02 Apr
01 Apr
Hate Creepy Crawlers? Get Some Bug Therapy at Insectropolis
A couple of months ago, a reader sent us a link to an article about the increasing presence of nature phobias in our culture. It seems that the more people live and work in urban areas, the less comfortable they are with the great outdoors. Makes sense, right? About a week later, I was on a class trip to Insectropolis, a bug museum (yes, you read that correctly) in Lakewood, New Jersey. I have been there at least eight times before, but this time our tour guide said something that struck me. She told the kids that when she started working... Read More
30 Mar
Guest Blog: Is New Zealand the World’s Most Beautiful Country?
John and Cathy are experienced international RV travelers. They have just returned from exploring New Zealand in a rented campervan and have agreed to blog about their adventures for our readers. Here is the next installment… If heaven has beautiful views, then we certainly saw a preview in New Zealand–where we just completed a trip to celebrate forty years of marriage. Many people regard New Zealand as the world’s most beautiful country. For Cathy and I, it certainly lived up to these claims. With only about 4.5 million people living... Read More
27 Mar
Planning that Vacation? Let a State Park Surprise Your Family…
National Parks get a whole lot of attention and rightfully so. They are (across the board) breathtaking and phenomenal experiences, and one of the highlights of our national heritage. State Parks don’t get as much exposure, but over the last four years they have become a foundational part of our family travel. In general, state parks can be more accessible and affordable, offering wonderful hiking, fishing, canoeing, and swimming without the crowds that many of the national parks attract. Two summers ago we set off for a 16 day jaunt... Read More
24 Mar
A Pearl at the Jersey Shore: Crab Shack, Mantoloking Road
About 10 years ago, when my husband and I moved back to New Jersey from Philadelphia, we spent some time living in Mantoloking. This is one of those tiny Jersey Shore towns that is full of visiting families in the summer and completely empty in the winter. You can stand on the beach in the middle of January and truly feel you are the only person for miles. Except you aren’t. Even though almost every business shuts down somewhere around mid October, the Crab Shack keeps selling what I consider to be the best local, fresh seafood... Read MoreI Really, Really Like My Kids…Most of the Time (and mostly outside)
A funny thing happened the other night. I was putting Wes down to sleep, singing and rocking and such. As I placed him down in his crib, I whispered I like you. As soon as I said it, I laughed aloud in the quiet, dark room. I always told Wes I loved him before leaving the room, and I have no idea why something else came out of my mouth that night. Those words sounded so funny, so odd…I like you. What a weird thing to say to your baby, right? The more I thought about it, though, the more it seemed like the perfect thing to say to a... Read More
16 Mar
