Not Back to School Day 2010: Island Beach State Park

When we began homeschooling, our family adopted a tradition of doing some special, fun thing when the public school year started.  Sometimes we went camping for a few days; most of the time we just went away for a long day trip. Usually we went to the beach.

When we moved three years ago, things changed a lot and we didn't have our not-back-to-school trip. I'm happy to say that yesterday we corrected that and went to the beach to celebrate the first day of school.

The beach in New Jersey is very different from the beaches in Oregon. This was only our second beach trip in the three years we've been here. That first trip was to Ocean City, a resort town with a popular beach and boardwalk. We were stunned and appalled by the beach there. My kids, used to deserted Oregon beaches, hated the crowds - umbrellas crammed so close together they were practically touching; a small swimming area with a lifeguard and no swimming outside the borders. No picnicking on the beach either! That rule was probably made to support the boardwalk businesses.

In any case, my beach-loving family has avoided the beach.

Then we heard about Island Beach State Park.   It looked like our kind of beach.  Quiet, secluded, concession-free.  Dogs are allowed in certain areas.

 

It was probably one of our most fun beach days ever.  We played in the water and sand, flew a kite, ran like crazy, and searched for shells.  There were a lot of shells. I don't know why we don't have pictures of shells.

Even teens need to build sand forts.

It was the first time we took our dog to the beach so it was fun watching him react to it.  He liked the water except when the waves were coming right at him. He can swim! And he loved it. He was one tired puppy on the way home.

We were all tired.

Island Beach is great discovery for people like us who prefer a quiet beach. There is an interpretive center; the rest of the family visited it for a few minutes while I stayed with the dog. It wasn't spectacular, but we have been to a lot of beach interpretive centers so maybe we're a little jaded. There are a few trails to walk but we just engaged in beach play till everyone was tired and the dog was being driven mad by flies.

We hope to go back. But even if we never make it back there, it was a great not-back-to-school day.

(Linked to Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer.)

Pennsylvania Field Trip: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has been on our list of places to visit for a long time.  Today was our first visit and we wish we had not waited so long.  It's a beautiful and interesting place. From their website:

Located in east-central Pennsylvania, Hawk Mountain is the world's first refuge for birds of prey. Open year-round, visitors enjoy scenic vistas, 8-miles of ridge and valley trails, a Visitor Center, Bookstore, and native plant garden, and each autumn, the chance to observe large numbers of hawks, eagles and falcons as they migrate past our lookouts. 

We started at the Visitor's Center to look at the displays and (of course) have a quick browse in the gift shop  Then we paid our trail fees, picked up a map and started walking.

Their website advises hiking boots, and that is good advice. The trail up to the first lookout is well-groomed and smooth; after that it's a little more rough and rocky.  Not difficult, but not a place for weak shoes.

There are several miles of trails in the Sanctuary but we opted to take the direct route to the lookout.  This is the season for seeing raptors so we didn't want to mess around.  The route to the lookout has a couple of options for your hiking pleasure.  The kids wanted to take the Escarpment Trail:

The escarpment trail leads off the North Lookout Trail closer to the ridge, and requires much boulder scrambling (climbing over large rocks). Be sure to wear hiking boots and to carry any items in a daypack so both hands are free for climbing. This trail connects to the Express Trail, leading hikers to North Lookout.

 I really didn't want to.  It was interesting to see how my kids took charge.  My boy and I had been trading the backpack and  he took it over. He and his sister went ahead of me to guide me to safe rocks.  I felt a little old, but I have always been clumsy and unbalanced. And, I have that mother fear of seeing my kids in precarious places. I really got a kick out of the way they took care of me.

It isn't a long trail to the top; about a mile, I think.  This is part of the view:

It was a pretty hazy, hot day so the visibility was not great.  There was not a lot of bird action at first. I somehow always get the expectation at these sorts of places that there will be birds flying around up close, as in a zoo. Well, of course it's not that way.  We did see some vultures and a hawk or two - I couldn't tell the difference but the ranger at the top could.   Binoculars are a must here.

Besides getting a lot of exercise, fresh air, and information about raptors, my kids got a little lesson in - I have to say it - socialization.  When we reached the top of the lookout there were several people already there, but no one was talking except the members of one family group.  And they were loud.  And the kids were not happy to be there and were ready to go home.  I can only imagine how the ranger felt hearing these kids complain about this horrible place their mother had brought them to.  They left shortly after we arrived, and after a few minutes the other people started talking quietly about the birds.  The atmosphere changed completely when the family left.  That was when we first started seeing birds, too, though they were too far away to be bothered by the whines of bored children.  That was a topic of conversation in my little family as we went back down the mountain.

We took the easier way down.

The Sanctuary also has a small native plant garden with a bird blind and a pond.  

Hawk Mountain is about 45 minutes west of Allentown and is absolutely worth a visit.  Check out their main site for information and a virtual tour, read their blog, or find them on Facebook.  If you've been there, tell me your favorite place at Hawk Mountain.  

This post is linked to Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer. 

Pennsylvania Field Trip: Academy of Natural Sciences

Today was supposed to be our second day of homeschooling at home, doing math, English, Latin, and other (possibly more) interesting stuff. But we ended up having a field trip instead. Or, actually, in addition.

Early this morning I discovered that I was going to have to make a trip to downtown Philadelphia for a short but important errand. I do not like going downtown. But as I googled my route I noticed that I was going to be six blocks from a museum my kids have been wanting to visit for just about the entire three years we've lived here. So, I had to decide: leave the kids on their own for a couple of hours to do their math and other tablework without getting distracted or into a fight, or take them to the museum? Which would you pick?

Isn't this little guy cute?

The Academy of Natural Sciences is in the museum area of Philadelphia, near the Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  It is a pretty nice area of town, as big old cities go.    It's full of dinosaur skeletons, from my little friend above, to a giant T. Rex.  There is an area for little scientists to have a go at digging for fossils.  My kids are too old for that now.  I can't say I miss it.

Isn't the cut-away of the nautilus just stunning?  I'd like to hang that on my Christmas tree.

Snail shells.

Among the permanent exhibits are wildlife dioramas, the "outside in" children's area, and a butterfly house.

It was hot and humid in there, but worth it to see so many butterflies up close.

There are also temporary exhibits, Scout programs, a cafe, and a gift shop. I'm happy to say that my kids did not ask me to buy anything for them while we were there. Between the admission (butterflies are a few dollars extra) and the parking (parking in Philadelphia is just never cheap) they knew it was an expensive day.  But the museum is not overpriced.

And they thanked me for taking them! We ate our peanut butter sandwiches and graham crackers on the way home.  And when we got home they did as much work as they could squeeze in before soccer practice and dinner.

This is a nice museum. It reminded me of the San Francisco Academy of Sciences from my youth, but is nowhere as extensive in size or variety of exhibits. Still, it is a good way to spend a few hours and my kids learned a few things, in particular at the temporary "Creatures of the Abyss."  But go quickly if you want to see that; it's moving next week.  

Pennsylvania Field Trip: Morris Arboretum

The Morris Arboretum in the suburbs of Philadelphia is a great place for a homeschool field trip. It is 92 acres of cultivated gardens, historic structures, wetland areas, a creek. A former estate, it is now run by the University of Pennsylvania.

There are 13,000 labeled plants: trees, shrubs, flowers. There is a rose garden, an herb garden, a fernery (a wonderful place to stop to warm up on a cold winter day), a Japanese overlook, and many other beautiful spaces.

It is a wonderful place for drawing, photographing, identifying plants, watching insects, listening to birds.

You can get ideas for plantings in your own garden.

This is a Bald Cypress tree. I'd never seen cones like that!

This is the "Summer Palace," a structure fashioned of branches. It was installed last year and will stay in place until the weather removes it. Click to enlarge for the full effect.

There are secluded spots for sitting and resting, or reading - silently or aloud.

I didn't get a picture of the "Out on a Limb" exhibit which is a wonderful spot for kids. They can get up in the trees, sit in a birds' nest, climb like a squirrel. Or the Garden Railway, which we visit every summer. They have classes, concerts, and other special events for families. Signs and activities around the gardens add to the educational value of the visit.Visit their site or their blog for more information.

If you are going to be in the Philadelphia area, it is worth a visit. If you live here, go soon!