Ithaca, NY

Ithaca, NY.  We went to Ithaca, NY in September 2012.  We went cabin camping in Robert H. Treman State Park. The reason we came up was to hike, so while we didn't get to see the town much, we thouroughly explored and enjoyed the wonderful park that we were in. We only had two days to stay there, during a long weekend. This place was amazing, and hard to believe, until you see it with your own eyes.  While NJ, NY and PA offer many beautiful places to visit and see, I honestly didn't expect something like this so close to where we live.  It is breathtaking!

We got there by about 3 in the afternoon. The cabin wasn't ready yet, so instead we went to the swimming area. It's right under a waterfall, and the water was cold, about 60 F. It was the last day to swim. Despite the cold, it was an amazing place to swim. The water was so clean, and just beautiful.

The cabins were simple, just 4 beds and a small fridge. It was raining, but that never stops us from enjoying things. There was a playground nearby with a good old fashioned seesaw. The kids had a blast on it, with the two of them on one end and me on the other. I am surprised that thing didn't break under our combined weight. We took a few small hikes around the swimming area with our umbrella and a rain jacket, it was lovely. We had a nice fire going outside. The kids roasted hot dogs on long forks. It was a nice evening. Right before bed time we were visited by a skunk. Everyone stayed really quiet, and then slowly moved into the cabin for night time. No one got sprayed.

 

The night was tough. I think a combination of an unfamiliar place during the night, plus the excitement and how tired we were from the ride. The kids had a hard time falling asleep, but once they did they slept the night through more or less. My husband and I couldn't fall asleep, and then couldn't stay asleep. I think we sleep better in a tent as a rule.

 

 

In the morning we woke up, and since it was not raining we decided on making the hike we came there to do right away. We didn't have much breakfast, but packed a few sandwiches, cereal bars, and water, just in case.
We set out on the Rim Trail. It goes all along the rim of the cliff, hence the name. It opens up some really beautiful views onto the waterfalls below:

The Rim Trail goes all uphill for the most part. About a half way through we came to a small detour toward this lovely little waterfall, where we were able to cool off, and rest:

We headed back to the trail. From there on it was all the way up. It was green, the air was amazing. At some point we came to a staircase. It is called the 'Cliff Staircase'. We almost turned around because of how daunting they looked. I am really glad we decided to keep going. Many amazingly beautiful steps:

On the top of the stairs there were some unbelievable views onto the Lucifer Falls and the gorge below.

The rest of the Rim trail went a bit downhill, and was easier. Finally we came to an old mill, there were bathrooms and a parking lot. It's the Upper Park of the state park. Behind the mill there was a small waterfall. I had a calendar as a kid with the picture of that waterfall on it. I always felt like the pictures on the calendars were in far off, unattainable places.

 

We crossed the lot, went across a bridge, passed the camping/cabins area and got on the Gorge Trail. The vista that opened up was beyond anything that I have ever seen. The trail was going on the side of a cliff, with a bridge over the falls, and then more cliff trail. Again really high, and the water was amazingly clear.

The treck was long and with two kids it was not easy, but worth every step of the way!  I hope to come back there again soon!

Stony Hill Farm Corn Maze.

We went to Stony Hill Farm and Market to their 10 acre corn maze in Chester, NJ. It was great. We got lost in the yellow part and kept walking in circles. I had a bit of claustrophobia. Corn was everywhere.  We came out eventually, giggling wildly and happy to be out. 

They also had a miner maze for the kids. We got 4 bags of dirt with gem stones and spend some time sifting it, while having coffee and apple cider. It was fun for all of us. We even brought a bag of dirt home for grandpa to sift through.

They have a few other activities and mazes.  You can see them on their website here: http://www.stonyhillgardens.com/

It is a great place to go on a sunny fall day!  We were there on a week day.  I am pretty sure on a weekend it is way more busy.  I like the empty field all to ourselves though!

Liberty Hall Museum in Kean University

"Built in 1772 and home to generations of Livingstons and Keans, Liberty Hall traces the history of America through its 50 rooms and exhibits."-- retrieved on 2/21/2013, from http://www.kean.edu/libertyhall/photogallery/

Even though fall is a busy time for us with learning, and regular activities like art and soccer, we did squeeze in a trip to the Liberty Hall Museum at Kean University. We were very pleasantly surprised at how much fun the trip turned out to be. My boys are usually boisterous and like to run around a lot, so a structured lecture about American History, no matter how interesting the setting, is usually not something up their alley. This was a complete break from the norm for us.

Let's begin with the fact that it was free with a library pass for us and our friends. The tour started with a short video about Livingstons and Keans. After the video we went ahead to the rest of the property. We had a private tour because we were the only ones there. Our guide was an elderly history buff who was wonderful and serious, and kid friendly at the same time. They have a great collection of old and completely restored fire engines, including one that kids could climb on, we especially enjoyed that one. The gardens were beautiful, complete with small paths for kids to run on and release some of that energy, and wonderful flowers. They also had apple orchard there and a small operational farm. Very unexpected so close to NYC. We were offered to go apple picking after the tour, but couldn't this time. Next time we will give it a try.

The house was most definitely haunted, which the kids enjoyed a lot. It difficult to wrap your mind around how much this house has seen. It is soaked with history and energy that makes it seem alive. It is very carefully preserved and there are no photos allowed on the inside. All the furnishings, the dishes, the clothing, the toys, it all speaks of how people lived during their time. The kids especially noticed that humans, in general, were much smaller back then, based on sizes of beds. The kitchen is completely preserved as it was and wonderful to see. There are so many portraits of previous owners that look at you as much as you look at them. There is also a famous ghost story associated with the house that you'll just have to hear from the guide!

It was an educational, American History close up kind of experience. I highly recommend it. We all took the time to soak it all in, and enjoyed ourselves tremendously.

After the tour was done, we spend quite a bit in the gift shop on the replicas of the Constitution, Bill Of Rights, and Declaration Of Independence.

Here is the website of the museum with information: http://www.kean.edu/libertyhall/
On this site you will find a photogallery of the inside of the house: http://www.kean.edu/libertyhall/photogallery/

Of course a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are just a few below that I took that day.

Duke Farms in NJ

We finally made it there after the renovations!  It used to be guided tours in the green houses. That was a beautiful place to go, especially in the middle of February, when you walk inside and smell summer in the middle of winter. Now they remade the place, and you can go hiking through the grounds. It is also beautiful.  I think I like it better now, mostly because it is outdoors and unguided!  They kept an orchid green house open for visitors. It is a great place to visit.

We went on a four hour hike through the grounds on a nice September day.  It was not too hot, but not cold yet, just perfect weather.  What a lovely place.  So many wonders to see.  I took over a 100 photographs that day.  After the hike we were pretty hungry,  the visitor center has a good menu of light foods, sandwiches and salads type.  We wound up having lunch right there.

They also have a bike rental, where you can borrow a bike for free!!! You have to be over 60 inches tall though.  We have our bikes that we love to ride, and this place inspired us to get a bike rack and come on our bikes. A lot of ground to cover. We did it on foot, and it took a good 4 hours, hoping that on bikes it will be faster and fun.  Another plus is no cars, and I will feel a lot better about my wild 11 year old on the bike there.

Oh, and one of the days when my boys are all grown up I am coming back with a canvas and paint, and spending the day with my hubby painting there.

The place also offers a whole bunch of classes and workshops.  Here is their site: http://dukefarms.org/

Doris Duke also has an interesting biography, which the big kid and I spend the night reading. Certainly shows that money doesn't buy happiness.

 

 

 

Oak Ridge Archery Range

We went to the Oak Ridge Archery Range for and archery lesson. You have to be at least 10 years old, so it was my son, husband adn I. Now we can get a permit and shoot arrows there. It was tremendous fun. Surprisingly, not many people know about this place.  I highly recommend taking the intro class there.  It is a fun way to spend two hours, and you can now come and do this there.  It is the only place in Union County, NJ where you can shoot a bow outside, and other then the license fee it is completely free. 
Here is their website: 

http://ucnj.org/community/parks-community-renewal/parks-facilities/activities/archery/

Register for the class ahead of time, they fill up quickly!

Also a friend mentioned homeschooling classes there.  We will have to give it a try as soon as our other commitments are all done.

Turtle Back Zoo

Not far from us is a wonderful zoo, Turtle Back Zoo.  We come there fairly often, and love going with friends.  It is clean, not too big, but not small either.  It is just enough to cover the entire place in a few hours, which is a good thing, especially if you have little ones. 

It has a nice variety of animals. Peacocks that roam the zoo free. As you walk around you'll see some cats, monkeys, turtles, birds, bears, wolves, llamas and many more.

A train that takes you through the woods nearby, an interesting merry go round with different animals, and a great playground for kids. They have lots of interactive activities. Like feeding the farm animals, riding on the horses, going through tunnels with prairie dogs, and a large cage with parakeets into which you can go into and feed those fat birds, also a wonderful carousel with different creatures and much more! There is a cafeteria, and a gift shop.

Another great thing is that on Tuesday at 2 pm it is only a $1.00 a person to get in. We go there several times a year. The only thing is, on afternoons those parakeets are full. After all, people have been feeding them since 10 am, and they hardly lift off the ground.  So if you are especially looking forward to feeding the parakeets, I suggest you go at opening time, it is definately worth the full admission price!  Also, call ahead for the Tuesday after 2 pm rule, you never know if they might have changed the date or the time or the price.

It is great fun for kids and adults!
http://www.turtlebackzoo.com/tbzoo/index.jsp

 

 

 

Mitsuwa Japanese Market, Hoboken, NJ

Mitsuwa Japanese Market is located in Hoboken, NJ.  My husband and I enjoyed it! It is not your usual supermarket, but is filled with many different shops with Japanese food.  The food is delicious. Of course my kids managed to find something that looked suspiciously like a giant cream puff. They enjoyed it!  Not a whole lot of Sushi, which is a good thing, but more warm foods, like soups and stews. It was really delicious and differen and a whole new experience for our kids and us.
Parking was tough though, we had to circle a few times before finding a spot.
Here is their site with directions, specials and hours: 

http://www.mitsuwa.com/tenpo/newj/eindex.html

Hillview Farms Peach Picking

Every year we make it to Hillview Farms in Gillette for some peach picking. They are not far from us and it makes for a nice fall day there. Expect to do lots of walking, especially uphill! The peaches this year were delicious (the year before they were badly damaged by hail). 

 

This farm is not commercial, so don't expect too many hay rides, or mazes, or other kids entertainment. Come on a weekday to avoid crowds. They do have their produce in the little store, and I think pies in the fall. There are awesome views as you go up to pick. We always have a good time there. They have chickens, roosters and peacocks running around the farm. My kids and their friends got in trouble for chasing the chickens. The roosters actually ganged up against the kids and tried to scare them with wings and feathers, and loud noises.

 

I couldn't find a website for them, but here is the address and the phone number:

 

Address: 223 Meyersville Rd, Gillette, NJ 07933

    Phone:(908) 647-0957

 

New Hope, PA & Lambertville, NJ

New Hope, PA and Lambertville, NJ.

We haven't gone away on vacation for more then a few years. Between little kids, finances, dog, house, grandparents it is just difficult. We do, however, have a favorite local spot to which we go every few months to get away. It's the Lambertville NJ - New Hope PA area. Everything we would want to find while vacationing we have found there in abundance. There are quaint, and sometimes plain weird little shops there, many sell unusual things that are kid friendly.

 

There are good places to eat, we're especially fond of The Landing, especially when it's warm and you can sit outside right on top of the beautiful Delaware river. The food is continental, but good. It's priced from moderately and up. Like everything else they have a website: http://www.landingrestaurant.com/home.php

Recently we also tried "Mother's Restaurant". It is actually right next door to The Landing.  The food was good and the prices also moderate to up.  In the cold months it's a good place to go, nice and cozy, and you can sit by their big windows and look out on the street. 

For dessert, Nina's Waffles has the best waffles you have ever tried, and really delicious ice cream: http://www.buckshappening.com/ninas-waffles-ice-cream .  I recently found out that they close the store after New Years and until March or April. It is best to call ahead and make sure they are open during those months.

 

There is hiking, canoeing, rafting, duck feeding, historical sites, farms, good coffee, great scenery and so many other fun things. So every so often we ditch responsibilities and go away to a mini-vacation to relax, even if it is just for a day.

For shopping there is Laser Illusions, especially if you have kids: it's one of a kind! http://www.cityfos.com/Lazer-Illusions-859097.print.htm
Three Cranes is good in New Hope is Good. 
There is Sojourner if you're crafty: it's on the Lambertville side: http://www.sojourner.biz/, and a whole stretch of other stores that are interesting.

Right outside of New Hope there is Washington Crossing State Park, Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve: http://www.bhwp.org/.

Birchwood Farms http://www.birchwoodfarmdairy.com/ (which has really great diary products, and the best Vanilla Ice Cream in the world) is a short drive away. It is also an amazingly clean farm, that treats their animals like family.

French Town is nearby.  They have bike rentals available and you can go riding a bike on the trail along Delaware all the way to New Hope.  It is a lot of fun.  You can also visit the Golden Nugget flea market on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays if you're into that kind of thing: http://www.gnmarket.com/.

A short twenty minute drive you will find Peddlers Village with all the shops and activities that it has to offer. I find that Peddlers Village is a separate trip on it's own.  If you are there make sure to stop by the Giggleberry Fair with your kiddies. You can find more information on Peddler's Village on their website: http://www.peddlersvillage.com/   There is Howell's Living History Farm nearby on the Jersey side: http://www.howellfarm.org/ . 

In New Hope there is also the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad that takes you through the Buck's county beautiful countryside and has different trips available. https://www.newhoperailroad.com/

There are many more things to do in that area, and I will put them all on this blog very soon!

If you're in need of a vacation, even if it is just for one day, come down to New Hope!

Franklin Mineral Museum

Franklin Mineral Museum is another entertaining place.  We got to go to the quarry, pick rocks and stick them under a uv light and see them glow. Wound up coming home with a giant bag of rocks.  Now they are in the place of honor in the basement, except we don't own a UV light, and thus can't look at the beautiful colors. 

We also got to see so many specimen inside the museum, and a recreation of the mine.  Also, for an addition price you can try prospecting. Which we didn't, because the kids were pretty tired at that point.  The boys seemed to have a rather good time with all of it.  They enjoyed the gift shop as well, though if your little one wants a miner's cap with a light, don't buy it there.  We made the mistake of getting it, and one broke the same day, and the other one didn't work at all to begin with.  They have a variety of other rock related items you can get there.

Their schedule changes through out the year, so make sure to check the website for information:
http://www.franklinmineralmuseum.com/

Okemo Mountain, Ludlow, VT

Usually we go to Okemo Mountain in the winter when ever we can afford to both financially and physically.  Some of us snowboard and some go sledding and enjoy the pool.  This time we decided to go for a three day getaway in the summer time. We went to Jackson Gore so we can enjoy the Adventure Zone they have there in the summer time. 

Adventure Zone was good, we had a nice time, but I do wish they would include more tickets for the rollercoaster with the stay.  We had to purchase separate tickets after our fun passes expired.  The kids enjoyed the pool and all the mountain activities. We got to go on a rollercoaster that takes you to the top of Okemo, and then you roll down in a car. That was a lot of fun. The little guy kept wanting to go again and again. The big guy and I got to launch off 45 feet in the air and land on an air bag. Feels like you're falling off a third story building. All your innards go in your throat. I still can't believe I did it.

We bought a package with different tickets for all the activities.  The one we enjoyed the most was the roller coaster down the mountain ride.  If we ever go again I would opt out of the package and just buy a bunch of individual tickets for that ride, and not do other ones at all.

On the way back we stopped by the Vermont Country Store, The Christmas Store and the Village Store accross the street.  They were all great, we enjoy them every time we are in the area. We also made it to the outlets in Manchester, it was as fun as shopping can be with boys.

Here is the site for the Vermont Country Store: http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/store/
And the one for Okemo Adventrue Zone: http://www.okemo.com/jgrealestate/container.aspx?nav=recreation&page=summer

 

 

Kid Street Playground, Bridgewater, NJ

Kid Street Playground in Bridgewater NJ was recommended by a friend.  We wound up there on a really hot day (think a l00+ degrees) and the playground is so well shaded that it actually felt about 15 degrees cooler there.  Aside from that it is a well thought through playground with lots of fun things to do for the kids.  It isn't just the plain slide and swings, but much more!
It was one of the best and biggest playgrounds we have ever been to. The playground is complete with a ship, a car, giant slides, and most importantly rope swings and a zip line. We had a blast there.  Even the older one loved it, and that says a lot!

 http://www.njplaygrounds.com/1154/kidstreet-bridgewater-nj/