Teresa's blog

We love state fairs. With all the animals, games, rides and junk food, they are full of old-fashioned fun for the entire family. While we've written about all the New York State and County Fairs and that post is in our Summer Activity Guide, but we also love the New Jersey State Fair, which is opening in the end of July.

The NJ State Fair was started in 1821 and retains an old-fashioned charm today. Just one hour’s drive from NYC, the NJ State Fair is filled with a slew of animals rivaling Noah, a fairway full of rides, pig races, butterfly exhibits, bee-keeping exhibitions and a food court offering everything from home-made baked-potatoes to blooming onions and corn-dogs—your kids’ll be enthralled.  And did we mention a wine-making competition and a beer tent?  And there's even free parking.

Until recently you didn't hear much about the Jersey Shore in New York. But skyrocketing prices in Long Island have made the Jersey Shore an appealing option. We think the Jersey Shore has had a bad rap for too long. With beautiful beaches, and loads of fun activities for kids and families, you’ll truly be surprised at all the great choices you’ll find. We've got the inside scoop on the best beaches on the Jersey Shore from nearby Sandy Hook all the way south to Cape May.  But if you’re thinking about spreading the word far and wide, fuhgeddaboutit. Let ‘em have their Hamptons–this’ll be our little secret, capisce?

So, your kids are longing for swimsuits, sprinklers and slides. Well, now you can make their dreams come true, whether the weather is cooperating or not. Load up the iPod, the towels and the kids and take a short road trip to newly opened Sahara Sam’s Oasis in West Berlin, New Jersey. This indoor water park is less than two hrs from NYC and the 286,000 gallons of water keep 11 rides and tons of kids wet and wildly entertained, rain or shine!

We traveled with four parents; and three boys and three girls aging from 2-8 yrs old, so believe me, the place was well-tested. The kids were awed into silence (SILENCE, I SAY ) as we stepped through the door. But after those two seconds, they immediately got busy. Favorites?

New Jersey does it big–even when it comes to pick-your-own strawberry farms. Whether you’re looking for an afternoon photo-op in the field and a few pints of berries to bring home; or a full-on weekend Strawberry Festival complete with Strawberry Shortcake, bands, craft fairs and a crowning of a Strawberry King and Queen–it’s here.

Contact the farms before heading out--Strawberry season in New Jersey falls roughly from the end of May and lasts 3-4 weeks into mid-June (we need two hot, dry days back-to-back to kick it off.) Plan to spend a couple hours at any field–and of course, weekends will be busy, but not crowded. Also, New Jersey will not allow your pets to enter the farms, so leave your furry friends at home.

Confession #1: Children’s shows typically bore me to tears. Yes, even my own children’s school productions. Get them up, get them on, then get me out. Add my children’s short attention spans and tendency to sigh and squirm excessively throughout performances and you get the picture of our typical family theater outing. So it was with great trepidation that I ventured to TADA Youth Theater with my five- and three-yr old daughters for a child-actor only production, “Golly Gee Whiz!”. Much to my surprise, not only did the show command the undivided attention of every child in the audience, but (confession #2) all of us, repeat ALL of us, thoroughly enjoyed the show.

(Keep reading for a special offer from TADA!)

Under the River and to the Woods…

While there’s something uniquely, charmingly “New York” in buying a deli Christmas tree and dragging it home through slush-covered streets to your humble abode, the real-deal Currier & Ives experience replete with snow-blanketed countryside, horse-drawn wagons and peppermint hot cocoa: the cut your own Christmas tree farm can be found just 90 minutes away in New Jersey.

So load the Johnny Mathis in the iPod, pack an old blanket for the car roof, and head to New Jersey, where you can choose a freshly pre-cut tree, or go for the truly authentic experience of stomping through the forest, selecting and sawing your very own.

We hunted down the best Christmas Tree farms within one and a half hours from New York City where you can cut your own Christmas Tree. Below find the list plus some tips for fool-proofing your trip: