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April 26 - May 3

The Merry Month!

The month of May invokes a certain emotional and sensual liberty, summoning waves of Spring Fever and the happy feeling that this most stirring season still lies largely before us. Time to get out and smell whatever you can! And what better place to do your sniffing than New Jersey’s Great Northwest Skylands? Take advantage of a schedule budding with intriguing things for you and your family to enjoy. Or choose among dozens of natural attractions or outdoor activities suggested on our website. Give Me Fever!

Whole Lotta Love

Capable of accommodating up to 45 guests, Miss Lotta boasts a newly refurbished full dining room and upper deck as well as a full bar and a state-of-the-art audiovisual system.
Sailing from her home port on Nolan’s Point, Miss Lotta is a 57-foot SkipperLiner dinner cruise vessel. She is named for Lotta Crabtree, an actress well-known in the late 1800s who spent her leisure at an elegant house on Lake Hopatcong, then known as the Jewel of the Mountains. Reclaiming that old-time reputation for fine hospitality, Miss Lotta is the largest boat on the lake and available for lunch, dinner and specialty cruises as well as private events during the spring and summer. Celebrate your spring by choosing from dozens of themed cruises, all exciting and creative ways to see the lake. First up, Kick-off Cruises on May 1 & 3. Then there's a cruise dedicated to all of the strong women in our lives planned for Mother's Day (May 13). Miss Lotta is only one of several attractions that make Nolan's Point a prime destination for a lovely day. Live the Lake!

Wedding Bell Bliss

Love rules in Spring. But should you find yourself having accepted a proposal for long-term commitment, ask yourself, "Is love all you need for a great wedding?" Love helps, but if you want to really enjoy yourself on The Day, it takes a lot of planning for your once-in-a-lifetime, spare-no-expense affair. If you’re looking for something different and memorable, a place with some soul, point yourself to the rural corners of New Jersey.

History You Can Taste

Garden State Heirloom Seed Society Museum.
Although they produce varieties of just about any fruit or vegetable you can think of, heirloom seeds are probably best known for the great tasting tomatoes that they grow. Heirloom seeds, which have been passed down over generations, not only produce the same delicious produce that your forbears ate, but also preserve the natural variety essential to a healthy system. Modern agriculture has already resulted in the loss of 75% of the world’s edible plant varieties. You can learn more about heirlooms and New Jersey's glorious farming past with a visit to the Garden State Heirloom Seed Society Museum, open this weekend! 82 Delaware Rd., Columbia.

Northwest Passage

Saturday's (April 28) Spring Open House at the Van Nest-Hoff-Vannatta Farmstead, listed in National Register of Historic Places, offers fiber arts demonstrations, children's activities, open hearth cooking in summer the kitchen, war re-enactors, and other activities that illustrate a vibrant agricultural tradition. 3026 Belvidere Road (Rt. 519) in Harmony, 908/213-1600.
The Essence of Fluorescence. A thirty-two-foot-long pageant of rocks at the Franklin Mineral Museum that includes many of the ninety-plus fluorescent minerals found here, comes alive under ultraviolet light.
Cosponsored by the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society, the New Jersey Earth Science Association and the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, this weekend's (April 28-29) Annual Gem and Mineral Show hosts over 100 dealers, special exhibits showing Lapidary, fossils, minerals, as well as an extensive presentation of the world famous deposits of Sussex County's fluorescent minerals. Littel Community Center, 12 Munsonhurst Rd., Franklin. 973/827-3481.

Feel the Earth!

Cabins are available at most campgrounds.
Campgrounds in the Skylands account for a huge amount of fun. Over 500,000 campers relax and enjoy the rural character of Northwest New Jersey each year. Most of these visits come in summer; short overnight or weekend camping trips. But many families make a Skylands campground their own vacation home, renting seasonal sites or bringing their own RV to rest at a lovely -- and well-serviced -- spot somewhere up in the New Jersey countryside. These facilities are a long way from generic trailer hookups and tent sites. Take a drive or click away and check one out soon! Memorial Day Weekend awaits!
  • Camp Taylor Campground
    Camp Taylor offers a wilderness atmosphere with the security and services that public areas often lack, with access to a swimming lake and trails that lead hikers through strikingly beautiful forest to mountain laurel atop a 1600 foot ridge. Seasonal Sites, Tenters, RV rental, Cabins near the Delaware Water Gap. Home of Lakota Wolf Preserve. 85 Mt. Pleasant Rd., Columbia, 908/496-4333
  • Harmony Ridge Campground
    Outstanding family facilities near Culver Lake and Stokes Forest. There are over 200 sites and many activities to choose from; a large pavilion, playground, game courts, swimming pool, paddle boats. The friends and memories you make here will last a lifetime. 23 Risdon Drive, Branchville, 973-948-4941
  • Tall Timbers Campground and Recreational Community
    The private campground community offers central water and sewage disposal, two pools with certified lifeguards and a private stocked lake perfect for fishing, and an exceptional recreation program and activities for all. The northern Sussex County location is close to High Point State Park, Action Park and Mountain Creek Ski Area. 100 Tall Timbers Rd, Sussex 07461, 973/875-1991
  • TripleBrook Family Camping Resort
    Park yourself on a 250 acre farm tucked away in the legendary Kittatinny Mountains. Spend the season steps away from an Olympic size pool, heated whirlpool spa, private lake, tennis courts, and fully stocked camp store. You'll have time to explore all the natural attractions in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation a few miles away, or the Pocono Mountains. There's also an open air pavilion available for weddings, picnics, retreats. 58 Honey Run Rd., Hope, 908/459-4079.
  • Kymer's Camping Resort
    Trailer and cabin rentals and trailer and tent campsites with water, electric and cable TV hookups on 200 scenic acres. 69 Kymer Rd., Branchville, 800/543-2056
  • Delaware River Family Campground
    Enjoy raft, canoe, kayak or tube trips, trailer and tent campsites as well as trailer and cabin rentals. 100 Route 46, Columbia, 800/543-2056
  • Panther Lake Camping Resort
    Camp on a private 45-acre lake on 160 scenic acres where you can enjoy swimming, boating, fishing or just relaxing on a sandy beach. 6 Panther Lake Rd., Andover, 800/543-2056
  • The Great Divide Campground
    Private, family friendly campground with amenities for tents, RVs and seasonal guests. Fully furnished cabin rentals available. Heated pool, fishing & boating lake, playground, planned events and activities. 68 Phillips Road, Newton, 973/383-4026

Subscribe!

Sign up to receive your copy of the spring Skylands Visitor magazine here.
While you wait for the mailman, tap our calendar for the best events for you and your family, or check our current stories. Stay tuned to our Day Trip Map for good ideas for a scenic drive! For the more aerobically inclined, the Outdoor Map shows the way to go, or choose among dozens of natural attractions or outdoor activities suggested on our website. Northwest New Jersey and destinations just beyond those borders, in Pennsylvania and New York, offer brilliant ways to get out and enjoy the pleasures of the season.

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