I’ve been wanting to go to the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in Croton-on-Hudson for a long time, and finally did it. Interested in seeing Blaze with kids in Hudson Valley? Here’s what you’ll see, and what you need to know.

Your Guide to Family-Friendly Day Trips in New Jersey, New York…and Beyond
I’ve been wanting to go to the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in Croton-on-Hudson for a long time, and finally did it. Interested in seeing Blaze with kids in Hudson Valley? Here’s what you’ll see, and what you need to know.
We visited Storm King this summer, having visited it in 2013. Given the COVID situation, it was time for an updated blog post, visiting Storm King during the pandemic. Keep in mind that the situation is always changing, so please check the Storm King website before you go.
Our annual NYC holiday windows post! Enjoy.
Bloomingdale’s 2017 holiday windows
Bloomingdale’s NYC holiday windows holiday windows are inspired by the Greatest Showman, the new movie coming out about PT Barnum. You’ll find circus performers galore, and some windows with magical elements. You’ll also find a fortune teller, where you can get your own fortune. Here are Bloomingdale’s holiday windows from 2016.
You’ve probably seen glass artist Dale Chihuly’s work before. But it’s lovely to see it in the garden settings of the New York Botanical Garden, where it will be through October.
For this exhibition, there are plenty of his older works, and a few made for this show. We went over to see it on a beautiful summer day. It was my first time at the NYBG as well, so I didn’t know what to expect. We spent four hours there, and still didn’t see all the gardens (though we saw all the Chihulys, I think). Continue reading “Review: Chihuly at New York Botanical Gardens”
My kids have been wanting to try indoor skydiving for quite awhile. My mother surprised us all with a session at iFly when we were visiting them in Phoenix. While there is an iFly in Westchester, there is currently none in NJ, though they told us that one or two were opening up here in the next year. Here’s our iFly review.
What was surprising to me is Continue reading “Review: iFly Indoor Skydiving”
Every winter we see listings for maple sugaring tours, and every year we seem to be busy or forget to go. This year we finally went. What will you learn on a maple sugaring tour? A lot!
We went to the Great Swamp in New Jersey for our education. They were offering two sessions on a weekend afternoon – for $3/person (though no one asked for or collected money – and we checked in at the outdoor education center desk).
While there’s no way to know for sure who discovered maple sugar, Continue reading “What You Will Learn on a Maple Sugar Tour”
We stayed at the Staybridge Suites on our visit to the Corning in Corning Museum of Glass.
We visited Corning NY on a beautiful fall day. While it rained in the morning, these were the sunny skies we got later. Most people visit Corning to see the Corning Museum of Glass (our review here) and even to make their own glass.
If you have time to visit the Gaffer’s District downtown (gaffer being a term used for a glassblower), check it out. You can walk from the Corning Museum of Glass – it takes probably 15 minutes at a good pace. There is parking downtown, though. Continue reading “Visiting Corning New York and the Rockwell Museum”
If you plan a trip to the Corning Museum of Glass with kids, don’t overlook the Make Your Own Glass experience. The kids will be very excited to do this, and to be honest, it’s awesome for adults as well.
Continue reading “Make Your Own Glass Review – Corning Museum of Glass with Kids”
What’s it like to go to the Corning Museum of Glass with kids? I heard its holdings were extensive and one could easily spend a complete day or two there, exploring the galleries. I thought they might be bored. Turns out they loved it. While others could spend days there, our visit was limited to 3 hours (including the “make your own glass” experience – separate post). And that was enough time to see much of the museum, even though we rushed through the very large 35 Centuries of Glass gallery, as the kids were running out of steam.
Interactive Fun Continue reading “Review: Corning Museum of Glass with Kids”