‘Day Trip’ Articles at Sweetnicks, Page 2

Visit: Lakota Wolf Preserve {Columbia, New Jersey}

September 17, 2017 · Narrative

Looking for something unique to do for an afternoon of adventuring? A visit to the Lakota Wolf Preserve might be just the thing.

Surprisingly enough, visiting the Lakota Wolf Preserve has been on my list of “things to do” since at least 2013.

Or that’s the last time I have documented it.

Isn’t that always the way with things that are near you? You tend to keep putting them off, because it’s reasonably convenient to get to, and you take it for granted.

Well this is the year we finally crossed it off our list!

Summer was starting to wind down, yet we weren’t quite ready to give up on our quest for fun, and finally decided to go visit the preserve. Like, enough already, just DO IT.

The Lakota Wolf Preserve is located in Columbia, New Jersey, kind of in the middle of nowhere (so plan gas needs and bathroom stops accordingly), but it’s actually only about forty-five minutes from us. They run guided tours twice a day, at 10 am and 4 pm, and you need to make reservations ahead of time to go on a tour; you are also required to arrive thirty minutes before your tour starts.

On our way there, to be honest, I wasn’t quite sure I was in the right area. It looked like a residential area, and then, all of the sudden, we saw the sign and pulled into the lot.

We had to give our license plate number to the office staffer when we signed in, and then waited a few minutes to catch a shuttle bus to the main area where the wolves are kept. You can walk there, but it’s a bit of a hike through a twisty roadway through a campground that the preserve shares space with and … well … I just wasn’t sure I wouldn’t get lost along the way.

They have two older, slightly rickety shuttle buses to bring visitors up to the wolf den area, and once everyone is there, the owners start their tour.

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Visit: Brandywine Zoo {Wilmington, Delaware}

August 3, 2017 · Narrative

If a zoo could be described as cute and cheerful, the Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington, Delaware would totally fit the bill.

Delaware has always been one of those states that we drive through on our way to get somewhere else. A blink-and-you miss it, quick passage on our journey elsewhere, for some reason, we’ve never made Delaware our actual destination.

Until this past weekend.

After getting a small work obligation out of the way, we grabbed breakfast and hit the road. A mere two and a quarter hours later, we had arrived. Really, there are parts of our OWN state that take longer to get to than crossing the Delaware border does!

When I was planning out our day’s activities, I focused largely on the Wilmington area, and the Brandywine Zoo was one of the places that kept popping up. And if you’re a regular reader here, you know how much my kids love a good zoo visit.

Although the zoo itself was very easy to find, once we were in the parking lot (free parking btw), I found it a bit of a challenge to find the actual entrance to the zoo. There are a few signs, and they’re a bit small, and I swear we walked around in circles for a few minutes before we ended up going in the right direction.

The admission prices are super reasonable … $7 for adults and $5 for kids (and even cheaper from October through April, and actually free from December through February because you won’t see as many animals). Once we paid, the staffer gave us a map and away we went.

The first exhibit was a condor, a crazy large bird that I don’t think I’ve seen before. There was an employee right in front of the exhibit that gave us a quick run-down on the bird’s background and had a few feathers for us to touch (so soft!).

As we wandered around the zoo, employees were nearly around every turn, and quick to answer any questions the kids had, which was awesome.

You can walk right into the goat exhibit and mingle and pet them freely, which I loved, and that’s where Madeline took her “goat selfie” from this weekend’s photo round up – love it!

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Visit: Luna Parc

July 27, 2017 · Narrative

A quirky, eccentric, amazing place that you should visit at least once. Let’s check out Luna Parc.

Writing about this place gets over 100 photos off my phone – phew! Luna Parc is the private residence of artist Ricky Boscarino, and he opens it up for public tours just two times a year. I’ve seen it written about in various magazines, and it’s been on my “things to do” list forever, and I finally visited this year. I had really hoped to visit with my kids, but it was only open until 4 pm on three school days, so it wasn’t really conducive to taking them (and that may be the point of the day and hours it’s open), but hopefully I’ll be able to go back with them.

Just a $5 donation gets you entry into the weird and wonderful world of this artist. You get a brief overview from a docent before you tour the interior of the home, and, other than that, it is a self-guided tour. The project started in 1989 when Ricky found a home that was private and that was a place where he could use his artistic creativity to slowly transform the property. Originally a hunting lodge that had been vacant for ten years before he bought it, this is what it looked like when he purchased it:

It’s changed just a tad. ;)

*if this reading nook was in my home, I would never see my nine-year-old

While Ricky is still the main artist that is constantly adding, moving, improving, and tweaking his residence, there are several artists in residence as well. Situated on five acres of remote property, there is plenty of room to create. Ricky has said that he plans to live there until he dies, and haunt the property after he’s gone.

Photos won’t do this place justice, because it’s one of those things that you really have to visit to appreciate, and as it’s continuing to evolve, there will be something new around every corner if you choose to come back regularly.

Whether he’s using traditional artist mediums like paint and canvas, or recycled materials like yardsticks, old Mrs Butterworth syrup bottles, or bowling balls, it truly is a sight to behold. Broken rubber bands became a small sculpture inside the home, and those plastic tags that seal loaves of bread closed are in tall vases. I noticed things my friend didn’t, and vice versa – there is no way you can take it all in.

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Visit: Wild Bill’s Nostalgia {Middletown, Connecticut}

May 18, 2017 · Narrative

Wild Bill’s Nostalgia in Middletown, Connecticut is a quirky, eclectic must-stop for any collector of the weird or the wonderful, or lover of the 70s.

A friend and I were in Connecticut last Saturday morning, and discovered Wild Bill’s. If you happen to follow me on snapchat (I’m cateomalley there), you know I had a hard time tearing myself away because it’s pretty much a photographer’s dream … and, well, heaven if you’re a collector too.

I found Wild Bill’s by googling “fun things to do in Hartford,” and it popped up. After reading a few reviews, and seeing it was on our way home, we decided to stop. Judging by the descriptions, I knew we wouldn’t have a hard time finding it, and I was right. As we pulled into the large parking lot, they were just opening up and I couldn’t wait to go inside.

Sitting on 45 acres of property, there are a few different buildings. The main building on the left is the nostalgia center and is seriously crammed from floor to ceiling with an eclectic mix of both new and collectible items from seemingly every generation. Old vending machines to Donald Trump bobble heads, movie posters and pins, t-shirts, lunuch boxes, games, and so much more. Whether it’s a new item or a piece of history, everything seemed very reasonably priced, and I think you’d be hard pressed to walk out of there empty-handed.

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Visit: Seneca Park Zoo {Rochester, New York}

April 25, 2017 · Narrative

A quiet zoo in upstate New York, it’s the perfect place to visit for a bit of family fun.

So, last week we were in Canada for a few days (more on that coming soon), and we decided to overnight in Rochester, New York on the way home. When we were eating breakfast in the hotel the next morning, I checked out what was in the area, as we wanted to poke around a bit before heading home. I saw that we were less than ten miles away from the Seneca Park Zoo, a zoo that we haven’t been to, and with my kids, a zoo is usually a sure thing.

Well, it turns out Nick wasn’t in the mood for a zoo, but he also wasn’t keen on my follow-up suggestions of the Jell-O or brewery museums, so with a little gentle coaxing, we were off to the zoo, which pretty much put my 9-year-old in seventh heaven. Because if it involves any kind of animals, she’s all in (and once we got there, Nick admitted that it was a good stop, so win/win).

It was really easy to find and parking is free (hurrah for small wins!), and we were lucky enough to find a space near the entrance. I didn’t want to spend the entire day there, because we still had a 4+ hour drive home, but when I saw people leaving at 11:30 am, when the zoo only opened at 10, I figured it was the perfect size for the time we had, and I was right.

It’s bigger than Turtleback Zoo, but smaller than the Bronx Zoo, which made it exactly what we wanted. The zoo was also laid out in a very simple and straight-forward manner. No traipsing all over to find animals you missed, it was actually one of the most cleanly laid out zoos we’ve visited.

They had a good assortment of animals, both big and small, and they had a good mix of animals that you would typically see in a zoo, like elephants and lions, along with animals that you don’t see quite as often, like hyenas and Golden Lion Tamarin. And to be honest, the breadth of animals there didn’t matter because we seriously could have stayed and watched the baboons and otters for hours. HOURS.

The otter was so adorable and obsessed in doing laps. He looked so zen swimming back and forth in his area, he would swim towards us with his face up, and turn around at the end and flip over and swim back the other way on his back. It was the cutest thing ever.

And the baboons? Well, they were so hysterical to watch. So interactive with each other. Whether they were cleaning their nails, looking for bugs in each other’s fur, or chasing their friends around their enclosure, they were just funny, and it was hard to tear ourselves away.

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Visit: Princeton University Art Museum {Princeton, New Jersey}

November 14, 2016 · Narrative

A gorgeous campus that is simply stunning in the Fall season, the Princeton University Art Museum is a must-visit.

On our Sundays, we like to do things together as a family. #OMalleySundayFunday when I remember to hashtag on Instagram. I try and let everyone take turns in deciding what we do, just like my parents did when my sister and I were kids, but sometimes I’m bossy and just take the lead.

Mostly because if I ask Maddie what she wants to do with our day, it vacillates between “let’s go shopping at Justice” and “let’s take a plane ride to Disney World.”

So, yeah.

But on this particular outing, I showed Nick three places we could visit and he chose the Princeton University Art Museum.

Alright!

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Visit: Nathan Cooper Gristmill {Chester, New Jersey}

August 24, 2016 · Narrative

Looking for a fun little afternoon adventure or a step back in time? Let’s drive to Chester and check out the Nathan Cooper Gristmill.

Most libraries have museum passes that you can borrow, which let you visit a local museum or attraction with your family for free. I’ve been good at taking advantage of that this summer, and lately, I’ve been going beyond just our local library, and using the passes at our county library as well. Each library has slightly different passes available, so your library card is really a passport to all sorts of fun adventures.

And last week, it brought us to the Nathan Cooper Gristmill in Chester, New Jersey. Built in 1826, it is one of the few, still-operating water-powered mills in the state of New Jersey, and it’s listed (and protected) on the State and National registers of historical places. The Morris County Park Commission bought the property in 1973, and opened it to the public in late 1978. Retired General Nathan Cooper originally bought the mill in 1878 for $750 (!) and built onto the mill to create the four-story structure you see here today.

Easy to find using the Waze app, we pulled into the mill parking lot. There was a large white house on one side of the parking lot, and the mill on the other. I wasn’t entirely sure where we were supposed to go, and it wasn’t really marked, but for everyone else…? Check in at the white house. Tours are given all day by a costumed master miller, with the last tour at 3:30 pm. They last roughly forty-five minutes.

Our guide started us at the Black River, which is, of course, the water source for the mill. We followed the water over the plume and then entered the gristmill, where all the action happens. Once you’re inside, the miller started up the water wheel and explained how it works. It’s amazing to think that the entire process is powered by water … zero electricity. The wheel (and its associated gears and shafts and whatnot) can pound out up to 800 pounds of flour per hour. Per hour! Crazy.

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Visit: Strawberry Picking at Ort Farms {Long Valley, New Jersey}

June 14, 2016 · Narrative

June is the perfect time for strawberry picking, so we headed out in search of the perfect place this past weekend.

There are a few farms that are reasonably close to us that offer strawberry picking for customers. A few of them I avoid because they have turned into a three-ring-circus and have the penchant for charging for everything under the sun and shuttle buses for parking.

No thank you.

Ort Farms came up in my search, and while I have heard of them before, we haven’t visited them before, so we set our sights on checking it out this past weekend. Easy to find, especially with the Waze app, it’s a scenic, windy drive through the “country,” and plenty of parking awaited us.

The farm sits on 400 acres of land and has been there for 100 years, with six generations of family participating (their founding member has lived on the farm for 85 years!). Despite their long history, this is actually their first year to offer u-pick for strawberries.

We stopped into the little store in front to get instructions, and they gave us boxes to collect our strawberries, a small sheet of directions, and away we went.

The weather was perfect. Clear skies, a slight breeze, and nothing but patches after patches of strawberries waiting for us to pick. I instructed the kids on what we were looking for … uniformly red, nice size, not mushy. And the farther we walked, the more paydirt we hit. There were other families there picking strawberries as well, but it wasn’t super crowded, and we had plenty of space to ourselves.

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Visit: The Bronx Zoo {New York, NY}

May 5, 2015 · Narrative

Looking for something to do with the kids or just spend a little time outside? Let’s visit the Bronx Zoo.

You would think with all our trips to zoos over the years, that we would have long since visited the Bronx Zoo, since it’s so big and one of the closest zoos to our home.

Think again.

Madeline had never been.

Nick went once on a field trip last year.

If I’ve gone, it was as a kid with my family or on a school trip.

Which means it was a good 35 years ago.

So we have never been as a family and we were clearly long overdue.

It’s kind of one of the reasons staycations are so popular … it’s a good reminder of what is in your own figurative backyard.

So last year, when friends invited us to go with them on Mother’s Day I, of course, said yes.

Less than an hour by car, it was pretty easy to get to, and even easier since I just followed them. We arrived close to when the zoo opened, so parking was a breeze, and since they are members, I think they have access to lots that non-members don’t.

See: bonus.

First impression?

The zoo is huuuuuge.

We spent about six hours there and I’m not even sure we did half of it.

It’s that big.

Tons of walking, so be prepared.
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Visit: Insectropolis {Toms River, New Jersey}

October 13, 2014 · Narrative

Looking for a fun outing with your kids (or without kids)? Visit Insectropolis in Toms River and get one with the creepy crawlies.

The kids and I were down the shore in mid-August, and we had a few days to fill with some fun adventures. I took a quick glance at what was left on our Summer Bucket List and spied “zoo.” Although Insectropolis isn’t what would typically come to mind when you think of “zoo,” it was reasonably close to us and we had never been there before and … so it was.

The museum was pretty easy to find, and it has its own dedicated parking lot. They are open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10-3. No reservations or appointments are necessary – just walk in, pay your admission, and start poking around.

The tour is all self-guided, and you are free to go at your own pace. There are employees throughout the museum and they are available to answer any question you may have. There are many different exhibits throughout, including spiders, beetles, butterflies, bees, lizards, and much more. There are also many interactive features that the kids enjoyed – I think one of their favorite parts was seeing the ants burrow through the dirt to create pathways … and the bee exhibit where you could get up close and personal and see the bee colonies buzzing around.

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Photos in Review {Philadelphia}

August 27, 2014 · Photos

A friend and I spent the weekend in Philadelphia, pretty much eating ourselves silly from one end of town to the other. And walking nearly eight miles during the course of it.

And now the random photo dump from our travels.

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Visit: Magic Gardens {Philadelphia, PA}

August 25, 2014 · Narrative

A not-so-secret little hideaway tucked into the South Street neighborhood of Philadelphia, the Magic Gardens is a must-visit next time you find yourself in the area.

A friend and I were on our way to visit the 9th Street Italian Market when we passed by the Magic Gardens. They weren’t quite open yet, and a crowd was slowly gathering outside. We ended up parking just around the corner, which turned out to not be as close as we thought it was to the Italian Market. A fact which I decided was fate telling me I should steal a few minutes to visit the Magic Gardens.

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