Review: Sleepover at the Liberty Science Center

There’s nothing like being at a Liberty Science Center Camp-In with 900 Cub Scouts and (some of) their parents.

One of the advantages to a museum sleepover is a behind the scenes look. You won’t get that here, but what you do get is presumably a smaller crowd than you’d get on a weekend. Of course if you’re there with almost 900 Cub Scouts, you’ll find that they all want to do the same things: race cars.

Even if you don’t want to read about the sleep-over portion – this post has a regular review in it too – keep reading.

The LSC does have a number of evening programs like you’d find during normal open hours – and like open hours, you can go to the programs or explore the museum on your own. While we were there, they offered two live science presentations (one on electricity and one on the four states of matter), and two lab programs (one on infections, and one on the Hudson Home lab).

The museum is too huge to tell all, so I’ll just pinpoint some of the highlights. You can’t see the whole museum in one trip.

Liberty Science Center lobby
Liberty Science Center lobby with collapsible sphere.  Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

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Review: Big Apple Circus – Legendarium

This was my first time at the Big Apple Circus, having been to many other circuses. What I loved most about it was its size. It was an intimate circus, without extraneous characters running around. Everyone counted and the show was high quality.

The ring before the show started. The middle has a listing of the performers. The live band is above the entrance in the lit-up area. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
The ring before the show started. The middle has a listing of the performers. The live band is above the entrance in the lit-up area. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

I brought three 11 year old girls to the show and they loved it, as did the younger kids sitting around us. With only 16 rows of seats (about 1,700 total guests), you’ll have a good view no matter where you sit. I’ll tell the story mostly through photos. Continue reading “Review: Big Apple Circus – Legendarium”

Review: Mountain Creek Tubing

As I posted earlier this week, we went ziplining at Mountain Creek Resort in Vernon, New Jersey. As part of the package, we also went tubing at Mountain Creek. Last time we went tubing was probably 3 years ago, so we were quite excited to go.

Mountain Creek apparently has the largest tubing space in the United States, if all 30 lanes are open. They weren’t all open when we were there (I think I counted 15 open, but don’t hold me to that).

One of the tubing hills at Mountain Creek resort in NJ. It's empty because all the tubers go down at the same time, and they haven't shoved off yet. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
One of the tubing hills at Mountain Creek resort in NJ. It’s empty because all the tubers go down at the same time, and they haven’t shoved off yet. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

You book a 2 hour window for tubing. Reservations are highly recommended because apparently they sell out. But if you make a reservation and show up late, you still only get your reserved 2 hours. Just so you know.

Unfortunately we missed tubing with Juicy Joe and Teresa Guidice and family, who were there about a week before us. Bummer! I would have LOVED that photo op. Continue reading “Review: Mountain Creek Tubing”

Review: Mountain Creek Ziplining

When I told my husband we were going ziplining, he said “In WINTER? Don’t they offer it in summer?” I started having second thoughts, thinking about the cold wind in our faces and the waiting time in the snow. But it was a little late to cancel. At the worst, I figured we’d have something to laugh about in our holiday letter -how stupid were we to zipline in the winter?

IMG_3548

Turns out we had nothing to worry about. The skies were blue, and even with temperatures in the 30s, it could not have been a nicer (winter) day to be “flying.”

We arrived at the Zoom Zipline office at Mountain Creek’s Cobblestone Village (across the street from the Red Tail Lodge) at our starting time. Inside they had waivers to sign and the harnesses and helmets laid out. They helped us put them on and adjust them, going over a few rules.

ziplining harness and helmet? check. copyright deborah abrams kaplan

 We headed over the pedestrian bridge to the right of the Cab Ride (the lift at the lodge base). The first zip line was a practice one, low to the ground and only 200 feet long. We learned about the correct flying position (seated in our harness, legs straight out, hands wherever you want them) and the landing position (knees pulled in to the chest, hands on the bar above) and we all had a turn. There were 13 of us, so it took awhile.

The intro zipline - 200 feet long. copyright deborah abrams kaplan
The intro zipline – 200 feet long. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

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A Night at the Races – Horse Races that is

Touch and Go. Trend Spotter. That’s Justice. The Pokester. Tricky Jakeskyscape. Get Jazzed. Marjorly Bad. Dinner Guest. Nathan Feelsgood. Ol’ Man River. He Rocks It. Get it Now. Golden Receiver. Betterthanlynx. Bullet Bob. Boiler Bob the QB. Bakin on the Beach. Fiftyshadesdarker. Fiveknuckleshuffle. Fool of Ideas. Fresh Dream. Midas Blue Chip. Musselsfrmbrussels. Mysterious Moment. Western Tsunami. Versado. Voice of Truth. Sonic Dancer. Sheer Desire. Sea Me Now. Saywhatuneedtosay.

Losers.
Losers.

Do you know where I’m going with this? Roller derby? Nope. Horse racing. We went. Should you?

Jockey Debbie sitting in a sulky. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
Jockey Debbie sitting in a sulky. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

I didn’t really think that New Jersey would have horse racing – in JANUARY – at night, no less. But they do, at the Meadlowlands Race Track. We went a Harness Meet. Those of us not “in the know” called chariot racing or cart racing. Why? Continue reading “A Night at the Races – Horse Races that is”

Review: Shawnee Mountain Ski Resort

It’s been almost 2 years since the kids learned to ski at Vermont’s Smuggler’s Notch. We were worried they would forget everything. So we planned a day trip over the MLK holiday weekend to Shawnee Mountain in Pennsylvania, which was close enough for a day trip and offered plenty of beginner-friendly hills.

Shawnee’s Lodge

We were surprised how much the kids improved in that one day, and we were impressed with Shawnee.

We used Shawnee’s Quick Rental program to book the kids’ rental/lift ticket package online. It didn’t save us money, but it saved us time (and it was easier on the staff as well). It was a little confusing, but here’s what you do. Bring your booking form (print it out when you order) to the Guest Services office. They’ll give you the lift tickets (but only for those who are part of the package. My husband and I had our own skis and paid for tickets ahead of time – we had to get those at the ticket window). Continue reading “Review: Shawnee Mountain Ski Resort”

Coming Up: Big Birthday Bash Expo – Union and Essex Counties

If you’re looking for birthday party planning ideas, you’ll want to check out the Big Birthday Bash Expo hosted by New Jersey Moms Guide in Union and Essex counties. (And check out our own Jersey Kids birthday guide). We have a 50% off code listed in the ticket section.

The Big Birthday Bash Expo will have more than 35 local businesses represented, offering birthday party venues, bakeries, stores, entertainment, and other types of vendors. Bring the kids because they’ll have free activities including a photo booth, face painting, crafts, music, dancing, balloon artists, princess appearances and birthday cake. Plus kids all get goody bags.

Here’s who is on tap for the Garwood event: Bath Junkie, Little Gym, Little Scoops, My Gym, Mr. Ray, My FairyTale Parties, Gigi’s Parties, Pure Dance Movement, Dancer’s Point, Peggy’s Cake Balls, Build N Blocks, Birthday 411, Jersey Party Services, Covered in Candies, Mad Science Birthday Parties, Screamin’ Parties, Photos by Lillie, Parti-licious, DoddleBugz, Preschool of Rock, and more.

Tickets: presale for the events are $10/person, $18/ 2 tickets. Or $35 for a family pack of 4. Use code “jerseykids” (without quotes) when checking out and save 50%.

Where/When:

Union County vendors: The Westwood (438 North Avenue in Garwood) is on Saturday, February 2nd from 1-4. Cake cutting is at 2 and 3.

Essex County vendors: Dancer’s Point (20 Millburn Avenue in Springfield) is on Sunday, February 24 from 1-4.

 

Kids’ Night on Broadway 2013 – NYC

 

Kids’ Night on Broadway is coming up soon, February 25- March 3, 2013. That means you can take the kids (ages 6-18) to a Broadway show for free, when you buy a ticket at full price. In addition to discounted shows, you can get discounted meals (kids eat free) and cheaper parking – plus some pre-theater events. Lots of great shows to choose from, including Annie, the Lion King, Wicked, Mary Poppins, Newsies and Mamma Mia.

HOW IT WORKS

You buy a ticket for one of the participating shows (see the list here) and your kid gets in free. Fine print – you buy tickets in pairs of two – one adult, one kid. If you have an extra kid (1 adult 2 kids, or 2 adults 5 kids, etc.) you pay full price for the extra kid’s ticket. All the tickets (in pairs) will print out at 50% off, and you have to pay the fees (ticketmaster, etc.) for each ticket. Make sure to use the link on the Kids’ Night Out website or use the discount code they provide. That’s it!

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, January 9 at 10 a.m. at the KNOB site. If you’re serious about which show you want, get online that second. The tickets go very quickly for the top shows. Know that some shows are only available Monday through Friday night, maybe with a Wednesday matinee – tough if you live further away and you don’t want your child staying up late on a school night. And the weekend shows are the first to sell out. I tried going online for a presale on Friday (if you sign up for the email list, you’ll get on the presale list). I decided not to skip my exercise class and went online an hour after the presale opened. All the tickets I wanted were gone (don’t worry, they open up a new set of tickets for the regular KNOB sale).

The participating shows are not all appropriate for all ages. Avenue Q, for example, I LOVE. But I would not take my kids to see it (they’re 9 and 11). I have no desire to explain drunken hook-ups and puppet sex to them. But you should get a babysitter and go on your own, outside of Kids’ Night on Broadway. Jersey Boys is the same thing. Not appropriate for my kids (I saw it in Vegas) but a fabulous show. They’ll have to wait until they’re older. While my kids have heard the soundtrack for Chicago (over and over and over) – do I want them watching the show? Uh, probably not. So use your own judgment!

 

Review: Yotel

I’ve been wanting to check out Yotel for some time, and finally made it there when I went to a toy show. One of the nice women working in the information area agreed to take me to see some rooms. I didn’t realize how generous she was going to be, as she took me to a lot of rooms to give me a good idea of the various types they have. My kids were in heaven and wanted to stay there.

Yotel is at 10th Avenue and 42nd Street, an easy walk from Times Square (and Port Authority). The hotel is more economical than many, with rooms starting at $149 (in winter, for the smallest room for 2) and going up from there.

The front of Yotel, on 42nd and 10th. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Yotel is a very funky hotel with smaller than average rooms (think cruise ship), and they actually call them cabins. The space is well designed though, and you kind of forget about the size when you realize how much else it offers. Like great design! Yotel in NYC is the only actual freestanding hotel in its group – the other three are airport hotels at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports, and Amsterdam’s airport, where you can book by the hour without worrying feeling like you’re in a brothel.

Leave your luggage with YOBOT while you hit the town on your first or last day in town. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

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