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/

Watchung Reservation

Trailside Nature Center and Watchung Reservation is a wonderful place to visit with your family!  The Nature Center is a free museum. The kids, especially the younger ones will have a blast there.  Since we live nearby we come here often, and my kids still enjoy it.  They also offer classes at a very good rate, and my kids loved it when they were little and a bit older.  You can also celebrate your kids' birthdays there at a reasonable price, or schedule a class for a group.  Throughout the year they have many activities, fun events, fairs and performances.  You would have to check their website for the schedule.

Here is the website with their info, including hours and directions:
http://ucnj.org/community/parks-community-renewal/parks-facilities/trailside-beta/ 

When you are at the Trailside Center make sure to pick up a map with hiking trails.  Watchung Reservation has many wonderful hiking trails to explore, a lake to waddle in, turtles to find, frogs to catch and many more things to entertain you. There is also a brand new playground that was built this year for kids to run and play in.

We love hiking and do it often. Watchung Reservation has got to be one of our favorite places to hike.  There is an abundance of trails, you can enjoy a long hike or just go down to the lake and back up for a short hike.  There are many trails and getting lost is a possibility, so make sure to pick up the map of trails at the Nature Center!  Everytime we go we pick a different trail, and come back with different treasures. There is a lake you can skip rocks in, and a stream you have to cross by skipping from rock to rock, and a small dam with a waterfall, trees with giant roots where you can catch tiny baby frogs, trees you can climb on, an old cemetery you can pass through, and a deserted village.   We have spotted box turtles, snapping turtles, and one time stepped into a snake den, where a water snake was in the middle of eating a giant toad. We also have seen an albino deer, he was completely white, and absolutely awesome. 

Here are a few photos I took while hiking there:

 

 

 

 

Deserted Village in Watchung Reservation is a great hiking destination located in the Watchung Reservation.
There is a long history to this place: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feltville_Historic_District

You can park in the parking lot, or hike. It was a long hike, especially with little kids, a little more then an hour from the Nature Center starting point. Last time we went it was with a few good friends. It helps going with good company.  Behind the village we came down the steep slope, a bit off trail, and into a shady ravine with a stream. That is where most of the fun was to be had. All the kids promptly took their shoes off, and were splashing barefoot through the stream.  There were some fallen trees accross the ravine that everyone had fun climbing, and some big rocks you could go on accross the stream also.  Everyone had so much fun!

Here are a few photos of the Deserted Village and the stream below it.

 

 

 If you love horses, the Watchung Stable is adjacent and a short ride away.

 

 It truly is an amazing place, with so many things to do and see.

Alstede Farms, NJ

Alstede Farms is a great place with many things to do and see. It is organic and sustainable. We were able to feed the funniest and friendliest donkey, chickens, rabbits, and a very gentle horse. We picked our own blueberries, though it was too hot in the open sun and there weren't many ripe ones yet. Picking our own peaches went better. The kids got to climb on a giant hay stack.  They also got to ride on a tractor hay ride, which I think they liked the most. At the end we sat down in a shady spot and enjoyed some donuts and apple cider. Overall I would say that even though it was about 95 degrees outside that day the trip was a success.  There are also a few state parks nearby with wonderful and cool hiking trails. 

Here is the website for the farm: http://alstedefarms.com/ with address and hours.

And a few photos:

 

 

Panderosa Park in Scotch Plains

Hooray, finally a water spray ground in Central Jersey, that is not too far from us! The best part: it is free!
Panderosa Park is brand new, just opened in 2012, right off Cooper Road in Scotch Plains.  It is a beautiful playground with water spraying out of many fountains.  So much fun for the kids to play with.
Most parents take chairs and sit on the grass under the shade of trees, watching thier kiddies have fun.  Many bring a picnic lunch to enjoy.  It is a beautiful place to spend the day.

Have to give a heads up! If your kid wants to play in the water please bring or wear shoes that can get wet and be comfy.  The ground heats up like crazy, even on the mild days.  It is all that rubber.  My kids burned their feet the first time they went, and now we know better.  It is still a great place, just need to be aware of this one small detail!

Build-A-Bear



When my neice came over for a few weeks in the summer I figured that the perfect place to take her would be Build-A-Bear.  Sounds like a great place to take a kid, right?  That's what I figured too.  I went online, found a location next to us, even got a coupon in the mail for $10.00 off.  Awesome! I was ready. 
There are really two main things you would need to note about this place.  Number one is that even my two jaded boys seemed to have fun with it.  The girl was beside herself.  This was her dream come true.  Thing two is that it is really EXPENSIVE! The $10.00 coupon didn't even make a dent in it.  Just stuffing your animals isn't that much, but the clothing, shoes and accessories really kicked me in with three kids.
They boys were simple enough. They just got a dog and a bear, stuffed them, put glasses on them and that's that. The girly girl wanted all the pretty dresses, that cost as much as my root canal. We wound up getting out my sewing machine and making a lot of bear dresses at home. It was fun, she learned something new, and her bear was the best dressed bear in the state.

Fireworks on July 4th

Every year we try to get out and go to see the fireworks in NYC on the Hudson River.  We drive out to Hoboken, NJ, and try to find a spot on the waterfront.

On the way there (and often back), the traffic is always without mercy. It took a good 40 minutes or more to go on a stretch that takes about 5 minutes normally. Walking would've been faster. My husband dropped us off and then went to look for parking. When kids and I finally get there, the crowed is unmeasurable and there is no place to go to the bathroom. We try to find a decent sized spot on the grass, and settle in.

There we are: sweaty, tired, with whining children and hurting feet from the walk. All of that vanished the moment the fireworks started. I only have one word: spectacular. My older one was bouncing up and down with joy the entire 30 minutes. The little one had cotton fluff in his ears from the noise, and just sat there with his mouth open wide. We all loved it. It was most definately worth all the trouble. A picture is worth a thousand words though, so here are a few from the times we went.