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If you are looking for a nice relaxing walk in the middle of Chesapeake then the Chesapeake Arboretum is for you. The whole park is about a 3-mile walk and the trails are color coded so you will know exactly what you are getting yourself into before setting off on your adventure. The trails are absolutely wonderful to explore and hike or bike on, the Arboretum also offers the opportunity to learn more about trees with their Urban Forester, who has an office onsite. You’re also able to speak with a Master Gardener if you need help or advice with your lawn, flowerbeds, or vegetable garden at home. If that doesn’t interest you, there are also spots where people are welcome to practice painting, do some writing, take photographs, or just lay out a blanket and enjoy a picnic. Another hidden treat of the Arboretum is the 18 th century farmhouse that is on the grounds. It was built in 1730 and had an addition built in 1822. It was originally owned by the Williamson family, who later donated all 48-acres the Arboretum resides on today and the farmhouse itself. The Arboretum is maintained and cared for mostly by volunteers, which is a testament to the community in action to preserve something beautiful. After you’ve gone and taken a relaxing stroll through the trails, or learned about tree and plant maintenance from one of their experts on site, there is still plenty left to see and do. The Arboretum hosts regular events for the public and also has options for you to put on a private event. The picnic area in the Pecan Grove is always available during daylight hours to small groups. If you have a larger group you can still host an event, but reservations are required at least two weeks in advance.   Image via Pixabay

Halloween is one of the most fun holidays for kids, but it can also be a time of great stress for parents trying to get a handle on the night’s activities. Between buying or making the costumes, making sure you have candy to hand out if you’re staying in that night and still want to participate, and also ensuring you know where your kids are going and what they’ll be doing – it can be challenging to say the least. Here are five tips to help make your Halloween as stress free as possible. Look Up Local Trick or Treat Times It’s important to know what time the fun begins in your city or neighborhood so you don’t wander around empty streets all night. Each city could have a different start time for when it’s considered safe for children to go out and have some fun. That time usually coincides with when it’s actually dark outside, but not always. Once you know what time everything begins, map out the route you want to take your kids on or provide a map to older kids who are going out on their own. more Use Glow Sticks, Flashlights, or Reflective Tape Just because kids are out in full force in costumes having the times of their lives doesn’t mean cars and drivers magically aren’t. Many Halloween costumes are dark and can be difficult for drivers to see. To help make sure your children are easily seen have them carry glow sticks or flash lights. If that’s not doable then find some reflective tape and attach it to the costume itself. Screen Candy Before Your Kids Eat It Maybe your child has a peanut or other food allergy you have to be cautious with. That’s just one of many reasons to screen candy they bring home with them. Not to say people handing candy out to children intend to harm them, but sometimes candy ends up being unwrapped or looks a little funny once you dump it all out. Make sure those get tossed away and aren’t ingested.   Image via Pixabay

In Chesapeake, Bergey’s Breadbasket has been serving the community freshly made cinnamon rolls, ice cream, danish, and other products made from scratch for years. Not only can you get a taste of homemade deliciousness, but you can visit annually for the corn maze. Test Your Problem-Solving Skills in the Corn Maze The corn maze at Bergey’s is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00am to 6:30pm. It is 5 acres in size so you’ll get a little exercise while you test the problem-solving skills of your whole family. Ages 4 and under are invited for free. In September, ages 5 and up get in for $8 admission and admission is $10 in October and November. more Fall Family Fun and Harvest After you navigate through the corn maze, go on a pony ride, visit our farm animals, and pick out some pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. No visit to Bergey’s is complete without stopping into the bakery for a treat. In addition to bakery items like breads and pies and the famous cinnamon rolls, you can also get sandwiches and ice cream. Take home a basket of fresh produce or some fresh-cut flowers for your kitchen table. Birthday Parties at Bergey’s Starting in November, you can have birthday parties at Bergey’s. Parties can be booked Monday through Saturday, and start at either 10:00am or 3:00pm. Parties start at $175.   Image via Pixabay

Statistics show using mobile devices while driving increases your risks for car accidents by as much as four times. Using phones and other devices while driving puts the driver at risk, as well as everyone on the road around them. Several companies are hoping to reduce the number of distracted driving accidents through the use of apps. Drive First App by Sprint Available for Android phones, Sprint created the Drive First app to disable some of the phone’s features when it detects it is in a moving vehicle. When people call you, the calls will automatically go to voice mail.  Text message alerts will be silent, and the app will automatically respond to anyone who texts with a message that says you’re driving and unavailable. DriveSafe.ly App If you absolutely can’t miss a potential message, the DriveSafe.ly app will read text messages and email messages out loud in real time so you can listen while you’re driving. It is available for Blackberry, iPhone, Android, and Windows phones. FleetSafer App Designed for commercial fleets, the FleetSafer App is available for Windows, Blackberry, and Android. Phones with the software will automatically lock themselves while driving to prevent texts, emails, and phone calls. Auto-reply messages will be sent to any incoming texts and emails to let people know you are unavailable at the moment. Don’t Drive Distracted If you don’t want to go through the trouble of installing an app, you can always get into the habit of turning your phone on silent mode whenever you get behind the wheel.   Image via Pixabay

Virginia has many beautiful golf courses, and several are found right in the Chesapeake area. Golfers visit Chesapeake’s courses from all over the country. Two of the favorite courses of resident golfers include the Cahoon Plantation and the Chesapeake Golf Club. Cahoon Plantation The golf course at Cahoon Plantation is the only bent grass golf course from tee to fairway to green in the area. There is a practice facility on site, and a fully-stocked pro shop for all of your golfing needs. The shop offers equipment and apparel for purchase or rental. Before you play, the Cahoon Plantation staff will help you register, make start times, get club storage, and rent a golf cart. If you are new to golfing or want to improve your game, the Pro Shop also offers golf lessons. more Use the driving range or chipping and putting areas to practice drives and your short game. If you get hungry, you can enjoy breakfast or lunch at Cahoon Plantation. Chesapeake Golf Club Just 15 minutes from downtown Norfolk, the Chesapeake Golf Club features a par 71 layout on well-groomed bent grass greens and Bermuda fairways. There are water hazards and unique doglegs to make the course challenging for all golfers. The Chesapeake Golf Club offers two practice putting greens, a practice chipping green with a sand trap, and a Pro Shop for rentals and purchases. You can pay a daily fee to play or become a member. The course also features a grill, a pool, and locker rooms complete with showers.   Image via Pixabay

Some dogs like riding in the car so much that they know how to spell “ride”! Traveling with your dog safely requires a few precautions. Here’s how you can take Fido for an R-I-D-E while keeping both the passengers and the dog safe in the vehicle: Don’t let the dog roam freely. Dogs who can roam around the car are a distraction to the driver. If you get into a car accident, have to slam on your brakes, or corner sharply, the dog can get thrown around and injured. Put your dog in the backseat. Just like children, the backseat is the safest place for your dog because of the front airbags. Dogs are less distracting to the driver when they travel in the backseat, too. Secure pets with a crate or safety latch. Use a crate to keep your dog securely in place, or purchase a pet safety latch designed to work like a seatbelt for dogs. Don’t leave dogs in the car alone. When it’s warm outside, the inside of a car heats up quickly. Dogs quickly become overheated in a car even if the temperature feels comfortable outside. Tips for Keeping Your Dog Comfortable on Road Trips If you’re going for a lengthy ride, bring along a leash so you can stop frequently and take the dog for a walk. Even if your dog doesn’t normally need a leash, you will want to use one while traveling. Traffic and new sights or sounds can spook a dog and the last thing you want is for your dog to run away while you’re parked at a rest stop.   Image via Pixabay

If you buy a used car that smells like smoke, or you let someone borrow your vehicle and they smoked in it – you may be wondering how to get the smoke odor out of your car. The most common method for trying to remove the smell of second-hand smoke involves air fresheners, but they usually only temporarily mask the odor and don’t eliminate it. Here are some tips for eliminating the smell of smoke from a vehicle: Vinegar and water – spray the fabric lightly with a mixture of vinegar and water. At first, you will smell the vinegar, but it will not last very long. Vinegar is known for neutralizing odors. Baking soda – cover your seats and carpets with a thick coat of baking soda. If the vehicle has a trunk, cover that as well and let it sit on the fabric for at least 24 hours. Vacuum the vehicle the next day and most, if not all of the smoke odor will be eliminated. Charcoal – use a hammer to create a powder from regular charcoal (not self-starting charcoal). Put it in a coffee filter, and put it on the floor of your vehicle for at least a week. It will absorb the smell of smoke, and then you can remove the coffee filter with the charcoal for a cleaner-smelling vehicle. Air purifier – invest in an air purifier for cars. It will neutralize the smell while eliminating any other harmful bacteria found in the air.   Image via Pixabay

As we put the dog days of summer behind us and head into the fall and winter seasons, it’s time to prepare your car for the colder months. Many car maintenance tasks you can do on your own, but feel free to call our service department and schedule an appointment if you would like us to help you prepare your vehicle. Check Engine Fluids, Belts, and Hoses If your vehicle is due for an oil change, make sure you take care of it. Check transmission fluid to see if you need to add more. Take a look at all of your belts and hoses and see if they are worn and in need of replacement. Check your antifreeze level to see if you need to replace it or add to it. Check the Heater Before it gets cold, make sure your vehicle’s heating system is working properly and that the defroster turns on. You don’t want to wait until it’s cold and you need heat before you learn it’s not working! Fuel More Frequently If you break down in the colder months, you want to have enough fuel to run your vehicle and turn on the heat as needed until help arrives. Don’t run your fuel right down to the fumes when it’s cold – keep it fueled up and ready to go, just in case. Check Tire Pressure Fluctuating temperatures causes the air in your tires to condense or expand. If your vehicle doesn’t give you a tire pressure reading in the dash, make sure you check the tire pressure regularly to see if you need to add air to any of your tires before you drive on them. Image via Pixabay

Your glove compartment is the ideal place to store things you may need while traveling. While tempting, you should not keep your vehicle’s title and registration in the glove compartment. If your car is stolen, the thief will have an easy time selling the vehicle for cash if he or she is in possession of the title. It’s a law to have proof of insurance in almost every state. Put your insurance cards in the glove compartment in case you get pulled over and need to show the officer you have insurance. It’s a good idea to keep your vehicle’s owner manual and maintenance schedule in your glove compartment, too, in case your dashboard starts displaying some interesting symbols and you need to look up what they mean. more If you or your family members have any medical conditions, allergies, or take medications, keeping a list in the glove compartment is important in case you are in a car accident and can’t communicate the information. Make a list of emergency contact numbers. You may have them stored in your cell phone, but you never know if your battery will fail or if you will forget the phone and need to call someone for help. It’s also important in case you are unable to communicate after an accident, and someone else needs to call your family on your behalf. Keeping a small pad of paper and a pencil in the glove compartment is handy, particularly if you get into a car accident and need to exchange insurance information and contact information with the other drivers. If you still have room in your glove compartment, try adding a small flashlight, a few napkins or travel wipes, a few plastic shopping bags in case you need trash bags, and a first aid kit.   Image via Pixabay

If you’re looking for a full-size pickup for work or pleasure, take a look at the 2015 Toyota Tundra. You can go off-roading in this truck, but it’s built for a comfortable commute. Entertainment Features The Toyota Tundra doesn’t disappoint when it comes to entertainment features to keep everyone occupied during long road trips or quick trips around town. There is an AM/FM radio, a CD player capable of reading Mp3 format, satellite radio, digital radio, and a color touchscreen to control it all.  For safety and comfort, the audio controls are built into the steering wheel. There are six speakers to give you a high-quality sound for all of your favorite tunes. more Toyota Tundra Interior and Comfort Features The front seat features a split bench seat with a center seat to give you room for three passengers. The back offers split and folding rear seats. All seating is upholstered in cloth. For the driver and front seat passengers, the 2015 Toyota Tundra offers front cup holders. There is a ventilation system with micro filter and climate control. The front windows feature one-touch for convenience and the steering wheel tilts so drivers of all sizes can find the most comfortable position. Safety Features All Toyota vehicles are designed with safety in mind. The 2015 Toyota Tundra offers the following safety features as standard options: ABS Immobilizer Rear camera with parking sensors Electronic traction control Front fog lights Intelligent driver and passenger front airbags, front and rear curtain airbags, front side airbags Image via Pixabay

When you’re choosing an SUV for your family, two things must be considered: safety and space.  You want your loved ones to be well protected in the event of an accident, and you need enough space inside to fit everyone and all the gear that goes with them.  With the 2015 Toyota Highlander Limited Platinum, you get all of this, plus many added luxurious features. Why not treat your family to the best of the best? Safety in the 2015 Highlander Limited Platinum The 2015 Highlander earned five stars from the government for overall crash protection.  IIHS gave it their top score after crash tests and tests of whiplash protection. Standard equipment for safety on every Highlander includes side airbags for the front seat, antilock disc brakes, driver knee airbag, traction control, side curtain full-length airbags, stability control, seat-cushion front passenger airbags and a rearview camera. With the Limited Platinum, you get even more: blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alerts, frontal collision mitigation and warning system, automatic braking, lane-departure warnings and Safety Connect telematics.  This system consists of a stolen-vehicle locator, emergency assistance, and automatic collision notifications. more Interior Space and Versatility The Limited Platinum trim comes with second-row reclining captain’s chairs that take the place of a second-row bench seat. If you need to fit eight people, one of the other trims would be better, but if not, we recommend the Limited Platinum for the comfort the captain’s chairs provide. There are plenty of storage bins throughout the cabin, and the maximum cargo space is 83.7 cubic feet. Rest your small mobile devices on the built-in shelf on the dashboard and store larger items, like a laptop, in the storage box beneath the console armrest. Standard Features in the 2015 Highlander Limited Platinum You will receive luxurious upgrades when you opt for the Limited Platinum trim of the 2015 Highlander.  Upgrades include: Panoramic sunroof Heated steering wheel Heated second-row seats LED ambient interior lighting 19-inch wheels Driver memory functions Four-way power front passenger seat Heated and ventilated front seats 12-speaker premium JBL audio system Come in and experience the 2015 Highlander Limited Platinum in person!   Image via Pixabay

Like the mighty tree it is named after, the 2015 Toyota Sequoia delivers in a big way. Enjoy interior seating for seven, and a powerful engine.  When you opt for the Platinum trim, your Sequoia will come equipped with the best features Toyota has to offer. Stop in and see the Sequoia Platinum in person! Power and Performance of the 2015 Sequoia Platinum The 2015 Toyota Sequoia comes stocked with a strong 5.7-liter V8 engine that can produce up to 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque.  Rear-wheel-drive is standard along with a six-speed automatic transmission.  If you need more traction, there is a four-wheel-drive system available with low-range gearing and a limited-slip locking center differential. The Premium with 4WD can fly from 0-60 in under 7 seconds.  Depending on the drivetrain, a properly equipped Sequoia will tow between 7,100 and 7,400 pounds. more Inside the 2015 Sequoia Platinum The Platinum trim will seat up to seven passengers, and it replaces the traditional second-row bench seat with two captain’s chairs. The chairs are very comfortable and luxurious, with a reclining feature and the ability to slide back and forth for better access to the third row. Behind that third row, you will find 18.9 cubic feet of storage space. With row three fold down, it opens to 66.6 cubic feet.  With the second and third rows gone, the Sequoia will hold a generous 120.1 cubic feet of cargo. Standard Features Choosing the Platinum trim means you’ll be getting the best that Toyota has to offer in the Sequoia. Upgrades include:  heated and ventilated front seats, adaptive air suspension with load-leveling rear, 20-inch unique alloy wheels, blind-spot monitoring system, power thigh support for the driver, driver memory functions, heated captain’s chairs, second-row console and a power-adjustable tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel wrapped in leather. Come down to Priority Toyota and test drive a 2015 Sequoia. Bring the whole family and see how much everyone will love it!   Image via Pixabay