If you love nature, long walks, the option of paved roads or the beaten path, Duke Farms is for you! Located in Hillsborough, New Jersey right next to the Raritan River this park features many moderately trafficked trails with plenty to see along the way. Duke Farms has over 1000 acres of land devoted to native species, preservation and sustainability efforts, and natural beauty.
There are about 18 miles of trails that wind through woodlands and meadows and around lakes and lagoons. These trails feature waterfalls, fountains, a Japanese Garden, old estate structures and sculptures, botanical gardens, greenhouse, water ponds and more. 12 of the 18 miles are open to bikes and many are wheelchair accessible and friendly to strollers.
You can spend an hour in the park or about 6 hours if you explore the entire area and do some trails along the way. I’d recommend bringing or renting a bike so you can see more in less time. I spent about 3 hours in the park starting at the farm barn orientation center and ending at migration woods.
Hay Barn
I started by taking the pedestrian path to the South Gate making my way to the Hay Barn. This barn features an outdoor sculpture gallery filled with individual marble statues. The collection are from a number of the marble statues that were scattered throughout the estate. They were arranged for display as a contemporary sculpture garden within the confines of the hay barn.
Coach Barn
After stopping and taking a few pictures I took central way, past the orchid range all the way up to the Coach Barn. You’ll recognize the Coach Barn by its distinctive clock tower and rustic walls. This building was restored and is used for educational classes and conferences related to the mission of Duke Farms
Meditation Garden
The meditation garden (Japanese garden) is located where Duke Doris’ mansion used to be, but you would never know otherwise. The area has a feature Guzei (red bridge), Komainu (lion dogs), and a group of four-foot sculptures called the Elfin Band.
This was part of the park I was most excited to see as the area embodied an great amount of symbolism in its design
Guzei
Red is an important color in Japanese culture, and in this case represents wisdom, transformation and all that is sacred. The Guzei offers the individual a spiritual experience that works on multiple levels and encourages positive growth, spiritual change, and transformative experiences.
Komainu
As a symbol of protection, the komainu statues are believed to ward off evil spirits from sacred shrines and temples as well as private households. They come in pairs with one having its mouth open while the other having its mouth closed
Elfin Band
These statues are located right outside of the meditation garden in the Island of Musicians. I don’t know the significance of these Tawainese elves to the garden, but take a look at them.
I took the west way back stopping at the Great Falls and the Old Foundation. The falls weren’t on by the time I got there and I didn’t want to wait 40 minutes for the next cycle but this show is beautiful. They are turned on 4 times a day for about 10 minutes. Plan to be at this part of the park when this show starts.
Duke Farms is well maintained and kept. It was features so many beautiful things to see and I can’t wait to go back! If you are ever looking for a nature day out I’d highly recommend Duke’s Farm!
You can visit all of the key spots within half of the day with plenty of time to rest in between. Be sure to wear sneakers or comfortable walking shoes and don’t forgot to bring water! You can even bring a blanket and food and lay out in the park, either way you’ll have a blast!
302 miles traveled and endless memories obtained. I spent 2 days in Houston exploring parks, farms, tourists traps, nightlife and catching up with old friends. I started off my trip per usual referencing my itinerary that I made for this trip.
Day 1
I touched down at IAH picked up my rental car, my friend and took off. First stop was food because I was starving! We went a vegan spot called “Green Seed Vegan”. Their food was amazing. Most of their items on the menu are sandwiches butdon’t let that deter you, their food is very flavorful!
Buffalo Bayou Park
After we stuffed out faces we made our way to Buffalo Bayou Park. The original plan was to find all seven thoughts words scattered throughout the park. The trail is a 6 mi. loop. and can be taken by foot or by bike. The tricky part is there are no clear indications as to where any of the thought words were placed and certain part of the trail were closed due to the damage from hurricane Harvey.
We decided to take the trail by bike. We biked for an hour and a half but only found four out of the seven words. Four total were spotted but only three were photographed. The fourth wasn’t accessible because that part of the trail was closed off.Overall the trail was beautiful and filled with many nice surprises along the way.
Smither Park
After we exhausted most of our energy at the park we headed south toSmither Park. This park isn’t like a traditional park, it’s only about two blocks long, and is filled with some awesome mosaics! While we were there we had the chance of witnessing how these mosaics become a part of the park.It’s is a very meticulous process. Artists come in with buckets filled with mosaics and add them to a surface piece by piece.
Hermann Park
We left Smither Park then headed over to the Japanese garden located in Hermann Park. We took a short stroll because by then we were hungry again and ready for showers! Hermann Park has plenty to do:
boat rides
Japanese garden
zoo is located next door
arts & sculpture
We weren’t able to do it all but with half a day you can enjoy all of the things this park has to offer.
Dinner and Dance
After we were all parked out, we went back to our hotels got ready for dinner, then went out salsa dancing! This last bit was very spur of the moment since the night was young and we weren’t as exhausted as we thought we’d be. I called a salsa school to see where the popular places were to dance in the area. Luckily enough they were having a grand opening for a social they were hosting!
After we ate our dinner and I headed over to the social to take their 2 hour lesson before the dancing began (merengue, bachata and salsa). The atmosphere here is great! It’s located on the second floor of this beautiful ranch style home which was converted to a restaurant/bar. It features a wrap around balcony with outdoor seating. I danced the night after before calling it a night. Not a bad way to introduce myself to Houston!
Pro tip: This place is great for beginner dancers who want to get out enjoy the night and a few steps. If you are an seasoned dancer, like myself, I’d suggest another place because most of the dancers here are beginners.
Day 2
After letting my body recover from all of the cardio intense activities. The plan for this day based on my itinerary was Galveston Island to enjoy the beach, but after speaking to a few locals they said there was much beach area there.
Houston Space Center
So I 360’d my plans met up with my friend again and we headed to the Houston Space Center. We spent about 3 hours here and still didn’t cover everything. I’d say expect to spend at least 5 hours to go through everything at a comfortable pace. I’d recommend doing the tour first because those run on a schedule and can get pretty busy so you may not get your tour preference without having to wait quite some time. They offer two tours, a shorter and a longer tour, where you can tour the mission control center that was originally used, rockets that were sent off to space explorations and more. We did the shorter tour because of our time constraints, but if you have the time, get there early and do the longer tour.
Horseback Riding
In good old Texas fashion we ended the day with horseback riding! Thankfully we were able to get same day reservations. I’ve never ridden a horse before but it was an experience I can’t forget. The rates for this were also amazing! We did an hour and a half ride for only $50.00 bucks!
Before we took off we were given the basics of how to ride. My horse’s name was Bentley and boy did he feel like one. He was powerful, smooth and had quite some speed on him, and most importantly I didn’t fall off.
All in all Houston was a ton of fun and I would definitely go back. If you want tips on any additional things to do while in Houston or want your own itinerary created based on your interest, send me a message!
Full Itinerary – Houston: 05/19 – 05/21
Here’s a glance of my itinerary for Houston. This is for a two day trip mostly filled with a lot of outdoor activities Flight (EWR->DFW->IAH): $122.80 Flight (IAH -> EWR): $95.19 Hotel: $99.20 Rental Car: $57.24 Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern at The Water Works: $2.00 Gas: $30.00
05/19
3:30 AM
Uber to Airport
5:00AM
Check-in: EWR -> DFW
8:45 AM
DFW -> IAH
9:00 AM
Pick Up Rental Car
9:45 AM
Head to St Mark’s United Methodist Church (25 minutes)
Start at Shepherds Drive & Memorial Drive and follow the Kinder Trail
Houston artist Anthony Thompson Shumate recently installed “Monumental Moments,” a series of six human-scale word sculptures in Buffalo Bayou Park.
Explore
Pause (JUST BENEATH THE SABINE STREET BRIDGE OVERLOOK)
Reflect
Listen
Emerge
Observe
Tolerance (Plensa) Statues, 77019, 2121 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TX 77019
Seven sculptures of kneeling men debuted in February 2011 to signify unity and diversity
Spindle Eleanor Tinsley Park, 18-3600 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TX 77019
The abstract piece, cast in bronze, is mounted on a circular concrete base painted matte brown. The curves, points, and edges were inspired by Michelangelo’s famous depiction of God’s and Adam’s fingers almost touching across an empty space.
Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern at The Water Works, 105 Sabine St, Houston, TX 77007 ($$)
The Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern is a former drinking water reservoir built in 1926 for the City of Houston. As one of the city’s early underground reservoirs, it supported the municipal water system’s goals of fire suppression (water pressure) and drinking water storage. After operating for decades, an irreparable leak was discovered and after a few years, the reservoir was decommissioned in 2007.
3:00 PM
Food Break
4:00 PM
Head to Hermann Park Railroad (15 minutes)
Tour Park (1 hour)
Japanese Garden
With its waterfalls, bridges, and stone paths that wander among crepe myrtles, azaleas, Japanese maples, dogwoods, and cherry trees, the Japanese Garden is a peaceful hideaway in Hermann Park
MOUND TOWN (TRAIN TUNNEL) BY TRENTON DOYLE HANCOCK
A little bit Wonkatania, a little bit pink elephant.
DILLIDIIDAE BY SHARON ENGELSTEIN
A former Core Fellow and a resident of Houston for many years, Sharon Engelstein is known for her organic, bubbly sculptural forms.
5:00 PM
Head to Chong Hua Sheng Mu Holy Palace (30 minutes)
Bizarre Houston Oddity.The only views of this abandoned building are from outside the gates and fenced area of an 11 acre site.
6:00 PM
Check-in Hotel
05/20
7:30 AM
Breakfast in Hotel
8:30 AM
Eclectic Menagerie Park
A private collection of massive steel monsters guarding a Texas pipe works.
9:30 AM
Smither Park
A park filled with vibrant mosaics created by more than 300 folk artists.
I work 40+ hours a week and like most don’t have an unlimited supply of money, but I love to travel so I make it happen! A question I always get is how are you able to travel all of the time you must be rich… WRONG, I’m frugal AF. I budget, research, and travel during off peak seasons (this is key).
I get away about 5-6 times a year. I usually take one or two large trips (international travel) and then several longer weekend trips. My order of operation for trip plans and purchase is flights first, plan out my activities then find hotels I want to stay in.
Budget
I budget about $1000 – $2000 for larger trips (international) and $300 – $500 for shorter weekend trips. My budget includes (flight, shelter, transportation & activities). I find paying for my vacation over time works out best (no I don’t mean financing it on my credit card – unless it’s a travel card and I’ll pay it off in full at the end of the month). I avoid vacation packages because I find they tend to cost more money (I’m not a heavy drinker and I’m vegan).
Research
This is where I spend the most of my time because I’m always trying to find the best deals. I use several travel sites to find the best rates for flights and hotels/lodging. My go to platforms are SkyScanner, Hopper, HotWire, Expedia & AirBNB
Flights First
I usually tackle flights sooner rather than later because flight option are less flexible, once they fill up that’s it. You’re also more likely to find better pricing this way. My first stop is SkyScanner whenever I have a need to get away. I travel with two mindsets: I know where I want to go, I just want to get away. SkyScanner has this awesome ‘Cheapest Month’ option which I use every time I’m on their site.
I Know Where I Want to Go (SkyScanner)
I’ll go to SkyScanner’s site enter in my from->to information then select the ‘cheapest month’ option. Then I’ll lightly look around at the best prices, times for travel and what time of year it is.
I Just Want to Get Away (SkyScanner)
I’ll go to SkyScanner’s site enter in my from->to information then select, ‘Everywhere’ in the to section and ‘cheapest month’ or I’ll do the ‘specific dates’ option if my dates are limited. Then I’ll lightly look around at the best prices, times for travel and what time of year it is.
I Found A Place and I Like the Price
Once I find a place I’ll make note of the price (write it down, google docs, notes, anywhere) and then go to my hopper app to double check that I’m truly getting a good rate. There I enter in the specific information I found check there rate AND see if they think it’s a good time to buy (Major Key). If they don’t think it’s a good time to buy or I know flights to this place should be cheaper then I’ll add it to my watchlist as one round trip flight and two one-way trips.
Once I find a flight that I’m happy with paying for I’ll double check hotel/lodge rates for my travel time to make sure I’m able to get a room for a reasonable price as well. Why? Because sure it’s great if I can find a $100 round trip from NEWARK To Cancun but if all hotels are about $600/night because there’s a festival going on that I don’t know about then I’m not coming out on top there
Find Activities
This is where I plan out my activities. You may be thinking why don’t you book your hotel next?
Reason: When I travel, I’m typically going to new place or trying new things, so I need to look up what the area has to offer, what peaks my interests and where it’s located. If I want to do activities that are across a few different town than this may mean spending a few nights in a few different hotels.
This part of the process is quite a meticulous process which involves TripAdvisor, Yelp, Blogs Sites etc. It takes me a few days to go through this step. I use google sheets to plan the details of my day. I use this as an itinerary for my trip. You can check out my Houston Trip here:
Once I find all of the activities I want to do and I’ve booked my flights, I find a hotel. I choose hotels based on a few conveniences (close to public transportation, close to activities, safe area, walkability, etc) I use Google Maps to map out my locations. Then I find a hotel that’s in that area or a neighborhood that is close enough. I use a lot of different sites depending on where I’m going, solo travel, versus accompanied, etc but my go to sites are typically Expedia, HotWire and AirBNB. These all have their pros and cons. I check rates across these sites and booked based on who offers the best rates.
Travel
I find buying my overall vacation in parts buy paying for flight, hotel, activities separately works best for me. It allows me to take a bit away each pay cycle instead of stressing over large amounts at once. If you have any travel questions feel free to ask.
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