PlanGoTrip

  Some nights out need to feel like a real occasion — not just dinner squeezed between bedtime and laundry. Montclair, New Jersey, is one of the best places in North Jersey for exactly that kind of night. It's a compact, walkable downtown packed with great restaurants, a historic concert hall, and pretty streets made for lingering. If you can line up a sitter, here's how to make the most of a rare parents' night out. 📍 Place Montclair's downtown centers on Bloomfield Avenue and Church Street, a lively stretch of restaurants, cafes, and shops about 30–40 minutes from Bergen County. The star of the evening is The Wellmont Theater, 5 Seymour Street, Montclair, NJ 07042 — a historic 1922 theater turned live-music venue that hosts concerts, comedy shows, and special events year-round. Pair a show with dinner beforehand, and you have a full night out without driving all over town. For dinner, you have genuinely different options within a few blocks of each other. Faubour...

  🎄 Mark your calendar: the 2026 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lights up on Wednesday, December 2, 2026. This year's tree is a 76-foot Norway spruce from West Edmeston, New York — about 75 years old, weighing roughly 11 tons — and it will glow with more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights beneath its famous Swarovski star. Here is everything Bergen County families need to know before making the trip into the city. 📍 Place Rockefeller Plaza, between 49th and 50th Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues, Midtown Manhattan. The tree stands above the famous ice rink at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The lighting ceremony runs from 7–10 p.m. on Wednesday, December 2, 2026, as part of NBC's *Christmas in Rockefeller Center* broadcast, with the tree itself lit just before 10 p.m. The tree arrives on the plaza on Saturday, November 7, and stays on display through mid-January 2027 (January 9, 2027, per press reports). One honest warning: the ceremony itself is not open to the public the way...

  Bergen County might be the best place in New Jersey to eat sushi. Thanks to Fort Lee, Edgewater, and Cliffside Park, families here can choose from conveyor-belt sushi that keeps toddlers entertained, all-you-can-eat feasts, classic neighborhood counters, and even a Japanese marketplace food court — all within a short drive of Tenafly. Here are five spots that are actually open right now, each good for a different kind of family outing. 1. Kura Revolving Sushi Bar — Best for Kids 📍 2151 Lemoine Ave, Fort Lee, NJ 07024 If your kids think sushi sounds boring, start here. Plates glide past on a conveyor belt, you order extra favorites on a touchscreen, and a little robot delivers drinks to the table. Every plate costs just a few dollars, so little ones can try one piece at a time without a big bill if they change their minds. Cooked options like seared salmon and shrimp sit right alongside the raw fish, and after every 15 plates, a prize capsule pops out — which, for a toddler, i...

  If there is one Christmas trip that earns its place on every Bergen County family's list, it is Longwood Gardens at Christmas. More than half a million lights, over 100 decorated trees, fountain shows dancing to holiday music, and warm conservatories full of poinsettias — all about two hours from home. Pair it with the Brandywine Valley's museums, and you have a 3-day holiday getaway that feels magical without a single flight. This itinerary is built for families with little kids: short drives between stops, plenty of indoor warm-up time, and lights that are best enjoyed after an early dinner. 🗺️ Itinerary Day 1 — Drive down & the Brandywine Museum: Leave Bergen County in the morning and arrive in Chadds Ford, PA, by lunchtime. Spend the afternoon at the Brandywine Museum of Art, then settle into your hotel in Kennett Square or Wilmington and enjoy a relaxed dinner. Day 2 — Longwood Gardens, all day into the evening: This is the big day. Arrive at Longwood in the la...

  When the summer crowds leave the Jersey Shore, Point Pleasant Beach gets quiet — and that is exactly why November is a wonderful time to visit Jenkinson's Aquarium. The boardwalk is peaceful, parking is easy, and the aquarium itself is open all year round, so you get all the sharks, penguins, and touch tanks without the summer crush. It is a perfect cold-weather day trip when the beach is too chilly but the kids still need an adventure. 📍 Place Jenkinson's Aquarium, 300 Ocean Ave, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742. This two-story, AZA-accredited aquarium has sat right on the boardwalk since 1991, and it is small enough to explore comfortably with little kids but packed with enough to fill a happy morning or afternoon. Inside you will find Atlantic and Pacific sharks gliding through a large tank, a colony of African penguins, harbor seals, a coral reef, colorful tropical fish, and even a rainforest area and a Pine Barrens exhibit with turtles, frogs, and owls. The aquarium is...

Winter break is the longest stretch of family time in the school year — and the week between Christmas and New Year's is when every parent hears "I'm bored" at least once. This guide gathers the best New Jersey winter-break activities for the Dec 26 to Jan 2 window, mixing indoor escapes for cold days with outdoor lights for evenings. Published in early November so you can book the ticketed events before they sell out. Always confirm hours and ticket details with the organizer before you go. 🍂 Seasonal highlights — Winter Break 2026-27 picks: - Holiday Lights at Turtle Back Zoo, 560 Northfield Ave, West Orange, NJ — nightly December 4 to December 31, 2026, except December 24 and 25. Millions of lights along the zoo paths, with animal-themed decorations. A perfect evening outing close to Bergen County. - The Polar Express Train Ride, Whippany Station, Whippany, NJ — daily December 1 to December 30, 2026, except December 7, 14, and 25. A real train ride reliving the cl...

Drive-through light shows are the perfect December compromise for families with toddlers: all the magic,  none of the "my feet are cold" meltdowns, and nobody has to find parking in the dark. This guide gathers the best drive-through holiday light shows within reach of Bergen County for Christmas 2026 — including one important change: Hershey's Sweet Lights drive-through will NOT return in 2026, so if that was your tradition, pick a new favorite from this list. Always confirm dates, hours, and ticket details with the organizer before you go. 🍂 Seasonal highlights — Christmas 2026 drive-through picks: - Orchard of Lights at Demarest Farms, 244 Wierimus Rd, Hillsdale, NJ — November 21 to December 29, 2026. A guided drive through 32 acres of illuminated orchards, synced to music on your car radio, plus a farm market, fire pits, hot cocoa, s'mores, Santa visits through December 24, and a Winter Lights petting zoo. - Winter WonderLights, Middlesex County Fairgrounds, 655 ...

Bergen County takes breakfast seriously — and the best spots prove it, from a Wyckoff brunch institution that has won Best of Bergen six years running to a Tenafly cafe in a former train station. This list picks five breakfast and brunch spots that locals return to again and again, each with its own reason to get out of bed early. Go before 10 a.m. on weekends for the shortest waits. 1. Willow & Whisk — 319 Franklin Ave, Wyckoff, NJ. Open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Bergen County's undisputed brunch champion, voted Best Breakfast and Best Brunch in 201 Magazine's Best of Bergen 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021. Go-to order: lemon ricotta pancakes and the mini brioche French toast to share. 2. Farm & Flour — 436 Pulis Ave, Franklin Lakes, NJ. Open 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. The breakout brunch destination of northern Bergen County, with a farm-fresh menu. Go-to order: whatever seasonal special is on the board, plus coffee. 3. Farmhouse Cafe & Eatery — 15 E Madison ...

Hershey in December smells like chocolate and looks like a snow globe — and in 2026 there is one big change to know before you plan. Hersheypark Christmas Candylane runs on select dates from November 13, 2026 through January 3, 2027, with more than 5 million lights, family rides, and a new Fire & Ice Experience. The drive-through Hershey Sweet Lights, a 20-season tradition, will NOT return in 2026 — Hersheypark says it is focusing on growing Candylane instead. So this 3-day plan leans into Candylane itself, plus Hershey's chocolate attractions, which are open all year. 🗺️ Itinerary: Day 1 — Drive to Hershey, settle in, and spend the afternoon at Hershey's Chocolate World, then an evening at Christmas Candylane if it is an operating night. Day 2 — A full day at Hersheypark Christmas Candylane: family rides, Treeville, the NOEL light show, ZooAmerica (included with park admission), and Santa visits. Day 3 — A slower morning: Hershey Gardens or the Hershey Story Museum, one l...

Some day trips are fun for an hour. Adventure Aquarium is the kind of place that fills a whole day without anyone asking "what's next?" — sharks swimming overhead, stingrays gliding under little hands, African penguins waddling past, and two hippos that are, remarkably, the only hippos exhibited at an aquarium anywhere in the world. 📍 Place: Adventure Aquarium, 1 Riverside Dr, Camden, NJ 08103. The aquarium sits on the Camden Waterfront, right across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, with more than 8,500 animals in two million gallons of water. Start on the lower level with the shark tunnel — walking through it while sharks pass overhead is the moment kids talk about all the way home. Then look for Hippo Haven, home to Button and Genny, the Nile hippos; Penguin Island, home to a colony of endangered African penguins; the touch tanks, where kids can feel a stingray glide by; and KidZone, a hands-on play and learning area built for younger visitors. The aquarium also c...

Shopping for parents who love to travel is easier than it looks — the best gifts are the ones that make the next trip smoother, lighter, or more fun for the whole family. This list sticks to practical product types that any travel-loving parent will actually use, with no brand hype and no prices, so you can pick the version that fits your budget. No affiliate links here; these are ideas, not a store. 🎒 The Essentials: 1. Packing cubes — a set of lightweight cubes keeps each kid's clothes separate and makes hotel unpacking a five-minute job. 2. A compact travel backpack with a luggage strap — one bag that slides over a suitcase handle and holds snacks, wipes, tablets, and a change of clothes. 3. A portable phone charger — the single most-borrowed item on any family trip. 4. Noise-canceling headphones for kids — sized for small heads, volume-limited, a lifesaver on flights and long drives. 5. A spill-proof insulated bottle for each child — keeps water cold on summer hikes and hot co...

December in New Jersey is the month when the whole state lights up — drive-through light shows, German Christmas markets, small-town parades, and Santa visits from the Shore to Sussex County. This guide gathers the December 2026 events worth planning around, published a month early so you can book tickets and Santa slots before they sell out. Always confirm hours and ticket details with the organizer before you go, since weather and sellouts can change schedules. Seasonal highlights — December 2026 picks: Orchard of Lights at Demarest Farms, 244 Wierimus Road, Hillsdale, NJ — November 21 to December 29, 2026. A drive-through light show across 32 acres of orchards, synced to music on your car radio, plus a farm market, fire pits, hot cocoa, s'mores, Santa visits through December 24, and a Winter Lights petting zoo. German Christmas Market of New Jersey (Weihnachtsmarkt), Sussex County Fairgrounds — December 4–6, 2026. The state's largest annual German Christmas market, with a Bi...

Bergen County does not have one bakery scene — it has five or six, from old-school Italian pastry shops to French cafes where the croissants sell out by noon. This list picks five shops that are consistently loved by locals, each with its own specialty, so you can plan a bakery crawl or just pick the one closest to your weekend route. Bring cash for at least one stop below, and go early on weekends. 1. B&W Bakery — 614 Main Street, Hackensack, NJ. The heavy crumb cake is the reason people drive here: thick, buttery crumbs, light cake underneath, and a loyal following going back decades. The shop is cash-only and beloved for old-school cakes, lobster tails, and black-and-white cookies. Go-to order: a slice of heavy crumb cake and a coffee. 2. Sook Pastry — 24 South Broad Street, Ridgewood, NJ. A Parisian-style bakery and cafe in the heart of Ridgewood, known for almond croissants, fruit tarts, macarons, and breads that are light and not overly sweet. This is the sit-down pick. Go-to...

Lake George calls itself the Queen of American Lakes, and for a family weekend it earns the title. The village is walkable, the lake is 32 miles of clear Adirondack water, and the mix of a real historic fort, a classic steamboat, mini-golf, and a beach means toddlers and grandparents can all have a good day on the same itinerary. This 3-day plan works best from late spring through early fall, when the steamboats run — many lake attractions operate roughly May through October, so check seasonal hours before booking a fall or winter trip. 🗺️ Itinerary: Day 1 — Drive up, settle into Lake George Village, and walk Canada Street. Start with Fort William Henry in the afternoon, then dinner on the village strip. Day 2 — A morning steamboat cruise, an afternoon at Million Dollar Beach or mini-golf, and an evening stroll along the lakefront. Day 3 — A slower morning: Prospect Mountain views or the Battlefield Park, one last ice cream stop, then drive home. 📍 Stops: Fort William Henry Museum, 4...

If your kids have ever asked how a light bulb works, this is the day trip that answers it in the best possible way — inside the actual laboratory where Thomas Edison and his team did the work. Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange preserves Edison's laboratory complex and Glenmont, his family estate, and it is one of the most hands-on history stops in New Jersey for families. 📍 Place: Thomas Edison National Historical Park, 211 Main Street, West Orange, NJ 07052. Start at the Laboratory Complex visitor center, where a short orientation film sets up the story. Then walk through the main laboratory building, the machine shops, the chemistry lab, and a replica of the Black Maria, the world's first purpose-built movie studio. Edison's Glenmont estate is a short drive away, with house tours available by ticket on a limited schedule — check the National Park Service site before you go, because Glenmont hours are more limited than the lab complex. 🚗 Drive Time: A...

Winter break trips with kids are wonderful — and they are also the trips where you discover, halfway to the hotel, that you forgot the spare mittens. Cold weather means more layers, more gear, and more chances for something to get wet, lost, or left behind. This list is built for family trips in late December and January, whether you are driving to the Poconos, flying to visit grandparents, or spending a long weekend in a city. No specific brands, no affiliate links, just the types of gear that actually save a winter trip. 🎒 The Essentials — 1. A packable layering system: base layer, insulating mid-layer, waterproof outer shell per person, instead of one giant coat. 2. Waterproof, grippy boots with good traction for icy sidewalks and slush. 3. Spare gloves and mittens, at least one extra pair per child, kept accessible. 4. Hand and foot warmers for long outdoor walks, ice skating, and holiday light displays. 5. An insulated bottle and a snack kit (spill-proof bottle for warm drinks; c...

If you only do one big holiday outing with kids this year, make it the Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden. For its 35th year, the show returns from November 14, 2026 through January 10, 2027, filling the warm Enid A. Haupt Conservatory with G-scale model trains winding through nearly 200 miniature New York landmarks — all recreated from natural materials like leaves, seeds, twigs, bark, and acorns. It is indoors, warm, magical after dark, and close enough for a Bergen County day trip. Book timed tickets early, since popular December dates sell out. 🍂 Seasonal highlights — This year's new addition is a botanical replica of One Vanderbilt, joining longtime favorites like the original Penn Station and the first Yankee Stadium. On select evenings the Conservatory stays open until 8 PM, last entry 7:15 PM, with live music and photos with NYBG Train Conductors from 5 to 8 PM. Evening dates: November 27, 28, and 29; December 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, and 20; December 26 to 30; ...

Bergen County takes burgers seriously, from 1940s slider counters to modern smash-burger shops. The county even made statewide news in 2026, when New Jersey Monthly named two Bergen County spots among the best burgers in New Jersey. Here are five shops worth a drive, covering every style: classic sliders, big custom burgers, and crispy-edged smash burgers. Bring cash to the cash-only counters, check hours before you go, and come hungry. 1. The 130 Shop, 35 Riveredge Road, Tenafly, NJ — A small shop in the Riveredge Row plaza that NJ.com named the best burger in New Jersey in its 2026 ranking of 51 burgers across the state. The 130 Cheeseburger stacks two house-blend Certified Angus Beef patties with American cheese, finely chopped pickles and onions, and dijonnaise on a brioche bun. The menu also gets praise for its French Dip sandwich. 2. Steve's Burgers, 506 Route 46, Garfield, NJ — A cult-favorite roadside stand built around six-ounce chuck patties you customize with inventive d...

Saratoga Springs is one of those upstate New York towns that works in every season, and late fall is a particularly calm time to visit. The summer racing crowds are gone, the downtown is walkable, and the mineral springs that made the city famous are still there to taste and explore. This 3-day, 2-night itinerary is built for families with young kids: one big indoor play stop, one big park day, and plenty of room for naps, snacks, and stroller-friendly strolls. The drive from Bergen County is about 3.5 to 4 hours, so plan one relaxed stop on the way up. 🗺️ Itinerary — Day 1: Drive up, Congress Park, and downtown Broadway. Day 2: The Children's Museum at Saratoga and Saratoga Spa State Park. Day 3: Saratoga Automobile Museum, Saratoga Lake views, and the drive home. 📍 Stops — Congress Park, downtown Saratoga Springs: a leafy park with walking paths, ponds, ducks, gardens, and a historic wooden carousel that has delighted children since the early 1900s. The Children's Museum at...

Some day trips teach kids something without them noticing, because they are too busy digging. The Franklin Mineral Museum in Sussex County is one of those places. Franklin is famous among rock collectors around the world for its fluorescent minerals — ordinary-looking rocks that glow bright green, orange, and red under ultraviolet light. Add a real collecting field where kids can keep what they find, and you have a day trip that feels more like a treasure hunt than a museum visit. Go soon: the museum is open April through November, so early November is a good last-chance window before its winter break. Check the official site before you go, since seasonal hours can change. 📍 Place — Franklin Mineral Museum, 32 Evans Street, Franklin, NJ 07416. The museum sits in the heart of New Jersey's historic Franklin-Ogdensburg mining district, once home to working zinc mines. Inside you will find a large collection of minerals from Franklin and from around the world, plus fossils and Native ...

Family fun in Bergen County does not have to cost a fortune. Between county parks, nature preserves, free museum days, and library programs, you can fill a whole weekend with kids without opening your wallet — you just need to know where the free stuff is. These eight outings are genuinely free (park entry and trails, not just "free to look at"), and every one of them is a real place you can visit this week. A few have paid extras nearby; we flag those so there are no surprises. 1. Flat Rock Brook Nature Center — Englewood, 443 Van Nostrand Avenue, Englewood. A 150-acre preserve on the western slope of the Palisades, with 3.6 miles of self-guiding trails past a cascading stream, wetlands, a pond, wildflower meadows, and woodlands. The trails and picnic area are free and open to the public 365 days a year from dawn to dusk, and the nature-inspired playground — built with wooden structures, balance beams, a slide, and a natural-materials music section — is a destination in itse...

Every Bergen County parent has a neighborhood playground — and every Bergen County parent has a day when the neighborhood playground just will not cut it. These five playgrounds are worth an actual drive: a pirate ship, a giant spider-web climber, a zoo next door, and enough space that the kids come home tired in the good way. All are county or town parks, open to the public, and easy to pair with a picnic or a cafe stop. 1. Van Saun County Park — Paramus, 216 Forest Avenue, Paramus. The county's all-around champion: multiple play structures for different ages, including toddler-friendly areas and climbing structures for older kids, plus balance beams, swing sets, and rock walls — and the whole play area is accessible. The bonus round is what makes it a full day: the Bergen County Zoo, an old-fashioned carousel, a miniature train ride, and a splash pad in summer are all right there. In the colder months, note that the zoo is free from November through April (it charges admission Ma...

Burlington, Vermont, is the rare 3-day trip that feels like a real getaway without a flight: a walkable lakefront city, a working farm on the water, a chocolate factory, and the most famous ice cream factory in America, all within about five hours of Bergen County. It is slower than a city trip and more varied than a farm stay — and in the quieter late-fall and winter months, the crowds thin out and the town feels wonderfully local. Here is a family-paced 3-day plan. Itinerary: Day 1: Drive to Burlington, Church Street Marketplace stroll, Waterfront Park and Lake Champlain sunset. Day 2: Shelburne Farms in the morning, Shelburne Museum or downtown Burlington in the afternoon. Day 3: Ben and Jerry's Factory in Waterbury on the way home, with a stop in Stowe village if time allows. Stops: Church Street Marketplace, Church Street, Burlington — a pedestrian-only, four-block open-air marketplace in the heart of downtown, with more than 100 shops and restaurants. Waterfront Park and the ...

You do not need a car, a parking garage, or a prayer for a Midtown spot to have a great New York City day with kids. From Bergen County, a train or bus into Manhattan plus the subway puts Central Park, world-class children's museums, and Midtown icons within easy reach — and toddlers tend to love the train ride as much as the destination. Here is a car-free day that actually works with little kids, with no driving in Manhattan at all. Place: Start at Central Park and the Upper West Side, then drift south into Midtown. The anchors: Central Park itself (59th Street to 110th Street, Manhattan), the American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, the Children's Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd Street, and, for a Midtown finish, Grand Central Terminal, 89 East 42nd Street, and Bryant Park, between 40th and 42nd Streets at Sixth Avenue. All are reached by subway from New York Penn Station or Port Authority — no car needed once you arrive. Train Time: From Bergen County, ...

Thanksgiving weekend is the best long weekend of the fall for Bergen County families: the turkey is eaten, the relatives are still in town, and New Jersey flips the switch from fall to Christmas in a single weekend. From Victorian villages to train shows, tree lightings to drive-through lights, here is a family-friendly plan for Friday, November 27 through Sunday, November 29, 2026. Times and prices can change, so check the official listing before you go — especially for ticketed shows. Friday, November 27: Lights On, Shows On. Start the weekend with a show the whole family already knows. A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage plays at the Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South Street, Morristown, on Friday, November 27, with performances at 2 PM and 5 PM (listed tickets $35–$79). It is an easy afternoon outing, and downtown Morristown has plenty of places for an early dinner afterward. If you want free and festive instead, head to the Rahway Holiday Tree Lighting in downtown Rahway,...