On occasion, this Day Tripper column can be evil. How can that be? Well, consider that the No. 1 New Year’s resolution for a majority is to lose weight. But nstead of suggesting new gyms and other forms of physical activity, we’re taking a look at the massive Eataly complex in New York. Evil? Yeah, a little bit. But consider this—a veritable mall in the heart of the city devoted to all things food. Shepherded by luminaries like Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich, Eataly is as much an experience as it is a place to shop and eat. Around any corner one can find ingredients imported from all over …
There is so much to do in New Jersey during the winter holidays: visit farm markets, spend your Christmas money at various area malls, head to the shore and jump into the ocean. Wait. What? It’s true. The Mad Hatter Pub & Pizzeria, 10 E. Ocean Ave, Sea Bright would like you to come on down and take a dip for the third Polar Bear Plunge on the first day of 2012— that's tomorrow. “This event started two years ago, [and] this year is the third annual plunge,” said Deana Rosenthal, president and founder of the Next Generation Foundation, which is the beneficiary of the event. "NGF and Mad Hatter …
New York can be a crowded place year-round, but maybe never moreso than during the holiday season. Still, Suzanne Morris, the senior manager of public programs for the Rose Center for Earth and Space and the Hayden Planetarium in New York City believes she has the place when you need some space. Be forewarned, though: “A comfortable pair of walking shoes is always suggested as the museum spans several city blocks,” Morris said. The destination, part of the American Museum of Natural History on Central Park West at 79th Street, is as intriguing from the outside as it is inside. “One of the …
New Jersey is very fortunate in the sense that even though it is no longer dominated by farms life, there’s still plenty to remind us why it is called the “garden state.” Because of farmers markets, we're still quick to think of apple cider, baked goods and arts and crafts as the holidays roll in—but we don't necessarily think of wine. And that's a shame: it can be a great gift for the host or hostess of your favorite holiday party. Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road in Princeton, is a family-owned and operated destination with a long history. Gary and Pam Mount bought Terhune Orchards in …
It's the holiday season, and kids are wide-eyed with wonder. They're taking in everything around them. So why not take advantage of that alertness, and sneak in a little fun-filled education? Imagine That! Children’s Museum, 4 Vreeland Road in Florham Park, could be what you're looking for. “Our target age bracket is from one to nine years old,” said Deborah Bodnar, the director for the museum. Imagine That! Has been in existence for more than 20 years, and the location in Florham Park has been available to families for seven. It that time, the facility has grown and changed to accommodate …
Day Tripping is about more than just heading out to big, bustling areas to check out massive, high-profile events and exhibitions. Sometimes it is good to calm down and check out a location where everything is right within walking distance, where you can stroll around in late autumn (or, as the case may soon be, a surprisingly warm winter). If that sounds appealing, Amy Amico believes she has just the sort of place you’re looking for. This December, she said, the Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury Township will bring back its annual exhibit, "Cranbury Gardens." It will feature the 'plein air' (…
The Watchung Arts Center, located on 18 Stirling Road in the Watchung Hills area of Somerset County, operates in a 100-plus-year-old schoolhouse (built in 1898), which is very appropriate. There’s plenty for visitors to learn when they attend. "We are always updating our programs and events to include shows throughout the year," said Stacy Gannon, executive director of The Watchung Arts Center. The Watchung Arts Council, formed in 1978, is the primary caretaker for the center— a volunteer-run, nonprofit organization supporting the full range of creative endeavors through performances and …
It’s hard to deny that New York is a special kind of city at holiday time, starting with the lighting of the tree at Rockefeller Plaza and culminating with New Year’s Eve in Times Square. It’s also hard to deny that it seems like everyone who was ever born is there too. Luckily, there are other places where you can start feeling the holiday spirit. Citi Pond at Bryant Park in Manhattan is back for it's seventh season. Open daily from Oct. 27 to Feb. 26, admission is free as is use of the lockers for storing your items, but do note that skate rentals are $14. If you are not the surest skater …
Holidays and the cold weather are edging upon us. As people start shopping for gifts for the various celebrations to come, it is impossible to forget that sometimes shopping is really, really hard. Stores are extra crowded, the standard sales pitches are pitchier, the perfume counter attendants are a little more trigger happy on that bottle of cologne than normal, and the kids … the kids are not amused. However, with a thick frost on the ground and a lingering chill in the air, an afternoon in the park is like asking for a week of chicken soup and thermometers. What is a person to do? Opening…
Comic art today is considered just that—art. It's known to the scholars as “sequential art.” And it's highly valued. The materials that were used to create cartoons, either in storyboard, production painting, or animation cel form fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars in a collectors’ market. But those materials haven't always been saved. They were often given away or discarded. The comic book was printed, the movie was shot—and the materials used to create them were no longer deemed useful. With so few examples left from certain time periods, what remains is prized. Maybe you're rich and …
We’ve been to museums, parks and art galleries, taken spooky walking tours and visited parks on elevated train tracks. We’ve explored Pompeii and Wildwood and played some classic video games, so this week, we’re headed to the bowling alley. Yes, the bowling alley. Only this isn’t the one you may recall from your youth where the alleys smelled of cigar smoke drifting from the lounge, the pool tables reeked of old spilled beer, and the food concessions provided pretzels that could also be classified as deadly weapons. Asbury Lanes, located on 209 4th St., does offer strikes and spares for your …
Record stores have undergone a necessary transformation over the last decade, as the entire music industry has changed. At first, the CD revolution in the early 1990s disrupted the vinyl record segment (and buried cassette tapes). Vinyl became fringe, the refuge for punk and alt-rock bands looking to distinguish themselves from the standard issue, but the cost of manufacturing became prohibitive and extinction loomed. In a way, the best things to happen to vinyl were the ascendance of the MP3 and new models (like Apple's iTunes) for buying music over the Internet. The backlash from …
A quaint village beside the Delaware River, Frenchtown boasts boutiques, bakeries, bistros, and breathtaking views. Though the Hunterdon County town is just over one square mile in size, it has plenty to offer. The borough's name, a reference to a French-speaking Swiss immigrant who settled there more than 200 years ago, does not mislead. Francophiles will enjoy many of Frenchtown's Parisian elements, including shops that capture the essence of that City of Light sparkle. Thistle and Left Bank Home sell original home decorating pieces, many embodying the charm that is often associated with …
Being a gamer isn't what it used to be. Video games have become so personal and portable, you could play them with a nation of people and never know their real faces or names. The controls are seven buttons or more, and bloody deaths are rendered with pixel-perfect precision—which care wear a little thin, even if it doesn't gross you out entirely (don't click that link if it does). That would explain why the sign on Broad St. in Red Bank was causing such a stir. Soon to open in what was once the Red Bank mini-mall (at the corner of Broad Street and Monmouth Avenue) is Yestercades, a retro-…
During the summer, C. Casola Farms in Marlboro is a busy yet unassuming farm and marketplace, with nothing untoward peering out. The fruit grows and the flowers bloom. But it's not summer anymore. Gone are the hot days (maybe), and the humidity (well, in New Jersey? Maybe not so much). It's fall, the time to start thinking about spooky things, goblins, ghosts and goodies. Yes, Halloween's approaching, and with it comes the Haunted Hayride at C. Casola Farms. At this yearly event, the (crypt) keepers of the farm deck out the place in several shades of scary, with frightful attractions that …
Founded in 2009, Keno Auctions on 127 East 69th St., Manhattan, brings in many different types of visitors. Some have come specifically for an auction event, some to get a better understanding of the items the firm specializes in: fine art, jewelry, Asian art and furniture items. Others come to see if they can catch a glimpse of the auction house’s founder and president, Leigh Keno. Keno, with brother Leslie, have been fixtures of the perennial PBS favorite “Antiques Roadshow” for 15 years as volunteer appraisers, offering valuation on furniture both rare and, sometimes, not so rare. Recently…
Nestled in the shadow of the Tappan Zee Bridge, along the Hudson River in Tarrytown, N.Y., lies Sunnyside, the home of renowned author Washington Irving. The property, a registered national historic landmark, was purchased by Irving in 1835. Originally a two-room stone cottage, the writer, best known for "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle," served as his own architect in expanding and remodeling the house to include many of the styles he admired during the 17 years he spent in Europe. A Spanish tile roof and tower, Tudor-style clustered chimneys, Dutch stepped gables, and …
Let's get one thing straight: This is a bad weekend for travel. With Hurricane Irene threatening most of the Garden State, the best thing most people can do is stay off the road. But the hurricane will pass. So this week, Day Tripper invites you to do a little longer-term planning, looking ahead to trips you can take in the weeks and months ahead. For instance: There was a period of time when the drive-in theater was a mainstay of every state in America with warm summer weather. In the late 1950s and early 1960s it was also an intrinsic part of the car culture. People could see and be seen. …
Last week brought several days of dark clouds and rain, and even though summer is beginning to wind down, it is time to consider an indoor activity just in case. This week, that activity is the Raritan Valley Community College’s Planetarium, which seems to be offering something for everyone during these last weeks of August. Jerry Vinski directs the Raritan Valley Community College Planetarium, located on the campus at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg. Alongside the educational aspects of the Planetarium’s offerings, the RVCC is also presenting a series of shows that are strictly for fun. “We…
There is a lot that is not readily understood about the Amish. Historical re-enactments and roleplaying have been featured occasionally in this column, but sometimes those aspects can desensitize visitors who experience a different culture in a headlong rush. Such may be the case with the Amish section of the Columbus Farmers Market, 2919 Route 206 South, in Columbus, Burlington County. While the Stoltzfus Barbecue takes up a major portion of the space and attention, the Amish section of this market also features handworked crafts (as well as a selection of Amish-inspired materials), a bakery…
