‘Things to Do in NJ’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Visit: Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Summit, NJ {Summer Bucket List}

August 18, 2014 · Narrative

A tranquil beautiful setting tucked into Summit, the Reeves-Reed Arboretum is a great spot for a visit.

“Visit an arboretum” was on our Summer Bucket List because, although we have several arboretums in the area, we haven’t really visited one (although our annual visit to the gingerbread exhibit is at an arboretum, there is nothing floral to see in the dead of winter for sure). The bright skies and warm temps this afternoon made it a great time to visit (and a Groupon for frozen yogurt down the street turned it into a perfect afternoon).

The arboretum is very easy to find in a residential section of Summit. When I first saw the entrance gate, I thought it was closed, but as you approach slowly, it opens automatically, so don’t let that deter you (and the exit/gate is the same way). The property has several small houses/offices, and the starting point wasn’t entirely clear, but we found someone in the parking lot to ask and she pointed us to one of the smaller houses near the parking lot and greenhouse. In there we found a really friendly employee (and thankfully restrooms), who gave us a map and explained the different trails we could take through the property. She cautioned against going on one of the trails because of some recent overgrowth of poison ivy, and then she handed us a bag of fish food and asked us to feed the fish in the pond on the way through. She also told us where to find the (one) resident frog, who was exactly where she said he would be. She was awesomely helpful!

You have to look really closely, but he’s in this picture. I was actually surprised when we found him.

We took the path through wildflowers behind the building that housed her office and continued down to a path that led us to the Elephant Tree that she mentioned (which could not be more appropriately named), with a really cute picnic area, which reminded me of something out of The Flintstones.

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Visit: Jenkinson’s Aquarium, Point Pleasant {Things to Do in New Jersey}

August 3, 2012 · Narrative

When I was planning our Spring Break adventures, I focused on fun. Some things were spontaneous, like the Cape May Zoo (free!), and some were planned (Ripley’s Believe It Or Not museum). Our visit to Jenkinson’s Aquarium was a no-brainer. With two kids that are crazy about animals, and Madeline especially loving anything in the water, I knew they would be tickled with whatever was inside those walls.

If you’re lucky enough to find on-street parking with a meter, grab it. If you get there early enough, there is a very inexpensive parking lot right behind the aquarium for $5. With it being summertime, and the aquarium being located right on the boardwalk, it’s definitely going to be busy though, so plan your visit accordingly.

Although the aquarium itself it a bit small, it is packed with two floors of animal life to discover. The downstairs features a pirate ship and sharks, alligators, penguins, and more. Upstairs, there are the seals, stingrays that you can touch, moon jelly fish (love those!), and more.

The aquarium does feedings of five different animals that were fun to watch, and we were there for all five. Mostly because there was no way the kids were going to let me leave without seeing them all. The seal feeding was our favorite, followed by the little itty bitty penguins. The alligator feeding? Scared me just a little. Because you are super close to where the alligators are, and when we saw how nastily they snapped at the food, well, the sharks were looking better and better every minute.

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Field Trip: Thomas Edison Museum, Laboratory, and Estate {Things to Do in New Jersey}

May 30, 2012 · Narrative

*There is going to be a photo overload in tonight’s post, but I consider that to be a good thing. Moving along…

I knew that the Thomas Edison Museum was about twenty minutes from our house, yet I can’t recall ever going there. My mom said I was there when I was about 11. I’ve had it in the back of my mind for awhile now, thinking it would be a fun little visit to make with my kids, and Friday, with Nick off from school and a vacation day for me, we rounded up some friends and headed to West Orange.

I swear museums and national and state parks are the best bargain going. For the Thomas Edison Museum, adult admission is $7, and kids under 16 are free. Your admission also includes a visit to his laboratory (on the same property), and his Glenmont Estate, just a short mile or two drive away. It doesn’t get better than that.

A short movie in the beginning of the self-guided tour gave the kids a quick run-down on what Edison was most known for, and while watching, they completed Junior Ranger informational packets that would earn them a little badge on the way out.

The architecture, chippy paint, buildings, and lighting on the property of the museum and laboratory is a photographer’s dream. Like seriously, I’d pay the $7 admission just to take clients there for a photo shoot. A lot of the pictures from the last Weekend Photos in Review were from our Edison visit. (There is no photography allowed inside the Glenmont Estate, which kind of killed me, because it’s all sorts of beautiful, and a lot of the Victorian period pieces reminded me a lot of what is in my parents’ home)

On the museum’s property, you can also tour his laboratory, pattern making room, and various workshops, which, aside from the grounds being a photographer’s nirvana, was, I think, my favorite part. The old woodsy, musty smell of the workshop was ah-mazing, and it was seriously awe-inspiring to stand there and think of all the creativity and inventions that were borne out of that space.

There is a small gift shop when you enter the museum, filled with books, postcards, and assorted memorabilia. {Cash and check only for gift shop purchases and entrance fees}. The museum (and surrounding grounds) take anywhere from 45 minutes to three hours to see, depending on your pace. While it is self-guided, they also have audio tours available, and several places where you can use your smartphone to scan a code and watch an accompanying video.

This picture instantly reminded me of a home I saw on the Hoboken house tour in 2010, and Martha Stewart’s own kitchen and special decorating issue years ago.

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Review: Sun High Orchards, Randolph, NJ

November 15, 2011 · Narrative

Sun High Orchards is one of those back-pocket type secret places that I love to introduce friends to. We have been going there since Nick was Madeline’s age, and although I have definitely posted pictures I’ve taken there in the past, I don’t think I’ve given it a proper review. It’s a well-kept secret off Route 10 in Randolph. It’s small enough that you can see the kids while you’re sitting on their picnic benches, yet big enough that there is plenty for the kids to do.

The crackling fire smelled amazing when we walked into their general store.

Inside, you can buy a variety of vegetables, fresh baked goods, homemade soups, order Thanksgiving pies, buy cheap bags of carrots to feed the animals, and even get an ice cream cone. They have a great assortment of nostalgic gifts that would be perfect for stocking stuffers.

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