By the end of July, many day camps are winding to a close and parents of young children are searching for kid-friendly amusements for the rest of the summer.  Two ideas to keep in mind are Sesame Place and The Land of Make Believe.  The Land of Make Believe is closer to home: take Route 280 to 80 to exit 12 and you’ll be there in about an hour.  The park is homey, friendly and picturesque and makes for a lovely day trip with the younger set.  Billed as “New Jersey’s Premiere Family Amusement & Water Park,” The Land of Make Believe is spread over 30 acres with an amusement park featuring a …

If you’re looking for an outdoor adventure this summer and like getting wet in the hot weather, one of the greatest escapes this part of the country has to offer is white water rafting. You don’t need to be an athlete or even a good swimmer, it’s relatively safe, and provides an exciting change from the shore or amusement parks for a fabulous family day trip.  All this, less than two hours away. If you’re going with a big group, which we recommend as the more boats you fill with people you know, the more fun you’ll have (think massive water gun fights between boats), book as far in advance as…

Spending a summer day at Storm King Art Center is one of those fabulous day trips that makes you feel extremely grateful for living in this part of the country.  Take the kids on this escape, or not.  Either way, you’ll be glad you went.  Known throughout the art world as one of the world’s leading sculpture parks, Storm King Art Center is about an hour from northern New Jersey, in New York’s lower Hudson Valley.  It’s basically a 500-acre retreat comprised of fields, hills, and woodlands, and it provides the setting for a collection of more than 100 stunning sculptures by such artists as …

MFEE Toasts are usually great parties, and they’re always for a great cause!  While some toasts are family events and everyone, from toddlers to adults, is welcome, quite a few toasts this season are geared for adults only, providing us all with a great escape for a good cause.  If you’re not familiar with the MFEE Toasts, here’s how it works: Montclair families, friends, or community groups host a party to honor teachers, principals, and other members of the school community.  The hosts pay for the party, and guests pay to come – the money raised by the guests helps to fund MFEE (Montclair …

If you know enough to split pairs of aces and eights on a blackjack table, or even if you don’t, a trip to Atlantic City might be in the cards for you. Stash the kids at Grandma’s, grab a few rolls of quarters (or substantially more if you’re thinking of playing table games rather than slots) and hit the Parkway. Our own little Jersey slice of Vegas awaits. With a beach. In addition to basically every variety of casino gaming, Atlantic City also offers luxurious spas, great shopping, world-class shows and dining, a very walkable boardwalk, lots of golf nearby, and even fishing. Michael Buble …

Mother’s Day is rapidly approaching, so if you need to purchase a gift for someone else or pick one out for yourself, an escape to Sahana Day Spa might just fit the bill.   Located on Bloomfield Avenue in the heart of downtown Montclair, Sahana “promotes overall health and wellness from the healing of the body transcending through to one’s day-to-day lifestyle.” What that means to us is that from the moment you walk in the door at Sahana, you feel worlds away, and as if you truly have escaped the everyday. It’s pretty. It’s quiet. It‘s calm. It smells divine. And everyone is nice.  Offering …

Escaping to Tibet may sound heavenly, but if that’s a bit too far-fetched to pull off this spring, on Thursday nights, the Newark Museum is holding a Lecture Series as part of the centennial celebration of their Tibetan Collection. Immerse yourself in the art and culture of Tibet without the expense, jetlag or using up all your vacation time. Coffee receptions are 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the main programs are scheduled to run 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the following dates: May 12: Changing the World, One Heart at a Time: Pico Iyer, award-winning journalist and author of The Open Road: The Global …

Known as “The Antique Capital of New Jersey,” Lambertville offers a quiet and relaxing escape for a day or a weekend. The kids might be bored with the shopping and not love the B&Bs (generally speaking, no game room, no waterpark) so leave them with grandma or friends if you can, and escape for a day or two.  Located on the east bank of the Delaware River, the town of Lambertville, New Jersey, offers blocks of interesting shops including dozens of antique stores, art galleries, craft and specialty stores. Antique collectors will find everything from 18th-century furniture and decorative arts …

For a day, a night, or a full weekend, the Hilton Short Hills is an escape worth considering. Just a short drive away, this AAA Four Diamond-awarded hotel boasts several dining options as well as recently refurbished rooms, but the real reason to make this a weekend getaway is the spa. Named eforea, the Hilton's spa claims to “address the evolving wellness and beauty needs of today's spa guest.” In more practical terms, that means they offer a wide range of both body and beauty treatments for men and women including all variety of massage, wraps, scrubs, buffs, polishes, and more. In addition…

The weather is still unpredictable enough this week that we recommend staying inside for your escape of choice. Take a few more weeks to huddle indoors and indulge in one of the greatest escapes ever invented: the movies!  The recently refurbished AMC Dine-In Theatre in West Orange’s Essex Green shopping center offers two types of experiences and both involve movies, food, beverage, and big, comfy, awesome seats. The Cinema Suites is swankier—it’s age 21 & over only and offers ‘premium’ dining. The Fork & Screen allows kids under 18, but they must be accompanied by an adult and the food is …

Being able to spend an evening escaping to a Broadway show and dinner in the city is one of the reasons some of us enjoy living in New Jersey. However, such an escape can also set you back upwards of $500 for two orchestra seats, dinner, and parking. Not to mention dealing with New York/New Jersey logistics like traffic, taxis, and the general potential hassle of getting in and out of the city.  So if your escape of choice is dinner and a show but you’re just not up for dealing with—or paying for—Broadway, consider Millburn. The Paper Mill Playhouse is currently partnering with two local …

Escape to the city and get lost in a world that disappeared more than 2000 years ago. "Pompeii: The Exhibit—Life and Death in the Shadow of Vesuvius" opened at the Discovery Center Times Square on Friday, and it’s a great escape of monumental proportions from today’s New Jersey. Almost anything at the Discovery Center is worth seeing as their exhibits are phenomenal and probably the easiest major New York City exhibition venue to get to from here. Located on 44th between Broadway and 8th Avenue, it’s a 10-minute stroll from the Port Authority. "Pompeii: The Exhibit" includes more than 250 …

It’s Friday night and your husband is too tired to go out, but you’re dying to do something. Anything, basically, that’s not work, kid, or school related. We have the perfect solution: Grab a friend or go alone to the Bob Marley Friday Night Flow at Garden State Yoga. Located at 31 Lackawanna Place in Bloomfield, you can get there in less than fifteen minutes, but you’ll soon feel like you’ve been transported to a Caribbean reggae retreat.  Not for those afraid to break a sweat, the Bob Marley Friday Night Flow is a hot power vinyasa yoga class set to Bob Marley music and done by candlelight…

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside wearing normal shoes, here we go again with the snow. But instead of cursing the snowiest winter in more than a decade, embrace your inner ski bunny. Skiing, snowboarding, and tubing are not merely family activities to be suffered through with a good book and a flask. Rather, grab a friend, drop the kids at the bus, and hit the slopes for a day-long girlfriend getaway in the great outdoors, back in plenty of time for pickup. Mountain Creek Resort is less than an hour away, basically right up Route 23. A day ticket is $49.99, and you’ll save $3 …

Valentine's Day not all it was cracked up to be? Never fear! Book yourself a lovely few days at the Mohonk Mountain House and all will be forgiven and forgotten. Go alone, with friends, or with the hubby, but leave the kids with the in-laws and escape for a few days of fabulousness in Upstate New York. Mohonk Mountain House is offering a midweek winter getaway now through March 31 with rates starting at $165 per person per night. Enjoy all this famed resort has to offer including afternoon tea and cookies, a four-course dinner, sinfully delicious breakfast, ice skating, fitness classes, yoga…

You’re cold, cranky, and desperate to get out of town, but if you can’t muster the resources to go to the Caribbean for a quick fix, just go to Queens. Really.    In 35 minutes and for just $35, you can get out of the house, out of New Jersey, and out of your boots (and everything else for that matter) and spend all day at the Spa Castle in College Point, New York. First exit off the Whitestone, Spa Castle really is just 35 minutes from Montclair if you avoid rush hour. Five stories high and 100,000 square feet, Spa Castle is the perfect place to go while the kids are in school—you’ll arrive …