‘Things to Do in New Jersey’ 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: 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: 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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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: The Great Falls {Paterson, New Jersey}

June 13, 2017 · Narrative

An amazing waterfall just twenty minutes from our home, let’s check out The Great Falls in Paterson.

Truth be told, we love a good waterfall, and The Great Falls in Paterson has been on my “must visit” list FOREVER. At least five years. I kind of kept putting it up because it’s not in an especially nice area, and I didn’t want to visit alone.

And then I kind of felt like … YOLO. Let’s go. I’ll just be aware of my surroundings, go in the daytime, of course, and not worry about it.

And I’m glad I did.

The waterfall itself is a quaint beautifully landscaped park setting (and is a National Historic Park), but the town of Paterson has seen better days. I think the area is perfectly fine to visit, and I’m sorry I let others dissuade me (although I probably would go with other adults if I was downtown at night).

So let’s get to the star … isn’t it a beaut?

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Visit: The Raptor Trust {Long Hill Township, New Jersey}

December 5, 2016 · Narrative

A quaint and quiet animal sanctuary tucked into Long Hill Township, let’s pay a visit to Raptor Trust.

For as long as I can remember, at least the last twenty years, I have been recommending the Raptor Trust to anyone that needs a place to take an injured bird. Particularly wild birds.

A request that comes up more frequently than you’d think.

Having grown up in the vicinity, the Raptor Trust was a place I knew about and trusted, and they do amazing things to help injured birds heal, and give them a quiet place to live safely.

And despite the fact that you can also visit and see the birds that live there … I have never taken my kids there!

A wrong that definitely needed to be righted.

And so when I promised Madeline and her friends a fun outing recently, I went through my list of “fun things to do with the kids,” looked up the Raptor Trust’s hours, and away we went.

Nestled in the rural area of Long Hill Township, the sanctuary is very easy to find and parking is plentiful. It is free admission, though donations to continue their important work is very much appreciated, and they are solely funded by these donations.

As the girls ran from cage to cage, they were so excited to see all the different birds living there.

I mean, BALD EAGLES!

The most majestic birds ever. I could have sat there and watched them for hours. Just so amazing to see so up close.

But so sobering to know they were there because they had been found injured. Many of them had been shot. One was missing a wing. It’s awful that they were hurt like that, but thank goodness a place like Raptor Trust exists. It’s just sad that it HAS to exist.

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Visit: Dog Days of Summer {Things to Do in New Jersey}

July 21, 2016 · Narrative

Looking for a fun afternoon activity with your kids? We love visiting the annual Dog Days of Summer in Boonton.

When I’m looking for things to do with the kids, whether it’s summer or not, it’s usually a mix of free or inexpensive adventures.

Because the more adventures, the better.

Visiting the Dog Days of Summer in neighboring Boonton is one of our free (and fun) adventures. This is the fourth year of the Dog Days of Summer, and it makes for a fun afternoon outing.

Main Street in Boonton is lined with over 100 life size dog statues; each one is completely different and they are decorated by both professional and amateur artists. Some community groups and even school students get in on the action.

A large share of the sculptures are outside in front of the stores and businesses, but there are many that are inside the store windows as well, which makes for a fun challenge to try and peek inside each store to see if we find one.

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Visit: National Guard Militia Museum {Sea Girt, New Jersey}

April 11, 2016 · Narrative, Travel

A unique, little well-kept secret of a museum that you should visit … because the Jersey Shore is more than just beaches.

Last week, the kids were on Spring Break, and this time, we kept our adventures a little closer to home. We spent a few days down the Jersey Shore, and spent the day in Boston with Sarah and her kids. When we were down the shore, I used the Roadside America app (one of my favorite apps) to see what new and interesting things were in the area for us to discover. Our time last week was equal parts fun, history, and downtime, and our visit to the National Guard Militia Museum falls neatly in the “history” column.

The museum is a little undiscovered treasure trove of history and has been there forever. It, unfortunately, fell victim to the ravages of Hurricane Sandy, taking in over five feet of water and sadly destroying a lot of their historical artifacts, but they have since rebuilt and welcome visitors with open arms. It was such a cool slice of historical awesomeness, I’m hoping more people read this and go check it out.

As soon as we walked in, we were immediately greeted by a friendly host, and he pointed out the different rooms we could explore on our own, in a self-guided manner, and told us to come get him when we’re done (and if we had any questions mid-tour).

The large room when you enter starts with the story of the early settlers, and you can follow the timeline around the room, reading about the events of historical significance and see their accompanying artifacts. The story continues on through World War II in a room in the back, and the third room is more “present day” events, including 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy, and how New Jersey responded to those disasters. There are some wonderful videos to watch and placards to read, and it was the perfect amount of information to digest, especially if you have kids in tow.

Once we were done with the three rooms, we went to go track down the guide because we were ready to check out their main attraction, and the original reason this museum popped up in the Roadside America app.

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Visit: The Van Vleck House & Gardens {Montclair, New Jersey}

May 11, 2015 · Narrative

A beautiful public property to tour, the Van Vleck House & Gardens in Montclair truly celebrates anyone with a green thumb.

Mother’s Day was definitely all about basking in the great outdoors. We started with a 1.41 mile hike through the Bonsal Wildlife Preserves (spoiler alert: we saw no wildlife), and with the humidity, it was a sauna-like steam bath, but fun (and good exercise to boot!). After that, we did a picnic in a small, quiet park, and then visited the Van Vleck House and Gardens in Montclair. A six acre, now public property, it originally started as a private home 140 years ago when the Van Vleck family wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the city in favor of something more along the lines of a “country estate.” Over the years, there have been three different generations of the family staying on the property, and in various buildings, but since 1993, the heirs of the family gifted the estate to The Montclair Foundation. Since then, volunteers have meticulously maintained the property, and the private gardens have been open to the public 365 days a year. The house itself has been reserved for educational purposes, retreats, and special events.

There are a number of different gardens that you can walk through (you can see a full map here), but the highlight is the gorgeous Chinese Wisteria that winds its way around the perimeter of the building, which was originally planted by Howard Van Vleck in 1939. Many people brought lawn chairs and picnics to just sit and enjoy the grounds.

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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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Visit: Grounds for Sculpture {Hamilton Township, NJ}

July 16, 2014 · Narrative

Beautiful gardens, hundreds of amazing art sculptures, and plenty of kid-friendly and adult-approved things to see, the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton Township is worth a visit.

When the kids and I visited the world’s largest tooth in Princeton last year, we had NO idea what was just down the road. Luckily a recent mention in New Jersey Monthly magazine clued us into Grounds for Sculpture, because it was well worth a visit.

The brainchild of Seward Johnson, it is 42 acres of beautifully maintained landscaping and gardens with art sculptures around every corner. As their Mission Statement notes, they wanted “to create a place to make contemporary sculpture more accessible to greater numbers of people from all backgrounds; to offer them the opportunity to develop privately, step-by step, a more intimate relationship with contemporary art; to share that experience with others in a familiar, accessible, informal setting in nature—giving them the chance, as Picasso said, to wash away “from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

Everything from small sculptures to giant towering “monument” pieces like the Marilyn Monroe. This particular statue took three years to make and traveled the country (in four separate pieces) before it came back here to stay. There are some cool photographs inside one of the buildings showing the making of this particular statue, and also showing it broken down into pieces, traveling on various highways.

Located on the site of the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds, construction on Johnson’s vision began in 1989, and opened to the public three years later. Over the years, art, buildings, and exhibits have been added, and Grounds for Sculpture has been non-profit since 2000. There are nearly 300 sculptures throughout the property, many historical in nature, spanning the weird to the wonderful.

And a photographers’ dream, natch.

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Visit: Stony Hill Farms Corn Maze {Chester, New Jersey}

October 3, 2013 · Narrative

Last year, the kids and I did a sunflower maze, and I made the organizers promise to come find us if we got lost. Luckily, I was taller than the sunflower stalks, so it was relatively easy to navigate and we did it in about an hour.

This year, although we have been to the sunflower field, we set our sights on a different farm location for the maze.

Because that’s what a Groupon will do.

Twenty-four bucks got us three admissions to the maze, donuts, apple cider, and apples to go.

Pretty much the most awesome deal going.

Although we haven’t been to Stony Hill Farms before, it actually wasn’t that far from our home, and it made for a perfect spot to visit on the most gorgeous Sunday afternoon ever.

Super simple to find, parking is via a gravel lot in front of the farm. Besides the corn maze, there is a General Store on property, where there is quite a selection of locally grown and organic produce, along with candy, pasta, and other little bits of randomness. I had a small container of pesto in my hands, thinking it would make for a quick and easy dinner that night, and put it back after they looked up the price … $13.99. There were a few bargains to be had, but there was definitely some sticker shock as well (we left with local apple cider, beef jerky sticks, and chocolate covered pretzels).

We approached the corn maze area, got our wrist bands, a clue sheet, and an emergency telephone number in case we got lost.

Yeah, this is serious stuff, folks.

We also had to watch a mandatory video before entering, explaining the rules of the maze, and giving some helpful tips.

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