We’ve long wanted to try Ninety Acres, a culinary center located in a restored carriage house. My in-laws came to visit, and offered to take us for our birthdays. Ninety Acres is part of the Natirar (Raritan spelled backwards) resort in Somerset County. They have a private club, event/meeting spaces, celebration spaces, a farm, a park…quite beautiful and refined.
The Ninety Acres building, a restored carriage house
Ninety Acres offers locally grown and sourced foods when possible, When you eat at Ninety Acres, you choose between a regular menu and the “Bring Me Food” (BMF) menu, which was the source of much confusion for our family. With BMF you will not get a menu at all (well I got one, but that’s because I was taking notes, and they felt bad for me. So they brought one but made me promise not to look at it until the end). Continue reading “Review: Ninety Acres – “Bring Me Food””
We’ve been the New York Aquarium a couple of times now, and we really like it. It’s on the Coney Island boardwalk, so you can go from the aquarium to the beach to the rides with no effort. They have the usual exhibits, like jellyfish, seahorses, sharks, fur seals, sea lions, walruses, sea otters, penguins, turtles, sting rays, a reef and shore area. They have 4-D movies (extra) and a sea lion show, plus special exhibits.
Fun facts:
President Theodore Roosevelt was the person who demonized the piranha, whose sharp teeth are legendary. He wrote about a school of piranhas attacking a bleeding cow while visiting the Amazon. In reality, the tour guide threw the cow in the water to make the trip seem more exciting, and the fish were starving and trapped. Continue reading “Review: New York Aquarium with Kids”
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Eleni’s in Manhattan’s Chelsea Market was a delight. Their specialty is cookies – you’ll see how each of them is decorated like its own piece of art. They have a wall of different design groups. Their cupcakes are also scrumptious. And kosher and baked in a nut-free factory. Take a look at what you’ll find throughout the store.
Field Station: Dinoaurs opened in Secaucus this past Memorial Day, and I’d been dying to take the kids. It was a busy summer, however, and we finally made it there! I brought two boys, both age 9, and I wasn’t sure if they’d be too old. They weren’t, though some of the activities were a little young for them.
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.
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.
