Day Trip: Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park

With history buff family in town, we took a day trip this summer to visit two Hudson River mansions in Hyde Park, the Roosevelt mansion and the Vanderbilt Mansion. I’ll post separately.

The Vanderbilt Mansion. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Admittedly I knew little about the Vanderbilts before we went, so the history was quite interesting. I can confirm I already knew about clothing designer Gloria Vanderbilt (I coveted her jeans in high school) and her very cute son Anderson Cooper. As for the rest of the family, I get lost in the family tree, especially since half of them seemed to be named Cornelius.

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Review: Bring it On – the Musical

When we had friends in town who wanted to see a Broadway show, I looked through the list that would be family-friendly (and shows we haven’t already seen). We settled on Bring it On the musical, a Broadway adaption of a movie. I was a little wary about the subject matter, having never been a cheerleader myself, nor having cheerleader aspirations. The show was a lot of fun, though, and taught some good lessons about being true to yourself and being nice to other people.

the countdown before the show was similar to what you’d find in a sports arena

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Contest: Halloween at the New York Botanical Gardens

How do you like to spend Halloween? The New York Botanical Garden has a haunted pumpkin garden. You can win 4 tickets to go – info at the bottom.

I carved this myself! Ha ha, just kidding.

I haven’t been to the New York Botanical Garden (but the rest of my family went a few years ago when I was at a conference). They loved it. And this event looks like fun. Lots of carved pumpkin sculptures.

It runs from October 6-31, and has tons of different kid-friendly activities. The Haunted Pumpkin Garden is located in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, open daily with guided activities from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends. That might include a parade, dissecting owl pellets, potting buckwheat seeds to take home or decorating science bags for fall collections.

On other days there are pumpkin carving demonstrations, a pumpkin party, a pumpkin carving weekend, carving workshops, and spooky nighttime adventures.

See the whole schedule here.

Pumpkins greeting you at the entrance to the gardens.

Tickets are $20-25/nonmember adults, $8-10/nonmember kids, and $15/members. Prices vary depending on the date (there’s no “one price” on the website – it’s a little confusing).

CONTEST

Want to win a 4-pack of tickets to use any day from October 6-31? You’ll have access to the rest of the gardens as well, including a narrated tram tour and other exhibitions. Post an entry below stating your favorite Halloween tradition. Also leave me your email address, so I can let you know if you won. If you don’t want to put your email address below, still leave an entry, but email me telling me which entry is yours, at blog (at) jerseykids (dot) net. Entries must be received by Saturday, September 29 at 6 p.m., and you must reply to my email within 24 hours or I’ll move on to the next person. Winner will be chosen using random.org.

Treat of the Day: Dylan’s Candy BAR (the alcoholic type)

I’m sure you know about Dylan’s Candy Bar, and all the candy it contains. In fact, it was a Treat of the Day sometime back. However on our recent visit, my husband saw a sign outside for happy hour. What does that mean in a candy store? Well, it turns out they have an actual bar upstairs, in the same area that you can get ice cream treats. It’s slightly roped off and we had to show ID to get in (though  they let our kids in with us, stamping their hands).

This is what lured us into to Dylan’s Candy BAR.

They served drinks like a S’more shot, with marshmallow vodka, whipped vodka, creme de cacao, and garnished with a graham cracker rim. Or try a Sugar Rush Shooter with different vodkas (cake, coconut, whipped cream) and a sugar rim.

Drinks garnished with candy at Dylan’s Candy Bar.

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Commemorating 9/11 2013

September 11th has a more intense meaning for us now that we live in New Jersey. The house we live in was once owned by a couple, whose husband perished in the Twin Towers. Living here is a daily reminder.

The 11th anniversary is upon us, and I just wanted to put out a few resources on where you can find information on how to discuss the day with your children.

The 9/11 memorial in Manhattan opened last year, on the 10th anniversary. The museum is not yet open, however there are lesson plans available. These were developed by teachers, through the New York City Department of Education, and the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education. You don’t have to be a credentialed teacher to use them, of course. As parents, we’re all teachers. The site also has tips on how to talk to your children about 9/11.

The photo above is the Empty Sky memorial in Jersey City. It was dedicated last year to those in New Jersey who lost their lives on 9/11. It’s a beautiful memorial, and you can see steel from the World Trace Center in the foreground. The names of those lost are inscribed inside the walkway on the stone panels. The view? Well, yes. That’s where the Twin Towers stood.

MommyPopppins has  fabulous list of ways to commemorate the day with your family, with a lot of resources. Please check it out.

Our thoughts go to all who lost friends and family members on that horrific day, and to those who died in the aftermath of helping in rescue and clean-up efforts.

Treat of the Day: The Chocolate Bar

Our favorite dessert spot in Westfield is the Chocolate Bar, and we’ve been there many, many times. They sell gelato and all sorts of chocolate items, including chocolate covered brownies, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate covered graham crackers, chocolate dipped pizzelles, chocolate dipped biscotti, almond bark, chocolate covered strawberries, truffles, gourmet coffee and more.

The Chocolate Bar (they have no website) is at 112 Quimby Street in Westfield.

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Review: Zarkana at Radio City Music Hall

I took my 11 year old daughter to see Cirque du Soleil’s Zarkana at Radio City Music Hall this past weekend. The show closes on September 2, so if you’re looking for a show to see soon, go see it. We loved it. (Zarkana heads to Las Vegas next, so you can catch it there. I saw Ka in Las Vegas and loved it. Completely different show and concept).

Zarkana is self-described as an acrobatic rock opera blending circus arts with the surreal. I think that’s a decent description. There are some spoilers in here, so don’t read the review if you want everything to be new and surprising.

They also describe the story this way: “The story follows Zark, a magician who has lost his powers – and the love of his life – in an abandoned theatre populated by a motley collection of off-the-wall characters and incomparable acrobats. He runs into the Mutants, four sirens as sinister as they are fabulous, who are determined to divert him from his quest.” Continue reading “Review: Zarkana at Radio City Music Hall”

Review: King Sauna (King Spa Fitness)

A few years back, I read an article in New Jersey Monthly about King Sauna in Palisades Park. And my interest was piqued. I love trying new spa experiences, especially after going to one in Turkey. So when the kids were off in camp and I didn’t have to worry about what time to pick them up, I drove to Palisades Park.

When you check in, you get a wristband with your locker key and a bar code you use for any purchases. They give you a toothbrush, large shower towel, and a smaller hand towel which you bring with you as you sauna. They also give you a “uniform,” pink for women, white for men. They were like scrubs material, but shorts and t-shirt. They flattered NO ONE.

Unfortunately the women’s locker room and spa was under renovation, so we were in a much smaller locker room, and the spa (hot tubs, showers, bathing area, steam room) wasn’t as nice as the one in the pictures online. That said, they’re supposed to have the changes finished this weekend. Continue reading “Review: King Sauna (King Spa Fitness)”