‘Day Trip’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Visit: Cross Estate Gardens {Bernardsville, New Jersey}

February 2, 2021 · Narrative

Looking to do a bit of exploring while outside and getting some fresh air? Let’s visit the Cross Estate Gardens in Bernardsville!

I have a photo album on my phone titled “Things to Do” where I put screenshots of places I want to visit and things I want to do. That way, when we find ourselves with down time and are looking for something fun, I have a handy index of places to sift through to save time. And this is exactly how I found myself on the grounds of the Cross Estate Gardens in Bernardsville recently.

We’ve lived here for 19 years (the longest I’ve lived anywhere!), and we never knew this place existed … and it’s only 15 miles away! So many undiscovered treasures literally right in your own backyard, and it was the perfect afternoon escape when I found myself needing a little time outdoors.

Part of the Morristown National Park system, it’s super easy to find. I literally just put “Cross Estate Gardens” into Waze and found it with no issues.

The property boasts both formal and native gardens (although, of course, there isn’t much in the way of “gardens” in the winter) and is currently open from 8-5 (8-8 in the summer) and has free parking and no entrance fee.

Lovingly maintained by volunteers, this is one of those places that would be wonderful to visit every season so you can see the various scenes play out in the gardens.

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Visit: Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine {Ashland, PA}

August 28, 2020 · Narrative

A fun place to visit that is also educational is right up my alley. Let’s visit the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine in Ashland, Pennsylvania!

On a recent visit to Wellsboro, Pennsylvania (more on that coming soon), I was looking for fun things to do along the way home. I checked my favorite travel app, Roadside America, because it’s is a treasure trove of quirky things to do and see based on your current location, and that’s how I discovered the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine. Although we have visited coal mines for tours before (see Exhibit A), this one was a little different because you could take a ride through the coal mine in one of their coal buckets on a track. There is also a separate ticket you can buy for a ride on a steam locomotive train (we didn’t do that one because we got there too late to catch the last ride of the day).

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Visit: Laurelwood Arboretum, Wayne, New Jersey

May 18, 2020 · Narrative

A quiet little oasis tucked away in Wayne, New Jersey, let’s visit the Laurelwood Arboretum.

Since the Coronavirus pandemic hit, and we’ve been quarantined, I’ve made an effort to get my kids out of the house for an hour or two of family time in the fresh air and sunshine. While the rest of the time they have been largely sequestered at home, I feel the shot of fresh air and sunshine is much needed for positive mental health. They don’t necessarily agree, but they humor me and we compromise and stick to destinations that are within a twenty minute drive and largely isolated, to keep everyone safe.

And that’s how we ended up at the Laurelwood Arboretum. I am a sucker for a peaceful place where I can listen to the water trickle in a stream and take a slew of floral and fauna photos, so you know this checked all my boxes.

We found it easily, and pulled into the small parking lot. Since the state is still largely on lockdown, the Visitor’s Center is closed (along with the restrooms), so if you visit before things open up, keep that in mind.

We wandered aimlessly, following the trails in a large loop, and the place is such a meditative and reflective spot, I could have happily stayed for hours. It’s quiet, with little benches and bursts of flowers tucked in here and there, along with a few sculptures, and babbling streams. I stopped at every one, as my kids made fun of me, because trickling water or the sounds of the beach are legit my favorite sounds ever.

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Visit: Rizzo’s Wildlife World {Flanders, New Jersey}

January 11, 2020 · Narrative

Fun, mostly self-guided tour of a wildlife center, let’s visit Rizzo’s Wildlife World in Flanders!

I have a running list of things to do, see, eat, and visit on my phone, that way when we find ourselves with some free time and in the mood for adventuring, I have a ready list to consult and I’m not wasting time googling when we could be having fun. And that’s how we found ourselves at Rizzo’s Wildlife World a few weeks ago. My oldest was working, but my youngest was home with me and had a friend that had slept over, so I quickly scanned my list for things that they would enjoy but that her brother wouldn’t be too upset at missing. I gave the girls a couple options to choose from, and Rizzo’s was at the top of their list.

A short twenty-five minute drive from our house, it was easy to find with a huge parking lot. Ten dollar admission per person (over age 2), and we were off to explore on our own. They happened to have started a “show” a few minutes before we got there, so we quickly grabbed a seat to watch. I don’t think they do the shows on a set schedule, it seemed to be sort of as they had enough people there to form an audience, and the girls were so enthralled that we stayed for the first one and a little bit of the next one.

We were lucky enough that the owner was the Wildlife Educator and he is seriously hysterical, so much so that I had tears running down my face during a lot of it. He brought out different animals one by one, explained about their habits and characteristics, answered questions, and allowed the guests to touch most of them. The girls were FAR braver than I was and basically had a huge albino snake wrapped around them like it was nothing. I did TOUCH it, but I drew the line at anything else. I’ve never been a fan of snakes, and animals can pick up on your energy, so the last thing I want is a snake sensing my negative energy while it’s wrapped around my body. But the girls? They had a blast. I mean, how often do you have a snake on your lap or a lizard on your head?

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Visit: Eastern State Penitentiary (Philadelphia, PA}

June 24, 2019 · Narrative

Looking for a little day trip adventure and something a little different? Let’s visit the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia!

I have a running list on my phone to refer to any time we have a free afternoon, weekend, fill in the blank. I add to it as I find things. Some of the items on the list are free and local. Some are a bit of a drive. Just a hodge podge so that when we are looking for something to do, I have a list to refer to easily, instead of wasting time trying to find something to do. The Eastern State Penitentiary has been on the list for a few years, and we were finally able to cross it off. My kids and I like to do off-the-beaten path stuff, mixed in with straight up touristy stuff, and this certainly fit the bill.

I put the address in my Waze app and away we went. It was about an hour and a half drive for us, and very easy to find. There is an adjacent parking lot, with plenty of space. The admission to the Penitentiary is inexpensive, and you can save a few bucks if you purchase your tickets ahead of time online, like we did.

The prison was operational from 1829 through 1971, and it now operates as a charitable non-profit organization and is a National US Historic Landmark. It seriously oozes history around every corner. It was once the largest and most expensive prison in the United States and even housed many “celebrity” criminals, including Al Capone (his cell block is pictured below). This particular prison was said to be the model for 300+ prisons that were erected after it. Unlike many other prisons, each of the cells here had its own faucet and flush toilet, which was controlled remotely by the guards. The prison design changed a bit while it was being built because it became very overcrowded very quickly. The original design called for seven one-story cell blocks, but halfway through, it was already past capacity, and second floors started being added. In the early 1920s, there was even an actual dog sentenced to prison for allegedly the Pennsylvania Governor’s wife’s cat!

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Visit: Whitley’s Peanut Factory {Williamsburg, Virginia}

September 11, 2018 · Narrative

It’s almost a requirement that when you visit Virginia, you should get some peanuts. And so we did. Come visit Whitley’s Peanuts in Williamsburg, Virginia with us!

If you’ve been here long enough, you know that when I visit a new area, I always scope out the food scene. I mean, how can I not? I do everything from finding out what restaurants are NOT TO BE MISSED, and popping into the local grocery stores to see what they have versus what we don’t, to googling what that area is known for in terms of food. And so while I was googling what Virginia was known for when we were there in the Spring, peanuts came up on the list.

The first commercial peanut crop in Virginia was grown in the early to mid 1840s. They started to gain popularity when Union Army soldiers liked them and started taking them home with them, and in the late 1800s, the cry for “Hot Roasted Peanuts,” could be heard at P.T. Barnum’s circus as it traveled across the country. In the early 1900s, when the bull weevil destroyed the South’s cotton crop, peanuts started bringing in money and it is now a multimillion dollar industry in Virginia. In 2015, there were 175 peanut farmers maintaining 18,000 planted acres of peanuts, producing 67 million pounds of peanuts. There are four different types of peanuts grown in Virginia: Runners, Spanish, Virginia, and Valencia.

Finding out all this backstory on peanuts just reaffirmed the need to go find some legit Virginia peanuts, so I researched to find a peanut place near where we were staying, and that’s how we discovered Whitley’s.

A small non-descript place, it was easy to find and it has a dedicated parking lot. Once you walk in, there is no denying that they are all about peanuts.

SO MANY PEANUTS.

Everywhere you looked, there were a ton of different varieties to appeal to every taste bud or craving. There were samples available of almost everything, and I really wanted to buy so many (sea salt and caramel!), but the kids and I voted and went with three different kids: regular, salt and pepper, and bacon maple. I could have easily left with ten times that. Sweet, spicy, savory … no matter your pleasure, there was something for you. The peanuts we tried here definitely have a noticeable difference than what we usually get back home, and I think it might have to do largely with their freshness. Their bite is harder and crunchier, and once you have a handful, you’ll find yourself going back for more and more.

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Visit: Packet Alley, Delaware

August 12, 2018 · Narrative

Looking for a fun day trip with your family? Let’s head to Delaware!

Last summer, another family and I planned a whirlwind day trip to Delaware. If you’re a regular reader here, you know I am fond of the Roadside America app, and that’s how a quick visit to Packet Alley in New Castle, Delaware got added to our “Things to Do” list.

Seriously the cutest neighborhood ever with narrow cobblestone streets and beautifully designed houses, I swear I would move there in a heartbeat. We slowly navigated our way to our destination and found on-street parking easily.

This above sign was put in in 1933, to herald the significance of this little blink-and-you-miss it historical alley way.

Why was this spot so important?

Back in the 1830s and ’40s, it was a common DC-to-Northeast thoroughfare for many of those traveling North. Stagecoaches from the south would unload on one end of the alley by the street, and riverboats from the north would pick up the contents from the other end and be on their way. A practice started in the 19th century, many famous people walked the same path we did that summer day, including former President Andrew Jackson, Presidential hopeful Henry Clay, Davy Crockett and Chief Black Hawk.

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Visit: Lambert Castle {Paterson, New Jersey}

July 24, 2018 · Narrative

A beautiful architectural structure tucked away in the hills of Paterson, let’s visit the Lambert Castle.

I have a running list of “fun things to do” on my phone, so when we’re looking for something to do, we don’t have to search very long. As if! The Lambert Castle in Paterson has been on my list for awhile, and when Nick and his friend were making their Summer Bucket List a few weeks ago, they put it on.

And now, we can finally cross it off!

We stopped in for a self-guided tour this past weekend, and it’s worth a visit. It’s in a quiet section of Paterson, and had I not known about it before, I doubt I would have discovered it on my own. It’s easy to find, has ample free parking, and beautiful views of New York City.

It’s very inexpensive to tour (adults are $5 and kids are $3), and I love that it’s self-guided, so we could go at our own pace. They have a three-page scavenger hunt available for kids, and that kept them engaged and looking around longer than they would have without it.

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Visit: The Met Cloisters {New York}

May 27, 2018 · Narrative

Looking for a fun afternoon exploring New York? Let’s visit The Met Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park!

When we were shut out of our first attempt to attend a taping of Rachael Ray’s television show last month, we had to quickly find a Plan B. Because, after all, when three moms have carved out a bit of free time, we weren’t about to head back home defeated.

And so that’s how we ended up at The Met Cloisters. It was about a half hour drive from the Chelsea Studios of Rachael Ray, and after a friend had mentioned her visit last year, it had been on my list of “things to do,” but had never quite made it to the top of the list.

There are two smaller parking lots that we saw, and on a Spring weekday, the first lot was already full, so if you’re going on a weekend or in the Summer months, I would target for arriving earlier to make sure there’s a place for you to park. The parking was free and easy to find, and we soon made our way to the building.

There are a number of winding staircases leading up to the main entry way, and as we climbed the staircases, various signage indicated that admission was “donation only.”

Well, it turns out, that it is and it isn’t.

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Visit: Turkey Hill Experience {Columbia Pennsylvania}

January 25, 2018 · Narrative

Looking for something fun to do with your kids? Or maybe you just love ice cream? Let’s check out the Turkey Hill Experience in Columbia, Pennsylvania.

A visit to the Turkey Hill Experience has been on our bucket list seriously, like, forever. Every single time we’re in Pennsylvania, or going through it, I look up how far away we are from it, and it is always over two hours away. Pennsylvania is really deceiving. It’s big, wide, and everything is always in the opposite direction.

Not kidding.

But when we were meandering about Hershey last month, we actually found ourselves only about thirty minutes from Turkey Hill, and FINALLY, we were able to go and get it crossed off our list.

Located in downtown Columbia, the place was easy to find and, although the parking lot was fairly full when we arrived, we were able to find spaces up the hill a bit.

The layout when you walk in is a little … weird and counter-intuitive. Although there is a Guest Services desk right inside the door when you enter the building, you actually have to go upstairs to purchase the tour tickets. The downstairs registers are strictly for gift shop purchases.

Once upstairs, there are a few different options to choose from, between the self-guided tour and a few tastings. Because of the timing of the tastings, and because we were heading back on the road home right after this stop, we opted for just the tour, and paid our admission (they give discounts for AAA, btw).

There were a lot of guests milling around, and some kids racing around, and it was generally happy chaos. You can meander on your own from room to room, learning about Turkey Hill and their product line. Some rooms are filled with placards of information about the company, some have interactive displays, and there are a few tasting areas, one with their iced teas, and one with a variety of ice creams. No limit on how many items you taste, and the ice cream tastings are very generously portioned (which means we all actually stopped after trying one flavor!). There were several new flavors that day that I haven’t heard of!

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Cheese Cave Tour {Valley Shepherd Creamery, Long Valley, New Jersey}

October 5, 2017 · Narrative

An afternoon cheese cave tour and cheese tasting in Long Valley, New Jersey … a trip to Valley Shepherd Creamery pretty much makes for a perfect Fall afternoon.

If you’ve been visiting my site with regularity, you have no doubt picked up on my love for cheese. I will gladly turn down a warm chocolate chip cookie for a cup of queso any time, and frequently use the hash tag #cheeseismyhappyplace on Instagram.

Growing up with a Parisian-born mother, a cheese plate was always a given at our dinner table, and that, perhaps, might be where my love for all things cheese started. Who knows? So when I saw an email advertising a cheese cave tour at a nearby creamery, it should come as no surprise that I immediately signed up.

I mean … it’s like visiting the mothership.

The cheese cave tour was held at Valley Shepherd Creamery, a place that we’ve been to a few times before (there are some super cute picture of the kids from three years ago, and some more details on the creamery if you visit that link). I’ve noticed they have cheese making workshops, but the registration fee is a little out of my budget. That being said, this cave tour event was a veritable bargain – I signed up all three of us for $23!

Valley Shepherd has approximately 400 goats now and is at 18 different farmers markets a week, including running a few differential retail locations. They produce 35 different cheeses, and are currently building a facility just for making their goat cheese logs to keep up with production demands. Currently all their goat cheese logs are made by hand, but the increasing demands from some bigger retailers like Whole Foods is forcing their hand a bit and they are working on walking that fine line between remaining true to their handmade artisan ways, but adding in a few larger commercial accounts.

Besides cheese, they also have yogurt, milk, pastas, and a number of other food products available. They use milk from 600-700 animals, and most recently they have added feta, halloumi, and three new hard goat cheeses. Their feta is one of the cheeses I purchased this past weekend, and it is amazing. Salty and briny and everything feta should be.

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Visit: DuPont Environmental Education Center {Wilmington, Delaware}

September 24, 2017 · Narrative

Looking for a fun place to visit in Delaware? We stopped at the DuPont Environmental Education Center, and found it’s quite the little treasure trove in Wilmington.

When we made a whirlwind day trip to Delaware last month, I had our day very carefully planned so we could make the most of our time there. The DuPont Environmental Education Center in Wilmington came up as one of the “Top 10 Places to Visit,” and I quickly added it to our list for the day. We drove there right after our visit to the Brandywine Zoo, and it was pretty close by.

It’s located in a sort of industrial park area, and I kind of thought we were lost as the Waze app was directing us. As we went under an overpass, scenes from Law & Order flashed in my mind … like if I go missing, they should start the search here. But never fear, we continued to follow the directions and then we saw the center. Phew.

The parking lot isn’t huge and was already full when we got there, but we parked on the street easily enough. There is no admission cost, but donations are, of course, always appreciated. As we walked to the center, we meandered through the gardens and the pathways, taking our time to enjoy the scenery along the way. The property is situated on the Wilmington riverfront, and is 212 acres of marsh, gardens, ponds, and home to many different animals. The gardens are kind of amazing in and of themselves, with so many different plants and flowers that we’ve never seen before.

Once we got through the gardens near the parking lot, we climbed the stairs and followed the bridge to the environmental center. Three stories tall, there is a little bit to explore inside, including a baby turtle and clean restrooms, and the history of the property and what you can see. Along the perimeter of the center, there are outside balconies so you can get panoramic views of the marsh and pond areas….