Day Trips

 Taking a "day trip" is really my favorite way to travel.

You are always somewhat familiar with your surroundings, you do not have to pack a suitcase,

you do not have to fly on a plane, which I do but dislike and you get to sleep in your own bed at night.

I find there are so many things to do in New Jersey, all within an hour or less of my home.

Many days can be filled in with really fun adventures, that don't break the bank either.

We recently took a drive to a Cracker Barrel for dinner.

It's a half hour ride but the ride is scenic and fun.

I had heard about a temple close by and we decided to pull off the highway and search for it.

Not far from the exit we found what we were looking for,

Baps Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

Peddlers Village, Pa. is a super fun day trip that is about one and one half hours from home.

A quaint shopping village, unique shops, a bakery, gorgeous gardens and so much more.

We usually visit during holiday seasons as they have great displays each holiday.

You can read about 2 recent trips we have taken to Peddlers Village here and here.

The Safari at Great Adventure is another place we love to go.

It is a great way to see the animals, 20 minutes from home, and open all summer.

We get season passes to the park, they are very inexpensive, so we can go whenever we want.

It's a nice day trip in the summer as you stay in your own air conditioned vehicle to see the animals.

I've taken some nice pictures of the animals you can view here, here and here.

We love visiting Asbury Park, it has an eclectic vibe, a nice boardwalk, 

the ocean and great restaurants.

Only 1/2 hour away, I picked these 2 recent posts, you can peek at here and here.

Ocean Grove is just over a walking bridge from Asbury Park.

- Ocean Grove has tent city -

It is another really fun place to visit with cute shops, a new boardwalk, the ocean,

awesome murals and a couple of really nice restaurants.

The fox come here to an established den under the boardwalk to have their cubs.

Tent City can be viewed here, and the Old Victorian Homes here.

Pier Village is another seaside community we like to visit.

This is also about a 1/2 hour from home and we are drawn here for all of the same reasons.

Posts about fun day trips can be enjoyed here and here.

Historic Smithville is about a 40 minute drive in the other direction.

Smithville has historic buildings turned into shops...a beautiful carousel, 

a lake filled with water birds and the 

Smithville Inn if you would like a really special and delicious meal.

I have shared links to 2 trips we have taken here and here.

Longwood Gardens is in Pennsylvania but less than a 2 hour drive for us.

We have season passes so we try to visit often, and we definitely go during each holiday.

You can view the spring tulips here and here....Christmas can be viewed here.

Holland Ridge Farm is a family owned 

- you pick farm - 

where you can pick the flowers that are currently on display.

20 minutes from home 

we go to see the spring flowers and tulips here in the spring and the sunflowers here during the fall.

We enjoy our visits to Allaire State Park, Cape May and Sandy Hook 

but these are only some of the places we visit during day trips.

- we travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us -