‘Road Trip’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Visit: Desert of Maine {Freeport, Maine}

March 9, 2017 · Narrative

A forty acre desert in the middle of a pine forest in Maine? Yep, it actually exists. Let’s check it out.

Last year, my kids and I trekked up to Maine to visit Sarah and her kids. Although she moved to Maine a few years ago, we try and make an effort to see each other, and are actually fairly successful with 2-3 visits a year in various states. Because, have car, will travel.

My daughter, Madeline, had Maine in her sights and desperately wanted to visit, so it was the perfect opportunity to combine it with a social call on Sarah and her crew. Despite my sister going to college and getting married in Maine (and her and her family, and our parents making several annual visits to Maine), Maddie has never been. A wrong that surely must be righted.

And despite all my own visits to Maine while my sister was in college, I had actually never heard of the Desert of Maine, which is surprising because it’s actually a pretty popular attraction.

In the late 1700’s, the Tuttle family lived on a 300 acre farm. They were quite the farming family, and produced potatoes and hay for many years. Unfortunately they neglected to rotate crops, and with so much acreage, massive soil erosion became a problem, and ultimately exposed this hidden desert underneath. They tired, without success, to control the land and bring their farm back to its glory, but the spreading sand was out of control, and the Tuttle family eventually surrendered to nature … and the overwhelming amount of sand … and let the desert take over the property. One of their original buildings, the barn, still sits on the property to this day, and, over the years, the Desert of Maine has become a popular tourist attraction.

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How to Survive a Road Trip

December 24, 2015 · Narrative

If you follow me on Instagram or Snapchat (cateomalley), you might have noticed that we took a little road trip in August.

And by little, I mean driving through eight states with over thirty-three hours clocked behind the wheel.

New Jersey to Miami, Florida.

It was awesome and nerve-wracking all at once.

There is no one I would rather road-trip than with these two. They were truly wonderful the entire trip, even working on keeping me awake as we did the return trip in one fell swoop, breezing through DC at 2 am.

With this holiday season signaling road trips for many families, I thought I would take a few minutes to highlight some sanity savers for surviving a long journey in the car.

When you stop, multi-task. Every time we stopped, I chose our spots carefully, making sure the rest area was clean, first and foremost, but one that we could also grab a quick bite to eat, use the restroom, and get gas all in one stop. There were a few rest areas that had a Starbucks and a huge gas station/Travel Mart, so that made it very efficient. Both in our trip down to Miami, and back, we were slightly under the gun with deadlines, so although I didn’t want to add any more pressure to my task, I wanted to make sure our stops counted.

Bring things along to keep everyone occupied. Everyone brought fully charged devices (iPads, phones, iTouches, and the like), books, coloring books and crayons, and more. I also printed out a few different versions of Travel Bingo that I found online. One was for restaurants you’ll find, one was the traditional license plate game, another for road signs. It was a great thing to whip out when boredom set in, which, surprisingly, wasn’t often.

Netflix and Amazon Prime. Many months ago, my kids convinced me to get a Netflix monthly membership. Netflix is SO much more than it used to be. When I was married, it was all about DVDs and updating your movie list and getting movies in the mail to watch, returning them, and getting more. This ain’t yo mama’s Netflix. NOW, it’s all about instant access to movies and tv shows right on your tablet, which was awesome. For only $8.99, we can stream whatever we want, and although I don’t want the kids glued to a screen more than necessary, it is a lifesaver for long bouts in the car. If you have Amazon Prime, it can also provide similar benefits as you can download and watch many movies and television shows for free.

Stock up on snacks. When we stopped for food, it was often a meal. For snacks, no stopping. A few days before we hit the road, we stopped at the grocery store and everyone picked a few of their favorite healthy snacks, and one not-so-healthy snack. And then I rounded our selections out with bottles of water and juice. Munchies strike, for sure, but pulling over to just grab a quick snack means losing about a half an hour of driving time, which I wasn’t keen on doing. Stopping only for meals, and bringing snacks and drinks with us was a definite time saver….

Visit: Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks {Montpelier, Vermont}

June 9, 2015 · Narrative

If you’re looking for legit maple syrup in Vermont, the quiet and quaint Morse Farm in Montpelier is the perfect place to visit.

When I was researching things to do and eat in Vermont, maple syrup was, of course, very high on my list. Any time we visit someplace new, I always try to seek out and bring home the food items that that region is most known for.

So maple syrup, of course.

Funnily enough, I rarely use it myself. I don’t like pancakes or waffles, but the kids do. I’m not sure they can quite appreciate the difference between the “good stuff” and the garbage, but side-by-side comparisons, and getting a chance to visit a maple farm certainly help with that education process.

We had to go through downtown Montpelier to get to Morse Farm, as it sits a little on the outskirts of town. Montpelier was quite adorable. Quaint little boutiques and eateries and very much a small town vibe that was, surprisingly, bustling.

I took careful note of everything in the downtown area because, at the time, our car wasn’t terribly happy. I don’t know what was wrong with it, but that day in Montpelier was the first mechanic and garage we had seen on our trip, so I paid attention to where they were located, and what we could occupy ourselves with nearby, should they need to work on the car.

Thankfully, it wasn’t necessary.

Montpelier is also home to the Vermont State House, which we stopped to visit. It is one of only eight state houses in the country that has a gold dome.

Following the Waze directions to the farm, there were some hills and windy roads, and then eventually a gravel path led us to the farm’s entrance. It’s a little under three miles from the downtown area, not far at all.

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What to Do for Spring Break in New Jersey

March 30, 2015 · Narrative

Looking for something fun and inexpensive to do with your kids this week on Spring Break? Here are a few of our favorite things to do in the Garden State.

As much as the kids and I love to travel and explore new areas, I also make a concerted effort to continue to enjoy what is seemingly right in our own “backyard.” Here is a little list of some fun things to do in New Jersey, in case you’re looking to head off on a little adventure during Spring Break.

Although it makes me itchy just looking at the pictures again, we really enjoyed visiting Insectropolis in Toms River. A fun little place that has self-guided tours that everyone in the family is sure to like.

We can’t wait to go back to the Long Valley Creamery this Spring. I mean, really. Cute baby animals and cheese tasting? How can you go wrong?

Nick has been collecting rocks for several years now, so I knew he would love visiting the Sterling Hill Mining Museum. He had been with his old school before, but it was still just as fun to go back.

If the weather isn’t cooperating, pop into the Randolph Climbing Center. An inexpensive place to visit, and a great way to burn off some extra energy for both you *and* the kiddos.

My two water babies loved Sahara Sam’s in West Berlin. You can spend the entire day there and the tropical temperatures inside will make you actually *think* that Spring-like weather has finally arrived in New Jersey. Almost.

If the weather warms up enough for outside activities, the Brookhollow Barnyard farm in Boonton is, hands down, the most adorable farm we have ever visited, and well worth a trip.

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Beauty in Baltimore {Maryland}

October 9, 2013 · Narrative

When the kids and I visited Baltimore back in the Spring, we took a ton a pictures. I know, surprising. And I had a lot of photos that I felt would make for a great “Beauty in Balimore” post … scenes around the city that deserved a post of their very own.

This is that.

Jun 9, 2013 …

Visit: World’s Largest Tooth {Princeton, New Jersey}

July 12, 2013 · Narrative

Over the last few months, we have visited the tallest and largest Buddha statue, the world’s largest frying pan, and a 34-foot tall statue of Mary. Why not the world’s largest tooth next?

Another find, courtesy of the awesome Roadside America app, we hit this oddity a few weeks back when we were in Princeton for the afternoon. It is a replica of a human molar and stands an impressive 15 feet tall. It is on Sloan Avenue, in front of an industrial-type warehouse facility, across the street from the train station, and was very easy to find. Standing next to it, there are statues of a couple, looking very confused. I would be confused too if I suddenly discovered a fifteen foot tall tooth on the side of the road!

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Visit: Historical Society of Delaware & the World’s Largest Frying Pan {New Castle, DE}

June 18, 2013 · Narrative

So when I was going through the list of quirky roadside attractions that we could build into our road trip to Baltimore, and spied a mention for the world’s largest frying pan, I added it straight to our list.

I mean, how could I not?

A giant piece of straight-up Americana right there on the walls of a museum in downtown New Castle, Delaware.

And since it was really just a few miles from the giant statue of Mary and we seemed to be on an unplanned trip of visiting giant things, it was really a given that we would stop.

The museum where the world’s largest frying pan is housed is easy to find in a quaint historical downtown area of New Castle. On-street parking, even on a Saturday, was plentiful.

As soon as we walked in, I spied the penny smushing machine and made a mental note to get one on the way out (one side has the name of the museum, and the other side celebrates the anniversary of DuPont). A perfect addition to our growing collection.

Besides having the world’s largest frying pan, the museum is also home to all historical things pertaining to Delaware. We paid our admission fee (I believe it was $14 for the three of us, no AAA discounts), and started on our self-guided tour.

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Visit: 34 Foot Tall Stainless Steel Mary {New Castle, Delaware} – Road Trip

June 17, 2013 · Narrative

When the kids and I road tripped to Washington DC nearly two years ago, as we were crossing into Delaware on the Delaware Memorial Bridge, I spied a giant statue of Mary on the side of the road. I didn’t know anything about it at the time, and we snapped the best picture we could from where we were.

When we were on our way to Baltimore two weeks ago, and I was going through the Roadside America app, the statue of Mary popped up as one of their roadside attractions along our route.

And this is when it came full circle.

And quickly got added to our list.

One, because it was pretty cool to check out, given how super-sized it is.

And two, because I knew our littlest road tripper would love it.

Case in point. When I told her last week that I had signed her up for a week of Bible Camp this summer, her response was “Oh that’s awesome! You know how I’m all about God!!”

And so it is.

Whether you’re religious or not, this statue of Mary is a pretty awesome sight. All around the statue are plaques with the stations of the cross.

Tucked in by Mary’s feet were some rosary beads that visitors had left, and a few notes asking for prayers. Although Catholics traditionally don’t offer up prayers directly to Mary, she is often seen as a go-between to her son.

The statue is made by sculptor Charles Parks, a Delaware native, who had made several others, including one that is just two feet smaller and currently in Santa Clara, California. While it looks like it might be solid stainless steel from a distance, it’s actually constructed from strips of stainless steel that are shaped and welded together, giving it an unusual but awesome textured appearance. It cost $500,000 to build and Parks and his assistant worked on it in various stages as the money was raised.

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Traveling This Summer? You Need This App. {Roadside America}

June 10, 2013 · Narrative

When I was planning our recent road trip to Baltimore, I wanted to break up the road trip a bit. Both to make it more fun and interesting along the way, and to give me a chance to get out of the car to stretch my legs a bit.

I heart road trips because it gives you a chance to really see the areas you’re going through, and unless you have a tight schedule, you have the freedom and control to stop whenever you want to. Many of my fondest memories from back in the day are from road trips with friends, even The Ex (our honeymoon was a road trip to Florida), and now that the kids and I road trip together, it’s even better.

So I googled around to find some good web sites that would show me some quirky and fun stops we could do along the way to Baltimore this weekend, and I hit pay dirt when I happened upon Roadside America’s web site. You can search by state (and drill down by city), and find a plethora of places that are off-the-beaten path type kitschy things to do along the way (including specific directions, tips, and whether or not others deemed it worth a stop). It also has a route planner so you can map out your journey. I put our home address in for the start and finish of the trip, and plugged in all the stops I wanted to do along the way, to give me an itemized turn-by-turn itinerary, which I printed out and brought with me. By using Roadside America’s itinerary, I was able to have the most efficient way to visit all the stops, but then I also plugged each address into the GPS, so I wouldn’t have to refer to the paper while we were en route.

Me <<<< safe driver!

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Visit: Maritime Aquarium {Norwalk, Connecticut}

August 13, 2012 · Narrative

I believe that I can confidently say that if there is an aquarium.

Or a safari.

Or a zoo.

Or a wildlife reserve.

Or farm.

Or anything, within a two hour or so driving distance from our home, that involves animals.

That we will be visiting it.

Although I’m not certain that a two hour driving distance is a limit.

Because my kids are crazy about animals.

And sea life? Crazier still.

Yes, Discovery channel’s Shark Week is recording.

And when Madeline, for two years in a row, tells me that she wants to take care of animals when she grows up?

I’d put money on it.

Although the specific direction of her future career vacillates between working at SeaWorld and being a vet.

So when a neighbor told me about an aquarium that was a little over an hour away from us? We were on it like white on rice.

Road trip!

We didn’t tell the kids where we were going.

And they didn’t guess until we were almost there.

Ah those devilish ways parents can torture our kids….

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Visit: Cape May County Park & Zoo

April 12, 2012 · Narrative

I have loved road trips for as long as I can remember. At least since Junior or Senior year of high school. When I was single (before getting married and divorced, not this time of being single), my girlfriends and I would take road trips to the Jersey Shore. Way before it became known as this Jersey Shore. Road trips to Boston were a frequent occurrence during the summers. The Ex and I even road tripped for our honeymoon, heading to Disney World (for my first time ever). I’ve road tripped with Joanne and Patsy. My mom and sister. With the kids by myself. With Mystic and his kids. And with many of our friends.

What I love most about road trips? That you can stop at any time. For any reason.

When I was making the plans for last week’s Spring Break, although I had a couple specific things I wanted to do with the kids, I also kept our schedule loose so we could succumb to detours. To whimsy. To just because moments.

And hitting the Cape May County Zoo was one such moment. When my sister and I were kids (and even through after my high school years), my parents had a house in Cape May (South Jersey to non-local readers). We spent many, many weekends down there. It holds a special place in my heart, and I loved introducing the area to the kids last week, as one of our stops. Nick was there once when he was a baby, but we haven’t been back since.

Although we spent countless summers in Cape May growing up, I had never been to the zoo there.

Pity that.

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Food Writers’ Road Trip: Weekend Photos in Review

July 25, 2011 · Narrative

So what happens when three food writers set off on a Boston road trip? We come back with a ton of stories and a scant amount of pictures. A normal weekend usually nets me a minimum of 200 pictures. This weekend? I barely scraped a hundred. And forty or so of those were from the ride home. The laughs and the characters we met along the way, however, more than made up for it. And when I say characters, I mean characters.

That’s Joanne from Eats Well with Others and Patsy from Family, Friends and Food, by the way. If you’re not a reader of their web sites already, do check them out.

On the way to pick up Joanne in NYC, we may or may not have made a wrong turn. Twice. I blame the music. And Patsy. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Our next picture didn’t happen until we reached the Mass Pike. A pathetic excuse for a freelance photographer I am. This time, Joanne was in the car too, so I’m blaming both of them. Too much talking! We sadly missed every “Welcome to…” state sign on the whole ride down. Three states. Three signs. I’d like to say we made up for it on the ride home. We kinda didn’t.

My Dad works in engineering, so when I saw these pastel-colored storage tanks as we neared our destination, I had to take a picture for him. Well, actually I stopped on the highway so Patsy could take it. You know, Safe Driving 101 and all.

After two days with me, the girls might be now used to my “wait, we have to stop everything and take pictures of the sky” problem fascination.

Just no getting away from Mystic.

What do three food writers eat for dinner when they head to Boston for a food conference? Lobster? No. Chow-dah? Nope. Steamers? Negatory. Homemade granola bars and strawberries brought from home. At 10:30 pm. I wish I was kidding, but the best food we had all weekend was likely the roasted vegetable wraps from the rest stop on our drive home. Sad. Very sad. But great fodder for blog posts, coming to a web site near you.

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