Visits to Historic Speedwell are free, maybe start with the eight-minute video in the visitor…read morecenter. $5 buys you a guided tour of the large Vail house (guided tours only) and the small factory with the wheel house (also self-guided tours). The factory explains how Alfred Vail prototyped the telegraph for Samuel Morse. The Ironworks exhibit in the large carriage house has detailed pictures and explanations along with artifacts like molds and patterns made by Stephen Vail and his men. Only the red buildings and the white mansion are original, others like the Estes House (under renovation in 2018) were moved in much later. Unfortunately the cast-iron water wheel wasn't running when I visited the factory, awaiting repairs and money in the Park Commission budget. Don't miss the bone grinder in the shed with the big water wheel! You do not exit through the gift shop here LOL.

Beautiful grounds, with a great little shop for visitors…read more We come here often as they offer historical and art lessons. The teacher is wonderful and it's a very unique experience. Recently we did one of the longer homeschooling lessons- it was calling "Open Heart Cooking" and all the students worked together to cook an entire multi course meal in the fireplace like olden times. They had a great time and what a lesson in teamwork and patience. I would call them to ask about upcoming programs and classes. Or even just visit as a tourist one day- they have two small museums and guided tours.

What an incredible morning. My all-time BFF Reddit alerted me to an amazing event at Fosterfields…read moreheld over the course of a few spring weeks every year: the Lamb Frolic. There wasn't really THAT much frolicking, per se - our lamb settled down pretty quickly per the attached pictures - but it was a delightful hour spent in a barn stall cuddling a very sweet wooly baby, and I'd basically recommend this to anyone with a soul. According to the event page, little lambs need cuddles/interaction to prepare for the big farm world, hence the need for the Frolic. We were happy to oblige. The sign-up process was a little old school, which isn't too surprising given that this is an historic farm. You had to call Fosterfields and leave a voicemail with your name/contact info and preferred time slot to cuddle the lamb. The Millennial Chum readily agreed to partake in this adventure and was blown away that there wasn't an online reservation portal of some kind, though she seems to be confusing a farm with a suburban restaurant, which is probably not the most realistic of expectations. Regardless, someone from the farm called me back within the hour and we were set up with the final slot this past Saturday at 10:30am. The price per lamb cuddle was $50 for a max of two people, so we split the cost. A magnificent deal in my estimation. The instructions provided via email indicated we should get there at least 10 minutes beforehand, and we were both promptly there at 10:15am. I've driven past the turnoff for the farm many times on my way to hikes over by Chester, so it was easy to find once you bypassed the atrocious traffic situation by the Morristown Green (not for the faint of heart at any time of day - no one ever knows what lane they're supposed to be in). The staff was very friendly and professional. Since we got there early, they also let us start hanging out with our lamb about 10 minutes early, which was pretty classy. They carried in a gangly lamb from the main stall across the way (there looked to be about six or seven mama sheep over there with their pups), and after a few seconds of nervous baahing, he was right at home. The lamb was born the prior Monday, so this is about as fresh as it gets. He didn't even have a name yet. His mother's name was Guinevere, so I thought Sir Lambsalot was an excellent new name with the added advantage of being on theme, but the Millennial Chum overruled me and named him Cornelius for the duration of our stay. We shared our stall with a mom and daughter (probably 10ish, which is very much the target demo of this adventure, not that we let that stop us), who got to cuddle our lamb's sister, temporarily named Marigold. Also a delightful creature. The Millennial Chum is on the verge of becoming a giant TikTok star, so a significant portion of our visit was dedicated to pictures, videos and more pictures and videos. I can't speak for all lambs, but Cornelius was very photogenic and made for social media. We figured out through trial and mostly error how to hold him so he'd settle down and fall asleep (like kittens and puppies, lambs seem to be either running around manically or snoozing). Keeping him in a firm grip and letting him nuzzle his head under the chin was our primo strategy. The staff stopped by every 15 minutes or so to make sure everything was going okay and that the lambs were relatively calm (our superstar obviously was). At one point, the mom sharing our stall told the staffer that her husband was going to switch with her (citing that two people max rule) and was told that as long as the lamb was chill, he could come in too and there was no need for her to leave. Very cool. I spent the remainder of the weekend recommending this event to everyone I know, especially my friends with young daughters. If you start your mornings off like I do reading the NY Post, the world really seems like a giant dumpster fire - the Fosterfields Lamb Frolic was about as pure and innocent as it gets. So refreshing.

Came to Fosterfields on a Saturday early afternoon around 5pm for a day event. Amazing. I had an…read morewonderful time and the service was outstanding. The space of the park and the parking lot area was just perfect. A lot of restroom was available and it was clean. It was a huge turn out but the staff maintain a clean field throughout the entire event.

Beautiful tour this morning of the historic Rutherfurd Hall. Easily accessible off Route 80 [exit…read more19) in Allamuchy, NJ. Well preserved and run by a friendly staff with Joan Salvas (local historian and a great tour guide). They are planning a series of jazz concerts thru the spring, which should be interesting. The venue is also open for private parties and as a wedding venue.

Rutherfurd Hall is an amazing cultural center with an amazing historical story…read more This tutor-style house was designed by Whitney Warren, who later won the bid to design Grand Central Terminal. The landscape of the grounds were also designed by the Olmsted Brothers who became famous for designing/landscaping many of today's national parks. The Rutherfurd family lived here as early as the mid-eighteenth century, and over their families time here hosted many famous titans of industry and even future American presidents. There's a really fun/interesting story about FDR and Alice Morton. Later, Rutherfurd Hall was donated to the church and used as a type of retirement home for the nuns. Rutherfurd Hall is now owned by the Allamuchy School District who does a great job utilizing it to maintain this beautiful structure. If you go on a Wednesday, you'll be able to receive a tour through the beautiful home. Their tour guides are absolutely fantastic and know so much of the history so thoroughly it is really impressive. Rutherfurd Hall does weddings on it's own, but a local venue David's Country Inn also holds wedding ceremonies on the grounds. I'll be having my ceremony at Rutherfurd Hall and could not be more excited!

We went here for a kid fall festival. Everything is spread…read moreout and if you use a stroller and elderly family members (which I have both) this is a bit of task on their uneven, rocky walking paths. No fault of theirs as it is a huge farm but just a note for people who would like to venture here. The area is otherwise beautiful. They have lots of farm animals to view and a blacksmith on site (maybe just for the festival) which was a disorganized mess but cool to see. They charged $8 to get in. Keep in mind there is a lot to do on the site, check out their website before going.

Great day for wine tasting!! This was easy to find and plenty of parking. They even allow you to…read morebring a cooler which served us perfectly. I was able to bring cheeses, olives, crackers, salami, pear jam, olive oil dip, crusty bread, hummus, roasted red peppers dip, and eggplant and artichoke dip. Also a birthday cake for my daughter. The lines weren't long since there were several wineries there. I don't remember the pouts being so small. It was literally just a swallow. You couldn't share it with another person. But it's all in good fun, meeting people and mingling while waiting. The live music was extraordinary, played most popular music. Plenty of portable potties. Several vendors with their amazing products. I would do it again,until next year!! I would do it again.

We went here as part of our visit to Morristown National Historical Park. The fort, which sits on…read moretop of a hill, is easily accessible from downtown Morristown. I liked the view from the top. It was good, but not great, as there's a lot of trees limiting what you can see. But I have to give them credit, the view is in the direction of New York City and you can see some of the taller buildings in the distance. As for the fort, there's a canon, and a short path which follows where a wall used to be. The whole area is wooded, which was nice but there's simply not much to see or do here. I probably wouldn't go back again.

Excellent quiet woods with picnic table. Walkable from downtown. Cool in the summer . Great view…read morefrom the field with the cannon. There's also a walking trail with wild life. Saw two deers while hiking

On our random visit, entrances to the Lambert Castle and Tower were closed, but the road was open…read more We were able to admire this lovely structure from outside. Our intention anyway was to go hiking. That was accomplished. From the area of the tower, which sits higher than the castle, some panoramic views can be seen ofthe surrounding cityscape. You can also find other hiking trails that lead you further along the hilltop. A perfectly beautiful day also makes this spot... - lovely for a picnic - picturesque for a photoshoot - ideal for a background in your vlog - an escape from the noise of a busy week - nice for a nap or daydream - sweet for something romantic - zen for meditation

I took a tour of Lambert Castle a couple days prior and felt the need to explore the tower up the…read morehill. It was beautiful! Elegant stone work. A trellis covered in vines. Views of nature all the way to NYC that would've been glorious many decades ago. The valley is a bit over developed now, but still impressive. This tower would've been an extension of the extravagant home below. Just walking around it gives you a sense of power and incorporation into nature on this unique mountain in the middle of a densely populated city. Garret mountain, holds this gem, and many others. Well worth a visit!

Three major Colonial American homes stand at the bend of the Hackensack River: Steuben House…read more(stone), Demarest House and the Westervelt Barn. General George Washington escaped the English over a draw bridge, while fighting a rear-guard retreat: in whose location now stands a metal-wrought foot bridge! There are military parades in Spring. Major Henry Lee and General 'Mad' Anthony Wayne organized their militias here. In summer Veteran bikers somberly evoke men and great deeds of the Past. Awesome for family lunch. Fast food and Riverside Mall nearby. Tons of parking. Walk in the footsteps of General Washington's Continental Army 1776. Rebel review: 5

Celebrating today on this gorgeous spring-like Sunday, my partner and I came to this historic…read morelocation in Bergen county NJ to celebrate George Washington's 288th Birthday. New Bridge was a prosperous mill hamlet centered around a bridge strategically placed at the narrows of the Hackensack River. It served as a battleground, fort, encampment ground, military headquarters, and intelligence-gathering post in every year of the American Revolutionary War. We arrived a bit early and walked around the grounds which contained three 18th century homes. We met James Smith one of the reenactors gave us some fascinating history about the location. The most famous building is called the Steuben House . It was here that General Washington made the house his headquarters for 10 days in 1780. In 1783 as a thank you, the State of New Jersey presented this confiscated house to Major-General Baron von Steuben. The other buildings on site were Campbell-Christie House and Demarest House. For those Revolutionary War buff in NJ, this place would be worth a visit as they have several events through the year.

This place is great! We have been to a variety of birthday parties, some of their programming…read moreincluding the winter wildlife camp, and summer camp. Everyone is so friendly and the know my kid by name which makes her feel so special.

I always like to support Earth Day events so when I heard that the Essex County Environmental…read moreCenter was hosting such an event on Saturday, April 23, I drove over. The event ran from 11 am-3pm and I arrived around 12. At that time the parking lot was full and I had to park in the supplimental lot across the street. Even the overflow lot required waiting for a parking space. No complaints about having to wait, it was just nice to see so many people concerned about environmental issues. I thought that this was a particularly well run event structured for all ages. Rutger's Master Gardeners had a tent set up and I had a chance to visit with some friends. A booth was set up by the Essex County Bee Keepers, as well. for younger adults, Turtle Back Zoo brought animals to show case, Mad Scientists performed demonstrations and ocean and rock fossils were on display. Face-painting, food trucks, live music, a eco-market, hands-on educational games for kids were some of the other activities. There are nature trails, canoe launches, a rock climbing tower and a Lenni Lenape village set-up to explore. The event was free to the public.