates from $72)

o Palm Desert, Calif. (hotel rates from $73)

o West Haven, Conn. (hotel rates from $72)

o Savannah, Ga. (hotel rates from $70)

My new favorite travel game: Bananagrams

Bananagrams is basically like Scrabble without the board. You use tiles imprinted with letters to create words. It's fast and fun and doesn't require a board, paper, or pen. It has won oodles of awards for being a great travel game, and when my 6-year-old daughter recently tested it out, she was instantly hooked. And so was her mom. We'll definitely be bringing along this banana on our next trip.

One couple strives to do it all in Orlando

Our family has an Orlando trip on the horizon and so I'm starting to figure out what to do--behond Disney World. In my search for information. I stumbled upon this great blog 67 Days of Smiles.



The blog is written by Kyle and Stacey who are best friends living in NYC. Kyle is a Broadway actor and Stacy teaches kids in Harlem. They entered a contest to represent the Orlando Convention & Visitors Bureau and spend 67 days taking in all that the city has to offer. The contest was mentioned on Good Morning America and tons of people entered.

Kyle and Stacey won (hooray!), and now they're blogging, Twittering, and posting videos on You Tube.

On their site, I learned about Discovery Cove where you can snorkel next to sharks (don’t worry there’s glass between you), the new ropes course that takes you through a tree canopy at the Central Florida Zoo, and Typhoon Lagoon, where you can take surf lessons at the world's largest outdoor wave pool.

Storytime on the go

Waiting for dinner to come at a restaurant? Long airplane ride or train trip? The iStoryTime application might come in handy if you have kids in tow. The app turns your iPhone into an illustrated children's book.



The books are narrated, so your child can enjoy the book even when you're busy with the woman behind the airport ticket counter. And the application is simply to use because it was designed for kids 2 years and up. You pay $1.99 for each title.

Theme parks offer up Halloween thrills

In the light of day theme parks and attractions from coast to coast provide their own form of thrills and family entertainment with roller coasters, children’s rides, shows, and exhibits. Once the sun goes down, things change. The vampires and zombies come out, and these venues undergo total transformations to take the thrills to the next level.

This fall, guest experiences at America’s amusement parks range from intense, horrifying attractions filled with creeping creatures, elaborately themed haunted houses, fog and monster-filled walkways, to family-friendly trick-or-treating extravaganzas, costume contests, and fall festivals complete with pumpkin patches and hay-bale mazes.

Here's a look at a handful of theme parks that are certain to scare you with their Halloween thrills:

• Adventure Landing in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., hosts the annual “Hall of Terror” haunted house attraction beginning Friday, Oct. 9. In addition to the haunted house experience, guests float down the “Haunted River Ride” filled with surprises. www.adventurelanding.com/jaxbeach

• “Howl-O-Scream” returns to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa Bay, Fla. for its 10th year. The park will provide 335 acres of sinister, adult-filled fun for 17 fright-filled nights. In addition to chilling coasters, guests encounter zombies and monsters as they make their way through seven haunted houses escaping unsettled demons, evil spirits, and possessed objects; four fear-provoking scare zones with crazed townspeople, werewolves, and more; and two frightening shows. The event previews the last weekend in September and runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights through Oct. 31. http://houseofvayne.com/tampa

• Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Va., celebrates 11 years of fears with “Howl-O-Scream,” featuring 15 new attractions and 18 frightening scare zones, haunted mazes, and Halloween-themed shows starring vampires, werewolves, witches, and trolls. Many of the park’s haunted attractions and shows begin earlier in the day for the re-vamped “Howl-O-Scream.” The event debuts Sept. 25 and continues every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through Nov. 1. www.howl-o-scream.com

• Cedar Point amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, celebrates “HalloWeekends” this fall Sept. 18 – Nov. 1. Guests will enjoy haunted houses where toys come to life and storms cause mysterious occurrences; five scare zones with the crew from a sunken ship, crazed clowns, and unruly residents roaming a corn maze; and eight indoor and outdoor fright-filled shows. www.halloweekends.com

• Carowinds theme park in Charlotte, N.C., transforms into “SCarowinds,” featuring haunted mazes, scare zones, and hundreds of creepy monsters lurking around every corner. “SCarowinds” presents a sizeable collection of rides with spooky twists for its 10th Halloween season, and the entire park atmosphere transforms with an eerie glow. www.scarowinds.com

• Darien Lake Theme Park Resort in Darien Center, N.Y., once again transforms into “FrightFest 2009” weekends Sept. 25 – Oct. 18. Activities include a newly themed haunted house, “Crazy Cliff’s Twisted Adventure,” and “Fright Night Field Trip,” a jarring bus tour through the black forest of Darien Lake. www.GoDarienLake.com

• Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., unveils "Halloween Time" from Sept. 25-Nov. 1. This year's event features "Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy," which adds ghosts and other spooks to the classic roller coaster in the dark. The park also features new fireworks show "Halloween Screams—A Villainous Surprise in the Skies," and meet-and-greets with characters dressed in seasonal costumes. www.disneylandnews.com

• Hersheypark in Hershey, Pa., transforms into “Hersheypark in the Dark” on weekends in October. More than 50 rides, including roller coasters and family rides remain open and receive new names for the season. One-price admission includes all the rides and live entertainment. “Ghost Runner” (“Storm Runner”) and “Wicked Racer” (“Lightning Racer”) offer thrilling nighttime coaster rides, while guests both young and old delight in a ride on “Bats in the Belfry” (the “Kissing Tower”) and “Night Mares” (the park’s carousel). www.hersheypark.com

• Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pa., celebrates the season with “Phantom Fright Nights.” The park’s ghoulish alter ego comes out to play Friday and Saturday nights in October. Screams from thrill rides, terror, and fun will emanate from the event’s new offerings: six amazing haunt attractions, four scare-zone midways, roller coasters, and food and entertainment. www.phantomfrightnights.com

• Kings Dominion in Doswell, Va., brings back "Halloween Haunt" weekends Sept. 26 through Oct. 31. with scarezones like the Voodoo Swamp, CarnEvil, and Central Stalkway. Live entertainment takes center stage with shows like “Elvira’s Superstition” and “Graveyard Shift.” And guests ready for a scare-infused challenge can enter one of the nine mazes, including “Medieval Macabre,” “Slaughter House,” and the space-themed “Outpost.” www.kingsdominion.com

• Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio, revisits its “Halloween Haunt 2009” for adult park-goers ready for a scare. Now 16 full nights with more terror, the event features more than 500 creatures and costumed characters, 13 haunted attractions, and hair-raising rides, including the new “Diamondback” coaster. The event runs during select times Thursdays through Sundays, Sept. 25 – Oct. 31. www.visitkingsisland.com

• Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., transforms into “Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween Haunt,” from Sept. 24 – Oct. 31, for the 37th Annual Halloween Haunt. The original Halloween experience has 13 creepy mazes, seven terrifying shows, four scare zones, and 1,000 roaming monsters. www.knotts.com

• The Haunted Graveyard opens for its ninth year at Lake Compounce in Bristol, Conn., Friday, Oct. 2, 2009. Halloween spirits will transform Lake Compounce into a fog-filled attraction, with spine-chilling walkways and eerie music. Next door, the legendary Haunted Graveyard features a 45-minute hair-raising walk through six haunted houses and a graveyard linked by bone-chilling trails inhabited by ghoulish characters. New frights for 2009 include the mysterious “Mayan Temple,” a frightening experience including a jungle, waterfall, and rope-bridge. www.lakecompounce.com; www.hauntedgraveyard.com

• Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, Calif., presents “Fright Fest 2009,” featuring two new haunted mazes, a zombie scare zone, spooky animal shows, and nightly funeral processions. “Fright Fest 2009” runs weekends Oct. 2 – Nov. 1. www.sixflags.com/discoverykingdom

• Six Flags New England in Agawam, Ma., celebrates “Fright Fest” this Halloween weekends Oct. 3 – Nov. 1. The event features hair-raising shows, electrifying street entertainment, nighttime rides, and haunted attractions including “Midnight Mansion” and “Wicked Woods.” www.sixflags.com/newEngland

• “Fright Fest” transforms Six Flags Over Georgia near Atlanta, Ga., weekends Oct. 2 – Nov. 1. Dr. Fright opens his "Frightorium," a 17–room haunted house to anyone brave enough to enter. This year, four new shows – to be announced soon – join shows, including "Love at First Fright," "Bad Bob the Bone Butcher," and "Mort's Casket Sales.” www.sixflags.com/overGeorgia/index.aspx

• Brace for terror at every turn when visiting “Fright Fest” at Six Flags amusement parks across the nation during weekends in October. Whether it is a fright-filled show, thrilling street entertainment, or spine-chilling haunted houses, each park transforms offering guests a ghoulish good time. Six Flags America in Mitchellville, Md.; Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, Texas; Six Flags Great Adventure and Wild Safari in Jackson, N.J.;Six Flags Great America and Hurricane Harbor in Gurnee, Ill.; Six Flags Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom in Lake George, N.Y.; Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Ky.; Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles, Calif.; Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas; Six Flags St. Louis in Eureka, Mo.

• Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, Calif., brings movies to life with “Halloween Horror Nights 19: Ripped from the Silver Screen.” The latest incarnations of “Saw” and “The Wolfman” join with Chucky to lead a host of terrifying horrors torn from the scariest movies of all time. Features include all-new haunted houses, scare zones, live shows, and hundreds of “scare-actors.” The event dates are Oct. 2 – 3, Oct. 9 – 11, Oct. 15 – 18, Oct. 23 – 25, and Oct. 28 – 31. Not recommended for children under 13. www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com

• Step inside living cinematic terror at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando Fla., “Halloween Horror Nights.” The latest incarnations of “Saw” and “The Wolfman” join with Chucky to lead a host of terrifying horrors torn from the scariest movies of all time. “Halloween Horror Nights 19: Ripped from the Silver Screen” features all-new haunted houses, scare zones, live shows, and hundreds of “scare-actors.” Event dates are Sept. 25 – 26, Oct. 1 – 4, 8 – 11, 15 – 18, 21 – 25, and 28 – 31. Not recommended for children under 13. www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com

• Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Fla., hosts "Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party" Sept. 4-Nov. 1. The event features tricks and treats throughout the entire park. Special lighting, music, and special effects create haunted hallows suitable for the entire family. Special entertainment includes the "Boo-to-You" parade and "Happy HalloWishes" fireworks show. www.wdwnews.com

• Wild Adventures Water and Theme Park in Valdosta, Ga., turns into a haunted playground for “Phobia: Fright by Night.” The event features five themed haunted houses, including the “Lakeside Sanitarium” and the “Saloon of Doom”; scare zones such as the “Corn Stalkers Maze” and “Psychopath”; and a fright-filled swamp trail. www.wildadventures.com