June 2012,
Hackettstown NJ
When we went to pick strawberries for the very first time in our lives I randomly picked a farm from NJ list of farms. Just pointed a finger to a place on a page. It turned out to be Donaldson Farms in Hackettstown, NJ.
Luckily for us, the place was amazingly beautiful, with rows and rows of strawberries. The store inside was nice also. There were a few goats in the shed and a ‘pump it yourself’ underground well. My kids ran ahead when they saw the animals, and by the time my hubby and I walked slowly over to them, the little one was having a deep and meaningful conversation with one of the goats. 🙂 The strawberries were delicious as well. I am pretty sure that we finished the box before we got home. I felt that the place was not commercial, but more family oriented and offered the basics when it came to picking. In my view that’s a plus. I like pick your own places that are more about the fruits and veggies you are picking then entertainment. Picking your own fruits and veggies is entertainment in itself. I love having the ability to connect with the food we eat, and for the kids I feel it is priceless.
After the farm we went to find a good place to sit down and have a picnic. We drove around for a bit, enjoyed some of the sights in the area. Wound up landing in Hacklebarney State Park, http://www.stateparks.com/hacklebarney.html. After the picnic we decided to take a little hike. In Hacklebarney there are a few decent sized rivers creating multiple waterfalls on their way down. My kids really loved skipping across the waterfalls on the giant boulders. Luckily we came home with all our faces intact.
Here are a few beautiful photos of that day:
