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My 8-year-old nephew will be visiting
us in NJ for six days in August and I
want to plan something fun to do
every day he is here. He lives in Reno,
Nevada, and I am hoping he returns
with some memorable experiences of
his east coast vacation. I decided to
take
The Connections
readers along
for the ride so those of you with ele-
mentary school-aged children – or vis-
iting cousins – can start a list of sum-
mer adventures to do with them.
1. The Jersey Shore –
no beach expe-
rience is quite like the Jersey shore.
For a day trip, I like to spend the day
at either Long Branch or Spring
Lake. Both have beautiful beaches
and lots of families and, more
importantly, clean and accessible
bathrooms and lunch options.
Some shovels, balls and boogie
boards will ensure there won’t be a
minute of boredom. After the
beach, an evening on the Boardwalk
at Point Pleasant – including a stop
at Hoffman’s for homemade ice
cream – should complete the Jersey
Shore experience.
2. New York City –
there is no place
in the world like it and so many
choices for an 8-year-old. Arriving
by train to Penn Station and then
taking a subway to your destination
is a great way to start the day. On a
beautiful day that is not oppressive-
ly hot, it could be a trip uptown to
the Central Park Zoo and possibly a
pedal boat ride at the Boat Basin.
Maybe a picnic lunch at the Sheep
Meadow or Strawberry Fields and
then a walk to Dylan’s Candy Bar on
Third Avenue for a sweet treat? Or,
instead, it could be a ride down-
town to explore The Intrepid and
learn about war ships and historical
battles fought at sea. If I can get
tickets, I can’t wait to take my
nephew to see The Lion King, still
one of my favorite Broadway shows
ever.
3. Water Park –
there are several to
choose from, however, in my experi-
ence, the Camelbeach Mountain
Waterpark in Tannersville, PA, is kid-
friendly, safe and clean. It’s a long,
exhilarating, exhausting day of fun,
sun, heat, splashing, junk eating,
screaming, laughing, and, yes, pos-
sibly whining and crying. But it’s a
unique summer experience and
guarantees a good night’s sleep!
4
. Hiking and Pick-Your-Own –
I love
to take kids to Hacklebarney State
Park in Chester for several reasons:
the hike starts high and goes down-
hill to the water so it seems easy at
first; kids love to climb on rocks and
play in water; and the shade and
water are great on a hot summer
day. After hiking, there are plenty of
lunch spots and ice cream shops
along Main Street in the quaint
town of Chester. There are also sev-
eral farms in Chester to pick your
own strawberries and buy farm-
fresh produce and then go home
and use them to make dinner.
Alstede, Riamede and Stony Hill
Farms are all great.
5. Liberty State Park –
I never tire of
seeing the Statue of Liberty from the
Turnpike, but taking the ferry to
walk inside Lady Liberty and learn of
her importance to American History
is a special experience (Not to men-
tion something you can’t do in
Nevada!) In addition, the Liberty
Science Center is geared towards
young, school-aged children and
usually has fun and interactive
exhibits during the summer months.
6. The Planetarium at RVCC –
On a
day when we don’t have a planned
excursion, a show at the wonderful
Planetarium at Raritan Valley
Community College is great for
young school-aged kids. There are
story-themed shows, shows that
teach children about the solar sys-
tem, and laser light shows accom-
panied by Beatles music. A perfect
air-conditioned option for a hot day
or evening and quite relaxing for the
adults in the group!
There are so many places I want to
take my little nephew, but not enough
time to do it all so I will save the rest
for his next visit. I wish all of you and
your families a fun, happy and safe
summer!
SUMMER FUN
IN & AROUND NJ
By: Jill Stolz
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PAGE 18
Summer Programs 2016
Summer Programs 2016
