Stellwag's Hidden Acres Farm

Location:116 Hartford Rd. Delran, NJ

Website: http://www.stellwagshiddenacresfarm.com/

Bathrooms: Yes

Eating area: Yes

Attractions: Rose Garden, animals for viewing, short hiking trail, garden center

Fee: $5 per person for the hayride to pick a small pumpkin.

Cost of the pumpkin is included in the $5 price.

Click HERE for the price guide to other pumpkin picking farms !

This past weekend the family and I took advantage of the nice weather and finally went pumpkin picking.  This year, we tried the much talked about Stellwag's Farm not far from our home. This was our first time on their hayride, although we have visited the garden center several times to purchase plants. We couldn't beat the price of only $5 per person,  including the cost of the pumpkin! Oh...and did I mention there was hot cider when we returned? Sweet!

We went to the farm at about 11am on a Sunday and found it to be very quiet. There was hardly any one there, and no lines to wait in. We paid our $5 for our hayride and pumpkins, and off we went. However, the ride to the pumpkin patch was a very different when compared to previous pumpkin patch trips.  You don't take a ride around a farm, but instead you ride through a heavily shaded wooded area.  It was so cool! The kids kept saying, "We're off to find the witch's house, which house? The witch's house!"  It wasn't scary by any means but it was shaded, making it darker and a retreat from the bright sun. Along the way, you will find various decorative scarecrows in the woods for some visual entertainment. I never knew that Stellwag's had that much property! I could imagine a hayride at night would be pretty awesome through the woods and I wonder why they haven't ventured into that market?

After the ride through the woods, the tractor stops at the pumpkin patch where loads of pumpkins are waiting to be picked.  I liked the fenced in area...perfect for little ones! So easy to watch them, they could run free and I didn't have to worry! The pumpkins were small, but again it was the perfect sized for my 3 and 4 year old to carry themselves. That was real nice! I imagine that these small pumpkins would not satisfy older children who hunt for the "great pumpkin," but I think it should satisfy most kids about 10 and under. Within the patch, there was even a setup to take pictures of your kids with their chosen pumpkin.

When you are finished picking, the tractor will take you back to the garden center/gift shop and you are free to explore the rest of the farm...for FREE!!  Yes, viewing the animals, the nature trail, and rose garden are all free! You will find goats, various pheasants, sheep, wild turkey, and more! Make sure to stop and smell the roses in the rose garden maze, and enjoy a nature trail that will take you over the a bridge and through the woods leading to the animal pens. There is also a covered area with picnic tables for eating. Make sure to call ahead if you need those tables, because that is also where the birthday parties are held.  You may be out of luck if there is a party. Also, the garden center does not sell food, so you do need to bring your own. Inside the garden center/gift shop you will find the restrooms.

If you are looking to pick pumpkins without breaking the bank, have little ones, and don't want to spend all day looking through a huge pumpkin field for pumpkins, then Stellwags is for you. Your kids will enjoy it, they will get a pumpkin, a hayride, see some animals, run through the woods....and you can just take it all in and relax. Everyone wins!

Happy Fall!

Cape May County Park and Zoo

Location: Cape May Courthouse, NJ (directions)

Website: http://www.co.cape-may.nj.us/cit-e-access/webpage.cfm?tid=5&tpid=442

Bathrooms: Yes

Eating area: Yes (can reserve picnic areas and gazebo for special events for a fee)

Parking: Yes and free

Attractions: Over 550 live animals, World of Birds and Reptile House, Pathway to Diversity, playgrounds

Around the area: Town and beaches of Historic Cape May and other beach towns

 Fee: FREE (donations are greatly appreciated)

A trip to the Jersey shore is not complete without visiting the Cape May County Park and Zoo. It also makes a great day trip! The recent beautiful weather was just perfect to pack some lunches, load the kids into the car, and view the animals running wild (I mean the lions, tigers, and bears...not my kids!).

We drove nearly an hour and a half with the windows down, viewing tons of farmland, farm stands, garden centers, and antique stores (couldn't help but make a few pit stops to check out the merchandise!). We arrived at the zoo right around 11am and found plenty of parking in their free parking lot.   

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suzannecafiero/5736658593/

The park is over 200 acres (85 acres being the zoo) with so much to offer! You will find two playgrounds with benches, walking and biking paths, covered pavilions (available for reserving for a fee), and the gazebo by the lake.  All areas are great for having a picnic or a snack before or after visiting the animals.  There is a Safari Cafe selling food and there are a number of stations inside the zoo selling drinks. However, NO food is permitted in the zoo. Our kids enjoyed the two playgrounds while my husband and I rested on a nearby bench in the shade. Both playground areas have swings, slides, and climbing equipment and plenty of seating.

The playground area designated for older kids

The younger (under 5) kids playground

Undeniably, the main attraction of the park is the zoo. It features over 550 animals displayed in a very unique natural-like setting. The zoo is located in a forested area, so the trees provide lots of shade which is very much appreciated on a hot day! The "boardwalks" lead you through the North American forest creating a sense of calm and relaxation, but also anticipation and excitement as to what you will find as you wander deeper into the forest! Before you know it you have reached the African plains and you are so close to the giraffes and zebras!

Entrance to the African Plains!

View of the giraffe

close up of zebra

We also really enjoyed the lush tropics in the World of Birds enclosed free flight aviary. Wow! We saw all kinds of really interesting birds flying right above our heads!

 And of course, the Reptile House...filled with snakes, turtles, and the famous Albino Alligator was fascinating to everyone except my husband who LOATHES reptiles!

The amazing number and variety of animals kept the attention of my little ones and they were so excited to see more. They LOVED feeding the goats at the farm animals exhibit, seeing the crocodiles swimming, coming almost eyeball to eyeball with a bear, viewing the bald eagles, and laughing at the crazy monkeys!  Here are some of the other animals you can expect to see in this slideshow:

The Cape May Zoo is one of our favorite zoos for a number of reasons.  First, it is affordable being FREE! Second, it is not overwhelming and you are able to view the entire zoo in about 3 hours, and third, the zoo exhibits are unique in that they are shown in a natural state within areas of untouched forest. This zoo is definitely worth the trip!

Tips:

• The zoo is not open late (10am to 4:45 in the summer and closes at 3:45 in the winter), so I suggest getting there early. As with other zoos, the animals are more lively in the morning when it is cooler than in the hot afternoon sun. 
• Pack a lunch.  The fact that the zoo is in a park with plenty of eating areas, it makes the best place to have a picnic. Remember you cannot bring food into the zoo. 
• Bring hand sanitizer.  All the kids love to feed the animals and there are two areas with coin operated food machines. While there are hand sanitizer stations available, I don't think they are close enough to the touch zoo.  By the time, we got to the station, my daughter already had her thumb in her mouth! I should have had sanitizer immediately following the feeding!
• Print out the map! (here is another map)I think the zoo's layout can be a little confusing and sometimes have you wondering if we went down certain walkways.  Also, trying to find the bathrooms seemed like a chore. Familiarize yourself with the layout ahead of time.
• Use the bathrooms when you first enter the park! The bathroom facilities are located right before you enter the zoo and another bathroom facility is near the tiger exhibit.  Make sure everyone uses the bathroom before heading to the African plains...its a long walk back!
• You might to bring a few dollars for the Wildlife carousel and Butterfly Junction Train Station.  They are two dollars per ticket.  I like that they are tucked off to the side of the entrance and exit, because if you maneuver just right your kids just might not see them!

Hope you have wild time!

Delaware Museum of Natural History

Location: Wilmington, DE (directions)

Website: http://www.delmnh.org/ 

Bathrooms: Yes

Eating area: YES, inside cafeteria and outdoor patio

Parking: Yes and free

Attractions: life-sized dinosaurs, sea-life and shell exhibit, nature trail and butterfly garden

Around the area: Winterthur Museum, Delaware Children's Museum, Brandywine Zoo

 Fee: ONE DOLLAR every Tuesday in August!!

Last Tuesday, the day of the terrible storms and possible sighting of a funnel cloud in Wilmington, I took the kids for the first time to the Delaware Museum of Natural History.  I know, that probably wasn't the best timing, but that is what you get when you don't check the weather!

Anyways, the trip to the museum was a super easy one hour drive. We arrived at the Museum just as the first drops began to fall, but were still able to find plenty of free parking in their amble parking lot.  I was able to snap this picture right outside the museum before the rain became too heavy!

You enter the Museum under a replica of a giant squid and immediately come face to face with the giant head of T Rex, everyone's favorite dinosaur, right? My son squealed in delight and ran to give the "Terrible Lizard"a great big kiss!

Our first stop was the Dinosaur Gallery and Hall of Birds. The kids were amazed to see these large dinosaurs towering above them! My computer obsessed daughter (Gee, wonder who she gets that from?) played on the computers and made her own dinosaurs and my son made friends with the  Parasaurolophus head!

Next, we ventured into the new special exhibit called "Turtle Travels" (available until Sept. 5th). The museum describes this as an interactive exhibit that, "offers a turtle’s-eye view of life in the slow lane. Follow a turtle’s footprints on a life-size board game and explore firsthand what it’s like to be a turtle facing habitat challenges" My kids really liked this part of the museum a lot! We viewed live turtles up close, read books on turtles, and pretended to be a turtle.  Kids can run, play and touch everything in this area! It was a lot of fun!

Next, we made our way to the Shell Gallery which has a unique entrance...a simulated Australian Great Barrier Reef! It was a little intimidating to walk over glass with views of coral beneath your feet so my kids just sat and stared at the display and my son even tried to "swim" the reef! In addition,  the museum boasts, "visitors can see a 500-pound Giant Clam shell, learn about scallops, nautilus, and other mollusks, and touch a variety of real shells from our collection of more than 2 million -- which ranks among the top 15 in the United States!"

Finally, our last stop was the Hall of Mammals. "Displays in this section of the Museum bring mammals together from around the world: North and South America, Antarctica, Africa – as well as animals that live in Delaware streams and marshes." Once again, my daughter loved the computers to watch videos of the animals, while my son's favorite was the dung beetle!

  I really liked that the the Museum itself is not very big, which was nice because it wasn't overwhelming. It was easy to keep an eye on the two kids as they ran from one display to another.The layout of the Museum also has a very nice flow to it making it easy to go from room to room and see all there is too see! You could plan on spending at least 2 hours or more depending on the interest level of your kids.

Unfortunately, on our visit, the rain and wind really picked up and we could not go outside on the nature trail or butterfly garden.  The thunderstorm was very big that all the lights went off  in the museum..it was pretty cool, but the museum had to close. So, we will definitely be taking advantage of another Dollar Tuesday and will further explore the museum...but this time I will check the weather!

Tips:

•  Dollar Tuesdays are in effect until the end of August, so hurry and make the trip! Regular admission is $8 for adults and $6 for kids!  So this is a great deal!
• If you have a Bank of America Credit Card, ATM and/or check card,you can get FREE admission on the first full weekend of each month with the "Museums on Us Program" 
• Pair your trip to the Delaware Museum of Natural History with a visit to the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library located, literally, right up the street! Winterthur also has a "Terrific Tuesday" with reduced admission of $5 per child with one free adult!
• Pack a lunch and eat at the cafeteria or sit outside! Vending machine is available in the cafeteria.

See you at the Museum!