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things to do, new jersey, long beach island, LBI, cape may, Atlantic City, AC, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island
4 Things to Do in Jersey Before You Die
 4 Things to Do in Jersey Before You Die 960 639 Emilie
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Why let tourists have all of the fun? Sometimes when we live in one place for a long time, we forget about all of the amazing things that our state has to offer. Start treating Jersey like a tourist, and don’t forget to visit these four destinations while you are living in the Garden State.

Cape May

Many know Cape May for its beautiful shorelines, but it’s also a cozy and colorful shore town. You can find a huge number of things to do in Cape May from Visit NJ and Trip Advisor, but we have picked out some of our favorites. Check out local wineries, like Cape May Winery, Turdo Vineyards, and Willow Creek Winery. Visit Historic Spring Cold Village, where you can enjoy historic buildings with blacksmiths, pottery, basket weaving, farm animals, and more. You can also visit the Nature Center of Cape May or attend the Cape May Jazz Festival in November. Cape May is the epitome of a quaint beach town. Grab some ice cream, enjoy the shore, and walk down streets lined with Victorian homes: you won’t be sorry.

Cape May, New Jersey, Houses, Street, Town, Outside

Atlantic City

Although AC may seem like Las Vegas’s ignored younger sibling, it would be a shame to live in Jersey and never head over to the casinos, enormous boardwalk, and entertainment that Atlantic City has to offer. AC has some amazing concerts approaching, such as Lady Antebellum on 8/14, The Zac Brown Band on 9/1, and Blink 182 on 9/5. AC is also home to The Miss America Pageant in September, as well as many comedy shows from your famous comedians. In fact, the city hosts its own Comedy Festival in October. Check out all of AC’s upcoming events here. Apart from all of the city’s amazing events, you can always visit the AC Ballet, Aquarium, Symphony, Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum, spas, shopping, and much, much more. Learn about everything Atlantic City has to offer at their website here.

Atlantic, City, Ocean, Beach, Hotel, Casino, Vacation

Long Beach Island

LBI is another shore town that Jersey is famous for, and it only takes one visit to understand why. LBI is the perfect essence of beach paradise- surrounded by tons of shore towns and a long, beautiful beach. The island also has tons of vacation homes that you can rent for the week or weekend, giving you your own private space while you visit. In LBI you can find spas, golf courses, sailing, and much more. To learn even more about how to spend your vacation in LBI, check out LongBeachIsland.com.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

Every Jersey resident knows that Ellis Island is located in New Jersey, not New York. Take pride of our monument, and take a day trip to climb the statue yourself. Between the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, you’re bound to learn something new. Basic tickets for the statue are $25, but you can head all the way up to the crown for only an additional $3.

Statue Of Liberty, New York, Ny, Nyc, New York City

Long Beach Island photo courtesy of NJHomeWatch.com at https://njhomewatch.com
new jersey, state fair, sussex county, fair, festival, fairgrounds, things to do, weekend
8 Reasons to Go to The State Fair this Weekend!
 8 Reasons to Go to The State Fair this Weekend! 960 640 Emilie
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Local fairs and festivals are fun, but there’s nothing like going to a giant state fair. This coming weekend is the first weekend of the New Jersey State Fair, which ranges from August 5th-14th. The fair is located at the Sussex County Fairgrounds, and will be open from 10 AM to 10 PM each day. The fair has so many amazing things to do, with great food and great vendors. But if I haven’t convinced you yet, take a look below at all of the best parts of the fair you’ll want to check out this weekend. For a full list of things to do, check out the schedule here.

Carnival: Open from noon to 10 PM each night, the carnival captures the essence of a great fair. Full of games, a ferris wheel, carnival rides, and tons of festival food: it’s sure to keep you entertained for hours.

Freestyle Motocross Show: 7:30 PM Saturday. Hosted in the Miller Lite Outdoor Entertainment Area, the motocross show is completely free. Grab a beer, and watch the show! Monster Truck rides are also available from 11 AM- 6 PM for $7 a piece.

Ronetco Supermarkets Family Entertainment: The Ronetco Family Entertainment Area has a huge number of fun and exciting things to do all day long. Both Saturday and Sunday you will find a chainsaw artist, racing pigs, and a Butterfly Encounter exhibit. There is also a petting zoo, magician, and pony rides.

Agricultural Shows: Various animal shows- including those for steer, sheep and swine- will occur throughout the day both Saturday and Sunday. The agricultural area also has barns of animals, a milking parlor with daily milkings, an agricultural museum, farmers market, and daily tractor parade at 2 PM. Saturday there will also be a Woodchopper’s competition from 7-10 PM, and a Fiddler’s Competition starting at 3 PM on Sunday.

Oxen Pull: 11 AM Sunday. The pull is completely free, and located in the Miller Lite Outdoor Entertainment Area. Or, see oxen demonstrations in the agricultural area- around 6 PM on Saturday, and around 4:30 PM on Sunday.

Demolition Derby: 7:30 PM Sunday. Also hosted in the Miller Lite Outdoor Area, the Demolition Derby is unfortunately not free (unlike the motocross show the previous night). You can get tickets at the admissions office until 3 PM, and at the Miller Lite Outdoor Area until 4 PM. Tickets cost $11 a piece.

Music and Performing Arts: The performing arts tent has different performers each day. This Saturday, the tent will have a Tribute to the Troops for most of the day, followed by an 8 PM Queen of the Fair pageant. Sunday, bands will be playing from 2:30-10 PM, including Country Cousins, Whiskey Crossing, and The Royal Dumonts.

Art and Food Shows: The Richard Building is a great place to find art and food shows: with photography, art, honey shows, and even a chili contest on Sunday at 1 PM. The Richards Building is also home to 1 PM wine awards and 3 PM beer awards on Saturday. There are also vegetable and forage shows each day in the greenhouse.

Check out the fair this weekend to see everything New Jersey has to offer! You will also find horseback riders at the horse show area of the fair, a crafts tent, 4H exhibits, and more!

 

 

things to do, national parks, new jersey, shenandoah, assateague island, cuyahoga, healthy living, getaway
National Parks and Landmarks Near Jersey: Trips for a Long Weekend
 National Parks and Landmarks Near Jersey: Trips for a Long Weekend 688 483 Emilie
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Living in NJ, we certainly aren’t as close to a great number of National Parks and recreation areas: at least not compared to those who live in California or Utah! Here are some of the best National and State Parks to visit from NJ, even if you only have a long weekend. Leave Thursday night after work and come back midday Sunday! Each of the following trip lengths are estimated from a location in central NJ.

Shenandoah National Park, VA. Approximately 4 hr 20 min drive. Shenandoah National Park is the most easily accessible National Park if you live in New Jersey. Shenandoah actually has a Night Sky Festival this weekend, with telescope, constellation and solar scope viewing, as well as tons of other activities! Every weekend, however, you can go hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing and rock climbing. Shenandoah has hundreds of miles of hiking trails, including a substantial section of the Appalachian Trail. That means that no matter your skill level there will definitely be a trail suitable to your abilities. The most hiked trail in Shenandoah is Old Rag Mountain, which is an amazing day hike with great views. Only skilled hikers should attempt this hike, and you should prepare your knowledge of the hike ahead of time. Guided horseback riding tours are available, or you can bring your own horse! Or, go EarthCaching and learn all about the nature within Shenandoah. Lodging includes everything from modern suites, to rustic cabins, to old fashioned camping.

Assateague Island National Seashore and State Park, MD. Approximately 3 hr 50 min drive to shoreline (plus short ferry ride to island). Although you may know about Chincoteague Island, many have never heard of Assateague. Chincoteague is famous for its annual pony swim (remember the book Misty of Chincoteague?). During the swim, wild ponies are herded from Assateague, where they live, to Chincoteague, where foals are auctioned off to prevent the Assateague herd from growing too large. Although the pony swim occurred just this past weekend, you can still camp right on Assateague Island! Wild ponies roam the island, and will wander around your campsite. The island itself is beautiful, with salt marshes and beachy shoreline. Campsites are available for tents, trailers, and even horses. The island also has hiking trails and tons of beach to explore.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, OH. Approximately 6.5 hour drive. Cuyahoga is the National Park with the second shortest drive for Jersey Residents. It’s the farthest destination on this list, but well worth the drive. Or, if you’d prefer, the flight is only about an hour and a half long. The park is absolutely beautiful, including amazing sites like the Ritchie Ledges, the Frazee House from 1825, the Everett Covered Bridge, the Boston Store Visiting Center from 1836, Beaver Marsh, and the Towpath Trail, which follows the Ohio and Erie Canal. Go Questing, in which you follow clues from one location in the park to another. You can also go kayaking or canoeing, whether you have your own boat or need to rent one. You can also go hiking, biking, golfing or birdwatching in or around the park. There is a large variety of lodging: from the B&B overlooking Brandywine Falls, to campsites along Towpath Trail.

Catoctin Mountain Park, MD. Approximately 3 hour 10 min drive. Catoctin is a beautiful park that few people from Jersey have ever heard of, and the drive isn’t even that long! The park has beautiful creeks and 25 miles of hiking trails for the newby or experienced hiker. Trails include: a 5 mile trail that brings you to Cunningham Falls, Hog Rock Vista, and Blue Ridge Summit (with a 1,520 ft altitude), a 2.5 mile trail to Thurmont vista (with an altitude of approximately the same height), and the Chimney Rock loop which culminates in the stunning view seen below. Catoctin has lots of housing options, with many cabins dating back to the 1930s. Camp Greentop (which has cabins fitting 140 people) is actually considered a historic district, and has its own Dining Hall and Recreation Area. There are also camping sites, and every site has a picnic table and grill.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park photo courtesy of NationalGeographic.com. All other images and all information courtesy of nps.gov.

things to do, jersey, weekend, getaway, activities, camping, flea market, lambertville, new hope, princeton
10 Things to Do for Your Best Jersey Weekend
 10 Things to Do for Your Best Jersey Weekend 960 635 Emilie
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With the end of your work week rapidly approaching, we’re sure you can’t wait to have fun this weekend! The great thing about Jersey is there are always so many amazing things to do, and we have some great suggestions. From activities right in your backyard to daily getaways, take a look at our list below to get some fun ideas for the weekend.

1. Camping. Camping is the perfect activity for the summer months! Get the whole family away from technology and spend some time hiking, swimming, reading, and just talking and playing games. Taking the whole family to cook on the camping stove (or the fire), set up tents, and gaze at the stars will be sure to bring everyone closer together. Look here to find campsites near you, or you can even set up a tent in your backyard! Just make sure your kids don’t have keys to get back inside the house!

2. Have a Bonfire. Nothing says “summer” like a huge bonfire. You can get a cheap bonfire pit at Walmart for less than $40, and you can use it for years to come. Make some s’mores and tell your scariest campfire stories. You can even pick up some glow sticks and grab some other candy (like Reeses) for some special s’mores. For the adults in your group, check out Brit + Co’s s’moretini recipe for a sweet drink with an extra kick.

3. Flea market. Not only are flea markets a ton of fun, the whole family can look to find projects to fix up together. By finding antiques that your kids can sand down, repaint, or otherwise repair, they will quickly learn the reward of hard work. Furthermore, it will lead them to get up and moving! Find a project for the whole family to work on and you will have some great bonding time. I personally love the Golden Nugget flea market in Lambertville, but you can check out New Jersey Isn’t Boring‘s list here to find a good flea market near you.

4. Lambertville/New Hope. Right on the NJ border, Lambertville is situated in NJ, and New Hope is located in PA. The two towns have great relations, and you can easily cross between the two via a short walk over the connecting bridge. The twin towns thrive off of their artsy reputations, and have countless unique shops: lots of antique stores, the Lambertville Pasha Rugs store, Moo Hope ice cream shop, Olive-n-Grape (the New Hope seasoning and olive oil store), cafes, and tons of other unique options.

5. Head to the Shore. This weekend is going to be a scorcher, so how better to enjoy it than to head down to the shore? Grab a cooler, some umbrellas and chairs, and get ready for a great day in the sand.

6. Princeton. Head into Princeton with the whole family and you won’t be sorry! With a cute town, lots of shopping, and a beautiful university campus, it’s the perfect excursion for a day trip. This weekend you will be especially happy, because Princeton has not only one, but two great places for ice cream: Thomas Sweet, and The Bent Spoon. Princeton also has a recurring Summer Music Series each Saturday. This weekend, Sun Dog is playing, with contemporary, classic and country rock music.

7. Make a huge breakfast. How better to start a weekend than with a huge breakfast? Make some waffles, fruit, biscuits, pastries, or anything else your heart desires! Making a big breakfast is a great way to make your kids feel involved, because they can help mix batter and have fun in the kitchen. I have so many childhood memories of big breakfasts on Saturday mornings. There’s nothing like a big morning meal in your PJs with a good cup of coffee!

8. Brewery Tours and Tastings. Luckily for Jersey residents, we have access to NewJerseyCraftBeer.com, which is an incredibly thorough website with all information about beer events and tastings in our state. Check out their list here which includes every tour and tasting for the weekend. There’s sure to be a brewery you haven’t been to nearby!

9. Go tubing on the Deleware River. I mentioned this once in a previous post, but I had to mention it again! I love tubing on the Deleware, and this is the perfect weekend for it because it’s going to be so hot outside. There are two companies that provide tubes and busing to the river: Deleware River Tubing (on the NJ side) and River Country Tubing (on the PA side). Both have access to the Famous River Hot Dog Man, where you can buy hot dogs, candy and ice cream as you float down the river!

10. Cool off with water games. When the whole weekend is going to be in the 90s, it’s important to stay cool. Check out our list of best ways to beat the heat! From pool-less Marco Polo, to DIY Slip-n-Slides, to nearby waterfalls to visit, this list has the best ideas for activities during a heat wave.

 

 

 

 

things to do, new jersey, visit nj, black potatoe music festival, surf and turf seafood festival, jersey family fun, new jersey state crab festival, edible jersey, atlantic city caribbean festival, everfest, new jersey monthly, four sisters winery,
Top 5 Fairs, Festivals and Events in NJ This Weekend
 Top 5 Fairs, Festivals and Events in NJ This Weekend 720 720 Emilie
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Trying to find something to do this weekend? Take advantage of the amazing fairs and festivals that can be found across New Jersey during the summer months! We have scoured every list of fairs, festivals and events within the Garden State to give you our top picks! Take a look and let us know what you think!

Wine Events

One of the best places to find upcoming Food and Wine events is New Jersey Monthly, which provides a long list of events for every weekend! Our top choice from their list for the weekend is the Four Sisters Winery Barefoot Grape Stomping event. Although a little pricey (at $35 per person), you get a lot of bang for your buck. Four Sisters Winery is located in Belvidere, NJ, and the Stomp is this Saturday (July 17th) from 1-4 PM. Reservations are required so call early!

What Makes it Unique: Not only do you actually get to stomp your own grapes while barefoot (which is super fun!), the day is full of many great activities. You will have a wine tasting with a home cooked meal of spaghetti and meatballs, bread, and dessert. This is followed by the stomping, a cellar tour, and dessert wine tastings. The day is jam-packed with fun, and you will truly get a once in a lifetime wine experience!

Festivals

If you’re looking for local fairs and festivals to check out each weekend, head over to Everfest.com, which provides a list of the best festivals for every weekend. Our top choice on this weekend’s Everfest list is the Atlantic City Caribbean Carnival. The festival has a parade, costumes, and takes place right on the Atlantic City Boardwalk! The Carnival will occur this Friday and Saturday (July 15th and 16th). The parade (noon-6 pm Saturday) is free to visitors, with the Friday after-party costing $25 per ticket, and the Saturday after-party costing $30 per ticket.

What Makes it Unique: The AC Caribbean Carnival is an amazing cultural experience right in your backyard! Everyone has extravagant costumes, and food and craft vendors will offer authentic Caribbean treats. There will be a band, steel-pan orchestra, and beer garden. The festival will be incredibly colorful and exciting, plus you can relax by the pool with food until the Glow Party starts Saturday night at 10 PM.

Family Fun

We love Jersey Family Fun because it lists all types of fairs and festivals that are perfect for the whole family. Plus, each fair is easily searchable by which county you live in! Our top choice this weekend from the Jersey Family Fun list is the Monmouth Park Surf and Turf Seafood Festival. The festival occurs both this Saturday and Sunday, from 11:30 AM to 5 PM. Parking is $5, Admission is $5, and children under 12 are free.

What Makes it Unique: The Surf and Turf Festival offers the best of the best when it comes to local seafood. You can find everything from lobster, to shrimp, to clam chowder. But that’s not all! The festival takes place at the Monmouth County Racetrack, and live races will occur throughout the day, starting at 12:50 PM. There will also be tons of games, including a free Family Fun Day on Sunday!

Food Festivals

Edible Jersey is one of my favorite sites because I love food, and Edible Jersey is your one-stop place to find the best food events for every weekend of the year. For this weekend, Edible Jersey highlights the New Jersey State Crab Festival, which is an all day event from 11 AM to 10 PM. The crab festival is located in Wildwood, NJ. Event admission is completely free!

What Makes it Unique: The State Crab Festival is awesome because it’s family friendly and all about food! There will be a ton of entertainment as well as a crab race, but also plenty of refreshments for adults. This includes a beer garden as well as crabby bloody marys!

Music Events

As you probably know, Visit NJ is an amazing website, because you can find things to do every weekend, in every category imaginable. Visit NJ mentions two great local music festivals for the weekend: the WNTI Stage in Columbia, and the Black Potatoe Music Festival in Clinton. Although we are excited for both, we are especially excited for the 20th anniversary of the Black Potatoe, which extends all the way from Wednesday-Sunday.

What Makes it Unique: The Black Potatoe Music Festival is a great place to see top indie artists from all over the country, including singers who have played all over the world. However, they will also have many great local indie groups. Headliners include Willy Porter, the Matt Angus Thing, and Ellis Paul over the weekend.