Another way out of Jersey for free. The New Hope/Lamberville bridge is a narrow one but offers…read morebeautiful views of the river and connects the two small shopping towns on either side.

In New Hope and Lambertville for the first time, I knew I had to cross New Hope-Lambertville…read moreBridge! It connects - duh, you guessed it - New Hope, Pennsylvania, with Lambertville, New Jersey. There are two lanes for cars on the bridge, but one side has a pedestrian bridge area as well. The views are great, and it's just an experience to cross it with so many people who are all stopping to take pictures and selfies and asking strangers to take pictures of them with their families. Crossing at sunset is a special treat! The bridge allows you to see both towns, and it's just a few minutes to cross. It's a must do on a first visit New Hope and Lambertville.

Cabin Run is a 4.5 mile long Creek running from Bedminster to outside Point Pleasant, PA. In the…read more18th Century it was an early site of log and stone cabins that housed settlers in this backwater of the Delaware River Watershed. At this location 300 feet from where it merged with Tohikon Creek before flowing into the Mighty Delaware, a town truss covered bridge was constructed in 1871. A way was needed to transport grain and flour to and from the mills along these streams that provided safe passage over all the surrounding watercourses in good and bad weather. Things don't look much different than they did 140 years ago. The geology slopes toward the river, gently folding and rolling through a still heavy forest. The bridge painted red and white, 82 feet long and 15 feet wide, grants this bucolic scene a timelessness and peaceful beauty that immediately moves inside to calm the soul. The sound of briskly running water soothes and clarifies the mind. Of course, having a perfect end of May day to cruise the back roads of Upper Bucks County, makes the discovery of this homage to an earlier time when life was harder, but simpler, almost magical.

Willowwood Arboretum is a 130 acre track of land which displays 2100 kinds of native exotic plants…read moremany of which are rare. It is presently administered by the Willowwood Foundation and the Morris County Park Commission. Open daily from 8 am-dusk, you can visit the arboretum free of charge on a self-guided tour. Featured in the arboretum is Pan's Garden and the Rosarie located behind the Tubb's house. An additional garden is the Cottage Garden located near the Shingle Bar. Other structures include the Red Barn. Hoop House, Stone Cottage and Myer's Center Stone Barn. Bamboo Brook is a three minute ride from Willowwood or you can walk the path which joins the property. It is also free to visit. I personally like to run the meadow and wooded paths areas of the property. Unfortunately, Oatie (golden doodle) is not allowed to set foot in either location. Oatie was very disappointed. A map of Willowwood can be found on their website with a description of the various areas and plant identification data. Visitor's can dial 973-349-3020 for a station to station self-guided tour. The clips are short but informative.

This special and beautiful property, open to the pubic, is a must-visit location every Spring about…read morethe first or second week of May. It is a glorious immersion into nature's amazing world of lilacs, tulips, daffodils, wisteria, ferns, trees, fauna and other greenery. And it's FREE! There is a babbling brook and a special garden behind the main house. There is a parking lot and restrooms available. Don't miss this special place!

This is such a good spot. If someone said "when in Allentown," where to go this would be it…read more Admittedly there isn't a lot to choose from, but this is a wonderful family friendly place. Here is a joint private/government effort that works. It is a fish hatchery, and you can spend a couple bucks for food. Throw this in the tanks, and watch the mostly rainbow trout go crazy for it. The freshwater version of Jaws. All joking aside spent a couple hours here. I found seeing the grounds neat too. The volunteers here are wonderful. Hoping young folks will step up. You can go inside the store and see animals preserved in formaldehyde. This is educational. What a great spot for families, and people of all ages.

This was a fantastic attraction. I visited with my parents and sibling, 2 adults, 18 year old, and…read morea 16 year old. We had a fantastic time looking at all the different sized fish A big bag of fish food is only $1, extremely reasonable, and the entire family made a few bags last 20-30 minutes and we fed most of the tanks! We especially liked the "prized fish" tank, which has the biggest fish in the hatchery, and we had a great time gawking at the huge fish. The kids we saw around also all seemed to be having a great time. My only critique is that I feel there should be at least a couple obvious staff present. While we were there, one of the nets on the medium size tank fell in, and fish were getting stuck in the net. One fish was visibly thrashing, while a couple others were trapped with their heads out of the water, dying for all to see. This was clearly not how it was meant to be. There was no place for us to report this clear problem. There was also a dead fish just sitting in the walkway of one area. Now I understand that this is a hatchery, and with large scale production, fish are going to die. I don't mind seeing some dead fish in the water. But one just rotting on the ground or dying in a net (both of which area easily fixable) does rub me the wrong way. I wish I could give this place more like a 4 1/2, because some staff did come and fix the net problem, and the dead fish were not a huge detriment to my experience, but I don't want to rate 5 because it was something I feel could be easily fixed. The pictures don't do this place justice, I highly suggest going and feeding the fish yourself! You can also look at all the fish for free.

New Hope is a small town in Pennsylvania along the Delaware River. Its streets are lined with…read morelarge trees and bouquet shops. Just across the bridge is New Jersey. On the weekends it get a bit congested with cars and visitors. Street parking is not free. It costs $3 for three hours including weekends. If you like small towns with personality, this is the spot for you!!

I've been a fan of New Hope for more years than I prefer to admit. But how couldn't you be?…read more Do you like good food? Many options of cuisine and setting. My recommendations: Cafe Blue Moose, Marsha Brown and Caleb's which is near Lahaska( casual Byob) But stroll around and check out menus and Yelp for several more good choices. Do you like adult beverages? Take your pick of the various outdoor bars that are perfect for people gawking.Havana being a great choice. Beer lovers might enjoy Triumph brewery( happy hour rocks) and for the winos, Nektar again. Do you like sweet treats? Multiple candy stores and ice cream options. My picks are Clusters caramel corn, and for frozen creamy Nirvana, cross the river for Owowcow in Lambertville. Do you like to shop till you drop? Many quirky and trendy stores here, maybe too many. Seriously, do we really need a beef jerky store? And all of this commerce is nestled into a centuries old town that is picturesquely situated on the Delaware. You can even cross the river on foot( by bridge of course) and explore the smaller NJ version of this town. Between eating and shopping one could easily spend several hours here. I prefer week days( Monday and Tuesday are closed days for some businesses) when parking is easier and sidewalks are not as crowded. If you've never been you should plan a visit. For many of us in the bi state area this is a place that earns repeated visits, and fond memories of all of them. 4.5 Yelps

One of the older covered bridges in Bucks County, Pine Valley Covered Bridge was constructed in…read more1842 out of native hemlock and pine. Today it crosses Pine Run Creek on Old Ironhill Road in the New Britain portion of Chalfont Township. Covered Bridge Park sits on its southern end, and Peace Valley Park is little more than half mile to the north. As with most other covered spans here, the engineering is a simple latticed town truss design, about 80 feet long by 15 feet wide. It underwent renovation in 2003 to reinforce its weight bearing capacity. This one carries more traffic than most of the others, and the watercourse running beneath it is broader and deeper than those I've visited lately. Pine Valley is too busy to carry the romance of covered bridges as well as most of the others, but it remains charming nonetheless. Yet, in combination with Peace Valley Lake, Peace Valley Nature Center and Covered Bridge Park, the cruise up county to this area was cool and enjoyable.

Hidden Pond Tree Farm is such a hidden gem!…read more The entire vibe is giving LL Bean catalog and it's in the best way. In addition to Christmas trees you'll find a variety of gorgeous wreaths / holiday arrangements, local honey for gifting, a train ride and the cutest little snack shack selling cider donuts, hot cocoa and marshmallows for roasting. Once you've got your marshmallow supplies you can head over to the campfire area where they have the firepit roaring and ready for roasting. But if you are visiting, you are likely here to get a Christmas tree! You can cut down your own or get a pre-cut tree. Cut your own is $125 and pre-cut is $125 for small, $155 for medium and $175 for large. We got a medium tree and we're super happy with it! When my kids are older I think they'll love coming back to cut their own. This is a great place to go for some holiday fun, and I loved that there were things for the kids besides the trees. Prices are definitely a bit steeper than other places around, but I think it's worth it for the cute holiday experience.

Used to be good to get a tree. It's $125 for any tree "regardless of the size." But they are all…read moretiny. The precut the larger trees and sell the for $245 up front. The have a fire pit area which is nice, and employees are nice, but I felt scammed this year

I'm probably alone on this one but outdoor dining seems to be a vestigial consequence of the…read morepandemic that's sticking around and I am, to put it succinctly, not a fan. Sure, on a beautiful Spring day, who doesn't love relaxing outside over an excellent meal but for the most part, throwing some chairs and tables on the sidewalk is in reality, a hastily arranged birthday party for your third cousin, not a substitute for legitimate atmosphere especially when your plastic is being scorched for some overpriced artisanal, farm to table grub. Now Princeton proper has decided to turn upper Witherspoon Street into a pedestrian mall/outside dining space, writ large. Spare me please. For three months during the Summer, I guess it makes sense but if this past Winter is any guide, most restaurants seem to enjoy the game of how many fools will acquiesce to dinner in their Canadian Goose overcoats under a heat lamp in December? Not this fool. If there's a roaring fire inside why would I willingly freeze my tuchus off stuck in a tundra of my own making. I'd like a cocktail before dinner, not a hot chocolate... but bring one for my third cousin anyway. Cluelessness may be an actual major at Princeton. Two frozen stars.

Still one of my favorite New Jersey towns. All out-of-state guests get a tour of Princeton,…read morecomplete with ice cream from the Bent Spoon, $1 DVDs from Princeton Record Exchange and a stroll through the university campus. Cute shops of every kind are plentiful and if it is nice outside, you won't get tired of strolling around. Stick to Nassau Street, Palmer Square and all of it's many side streets and you'll do great. Go in the summer for ice cream and iced coffee and sunshine or go in the fall for the real college feel around campus but a personal favorite is winter when the Christmas tree is up in the square. Thanks for many wonderful day trips, Princeton!