A GREAT NJ LANDMARK--SEE IT SOON!

Hello NJ folks--and anyone looking to visit a cool place in NJ.  You should check out one of oldest--and most easily accessible--landmarks:  The Old Barracks Museum, located in Trenton, NJ, right near the Capitol Building.  The Old Barracks Museum, built before the FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, is a great place to experience a hands-on history lesson. Perfect for families, schools, scouts and other groups, the Old Barracks Museum lets you step back in time and learn about life during the French and Indian War, and again during the Revolution, when the Barracks was occupied by the Hessians!

Following the well-versed, knowledgeable docents dressed in period-piece garb, you will learn interesting historical facts while having fun doing it!

Check out my article about the Barracks posted here for more information, or go to www.barracks.org .

But visit soon--due to State budget cuts, the Barracks may soon close--and then a vital piece of American history will be lost forever.

A Piece of History Soon to be Lost Due to "Budget Cuts"

A Piece of History Soon to be Lost Due to "Budget Cuts"

SHAWNEE MOUNTAIN SKI RESORT Part II

Another reason for liking Shawnee--they have a lot of lodge space!  There is an upstairs, divided into 2 sections, a downstairs (naturally) surrounding a huge fireplace, a restaurant, a cafeteria and an 21-and-older bar/lounge. Each floor has one or more food kiosks as well, for people looking for a quicker meal or beverage.  There are floor to ceiling windows overlooking the mountain, and lots of outdoor seating, too.

With all of the space, it was relatively easy to find seats for a family of four, and will so many food options, it was easy to feed everyone too.  There is everything from burgers and chicken fingers to soup, chili, and nachos and the restaurant offers sandwiches, soups, and salads, too.  Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to visit the lounge, but it looked like a fun place to hang out.

Another family-friendly section of the Shawnee lodge is the ski shop.  The shop has a large selection of clothing and supplies for children and adults, and we found their prices to be very reasonable-- $20 for goggles, or $6 for glove liners, for example.  They offer skis, poles, snowboards, and other "real" equipment, as well as clothing and outerwear.  For us, the large selection and convenience, as well as the not-outrageous prices, was another "plus" at Shawnee. 

Shawnee also offers a nursery on Fridays-Sundays for children ages 18 months and older.  Great for the little ones, as well as kids who don't want to ski or snowboard this is another amenity that caters to families. The cost is $40 per day, or $5 an hour, and includes a hot lunch.  Gluten-free meals are available here as well as the other food services for Shawnee Mountain.

These are a few more reasons I think Shawnee is a good destination for families, or anyone who is just learning to ski or snowboard. I am sure there are more challenging mountains in the Poconos, but when you or your kids are just starting out, a little less of a challenge can be a good thing!

Hope some of you made it over to Howell Living History farm yesterday in our newar-60 degree January weather!  Don't forget today's Chinese New Year concert at Grounds for Sculpture this afternoon at 2 pm!

I will be at our annual Cub Scout Pinewood Derby (!) but will be posting more on Shawnee Mountain when I return, so stay tuned!

Another Holiday Gem in Central Nj--winter Wonders at Grounds for Sculpture

Another Holiday Gem in Central Nj--winter Wonders at Grounds for Sculpture

LOCAL ADVENTURE NEWS FLASH!

Calling residents and visitors to central NJ!  Looking for something to do this beautiful January weekend? According to the weather channel, it is going to be sunny and in the mid-high 40s, so why not do something outside?

Here's two local offerings, both being held this weekend:

• Celebrate Chinese New Year at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ with the Yang Yi Guzheng Academy.  Master musician Yang Yi will lead his students in a heartbreaking concert featuring the sounds of the guzheng, a 21-string instrument dating back to ancient China.  The concert is part of the "Winter Wonders" series of events being held at Grounds for Sculpture throughout February.  The performance is being held on SUNDAY, JANUARY 29th at 2 p.m., and is free with paid admission to Grounds for Sculpture.

 For more information about Grounds for Sculpture, see www.groundsforsculpture.org And be sure to check out my full-length article on their Winter Wonders posted below!

• Looking for something a little more energetic?  How about ice harvesting?  TODAY, JANUARY 28th, is the Howell Living History Farm's annual ICE HARVEST.  Visitors to the farm can help Howell staff cut, chop, and shave ice, and can help make ice cream.  The ice will be stored in an authentic ice house, and will last all year long.  If it is cold enough, visitors may even be able to use an old fashioned ice saw to harvest ice from the frozen pond.  The ice cream-making will be held at 1:00 and 3:00 pm; the ice harvesting is ongoing.  Howell Farm, located in Lambertville, NJ, is also offering ice candle making for kids, between 11:00 am-3:00 pm., for a $3 materials fee.  Admission to Howell and the ice harvest activities is FREE.  They will also be offering food and beverages for sale. It is LOADS of fun (we went with our Cub Scout den one year) so head on over and harvest some ice!

For more information about Howell Farm, visit www.howellfarm.org .  

My Thoughts on Shawnee Mountain Ski Resort, Part I


As I mentioned before, our trip to the Poconos was ostensibly to go skiing at Shawnee Mountain.  Let me say first that I think Shawnee Mountain would be a great place to visit year-round, and I plan on heading back out there in warmer weather. Minutes from the Delaware, right near the Gap, Shawnee is surrounded by natural beauty, and the nearby town on Shawnee-on-Delaware is as rustic and quaint as you would expect.

Full disclosure time--I am by no means a good skier.  I am perfectly happy staying on the beginner and mild intermediate slopes, and will NEVER EVER ski on anything harder (unless I lose control and can't turn fast enough to avoid heading straight for the black diamond trail).  So my opinion of Shawnee or any ski mountain is based on its level of family-friendliness and amenities, not its difficulty level.

Having said that, I really liked Shawnee.  It advertises itself as being beginner-friendly, and it is.  If offers plenty of group and private lessons for young and old, and its lesson/rental packages are very reasonably priced, even on a holiday weekend.  In fact, its overall prices, especially combined with the coupons it offers, are very reasonable as well.

Shawnee has plenty of easy and moderate trails, as well as more difficult ones, but what I liked the best was the "bunny hill" or the easiest trail.  Right next to the area dedicated to ski school, the beginner slope is wide and easily accessibly by both a conveyor belt and a ski lift, so skiers can take their pick. So I could ski down the beginner slope while my kids were at their lesson, and I could watch them and warm up for skiing all at the same time.  Then, once their lesson was over, they only had to go a very short distance to hope on the conveyor belt and try out their new skills.  Nice planning and layout on Shawnee's part, and one strong reason why I would recommend Shawnee for families, especially for those with younger or beginner skiers.

Stay tuned for Part II!

Woohoo!  I got my first question on my blog (although it was posted on facebook, not here).  But it still emasn that someone actually read this, so it's all good.

Ok, the questions: price of admission and food at the Pocono Snake and Animal Farm, and how far a drive it is from central NJ.

Admission prices: adults $7.50, seniors $6.50, children 2-12 $5.50, under 2 are free.  The food (for the animals) is $2 per item (baby bottle, cup of bear pellets, etc.).  There is no people food or cafeteria on site.

East Stroudsburg is is just west of the Delaware River, and so is very close to northern NJ. From central NJ the trip is a bit further; approximately 2 hours each way.

Hope this helps!

As some of you may know, my family and I love to travel, and I take us all over the place--from local New Jersey spots to distant lands.  Our most recent adventure was to head northwest to Shawnee on Delaware, PA. There, we went skiing, snowtubing, and visited several unusual places, including a snake farm and a haunted candle shop.  I will be writing about our adventures and misadventures over the next several posts. In the meantime, if the idea of visiting a snake farm (really a very quaint small zoo) appeals to you, check out an article I recently published about the Pocono Snake and Animal Farm in East Stroudsburg, PA. It's posted on my blog.

Enjoy!



 

Vacationing in The Poconos? Need a Break From Skiing? Why Not Visit Some Snakes? | Scienceray

Vacationing in The Poconos? Need a Break From Skiing? Why Not Visit Some Snakes? | Scienceray

My first blog

Well, here goes nothing. . .this is a "test blog" to see if I've set this up the right way. . .and who knows, maybe I'll get the hang of this!  After all, if 75% of the population (more or less) has a blog or two--or twenty--how hard can it be, right?