What's Your Pleasure?
Summer is the season to choose your own adventure.

Looking for an escape from the everyday but not sure where to turn?

Will Neate has suggestions for anyone open to taking some calculated risks. Overlook’s own Director of Cardiovascular Services gets his heart pumping with everything from kayaking and white-water rafting to mountain biking and climbing. “It’s a total escape,” he says. “I can commune with nature, focus on what I’m doing, and decompress from life stresses. It gets me out of the office and out of the house, and into a beautiful environment where I can have fun with the people I’m with.”

Neate, who has pursued adventure sports for decades, suggests doing some research on local clubs (he himself belongs to the Kayak and Canoe Club of New York) and instruction services if you’re tempted to tackle your own adventure. “I strongly recommend using a guide service for professional instruction, and being introduced to safety elements,” he says.

Though his own pursuits have taken him across the United States and as far as the Himalayas, the French Alps, England and Wales, Indonesia, Australia, and Iceland, he enthusiastically endorses adventures much closer to home—especially for first-timers. “Enjoy the outdoors by exploring our local area,” he says. “There are so many opportunities to get to places that are almost on our doorstep, but they feel like they’re thousands of miles away.”

Water Worlds

For the kayaking experience seen here, Neate headed to the Ken Lockwood Gorge on the South Branch of the Raritan River. He also recommends the Mountain Lakes area, the Passaic River, and the Musconetcong River for flat-water experiences. Elsewhere in New Jersey, there’s the Delaware River (try Kittatinny Canoes and Landers River Trips for family adventures), the Pine Barrens, Cape May, the Raritan River, and so many other spots. Research areas close to home or make a trip of it. Then ease right in. The water’s great this time of year!

Other Outdoor Pursuits

If you’re not looking to take to a kayak, raft, or tube but still want to stay outdoors, you can easily carve out a trip that’s just right for you and your family. If you’re looking for …

… a zoo: Watch the penguins, gaze upon an alligator, feed the birds in an aviary, and treat yourself and your kids to a ride on the Conservation Carousel at the Turtleback Zoo in West Orange. Turtleback has undergone a complete transformation over the past few years, with more animals than ever before, and larger, more natural habitats. The zoo is easy to navigate and perfect for younger animal lovers. Kids especially love the train, the petting zoo, and the pony rides. Later this summer, Turtleback is scheduled to open an aquarium. (www.turtlebackzoo.org)

… a nature trail: The beauty of Mountainside’s Watchung Reservation is on display at the Trailside Nature and Science Center. Stroll leisurely along the trails, observe live reptiles and fish, and don’t miss the Lenape exhibit. (www.ucnj.org)

… whale watching: Cape May is home to some of the state’s best whale watching, and this is a prime time to catch the action. Cape May Whale Watcher offers a variety of trips from its pair of 110-foot ships, each built specifically for observing whales, dolphins, and birds in their natural habitat. (www.capemaywhalewatcher.com)

… cut-your-own flowers: At Hamilton Farms in Boonton Township, a flower field awaits you. Bring the beauty of the summer indoors with a bouquet of zinnias—they’re gorgeous! (www.hamiltonfarms.ipower.com)

… pick-your-own fruits and vegetables: You know the fun you have picking apples and pumpkins in October? You can have the same fun—with a whole variety of fruits and veggies—right now at Alstede Farms in Chester. Pick peaches, currants, blueberries, and red and yellow raspberries, as well as peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant. When you get home, dig in! (www.alstedefarms.com)

… a creamery: Take a step back in time to an old-fashioned sheep farm and creamery, in Morris County’s own Long Valley. At the Valley Shepherd Creamery, there are farm tours, cheese-making classes, wine and cheese tastings, and a Sheep Shoppe that can’t be missed. (www.valleyshepherd.com)

Keeping Cool

When the mercury rises—really rises!—beat the heat and stay indoors. But that doesn’t mean you have to stay home. There’s plenty to do in our local museums.

At the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, kids and kids at heart are awed, intrigued, and inspired by the Center’s exhibits and shows. New this summer and continuing through the end of the year is Facing Mars, which challenges visitors to figure out how to overcome the physical, psychological, and scientific challenges of interplanetary space travel. You can bounce-walk in simulated Martian gravity (it’s lower than what we know on Earth), experiment with glider designs, design a maze for a puzzle-solving robotic rover, test and launch a model rocket (and get a flyover view of the Martian landscape), and much more. (www.lsc.org)

Ever envision yourself walking a mile in someone else’s shoes? The Shoe Must Go On! is the order of the day at the Morris Museum in Morristown, where an exhibition of more than 250 pairs of shoes explores centuries of shoe design through various themes. Highlights include Martha Washington’s slippers, Thomas Edison’s footwear, and General David Petraeus’ military boot. Also on display are one of Muhammad Ali’s boxing boots, Yogi Berra’s sneakers, and one of Derek Jeter’s sports shoes. While you’re at it, check out the Mary Janes worn by Jane Krakowski in the Broadway production of Grand Hotel and the red fuzzy pumps worn by Molly Shannon in The Grinch. Cultural footwear and artists’ designs abound, too, and there’s a must-see survey of some of the most innovative shoe designers, including Ferragamo, Gucci, Manolo Blahnik, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Stuart Weitzman, and Giuseppe Zanotti.
(www.morrismuseum.org)

There’s always something new and different at the Newark Museum. There are all of the exhibits you would expect to find here, plus gems that are sure to surprise and delight you. Look/Touch/Learn is an interactive learning area specifically designed to enhance the adult/child experience. The Fire Museum, co-organized with the Newark Fire Department Historical Association, currently features a modified fire-truck cab that children can climb on and explore; a demonstration area with fire gear, clothing, and equipment that children can try on; and a Hazard House featuring special effects and interactive devices to provide a simulated experience for locating fire dangers within the home and escaping without harm. There’s also a restored 1784 schoolhouse, a mini zoo with more than 50 exotic species, and a planetarium that delivers you to the edges of the universe.
(www.newarkmuseum.org)