By Amy Byrnes
Sure, folks in these parts can get all misty-eyed as summer comes to a close. They get sentimental about the sound of the Atlantic rolling onto the beach and digging their toes deep into the cool sand.
Photo courtesy T. Collela
But one of the best times to get out and enjoy the Two River area is in the fall. Autumn is the perfect time to wander through a Monmouth County park, carve a pumpkin or enjoy a hayride.
Many kids will remember taking a class trip to visit places like Wemrock Orchards in Freehold, where they picked a pumpkin from the field, then piled into the store to learn how apples get pressed into cider. At the end of the tour, they’d get paper cups of the sweet juice and cider donuts fresh out of the oven.
Wemrock Orchards is still going strong and there are also other spots to pick apples and pumpkins, get lost in a corn maze or just admire the changing leaves to keep you and your family busy every weekend this fall.
MONMOUTH COUNTY PARK SYSTEM
HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Honestly, there aren’t enough weekends in the fall to squeeze in all the cool programs and events being offered by the county park system. From Seashell Sundays at the Bayshore Waterfront Park to geocaching and an archery ghost hunt in Thompson Park, there are plenty of activities to get your kids off their phones – or yours.
Here are some highlights:
Historic Longstreet Farm’s Harvest Home Festival (Holmdel Park, Sunday, Sept. 29) features an old-fashioned home and garden-style competition in categories such as needlework, canning, baked goods and vegetables. Festival highlights include wagon rides, games and live entertainment. Register entries at monmouthcountyparks.com.
Superhero Fun Run (Dorbrook Recreation Area, Saturday, Sept. 29) Do you have a mini superhero living in your midst? This 1-mile fun run, which is stroller and wagon friendly and open to superheroes of all ages, will let your little avenger’s cape fly. The cost is $10 per person and preregistration is required at monmouthcountyparks.com. Shazam!
Family Halloween Camping (Turkey Swamp Park, Oct. 27-28) Feeling extra adventurous? You and your kiddos (ages 5 and up) can spend a “spooktacular” evening decorating your tent, carving a pumpkin and going on a nighttime hike. The cost is $200 for up to six family members which gets you a platform tent, dinner Saturday night and breakfast Sunday morning. Check out monmouthcountyparks.com for all the details and to register your family.
TAKE YOUR FAMILY APPLE PICKING
Photo by Patrick Olivero
What better way to spend a fall weekend than wandering through an orchard picking apples? Plus your Instagram feed will thank you.
Eastmont Orchards (Route 537, Colts Neck): Put your kids to work gathering Cortland, Crispin or Golden Delicious apples, just some of the numerous varieties available at Eastmont Orchards. Check out their website at eastmontorchards.com, which not only has great FAQs but also a video telling you the best way to pick apples.
Battleview Orchards (91 Wemrock Road, Freehold): Come for the apple picking, stay for the cider donuts in the neighboring country store. Not sure what to do with your haul? Their website at battlevieworchards.com has recipes for pies, crisps and applesauce.
NO WAY OUT:
CORN MAZES GO HIGH-TECH
Looking to get your Fortniter into the great outdoors? Take a ride to one of the several farms in the area that offer a variety of fun fall activities, including impressive corn mazes.
Happy Day Farm (106 Iron Ore Road, Manalapan) Voted one of USA Today’s Top 10 corn mazes, Farmer Tim has created a 10-acre corn maze for the 21st century, featuring three miles of pathways looped to create an homage to Marvel Comics. The maze includes two paths – a shorter one just right for younger visitors and a more challenging one for true maze enthusiasts – and you can use texts and GPS to help guide you through to the finish. The farm also offers pumpkin and apple picking and a whole host of weekend activities in the fall, including corn hole, live music and farm animals to pet and feed.
Howell Living History Farm (17 Valley Road, Hopewell Twp.) Although a bit of a drive from the Two River area, you can spend a day here picking pumpkins, going on a hayride and gettinglostinNewJersey’slongestrunningcornmazeatthis 250-year-old farm. One friend told me on Facebook that she and her family visit every year, dividing into teams and com- peting to see who makes their way out of the maze first. Follow up with a trip to New Hope to round out your perfect fall day.
I LIKE MY HAYRIDES SPOOKY
If you like your fall fun a little more on the spooky side, there are some terrifying local options that fit the bill.
A Casola Farm (Route 34, Holmdel) To be fair, there are plenty of things to do here that aren’t scary, like pony rides, a petting zoo and daytime hayrides. But once the sun goes down, things get weird. Think House of Horrors, Haunted Hayride and some dude called Leather Face patrolling a junkyard. Enter at your own risk.
C Casola Farm (Route 79, Marlboro) Okay, if shooting at zombies with paintball guns and riding around in a coffin is your thing, this is the place for you. They were even open last year on Halloween night, if you’re looking to end your trick-or-treating with a great big scare. Me? I’d rather stay home and eat candy.
