Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and this holiday season will certainly be different from any we have experienced before. Many beloved traditions may be put on hold in order to keep family members safe and healthy during these strange and difficult times.
One favorite tradition among both children and grandparents alike, The Thanksgiving Day Parade, will still be taking place this year. It will be completely virtual, musical performances and all, reimagined to work in the times of social distancing. The parade is a treasured event that has a rich American history that began in 1924.
The original Thanksgiving Day Parade was nearly three times as long as it is today, stretching from 145th street and Convent Avenue in Harlem and winding its way down to the Macy’s store in Times Square.
When Macy’s on Broadway and 34th Street reached its expansion size of an entire city block and 1 million square feet of retail space, the employees organized a parade to celebrate.
Originally the Macy’s Christmas Parade, this sunlit morning in November gave the children of NYC a magical experience with animals from the Central Park Zoo and the guest of honor riding in his sleigh propped up on a float—Santa Claus.
While the number of people who witnessed this historic parade is disputed, from Macy’s claiming a million people to newspapers stating 250,000, everyone could agree that this parade was an absolute success. Macy’s quickly announced within the very next week that everyone should set aside Thanksgiving morning of 1925 to feast your eyes on the marvelous parade again.
NBC jumped on the opportunity to sign a contract with Macy’s to be the outlet broadcasting the parade nationally. Bob Hillman, the first director at NBC for the parade’s first national broadcast, said “I wanted to make the picture as exciting as it was to someone standing there, and transmit that to someone watching from Los Angeles or Chicago.”
To make the balloon filled spectacular event more TV-friendly, the length of the parade was cut down significantly to its route we see today.
What started out as a march down to Macy’s became a cherished and treasured tradition for every Thanksgiving morning to come. It is, without fail, on tens of millions of television screens on the morning of Thanksgiving all around the country to begin the day of gratefulness, family, and love.
This year, we have watched as beloved holidays come and go, like Easter, Memorial Day, and Fourth of July. Now, it’s finally time for a mask-friendly holiday—Halloween!
As October 31st approaches, the CDC has given us great ideas on how to enjoy the sweetest night of the year. We may not be able to have a classic trick-or-treat experience, but there are plenty of alternate ways to dress up and have fun on Halloween night.
Many towns, schools, and communities have done Trunk-or-Treat events for past Halloweens. While that won’t be happening this year, Rideshare has thought of a few ways to have a safe, social distanced Trunk-or-Treat.
Organize your own Trunk-or-Treat with members of your family or neighbors. Staying outside, in a mask, and 6 feet apart is the best way to keep everyone safe and still have fun.
Pull vehicles to the end of your driveways and go all out with spooky decorations in your trunk: Spiderwebs, skeletons, crazy costumes, lights, music—the possibilities are endless!
Keep the walking path to a one-way system to maximize safety.
Incorporate a cloth mask into your child’s costume. [Remember: A Halloween costume mask does not replace a cloth face mask]
Hand out individual bags of candy instead of letting kids reach into a bowl.
Have kids vote for their favorite trunk!
A small Trunk-or-Treat is a lot of fun, but may be short lived. Set up a pumpkin carving or painting table outside in someone’s yard so the fun can continue, and kids can still be social distancing.
Being a parent or caregiver takes creativity and open-mindedness now more than ever. And who knows? Going above and beyond to organize a small neighborhood or family Trunk-or-Treat might be so fun, it could become a new Halloween tradition!
As September rolls in, it’s the perfect time of year to rent a hybrid or electric vehicle and plan a road trip with the family. With the help of friends, family, and internet research, we have our Top 5 list of best locations to see the leaves change colors.
5. Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
This beautiful expanse of water is surrounded by a resort city of vast estates. The landscape is rich with a variety of trees, giving a dramatic autumn color palette until late November. Along the lake are hiking and bike trails, beaches, museums, orchards and farms, wineries, shopping centers, and more to explore and take in the history and beauty of the area in all its fall glory.
4. The Berkshires, Massachusetts
In Western Massachusetts is a mountain range of peaks, river valleys, forests, and breathtaking scenery that beckons travelers year-round. The Berkshires have culture, cuisine, adventure, and natural beauty to enjoy, along with stunningly bright fall colors. With a number of state forests and parks to explore, peaceful sightseeing is in no short supply.
3. Mount Hood, Oregon
While Mt. Hood is well known for skiing and snowboarding, mid- to late-October is an alluring sight to see. From the Mt. Hood National Forest to the Clackamas River, there are a number of spots to experience the deep reds and vivid yellows of the trees. There are equestrian trails, recreational centers, and stretches of byway to cruise along and take in the radiant scenery.
2. Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia
This segment of the Appalachian Mountains is known for its blue-ish appearance from afar. But in the fall months, the landscape is overtaken by brilliant orange and reds. While each elevation level of the mountains has their own peak times for foliage, this range has one of the longest running and most colorful fall leaf seasons around the world.
We’d love to hear your favorite fall foliage hot spots. Tweet at us at @Rideshare_Co if we missed any magnificent locations around the U.S. to see our favorite season in full bloom.
The Rideshare Company is always looking for sustainable and smart commute options. One that we love to talk about is biking to and from work to maintain a healthy lifestyle and minimize the number of cars on the road.
It comes as a surprise to many how physically demanding it is to ride a bicycle as your means of transportation.
It is an obstacle that keeps people from seeing this as a reasonable way to commute. We have had our eye on an emerging sector of the bicycle industry that may solve a majority of the problems revolving around biking to work. Many have heard of them, but few have ridden one for themselves… E-Bikes!
Electric Bikes are quickly making their way to the top of bike culture, and even replacing cars in countries around the world.
What is an E-Bike?
E-Bikes are unique bicycles with a small electric motor that makes pedaling easier and can propel you up hills and terrain like no bike has done before. This mechanic takes away many of the inconveniences that keep people from riding bikes.
A huge plus-side to E-Bikes is the way they reduce the barrier to bike riding. Not every average person is conditioned to ride 5-10 miles to and from work. E-Bikes make it easy to cover these distances with the electric assist, building strength, endurance and confidence of riders.
While E-Bikes sell for high prices, people weigh the cost in comparison to owning a second car. It becomes well worth the investment when you take out monthly car payments, gas prices, and basic car maintenance.
If you’ve been weighing the pros and cons of getting a bicycle, add E-Bikes to your research. You will likely begin to see more of them as time goes on, along with an increase in safe bike lanes and routes all over cities around the country.
Now that we all have facemask tan lines to worry about, it is at the front of our personal care priorities to wear sunscreen on our faces and bodies every day.
Broad-spectrum to protect against UVA and UVB rays
SPF 30 or higher
Water resistance to stand up to sweat
What is the Difference Between UVA and UVB?
UVA is known as Ultraviolet A. These wavelengths are present all year and in any weather. UVA penetrates deep into the skin and causes long-term skin damage, wrinkling, and aging.
UVB is Ultraviolet B. This is the wavelength that plays a major role in burning, tanning, accelerating skin aging, and the development of skin cancer.
Why SPF 30 or Higher?
Any sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 blocks 97% of the sun’s UVB rays. As you go higher than 30 SPF, the level of protection only increases very minimally. Unfortunately, no sunscreen can block 100% of harmful rays from the sun.
Be Kind to Your Skin!
If you bike, walk, take public transit, or drive solo or in a car/vanpool to work, remember to apply sunscreen before you head out for the day. You’d be surprised at the sun’s power. Even through the car windshield, UVA rays can penetrate the skin.
Beautiful, healthy skin loves vitamin D from the sun. Make sure you are always wearing sunscreen so that you can nourish your body and mind with fresh air and sunlight in the safest way possible!
