Concept2 air rowing machine

{Just been reading through a load of reviews for the Concept2 air rowing machine. I’d heard that this was the daddy of ALL rowing machines, let alone just air rowing machines. Nearly all of the reviews (must have been about 30 or 40) were positive, so I’ll start with some of the negatives that seem to bother people.| One or two found the seat uncomfortable, but as another reviewer pointed out, there is a seat cushion available as an extra accessory. Someone complained it was wobbly and unstable, but someone else said they must have set it up wrong.| One reviewer didn’t like the e-row software package which allows you, for example, to row against a pace boat and row against other people, but that sounds like a personal thing. In any event e-row is not compatible with the PM3 and PM4 monitors anyway – for these Concept recommend RowPro.| 2 or 3 complained of the boredom – one even suggested getting a friend to join you on their own air rowing machine. Some said a good way to relieve the boredom and make it more challenging as well as fun was to compete against others online (apparently in general the experienced rowers are kind to newbies!). For this you will need the relevant software package of course.} No-one complained about the price, which surprised me – I guess quality is the key as far as Concept buyers are concerned. In fact one did say he’d bought a competitor’s model and didn’t like it. Someone pointed out that you can find them second hand quite easily for example on ebay – so if the price is an issue it might be the first place to look. concept 2 rowing machine(He also said how well they hold their prices). {On to the positives: Most stressed what a terrific all-round workout it provides (but I suppose that will apply to any air rowing machine, not just the Concept2). Nearly everyone praised the build quality, onboard monitor, ease of setting up and disassembly (one even said he took his with him wherever he went, all over the country!) Anyone who had had to use the customer service said they were great – they also keep in touch with you with regular updates, offers etc. By the way I didn’t notice any women in the reviews…| All in all a pretty comprehensive set of positive recommendations for the Concept2 – maybe it really is the Daddy of the Air Rowing Machine family! If you are looking for a total body workout with just one machine, and you want a machine that is quiet, and can be easily stored, then you should consider buying a rowing machine. A rower can work so many different muscles with one motion, and it can also offer a good cardiovascular exercise if that is what you are looking for also. A rowing machine can do so many things for you, but which rowing machine should you get? The Concept 2 Rowing Machine is a great machine, and there are models you can choose from in order to get the right machine for you.| The Concept 2 Machine Model E with PM4 is a great machine that has many great features. This particular rowing machine offers a great screen that can show you things like time, resistance, heart rate, and distance traveled. You can always keep track of these statistics in order to remember how well you did the last time, and each time you can try to beat the way you performed previously.} {Another great feature that the Concept 2 Rower Model E with PM4 offers is its nickel-plated chain. Sometimes a machine can be very maintenance heavy, and it can become very annoying to have to keep working to maintain your rower. If you want a machine that is low-maintenance then this rower may be for you. The nickel-plated chain gives the machine a great look as well.| There are many great features that the Concept 2 Rowing Machine Model E with PM4 offers. The design of the rowing machine allows for a compact storage in case you do not want to leave it out all the time. The battery pack for the machine is rechargeable as well, so you don’t have to worry about the high costs of battery packs. A chest belt allows you to keep track of your heart rate during exercise. The machine is also very quiet, and this can be very nice if you are looking to get a little exercise in when watching TV without having to turn the volume really high on the TV. Whether training as an athlete or just for personal use, exercise machines are a popular way to exercise. There are any number of machines that can be used. This article is going to examine the Concept 2 rowing machine.| Starting in 1976, two brothers, that had just finished training for the Olympics designed a oar for racers. From there they went on to design a rowing machine that can be used indoors. This machine, known as the Concept 2 rowing machine, is used by people training for the Olympics, cardiac patients, and many more.} Over the years, these two brothers have designed several machines. Beginning with oars that were used in a number of competitions, the brothers decided to design an indoor machine in 1981 so that rowers could practice during the winter months. concept 2 rowing machine From their design, the Concept 2 machine type was created. Between 1981 and 1986, there were several models designed by the brothers. {The first one, Model A, was introduced as the first indoor rower. It was used by a rowing team in Boston that hosted an indoor rowing event. In 1986, the Model A was revised and the Model B was born. The Model B was designed along the same lines as the Model A except it had a protective covering on the fly wheel. Over the next several years, as exercising became more common place in the 1980s, other models were introduced such as the Blade, (which was used in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992). In addition the Model C, Dyno, (a train device to help increase strength), and Model D, of the Concept 2 rowing machine line were designed.| In 2006, Model E, of the Concept 2 rowing machine line, was introduced. This indoor rowing machine was used alongside the Model D. In this line, another machine was offered, the SkiErg. This machine is designed to help the cross skier train in the winter. When choosing the Concept 2, there are many features that will help anyone get the type of exercise or training that they need or want. The Concept 2 rowing machine, uses virtual training to help rowers get ready for competitions. It helps them by giving them a online challenges| Rowing is an excellent workout. If you’ve never tried it, then just get onto a rower at you local gym for 5 minutes and you’ll see what I mean. While most people slog it out on a treadmill or training bike, I’d take the rowing machine any day of the week. It has some very distinct advantages that makes it the perfect workout. Whether you want to lose weight, improve your muscle tone or just get fit, this is a workout you need to seriously consider. Training on a rowing machine is unique in every way and you will work on muscles you never even though you had. Its also a relatively “cheap” option if you were to invest in one for your home. It might be a bit expensive at first but a decent rowing machine can last you a long time and save you a fortune in gym fees. It also give you the additional comfort of having a compact and complete workout machine at home.| There are 3 reasons why I think a rowing machine is a superior workout. Lets quickly look at those and how you can benefit from it: 1. Low Impact Rowing is a low impact workout. It has virtually zero impact on your joints and if you find running to be a painful experience then this can be the answer for you. Machines like the Concept 2 indoor rower is very well designed and will put very little stress on your body apart from where its needed – your muscles! Low impact exercise means a more efficient workout and because of this it suitable for people of all ages. Even with bad knees or a bad hip, this is a great way to stay fit and tone up.| 2. Cardiovascular Workout If you’ve been on an indoor rowing machine for 5 minutes you will know just how intense the workout can be. Rowing is a surprisingly good cardio workout and it engages virtually all the muscles in your body. By simply adjusting the resistance of the machine you can control the intensity and doing 30 minutes non-stop will give you a workout equivalent to a stiff 45 minutes run.} 3. Strength Training Rowing machines like the concept 2 rowing machine have an air resistance that can be adjusted to 10 different levels. The higher the resistance the greater the workout. At level 10, its almost the equivalent of lifting weights but because you are on the machine you have very little impact on your joints. Whereas as low setting is perfect for a cardio workout, flipping the switch to a higher setting will give you resistance needed to get a proper strength training session – all from the same machine.
{Just been reading through a load of reviews for the Concept2 air rowing machine. I’d heard that this was the daddy of ALL rowing machines, let alone just air rowing machines. Nearly all of the reviews (must have been about 30 or 40) were positive, so I’ll start with some of the negatives that seem to bother people.| One or two found the seat uncomfortable, but as another reviewer pointed out, there is a seat cushion available as an extra accessory. Someone complained it was wobbly and unstable, but someone else said they must have set it up wrong.| One reviewer didn’t like the e-row software package which allows you, for example, to row against a pace boat and row against other people, but that sounds like a personal thing. In any event e-row is not compatible with the PM3 and PM4 monitors anyway – for these Concept recommend RowPro.| 2 or 3 complained of the boredom – one even suggested getting a friend to join you on their own air rowing machine. Some said a good way to relieve the boredom and make it more challenging as well as fun was to compete against others online (apparently in general the experienced rowers are kind to newbies!). For this you will need the relevant software package of course.} No-one complained about the price, which surprised me – I guess quality is the key as far as Concept buyers are concerned. In fact one did say he’d bought a competitor’s model and didn’t like it. Someone pointed out that you can find them second hand quite easily for example on ebay – so if the price is an issue it might be the first place to look. concept 2 rowing machine(He also said how well they hold their prices). {On to the positives: Most stressed what a terrific all-round workout it provides (but I suppose that will apply to any air rowing machine, not just the Concept2). Nearly everyone praised the build quality, onboard monitor, ease of setting up and disassembly (one even said he took his with him wherever he went, all over the country!) Anyone who had had to use the customer service said they were great – they also keep in touch with you with regular updates, offers etc. By the way I didn’t notice any women in the reviews…| All in all a pretty comprehensive set of positive recommendations for the Concept2 – maybe it really is the Daddy of the Air Rowing Machine family! If you are looking for a total body workout with just one machine, and you want a machine that is quiet, and can be easily stored, then you should consider buying a rowing machine. A rower can work so many different muscles with one motion, and it can also offer a good cardiovascular exercise if that is what you are looking for also. A rowing machine can do so many things for you, but which rowing machine should you get? The Concept 2 Rowing Machine is a great machine, and there are models you can choose from in order to get the right machine for you.| The Concept 2 Machine Model E with PM4 is a great machine that has many great features. This particular rowing machine offers a great screen that can show you things like time, resistance, heart rate, and distance traveled. You can always keep track of these statistics in order to remember how well you did the last time, and each time you can try to beat the way you performed previously.} {Another great feature that the Concept 2 Rower Model E with PM4 offers is its nickel-plated chain. Sometimes a machine can be very maintenance heavy, and it can become very annoying to have to keep working to maintain your rower. If you want a machine that is low-maintenance then this rower may be for you. The nickel-plated chain gives the machine a great look as well.| There are many great features that the Concept 2 Rowing Machine Model E with PM4 offers. The design of the rowing machine allows for a compact storage in case you do not want to leave it out all the time. The battery pack for the machine is rechargeable as well, so you don’t have to worry about the high costs of battery packs. A chest belt allows you to keep track of your heart rate during exercise. The machine is also very quiet, and this can be very nice if you are looking to get a little exercise in when watching TV without having to turn the volume really high on the TV. Whether training as an athlete or just for personal use, exercise machines are a popular way to exercise. There are any number of machines that can be used. This article is going to examine the Concept 2 rowing machine.| Starting in 1976, two brothers, that had just finished training for the Olympics designed a oar for racers. From there they went on to design a rowing machine that can be used indoors. This machine, known as the Concept 2 rowing machine, is used by people training for the Olympics, cardiac patients, and many more.} Over the years, these two brothers have designed several machines. Beginning with oars that were used in a number of competitions, the brothers decided to design an indoor machine in 1981 so that rowers could practice during the winter months. concept 2 rowing machine From their design, the Concept 2 machine type was created. Between 1981 and 1986, there were several models designed by the brothers. {The first one, Model A, was introduced as the first indoor rower. It was used by a rowing team in Boston that hosted an indoor rowing event. In 1986, the Model A was revised and the Model B was born. The Model B was designed along the same lines as the Model A except it had a protective covering on the fly wheel. Over the next several years, as exercising became more common place in the 1980s, other models were introduced such as the Blade, (which was used in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992). In addition the Model C, Dyno, (a train device to help increase strength), and Model D, of the Concept 2 rowing machine line were designed.| In 2006, Model E, of the Concept 2 rowing machine line, was introduced. This indoor rowing machine was used alongside the Model D. In this line, another machine was offered, the SkiErg. This machine is designed to help the cross skier train in the winter. When choosing the Concept 2, there are many features that will help anyone get the type of exercise or training that they need or want. The Concept 2 rowing machine, uses virtual training to help rowers get ready for competitions. It helps them by giving them a online challenges| Rowing is an excellent workout. If you’ve never tried it, then just get onto a rower at you local gym for 5 minutes and you’ll see what I mean. While most people slog it out on a treadmill or training bike, I’d take the rowing machine any day of the week. It has some very distinct advantages that makes it the perfect workout. Whether you want to lose weight, improve your muscle tone or just get fit, this is a workout you need to seriously consider. Training on a rowing machine is unique in every way and you will work on muscles you never even though you had. Its also a relatively “cheap” option if you were to invest in one for your home. It might be a bit expensive at first but a decent rowing machine can last you a long time and save you a fortune in gym fees. It also give you the additional comfort of having a compact and complete workout machine at home.| There are 3 reasons why I think a rowing machine is a superior workout. Lets quickly look at those and how you can benefit from it: 1. Low Impact Rowing is a low impact workout. It has virtually zero impact on your joints and if you find running to be a painful experience then this can be the answer for you. Machines like the Concept 2 indoor rower is very well designed and will put very little stress on your body apart from where its needed – your muscles! Low impact exercise means a more efficient workout and because of this it suitable for people of all ages. Even with bad knees or a bad hip, this is a great way to stay fit and tone up.| 2. Cardiovascular Workout If you’ve been on an indoor rowing machine for 5 minutes you will know just how intense the workout can be. Rowing is a surprisingly good cardio workout and it engages virtually all the muscles in your body. By simply adjusting the resistance of the machine you can control the intensity and doing 30 minutes non-stop will give you a workout equivalent to a stiff 45 minutes run.} 3. Strength Training Rowing machines like the concept 2 rowing machine have an air resistance that can be adjusted to 10 different levels. The higher the resistance the greater the workout. At level 10, its almost the equivalent of lifting weights but because you are on the machine you have very little impact on your joints. Whereas as low setting is perfect for a cardio workout, flipping the switch to a higher setting will give you resistance needed to get a proper strength training session – all from the same machine.

The Taylor Made R7 irons

The Taylor Made R7 irons are made for mid to higher and there is a set for players who are struggling to keep the ball from slicing. The R7 TP looks familiar but is smaller and with less offset. So, the club has a cavity back unlike the muscleback of the advanced irons. This means you have Taylor Made R7 irons that have a clean and classic appearance with minimal offset and also some forgiveness for those who do not hit the ball perfectly each time. The amazing thin sole and topline frames the ball wonderfully and sets up very well. There is a bit of heft to the Taylor Made R7 iron and hitting it is just like any other club of this kind – there will be mishits in some shots but a good contact will always result in medium height or a high majestic landing shot when there is a lot of way to go the green. Just in case you make poor contact with your short iron, there is less punishment. There is not much trouble from the rough with the Taylor Made R7 irons as the head slices very well through the rough. These Taylor Made R7 irons feature the inverted cone technology that offer higher COR and enhanced average ball speed for longer distances. A higher COR helps in mishits as this increases the speed of the ball for a better average. The Taylor Made R7 irons are built to make hitting straighter and higher much easier. Another great feature you will find in these irons is the soft dampening aluminum web in the cavity that eliminates any vibrations for a softer feel when contact is made.

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White Yoga Mat Excellent Yoga

Around the world Yoga is considered a fantastic way to stay fit and healthful. And, if it has been around for centuries, only recently caught the fancy yoga American. It is a well balanced workout designed to tone and strengthen muscles while it increases flexibility. Yoga is also a fantastic way to save weight and a renewed energy and vitality. As you start involved yoga or Pilates, you also notice the need for a basic Yoga or Pilates equipment and accessories. White Yoga Mat Excellent Yoga mats help balance and coordination. Most people are not properly aligned. Accordingly, we do a lot of what we do asymmetrically. For those who want balance and a sense of symmetry a yoga mat is a must. Again, we strongly urge a rug handwoven yoga. But, for those who sorts dynamic and vigorous as Power yoga sticky mat well to consider. Yoga Straps The strap Yoga is very beneficial for beginners. They are either made from cotton or nylon and let you enter your members, you could not reach. They also help you hold the pose longer. Yoga Straps are particularly useful in bound poses when your hands do not reach the other asanas or where you need to keep both feet, but can not reach them. Yoga blocks Yoga blocks are also called yoga bricks and are useful in performing a variety of yoga postures. Yoga helps to block the execution of installation and offer many other benefits. Some of the benefits of yoga blocks are that they grant stability and support for proper alignment, they also reduce the space between the body and the ground. Cushions Yoga Cushions Yoga helps practitioners to renovate a proper alignment of the spine so that the posture is stable, straight and comfortable. Yoga cushions are also beneficial for pregnant women and people improving from surgery. With more cushions yoga poses can be performed comfortably as you sit on a chair or using a chair to keep up balance while standing. For bonus support or cushioning, cushions yoga are also used over a yoga mat or yoga chair height. yoga balls Yoga balls are a versatile accessory for many postures. Made from durable vinyl, they help to achieve balance and support de rigueur for the asanas. Yoga Balls effective way to increase your flexibility, improve range of motion and balance, and tone muscles. In addendum, they also help the body shape and relieve stress.

Cambodia's Kep: Sleepy seaside town begins to stir (AP)

KOH TONSAY, Cambodia – Ask for the crab. In black peppercorn sauce.

The proprietor of the thatched-roof and bamboo-walled island restaurant will acknowledge the order in sign language and broken English. She’ll shuffle across the seaside grass over to the dock where the crab cages sit, steeping in the Gulf of Thailand’s tepid waters.

She’ll return with a bucket of crustaceans and fry them in an iron wok over a charcoal fire in her open-air kitchen, searing them in a sauce made largely from sweet, fiery Kampot peppercorns. She’ll bring you a heap of steaming seafood, pepper sauce, paper napkins and beer to the shaded picnic tables. You’ll eat the crab — soft-shells and all — sucking the sauce from your fingers, drinking the beer to blunt the fiery pepper and thank the stars that few people have discovered the culinary and aesthetic pleasures of this southern coastal region.

While Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temples are its biggest tourist draw, beach-bound tourists — particularly those looking for more than the backpacker-on-a-shoestring itinerary — are waking up to the unexplored beauty that this muggy country has to offer. The low-key beach town of Kep and the riverside village of Kampot, a three-hour drive south of the capital Phnom Penh, offer rough edges but simple charms, along with nearby islands like Koh Tonsay, where the crab in peppercorn is served.

The Kep-area beaches also offer alternatives to better-known regional beach resorts like Thailand’s Phuket and even Cambodia’s own Sihanoukville. Sihanoukville was a favorite of jet-setters (Jackie Kennedy visited in the ’60s) before the country was beset by the horrors of wars, coups and the Khmer Rouge. These days, Sihanoukville’s luxury resorts have plenty of attitude, having been rediscovered by growing numbers of nouveau-riche Cambodians and others. Sleepy Kep, in contrast, seems to attract a clientele that spurns Sihanoukville’s swagger.

The town of Kep consists of a collection of modest residences and hotels tucked into the foliage off crumbling pavement and dusty roads, along with rows of motley shacks and several grand villas, many of which still show the ravages inflicted by the Khmer Rouge who sneered at Kep’s bourgeois trappings. Kep Beach is mostly a stretch of rocky sand directly under the main road, though that doesn’t stop the locals from swimming along the stony promenade. Notable local landmarks include an unusual nude statue of a fisherman’s wife and a monstrous statue of a crab. The 16-room Beach House hotel and its tiny swimming pool hides just above the beach in the tropical hillside foliage, offering sweeping views of the gulf.

Bending around the promontory to the west and north is Kep’s main drag, the Crab Market: a line of bamboo and thatch shacks where you can find crab, fish, prawns and squid, not to mention laundry service, tourist trinkets, boat rides, motos (mopeds), cold beer, cheap drugs, Internet connections, massage services and just about anything else you can imagine. The circus mix of locals, backpackers and proper tourists is a prime spot for people-watching.

Farther up the coast are Kep’s nicer accommodations. Inland and up in the hills, there’s the Veranda, with a wooden restaurant and bar on a slope with a vista of stunning sunsets over the water. Waterside, Knai Bang Chatt has the swankiest lodgings in town with an emerald infinity swimming pool and stylish, modernist building. The hotel’s Sailing Club next door has a dining room perched on piers over the water and a small sandy beach where you can sip vodka tonics while the waves lap your toes. Kep Malibu Estates, despite the unusual name, is also perched inland, its swimming pool and grassy yard up a dusty road past rundown shacks and the disconcerting sight of impoverished farm families tending ragged plantings and staring blankly at passing tourists.

For many, the islands just off of Kep are the real draw. Phu Quoc is the largest, but it belongs to Vietnam and it’s some distance away. For that reason, Koh Tonsay — translated as “Rabbit Island” — is arguably the most popular. Like many things in Cambodia, getting there is not entirely for the faint-hearted. Most hotels have connections with boat operators, or you can arrange a boat ride at one of the Crab Market shacks. The skinny boats, built mainly for fishing, are powered by crate-sized outboard engines with propeller shafts the length of a small tree. Their narrow width means they pitch and yaw more than most people feel comfortable with. That said, they move fast, and the 30-minute ride to Koh Tonsay (about $10) takes you out into a bay past poetic scenes of fishermen tending lines and seine nets.

The island reportedly was used at one point as a prison colony by the country’s long-ruling monarch, Norodom Sihanouk. Today, however, its dense interior foliage keeps most visitors limited to the crystalline waters that slosh the whitish sands on its north side, where simple wood platforms are dotted with hammocks and thatched roofs. Just inland are the open-air kitchens and shacks of the half-dozen families who cater to tourists. For overnight stays, many families rent bungalows that are nothing more than enclosed shacks with wooden sleeping platforms and mosquito nets.

For most visitors, lounging on the beach platforms, alternating between swimming in the bathwater sea and drowsy contemplation of swaying palms is the most activity one can muster. Occasionally, wiry, naked-to-the-waist Cambodian men shimmying high into tree canopies, hacking at bushel-sized bunches of coconuts with machetes and letting the green fruit thud to the ground, spooking unsuspecting tourists. For less than a dollar, they’ll trim off the husks for you, lop a hole into the top and pop a straw in it for the freshest coconut milk you could possibly hope for.

But when hunger truly strikes, it’s best to find crab. The size of golf balls, these crustaceans are caught by traditional hook and lines, and left in cages in the water until mealtime. For less than $5, the cook/hostess prepares a mound of the animals, cooked in oil and peppercorns of the Kampot — a once-famous Cambodian agriculture export — and beer for two. The instinct is to equate crab with lobster, use your teeth to dismantle the shell and suck the meat out. But the shells are so soft, you realize it takes less effort to just eat the crab, meat, shell and all. With pepper sauce tingling on your tongue and cold beer washing it down, gorge yourself on Kep’s finest culinary offering — and enjoy a place while it remains untrampled by the crowds.

____

If You Go…

KEP AND KOH TONSAY, CAMBODIA: http://bit.ly/9WqOPt

TIMING: The best time to visit Cambodia is in the rainy reason (roughly late September through February), when the daytime temperatures aren’t sweltering. The rains, while heavy, are brief in their duration and awe-inspiring in their intensity. This is considered high season for many hotels and other tourist services.

GETTING THERE: Fly to one of Southeast Asia’s hubs — like Bangkok or Singapore — then take a budget carrier — Air Asia, Silk Air, Dragon Air, Jet Star, to name a few — to Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. Regular bus service between Phnom Penh and Kep is cheap (around $7; http://www.ppsoryatransport.com) but getting tickets and finding the right departure point in Phnom Penh’s chaotic streets can be difficult, so best to ask your hotel or a travel agent for help. Renting a taxi to make the three-hour drive is also possible. Cost varies depending on whether you use a private car ($20-35 a day; http://www.lyna-carrental.com/) or a shared taxi or car ($40 and very subject to change with no notice)

ACCOMMODATIONS IN KEP:

_Knai Bang Chatt: http://www.knaibangchatt.com. Located waterside, about a minute by moto or tuk-tuk (motorized rickshaw) from the Crab Market. Rates $150-$350 high season, $110-$225 low season.

_Veranda Natural Resort: http://www.veranda-resort.com/index.php. Located inland, up a steep hill at end of dirt road, about three minutes by moto or tuk-tuk from Crab Market. Rooms and bungalows $40-$210, high season,; $35-$195, low season.

_Kep Malibu Estates: http://www.malibuestatesbungalows.com/. Located inland, up a short dirt road, about three minutes by moto or tuk-tuk from the Crab Market. Rooms or bungalows, $35-$120, high season, $30-$80, low season. Camping is also available.

The Beach House: http://www.thebeachhousekep.com/. Located on a steep hill overlooking Kep Beach, 3 minutes by moto or tuk-tuk from Crab Market. Rooms $40-$55.

Read more here:
Cambodia’s Kep: Sleepy seaside town begins to stir (AP)

Out to scare you: Haunted attractions, theme parks (AP)

NEW YORK – If you’re too old for trick-or-treating but still love getting spooked on Halloween, it’s time to trade in the superhero costume for a ticket to a haunted house or theme park.

But attractions like Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights and Atlanta’s Netherworld Haunted House are not for the faint of heart. You’ll be trapped in creepy mazes, disoriented by strobe lights and fog, and confronted by crazed monsters. Experiences like these are not recommended for kids under 13, but even some grown-ups may not be able to handle them. If watching a Stephen King movie keeps you up all night, or you’re prone to panic attacks in small spaces, better stick to apple-picking or the child-friendly “Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party” at Walt Disney World.

On the other hand, if you love the tingle of terror that comes with a really creepy horror movie, this is your kind of fun.

David Mandt, spokesman for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, noted that a number of parks have added new elements to their Halloween events this year: “They’re figuring out new ways to scare the daylights out of you.”

Mandt said this year’s Halloween offerings include a number of behind-the-scenes tours, including, at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia, “All-Access Insider,” “Eerie Insider” and “Monster Stomp Revamped Insider” tours for the park’s Howl-O-Scream, http://www.howloscream.com. The tours include cast introductions, front-of-the-line access to a haunted house and a chance to have your makeup done like one of the performers.

Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, which was a real prison until 1971 and today is a National Historic Landmark, hosts an annual Halloween event called Terror Behind the Walls. The attraction also offers an after-dark VIP tour, where you get an hourlong flashlight-guided tour of cellblocks, including Al Capone’s cell, isolation cells, and Death Row; http://www.terrorbehindthewalls.com.

Knott’s Berry Farm, a theme park in Buena Park, Calif., boasts one of the oldest Halloween theme park events in the country, dating to 1973. when “it was a few decorations and a few employees putting on some masks,” said spokeswoman Jennifer Blazey. The event, now called Knott’s Berry Farm Haunt, has grown dramatically. This year it features 13 mazes (including “Terror of London” with foggy streets and Jack the Ripper), three “scare zones,” 1,000 monster-actors, and seven live shows ranging from improv comedy to a hypnotist. While Knott’s does not release attendance figures, Blazey said the month that the Haunt runs makes more money for the company than any other time of year.

And while Knott’s does have a weekend daytime event for ages 3 to 11, with a costume party and trick-or-treating, the after-7 p.m. Haunt is for ages 13 and up; http://haunt.knotts.com/ for dates and tickets.

Universal Orlando in Florida began its Halloween attraction as “a tiny little experimental event with one haunted house over one weekend” in 1991, according to Jim Timon, senior vice president of entertainment. This year, hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the country are expected for the park’s 20th annual Halloween Horror Nights, with eight haunted houses, six scare zones and 1,000 “scareactors” in the park. The content is newly created each year for the Horror Nights, with original story lines and characters. This year’s characters include an evil master named Fear who drives all the other monsters’ diabolical deeds. Details about the back stories in the park attractions can be found on Universal’s website; fans can then see them come to life in the park.

Timon said the costumes, stories and sets are so rich, realistic and detailed that they are “film-quality. We could literally make our own new movies from these characters. The lighting, the special effects, the visuals — we do everything we can to suspend your disbelief and take away your illusion of control.”

One of Universal’s haunted houses this year is called Legendary Truth, an estate home with a history of murders that have resulted in paranormal activity. Timon said the house has an unusual set-up in which visitors trigger the special effects themselves. “People are used to us scaring them,” he said. “When they are the ones triggering the effects by how they are interacting with the haunted house, that’s even scarier. It’s a cool trick when they eventually realize, ‘I’m the one causing this.’”

A note to Harry Potter fans: Universal Orlando consists of two parks. Halloween Horror Nights takes place at Universal Studios Florida, not at its sister park, Islands of Adventure, where The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located.

Universal Studios Hollywood theme park in Los Angeles has its own Halloween Horror Nights, which are mostly themed on horror films like “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Friday the 13th.” For a new maze this year unrelated to the movies, Universal created an original graphic novella, “Vampyre: Castle of the Undead,” which can be seen online. The park also created a new scare zone haunted by La Llorona, based on a Latin American legend of a crying woman who drowned her children in anger over her philandering husband.

Details and tickets for Universal parks on either coasts can be found at http://www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.

Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Ill., is also counting two decades of Halloween events with the 20th season of “Fright Fest.” The park’s new “Saw Live” haunted house is themed on the “Saw” movie series, with props, characters and scenes from the films. For younger children, the park has spook-free zones. Details at http://bit.ly/cVcqyq.

Netherworld Haunted House in Atlanta — http://www.fearworld.com — ranks No. 1 on a list of top scariest attractions compiled by Larry Kirchner, editor of Hauntworld Magazine, an online industry publication. Netherworld promises that visitors will find themselves fleeing flying gargoyles, escaping from a house where the floors crack open and furniture comes to life, and trying to avoid capture by a mad scientist known as the Mangler, whose victims meet their fate in a drowning tank, flesh compactor and acid room.

“When you go through a haunted house on the level of Netherworld, you’re totally immersed in an environment as detailed as a movie,” Kirchner said.

But he added that there’s a major difference between watching a movie and visiting a haunted house. “When you see a horror movie, you’re sitting in a theater seat 100 feet away from a screen and nothing is going to shake your seat or fall in your face. In a haunted house, you’re living in the horror movie,” Kirchner said.

He added that part of what makes haunted houses so compelling is that they are also “unscripted live shows” that change every night depending on how the actors interact with guests, so no two visits will be exactly alike. The complete list of Kirchner’s 13 favorite Halloween attractions is at http://www.hauntworld.com.

Another list of Halloween bests comes from Haunted Attraction Magazine, which lists “Must-See Haunted Houses” at http://www.hauntedattraction.com, starting with House of Shock in New Orleans. Others in the Haunted Attraction top 10 are Kevin McCurdy’s Haunted Mansion in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Scarehouse in Pittsburgh; Dead Acres in Columbus, Ohio; House of Torment, Austin, Texas; Fear Itself, Mishawaka, Ind.; Dent School House, Cincinnati; Nightmare on 13th, Salt Lake City; Wisconsin Feargrounds, Waukesha, Wis.; and Blood Manor, New York City.

But how do the creators make these experiences so scary? Timon, from Universal, said one of the fundamentals at the Orlando park is disorientation. Strobe lights and ultraviolet lights dilate your eyes; maze-like corridors and darkness make it hard for you to figure out where you’re going; mirrors make you think someone is next to you when they’re actually some distance away.

“People are terrified of losing control,” Timon said. “So we love taking away that control.”

Another technique is distracting guests with an elaborate scene, like a gory body on a gurney. “You’re focused on it because it’s really elaborate, so you’re not paying attention to the four people who are sneaking up on you,” Timon said.

Just remember at all of these attractions, actors are trained to invade your space without ever touching or harming you, so you’re always safe even when you’re scared out of your wits.

It’s terror “as a form of entertainment,” said Timon. “People like the scare, but they know they’re in a safe environment.”

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Out to scare you: Haunted attractions, theme parks (AP)

Today Mongolian nomads on motorcycles not horses (AP)

CHIFENG, China – It’s no longer about the armed warriors, Genghis Khan and the robed nomads prancing through lush greenery on horseback.

In China’s barely populated Inner Mongolian grasslands, what had defined Mongolian culture for outsiders have long been swapped for leather outfits, motorbikes, cell phones and tourism.

Five hours outside Inner Mongolia’s southeastern city of Chifeng and deep in the grasslands, I chanced upon a local couple riding a mule-pulled cart on a quiet road, heading toward their coal-heated yurt. The old woman said she loves watching drama shows on TV, gesturing toward the dish propped up against her roof. On the freeway nearby, cars and buses seem to be the only other form of transportation, with horse-riding existing mostly for tourists.

The old storybook nomad life has dwindled, with most nomads now farming, living in compact brick huts, tending to tourists, or working in nearby cities. Desertification, too, is real and apparent, as you drive past yellowing grass where little livestock roams and sparse green shoots struggling through dried, gritty earth. The few who have maintained a nomadic lifestyle only camp on the grass during the wetter June to September months, making those the best times for travelers seeking an authentic glimpse of the old ways.

But while nomadic pastoral life is fading, echoes of it can still be found in some of the grasslands in southeastern Inner Mongolia. Windmills and nodding sunflowers dot endless expanses of rolling green fields, and there isn’t a clearer blue sky to be found in all of China — although the view is occasionally interrupted by power lines or neon-yellow tour buses that honk relentlessly to prod the cows and sheep to the side.

On my trip to the region, I saw a lanky young nomad zip up a steep grassy hill on a motorcycle to herd his sheep. Looking like James Dean in his dark shades and black leather jacket, he leaned against the squeaking door of his yurt and let me and a traveling companion crouch inside.

With luck and patience, visitors may find a nomad farther inland who has room in his yurt for crashing overnight. Real yurts are unfussy versions of tourist yurt accommodations, with dusty, unpretentious exteriors and claustrophobic interiors packed with dishes, pots, a bed, an odd chair or two, and many small furry pets (like hamsters). Other elements of this simple Mongolian home, which matches the low-key culture, might include a dangling light bulb, a communal spread for the bed, and some simple kitschy decorations, along with the quiet cold.

Those staying in tourist accommodations miss out on an integral component of the grassland: cow dung. To get from the main road to a nomad’s home, we selectively tiptoed over (and sometimes into) piles of cow dung, one of two main “banks,” or income generators in Inner Mongolia (the other is wind power). Dried cow dung used to be the main source of fuel and heat for the chilly climate, and the amount of cow dung in a household is a measuring stick for diligence when it comes to a female candidate for marriage, as it demonstrates her ability to bring in fuel for the family.

The ubiquitous milk ads and sheer roadside cattle count point to beef and dairy production as agricultural mainstays. Upon arriving in Chifeng on the first day, we devoured a bowl of beef (meat, marrow, or joint) noodle soup. The small alley markets on Changqing Street offer a variety of fresh and pricey Mongolian beef jerky, sampled, weighed and wrapped on the spot. After sundown, the night market in Chifeng offers a smorgasbord of knick-knacks and necessities, from beef kebabs and toys to underwear and sheets, stretching many blocks. (Chifeng is the Chinese name for the city Mongolians call Ulanhad; both mean “Red Mountain,” a reference to the mountain that abuts the city.)

Sensitive palates may not love the distinct gaminess of the local beef, so some visitors may prefer Mongolian lamb, which is known for its excellent flavor. Some say it’s the quality of the air and grass, while others point to the traditional slaughtering method. In light of the Mongols’ emphasis on an animal’s spirit, rather than slitting the throat and waiting for the animal to bleed to death, the nomad reaches inside the animal and snaps the spine, a technique that is said to kill the creature in 30 seconds. The meat comes out tender and flavorful enough that it needs no sauce or spice. Lamb-eating used to be a mark of aristocracy, unaffordable among ordinary nomads. The price of a fresh whole lamb is still hefty today, and nomads say they don’t eat it too often.

Something else for visitors to experience in the region is the Arshihaty granite forest in the Hexigten Global Geopark. Temperatures plummet on the windy mountaintop, where chilly visitors will find vendors renting much-needed green military jackets reminiscent of the Red Army’s Lenin coat. The Arshihaty boasts wide views of rocky green mountains and natural stone columns molded by the wind into shapes of eagles, snakes, warriors, warrior’s beds, turtles and castles — sure to inspire your imagination on the drive back.

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If You Go…

INNER MONGOLIA: Two English-language websites offering information about tour groups and companies in Inner Mongolia are http://bit.ly/auvu0E and http://bit.ly/d3tQwP. Some of the best trip-planning websites are in Chinese; automated online translation services like Google Translator may be able to help you navigate them: http://bit.ly/amQHkG and http://bit.ly/9Ijjw6 and http://bit.ly/c6lXQC. For individual guides and drivers, try http://kaifeng.cncn.com/fuwu/74288147333 or http://huhehaote.cncn.com/fuwu/7310114376.

GETTING THERE: Train trips from Beijing to Chifeng take anywhere from six to 10 hours. The cheapest, slowest train costs about $19 (124 yuan). To go from Chifeng to the grasslands, most visitors hire a driver or join a tour. Drivers run about $30 (200 yuan) a day.

ACCOMMODATIONS: A tourist yurt costs $7.50-$30 (50-200 yuan) nightly, depending on the time of year, with June-August more expensive then other months. If you can find a real nomad to host you, the cost might run $7.50-$15 (50-100 yuan).

HEXIGTEN GLOBAL GEOPARK: http://www.globalgeopark.org/publish/portal1/tab133/info270.htm

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Today Mongolian nomads on motorcycles not horses (AP)