Green Meadows Farm

This spring we went to Green Meadows Farm with my kids.  They love animals, so a place where you could touch, feed and play with all kinds of animals was right up their alley.  With Green Meadows you have to know the time they are open, as it is only a short while in the spring/ beginning of summer and another short while in the fall.  Also, if you decide to go, beleive it or not, weekends are better then weekdays.  On the weekdays it gets pretty crazy with school trips.  We went on a Sunday, and it was not too bad.  Here is their website for all the info: http://www.greenmeadowsfarmnj.com/

My boys got to pet little duckies, bunnies, puppies, kittens, piggies, goats and so much more.  My older one braved up and milked a cow, my hubby and younger one chickened out.  We met an amazingly big horse, some cranky alpacas, donkeys, an angry turkey.  They got to feed some adorable goats, one of which kept escaping and running away and made all the kids laugh. 

Overall it was a wonderful day for them, at the end of which they were tired and happy.  What else can you ask for?

Here are a few pictures, as always:

 

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.

Bergen County Zoo

We made the trip to this zoo mostly because of it's close proximity to our dentist's office.  I wasn't expecting much from this trip. I was very pleasantly surprised. It is such a lovely place to visit!  The zoo was not big, but had plenty to see. It was clean, neat and the animals looked happy. There is also quite a diversity of animals. The zoo had plenty of shade, which is important on a hot day. Right outside the zoo there was a huge playground.  They have a train, a carousel, and pony rides (my boys aren't much into those, they like the animals the most), they also have a butterfly pavilion, which I loved.  My kids are pretty jaded when it comes to places that we visit, and even they agreed that Bergen County Zoo was a great place.  It's been a while since we've gone there, and I have had requests for a return visit on multiple occasions!  And the price was good too, it's only $8.00 for adult and $5.00 for the kid, half of that if you're a Bergen County Resident.

Here is their website with all the information: http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/bcparks/zoo.aspx

Here are a few photos from our trip:

 

 

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