Spring and summer excursions that take you off the beaten path
Summer is just around the corner, and if you are anything like us, you are already making a list of fun things to do.
Warm-weather bucket lists certainly include plenty of days at the beach, but sometimes you need a break from the sand and sun.
When you get the itch for something different, hop in the car and head out on an adventure. Check out a floating bridge that crosses a lake, or an ever-changing graffiti display hidden in the woods. Catch a movie at the drive-in, or visit an orchard to pick fresh strawberries, blueberries and peaches.
The beach can wait.
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Cross a lake on a floating trail
About an hour west of the coast (maybe a little farther if you're coming from the northern or southernmost Shore points) is Historic Smithville Park in Burlington County's Eastampton Township.
Not to be confused with Smithville, a quaint shopping village in Atlantic County that also makes for a great day trip, Historic Smithville Park is a former industrial village now included on the National Register of Historic Places.
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The 312-acre park has spots for biking, hiking, fishing, canoeing and picnicking, and animal lovers should watch for beavers, turtles and herons. But perhaps its coolest feature is a "floating trail" over Smithville Lake. At more than 500 feet long, the trail makes you feel like you're walking on water, and there is more park to explore on both sides.
If you're traveling a distance to get here, make the most of the trip with a stop at nearby Columbus Flea Market. Spend some time shopping then visit the food hall, farmers market and Amish markets before heading home.
Go: 803 Smithville Road, Eastampton; 609-265-5858, co.burlington.nj.us.
Catch a movie at the drive-in
Dinner and a movie takes on new meaning at a drive-in, and watching under the stars is a perfect way to spend a summer night.
Delsea Drive-In Theater in Vineland, Cumberland County, is the last official drive-in cinema in New Jersey. It plays two double features on two screens each night, and serves dinner and snack foods from a concessions stand.
Moviegoers bring folding chairs and blankets or set up in pickup truck beds and hatchbacks to watch the films, which start after dusk.
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Tickets cost $12.50 per person and include one double feature. Movies play Fridays through Sundays Memorial Day through Labor Day; the box office opens at 6:15 p.m.
Go: 2203 South Delsea Drive, Vineland; 856-696-0011, delseadrive-in.com.
Pick your own produce
There's nothing quite like a ripe Jersey peach, warm from the sun and juicy as can be.
Find them at any farm stand in the summer, or head to one of these farms or orchards to pick your own – along with strawberries, blueberries and cherries:
Battleview Orchard in Freehold Township starts its picking season with strawberries then moves on to sour cherries, peaches and nectarines; 91 Wemrock Road, 732-462-0756, battlevieworchards.com
Eastmont Orchards in Colts Neck is a favorite for peaches and nectarines; 169 County Road 537, 732-542-5404, eastmontorchards.com
Hallock’s U-Pick Farm in the New Egypt section of Plumsted has strawberries, tomatoes and lots of vegetables for picking; 38 Fischer Road, 609-758-8847, hallocksupick.com
Emery's Farm in Plumsted grows five varieties of blueberries and is famous for its blueberry ice cream (346 Long Swamp Road, 609-758-8514, emerysfarm.com). Other blueberry-picking farms include Bear Berries in Browns Mills (1449 Junction Road, 609-636-5158, facebook.com/bearberries91); Haines Berry Farm in Pemberton (98 Sheep Pen Hill Road, 609-894-8630, hainesberryfarm.com); and Hammonton's DiMeo Farms (3101 Nesco Road, 609-561-5905, dimeofarms.com), Blueberry Bill Farms (914 11th St., 609-839-4306, blueberrybillfarms.com, and Lindsay's Pick Your Own Blueberries (436 Pleasant Mills Road, 609-561-2474, facebook.com/LindsaysBlueberries).
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Hunt for graffiti in the woods
New Jersey's Pine Barrens has long been a source of mystery, thanks to tales of the Jersey Devil; the lure of the beautiful Blue Hole, a water-filled quarry where swimming is so dangerous, it's against the law; and abandoned buildings nestled among the pines.
One such spot is the Brooksbrae Brick Factory, tucked along the eastern edge of Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in the Whiting section of Manchester, Ocean County. Built in the 1900s, the site was intended to become a clay brick factory, but its owner died before the factory could open.
Through the years, the spot became something else entirely: a canvas for graffiti artists, who have painted and repainted the walls, floors and ceilings of buildings that remained after a fire at the site. It's a little spooky but a little beautiful, too, and since people still visit to spray-paint, the art is always changing.
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To get there, program your map to Pasadena Woodmanse Road in Whiting, which winds between Route 72 to the south and Route 530 to the north. At about the midway point, keep your eyes on the roadway: Graffiti on the asphalt will tell you where to park.
From there, head west into the woods and cross railroad tracks (also abandoned). Watch for spray-painted leaves, tree trunks and small signs: Follow these, and within a few minutes walk from the tracks, you'll find the site.
Beat the heat indoors
When faced with a rainy day – or the need to spend some time in air-conditioning – take a trip to Bell Works, a sprawling complex full of food, fun and plenty of room to stretch your legs
The second floor of the 2-million-square-foot building in Holmdel, Monmouth County, is lined with offices, but the first is home to the township's library, an indoor golf range, an escape room, a virtual reality center, and shops selling jewelry and clothing.
When you work up an appetite, visit the food hall for pizza, pasta, sushi and baked goods; Oink and Moo BBQ & Burgers for brisket and burnt ends; Booskerdoo Coffee & Baking Co. for lattes; Bar Bella for cocktails; and Jersey Freeze for ice cream.
Go: 101 Crawfords Corner Road in Holmdel; 732-226-8818, bell.works/new-jersey/explore.
Go back in time
Heading into the 2021 season, the leadership of the Historic Village at Allaire was concerned that the pandemic would keep visitors away. They were happy to be wrong, and as the pandemic winds down, Allaire Village is expanding its hours.
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The village and its historic buildings, homes and shops are open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, April through late November. In the past, that schedule was contained between Memorial Day to Labor Day.
In April 1822, James P. Allaire purchased 5,000 acres of land in what is now Wall and Howell. The village you find there today in Allaire State Park features 13 buildings from the old Howell Iron Works Co., which flourished as a self-sufficient, isolated community of as many as 500 residents from 1822-1846. A snapshot of life during the industrial revolution, it has become one of New Jersey’s most popular living-history sites and is run as a nonprofit with limited state assistance.
History buffs will enjoy one of Allaire's guided tours, which are offered at 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from April through November ($5).
Go: 4263 Atlantic Ave., Wall; 732-919-3500, allairevillage.org.
Staff writer Jerry Carino contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Day trips near me this summer in NJ you should take
