Cape May Point State Park

Wow, it has been a minute since I posted anything travel-related, but earlier this month, we took a short vacation to Wildwood and Cape May, New Jersey.  My grandparents lived in Wildwood Crest for a good portion of my life, so we spent many summer weekends there when I was a child.  I have so many happy memories from those times, so it was nice to be able to spend an extended amount of time there after being away for so long.  My sister invited us along on her vacation, and we were lucky to have mostly beautiful weather while we there, especially the day we decided to go for a walk at Cape May Point State Park!

 

Cape May Point State Park has a little something for everyone - bird watching, trails, beaches, dunes, ponds, a WWII bunker, and the Cape May lighthouse, which you can climb for a small fee.  For more information about the park, visit this site.  The park has three trails: Red (0.5 miles), Yellow (1.5 miles), and Blue (2 miles).  They somewhat overlap, so we started with the Blue Trail, with the dunes on one side and two ponds on the other.  The trail here is a sandy, rocky mix.

The beach is just on the other side of the dunes and there is a connector trail.

There are great views of the lighthouse from everywhere along the trail!

Once we moved away from the dunes/beach, the trail turns into a combination of boardwalk and dirt path, and the feel of the park sometimes even feels like forest.

The Red Trail is a short offshoot from the Blue Trail and is quite shady until you reach a bird blind/viewing area.  There are a couple other bird blinds/viewing areas along the Blue Trail.

These flowers called swamp rose-mallows were in bloom during our visit.  They were enormous and beautiful and everywhere!  Even though the trails weren't long, Cape May Point State Park was a great place to meander for a little while.  The trails are all flat, making them easy for all levels of walkers/hikers.  There's also no entrance fee, which is nice.  Definitely a must-see when you're in the area!

Trexler Nature Preserve

Tom and I hadn't done any any traveling or hiking this year, for obvious reasons, but to celebrate our anniversary, we decided to do a little weekend getaway in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  Honestly, I felt a little selfish and guilty about it, because now is not the best time to travel, but we had a good time.  I wanted to spend time outdoors, and I came across Trexler Nature Preserve, not far from Bethlehem in Schnecksville.

 

The Trexler Nature Preserve was established as a game preserve and today offers 18 miles of hiking trails, mountain biking, and wildlife observation.  Extra bonus, the Lehigh Valley Zoo is also within the borders of the Preserve!

We parked at an area called "the Ford," which we used as a jumping off point for two trails.  We started with the Elk Viewing Trail, a 1.7 mile loop.  The first section of the trail was pretty steep, but the view at the top was so worth it!

One of the points of interest on this trail is Schlicher's Covered Bridge, which we saw on the way down from the top.

 

 

The last part of the trail is flat and at least partially paved in some areas, close to the shore of Jordan Creek.  This made for a lovely walk and views of the fall foliage.

We then made our way down the Covered Bridge Trail, a 1.2 mile loop that, yes, features another covered bridge, Geiger's, built in 1860!  I really liked this trail; it was an easy walk along the creek, one side more woodsy and the other more open.

 

 

We wore masks when other hikers and walkers were close by, and pretty much everyone else was also respectful with mask use.  I'm glad we were able to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather and changing leaves!

My Favorite Wanderings of 2019

While we didn't do as much as hiking this year as we've done in previous years, Tom and I managed to cross off three more states in our quest to visit all 50 together, all without getting on a plane!  Here's a look back on our 2019 adventures!

We drove down to Winterthur in Delaware to tour the house and gardens and check out The Crown costume exhibit.

 

We took a family vacation to Williamsburg, Virginia.

We took a walk along the High Line in New York City.

We spent a weekend leaf peeping in Connecticut.

I can't wait to start planning next year's vacations!

A Leaf-Peeping Weekend in Connecticut

One of my favorite things about fall is the changing colors of the leaves, so when my husband Tom suggested we head to Connecticut for a weekend to see the leaves and celebrate our wedding anniversary, I was a happy girl!  He sent me a link to this TripSavvy article and I used their list of parks to help plan our weekend.  I wanted to see as many places as possible, but we only had a short time to visit, so I tried to find parks that were close together.

We decided to stay in Danbury, where we had more options for hotels. On our way in, we stopped at Tarrywile Mansion and Park, a historic home now used as an event venue that has a large park attached to it with a few hiking trails.  From the parking lot, we took the White Trail around the pond and then picked up the Blue Trail.  There were some pretty significant inclines during the hike, but the forest was beautiful, as well as the foliage!

On our second day, we drove up to the Kent area, about 45 minutes from Danbury.  Our first stop was at Kent Falls State Park - while the park is small, it has an incredible multi-level waterfall!  We took the White Trail up alongside the waterfall, and there were several viewing platforms along the way.  At the top, you can practically stand on top of the waterfall!  We took the Red Trail down the other side.

Next, we went to Housatonic Meadows State Park and picked up the Pine Knob Loop Trail.  We went clockwise up the trail, which is an approximately 2.5 mile loop.  It was a pretty steep incline almost the entire way up, so we took our time, but the surroundings were gorgeous - almost the whole forest was yellow!  When we finally made it to the summit, the view was so worth it!

I always say to Tom that as hard as it is to climb up a mountain, it's just as hard going down, and this trail was no exception - while well-blazed, the trail itself was full of rocks, even boulders sometimes, and tree roots.  We really had to watch our steps.  The trail was also really slippery from the fallen leaves and acorns.

After our hikes, we went into downtown Kent to grab lunch.  Although small, the downtown area is really cute with lots of dining options.  My co-worker had told me about a bookstore there, so of course I had to stop in.  House of Books was adorable and had a great selection.  I picked up two books there and, as luck would have it, the local library was also having a book sale that weekend out on the lawn, so of course I grabbed a few more books!

On our way out of Kent, we stopped at Bull's Bridge, which is one of three surviving covered bridges in Connecticut!

We had a great time in Connecticut - perfect weather, gorgeous foliage, and books - what more could I ask for?

The High Line, New York City

Ever since I found out about the High Line in New York City, I've wanted to go there, and over the weekend I finally got the chance!

So, what is the High Line?  It's a 1.45-mile park and walkway built on the remnants of an elevated railroad freight line on the west side of Manhattan. How cool is that??  For a few years, I worked in historic preservation, so this really appealed to me, how this old rail line was saved and repurposed.  And since my husband works for a railroad, there was an even bigger connection for both of us!

The High Line runs from 34th Street south to Gansevoort Street, and there are several entrances (both stairs and elevators) to the park.  We got on at 30th Street and 10th Avenue at an area known as the Spur.  From here, we walked north for a little bit and saw views of the Hudson River and the rail yard.

 

From the picture above, you can see how in some areas, the park area has enveloped the old rail bed, while in other areas, the original track has been preserved and runs alongside the walkway, like below.

 

We then started walking south, and I was immediately struck by how lush and green the walkway was.  It is just surrounded by plant growth.  Even though there are buildings practically within reach, it still definitely feels like a park.

Even though the picture above doesn't have too many people in it, the High Line was actually super crowded when we went.  There were people everywhere, walking, taking pictures, lounging on one of the many benches and other sitting areas.  It was almost hard to absorb the beauty of the park because I was worried about bumping into other people!

There are several areas of interest along the way - art installations dot the walkway, a water feature allows you to dip your feet and cool down, there's an actual lawn to play on, and enough trees to make you feel completely secluded at times.

 

These LOVE sculptures aren't official High Line art installations, but rather part of a show from a nearby gallery - I just included them because I adore these sculptures and they're right next to the High Line!

 

Of course, you can't be in NYC and not talk about views, and the High Line has some great ones!  Like I mentioned above, you can see the Hudson River and across into New Jersey.  The Empire State Building peeks through at turns.  If you're really observant, you can spy the Statue of Liberty and Hoboken Terminal.  But, it was also really neat to be able to look up the streets and avenues from high up!

 

The High Line is a completely unique public park, and I would highly recommend taking a walk there on your next visit to New York City!

Williamsburg, Virginia Family Vacation

 My sister Michele and I wanted to plan a joint vacation this year (along with Tom and her husband and daughter), and several months ago we decided on Williamsburg, Virginia.  We had been there when we were younger and wanted to go back, plus it didn't involve a plane ride!  So, at the end of August, we hopped in our cars and headed down!

For our full first day there, we decided to head to Busch Gardens, a themed amusement park just a few miles from where we were staying.  We spent ALL DAY at the park - there was just so much to see and so many rides to go on.  I'm not usually one for rides too much, but I decided to go on one of the roller coasters, Verbolten, because it didn't seem too crazy (i.e. it didn't go upside-down).  Mistakes were made, guys - most of the ride ended up being in the dark and it was so disorienting!  Then, at one point the tracks drop out from beneath you, and there were several instances where the coaster would slow down somewhat, only to then shoot you off like a cannon.  I needed a minute after that ride.

The park is really beautiful, though, with each section representing a European country.  I would highly recommend checking out tickets online ahead of time, because we were able to get this incredible deal on a 7-day unlimited pass for Busch Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg, and Water Country USA. 

On our second day, we visited Colonial Williamsburg.  We toured the Governor's Palace and walked around the gardens.  We visited several of the trade shops, and it was really neat to learn about the different methods and materials that people used to use.  The cabinetmaker was particularly interesting, and he showed us an elaborate table he was working on.  We also visited the bindery (and learned how expensive books used to be), the magazine (armory), miliner, tin shop, and colonial garden.

On our third day, Tom and I ventured off by ourselves to York River State Park to do some hiking.  This park was so lovely and peaceful.  The trails were very well-marked, which I always appreciate!  The area was mostly flat, as well.  One nice area along the hike was Fossil Beach, right on the York River.

In the afternoon, we all went over to Merchant's Square, which is a charming little area right next door to Colonial Williamsburg that has modern shops and restaurants.  We did a little shopping and walked back into Colonial Williamsburg for a bit.  That night, we went back to Busch Gardens, and it was SO crowded.  It was fun, though, to see everything at night and we got to see the fireworks, which we all enjoyed.

For our last full day in Virginia, we decided to keep it pretty relaxed.  We went over to Freedom Park, where there is a small (but free!) botanical garden.  Then we headed to the Yankee Candle store, which is enormous.  It even has an entire Christmas section where it snows!  In the afternoon, Tom and I took a drive down the Colonial Parkway to Jamestown - the Colonial Parkway is a scenic byway that connects the three major historical areas of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown.  It was a beautiful ride, mostly along the water!

Overall, we had a fantastic time.  Williamsburg is a beautiful area, and it has so much to do for kids and adults of all ages!

Have you ever been to Williamsburg?

 

Winterthur, Delaware

For my mom's birthday earlier this year, we promised her a trip to Winterthur, a house museum and garden in Delaware, to see the Costuming The Crown exhibit and walk through the gardens.  We had been there a few years prior to see the Downton Abbey costume exhibit, so we were excited to return, and a couple weeks ago, we visited on a perfect Saturday.


Winterthur is the 175-room former home of Henry Francis du Pont; for more information about the estate, click here.

We purchased timed tickets to take the house tour.  Small groups are led through a portion of the house every half hour.  The house is deceptively large; it was built in stages over generations, finally ending with 175 rooms over several stories.  Since you only see a small portion of the house, it's kind of hard to gauge how big it actually is, but it is sprawling and cleverly built into the terrain - at one point, you're on the fifth floor, but can walk out a door onto a lawn.

 

After we finished the house tour, we went over to the Costuming The Crown exhibit in one of the wings.  We've all watched and loved the show, so it was really neat to the see actual costumes the actors wore, oftentimes next to the real-life pictures that served as inspiration.  My niece loved seeing all the pretty dresses!

After the exhibit, we wandered out into the gardens, starting at the reflecting pool.  From here, you can kind of see the scale of the house!

Next we went to the Enchanted Forest section of the gardens; my niece loved this area and didn't want to leave, especially because she could have a tea party with grandma there!

After lunch, we took a tram ride around the perimeter of the garden; I love this part of the tour because you can see all different parts of the grounds; the guide talks about different plants and trees and also what the land was historically  used for in various sections (for example, there used to be a dairy on the property).  You can also walk the many paths through the garden.

We really enjoyed our second trip to Winterthur; I would highly recommend if you're ever in the area that you make it a point to stop there!