Summer Bucket List

Summer is over, lets tally this up:

This summer there are so many places I would like to go to with my kids, I decided to make a list.  For someone who is not a list person, this is my second list in a week, weird stuff... 

I think that there are too many places, that, in fact, we won't make it to all of them.  We will, however, make it to some, and that's ok with me. 

Here is my summer bucket list:

1.  Reeves Reed Arboretum in Summit, NJ      http://reeves-reedarboretum.org/
Never made it there.  Hoping to do it in the spring this year.  It is a shame, as it is really close to home. 

2.  Land Of Make Believe in Hope, NJ http://www.lomb.com/
YES.  Made it, Loved it!

3.  Rafting on Delaware River, probably with Indian Head Canoes.
YES.  Great time!!!

4.  Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC.
NOPE.  We did make it to the Empire State Building and the Statue Of Liberty though, so that counts.

5.  Bushkill Falls in PA, http://www.visitbushkillfalls.com/
NO.  But we went to the Ringing Rocks State Park with friends.  More to come later.

6.  NJ Grounds For Sculpture  http://www.groundsforsculpture.org/
NO.  Actually, I went for the tickets at the library and someone checked them out five seconds before me. Next time.  It is going to happen soon!!

The rest of them are a no at the moment, but we did have some other wonderful trips that I didn't anticipate, so there.  We are still planning to do all these places really soon, so stay tuned!

7.  Space Farm Zoo, Sussex, NJ

8.  The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, http://www.stickleymuseum.org/

9.  Museum of Early Trades and Crafts: http://www.metc.org/

10. Montclair Art Museum www.montclairartmuseum.org

11.  Bowman Hill Tower and Flower Preserve in Bucks County, PA.  http://www.bhwp.org/

12.  Thomas Edison Memorial Park, in West Orange, NJ. http://www.nps.gov/edis/index.htm

Some of the places that we have been to, I would like to come back to this year for another visit.  Places like Six Flags, Longwood Gardens,  Turtleback Zoo, and Bergen County Zoo, New Hope, Howell's Living History Farm and Liberty Science Center are among the few. We would also like to go to the NJ Beaches at least once a week.  This year we like Sandy Hook.  Lakes are a good place to go also.

The Castle of Doylestown

A friend recommended this place and we were so lucky to be able to go there. This playground is an amazing eight story castle, with twists, turns, tunnels, windows and the longest winding slide ever. The structure is immense and the photo doesn't do it justice. You really have to be there to believe how big it is. You can get lost in the maze inside the casle. The boys went in together, and I went in after them. I didn't even see them in there. The slide is great! On a beautiful summerry day this was perfect. Oh, and it was free. :) 

The castle is located in Doylestown, PA.  However, right at this moment it is under constructions.  They are cleaning, rebuilding and making the playing space even bigger.  Here is the website for the township.  It has updated information on when this place will be open to public again, and on the stages of rebuilding.  Plus, some interesting info on how this playground came to be! 
http://www.doylestownrec.com/info/facilities/details.aspx?FacilityID=12833

It is a gem, and I highly recommend visiting it, once it is fixed, of course!

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!

Howell Living History Farm

Howell Living History Farm is always a wonderful place to visit.

Here is their website with information: http://www.howellfarm.org/

We try to make it there annually and every time we come to a new surprise, with new experiences waiting for us. 

Last time we came on a weekday and the farm was pretty empty of visitors. I was there with a good friend, and we had six kids all together. With some very friendly volunteers our kids got to pick carrots from the ground, feed them to the cow, pet a really friendly cat, run with fun chickens, pump some water for the horse, and much more. We also met a whole bunch of interesting insects. On the way out we got a surprise: they found a turtle!! While driving home we also saw a dead deer being eaten by vultures. While it sounds icky, it was actually a really cool thing to see.

A great thing about Howell Living History Farm is that general visit is free, though we do make up for it in their gift shop.  Also they have a lot of different programs to sign up for on the weekends.  It is a great family destination.