4 accessible places to enjoy nature in New Jersey

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Happy Wednesday, New Jersey!

🌞Today’s forecast: Sunny, with a high near 68.

💰The New Jersey Save program, also known as NJSave, is an online application system designed to assist low-income older adults and individuals with disabilities in New Jersey. It offers a streamlined way to apply for various savings and assistance programs to help with expenses like Medicare premiums, prescription costs, and other living expenses. A new “Get Set Up” class will walk you through each section of the NJSave application and highlight the resources available to support you throughout the application process.

👀What’s on tap today:

• 4 accessible places to reconnect with nature in New Jersey

• Smart ways to help your adult children with their financial lives

• Plenty of events in New Jersey this weekend

Up first …

4 accessible places to enjoy nature in NJ

Spring is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature. But where can you go if you or your companion are in need of a wheelchair? Here are four accessible spots to appreciate New Jersey’s natural wonders.

Cape May Point State Park, Cape May
Located on the southern tip of New Jersey, Cape May Point State Park is a must-see destination with constantly changing shorelines, dunes, freshwater coastal marshes, ponds and forested islands. And, when it comes to bird watching, Cape May Point State Park flies away with top marks. Boasting 244 acres, the park is regarded as a major migratory route for birds and one of the most popular sites for bird watching in North America. Migrating horseshoe crabs, dragonflies and monarch butterflies are also frequent visitors. It’s no wonder, everyone is on the way to Cape May.

Accessible Trail: The Duck Pond Trail is a .5-mile wheelchair-friendly trail that offers fantastic access to the Lighthouse Pond West and East. Say hello to box turtles and rabbits as you travel out to the platform at the water’s edge to get an up-close look at wading birds, swans, ducks and muskrats, as well as the occasional osprey or river otter. Birding highlights include common yellowthroat, yellow warbler, white-eyed vireo and yellow-breasted chat. In late summer and fall, the trail edges are a stunningly vibrant collection of wildflowers and butterflies. Click here for more details.

Cooper River Park, Merchantville 
This 346-acre park in the heart of Camden County features beautiful green spaces surrounding the well-known Cooper River in the heart of Camden County. The Camden County Boathouse located at the park is home to many prestigious rowing events that draw a crowd and provide entertainment and enjoyment for all ages. Ideal rowing conditions exist on the river, which boasts a world-class, Olympic-distance 2,000-meter narrow and sheltered straightaway. The park is also known for its pooch park, fantastic fishing, wildlife including ducks and turtles, picnic areas and pavilions.

A Paved Path the Whole Way Around: This 3.8-mile paved loop is an excellent way to observe the abundance of natural beauty and events that take place at Cooper River Park. The path is an ideal position to take in spectacular views of rowing, kayaking and other types of boating taking place on the river throughout the year. Wide and very gentle grade, the accessible path creates a pleasant journey for those in wheelchairs and other mobility equipment, as well as parents pushing strollers.

Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area, Highlands
One look and you’ll be hooked. Located on a thin peninsula that extends into the lower New York Harbor, the Sandy Hook Unit draws more than two million visitors annually. And for good reason. The area boasts historic landmarks, recreation, salt marshes, a spectacular holly forest and more than 300 species of birds. All in all, it’s safe to say Sandy Hook Unit is a nature-lover’s paradise.

Amazing for All Abilities: Sandy Hook Unit’s Multi-Use Pathway is a seven-mile long, twelve-foot wide paved thoroughfare that journeys through some of the most picturesque nature trails in the Garden State. The smooth, level, wheelchair-accessible trail starts at the park’s entrance and leads through a shady holly forest and along the salt marsh that skirts the beach. Take in some interesting historic and military sites along the path, including the Sandy Hook Lighthouse and Nike missile sites. Click here for additional accessibility amenities offered at Sandy Hook Unit.

Island Beach State Park, Seaside Park
Island Beach State Park is another New Jersey favorite. This beautifully preserved barrier island features close to ten miles of sandy beach and recreation along the Barnegat Bay. Nature-lovers are sure to enjoy the accessible beach, dense maritime forests, rolling sand dunes and tidal marshes. The park also serves as a protected area for foxes, ospreys, other wildlife and more than 400 species of plants.

See the Entire Island: Traverse the entire island, from ocean to bay, as you journey on The Fisherman’s Walkway. This wide, well maintained boardwalk trail is also wheelchair friendly, allowing visitors to experience all the natural beauty Island Beach State Park has to offer. Another plus: informational signs along the way with interesting facts about the plants, wildlife and natural systems that you will encounter. Get more details here. 

Money

Smart ways to help your adult children’s financial lives: Start by familiarizing them with financial concepts, digging them out of debt and seeding their savings.  Next Avenue

Watch: How do I collect survivor Social Security benefits. AARP/YouTube

Health

Biden Administration sets higher staffing mandates: Most nursing homes don’t meet them. The Biden administration finalized nursing home staffing rules Monday that will require thousands of them to hire more nurses and aides — while giving them years to do so. The new rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are the most substantial changes to federal oversight of the nation’s roughly 15,000 nursing homes in more than three decades. But they are less stringent than what patient advocates said was needed to provide high-quality care. KFF Health News

Events this weekend in NJ

April 26 – Earth Day (Smithville, Atlantic County)
April 26 – The Breakers – Tom Petty Tribute Live in Concert (Newton, Sussex County)
April 26 – TPC’s Casino Night 2024 (Nutley, Essex County)
April 26 – Jazz Night (Voorhees, Camden County)
April 26 – 28 – Nunsense (West Windsor, Mercer County)
April 26 – 28 – Jane Eyre (Fort Lee, Bergen County)
April 27 – Buy Rite Beer & Wine Festival (West Windsor, Mercer County)
April 27 – The Original NJ Empanada Festival (Manville, Somerset County)
April 27 – Art Walk (Smithville, Atlantic County)
April 27 – Sparta Special Olympics Spring Vendor & Craft Fair (Sparta, Sussex County)
April 27 – Barefoot Grape Stomping at Four Sisters Winery (Belvidere, Warren County)
April 27 – Made in Monmouth (Lincroft, Monmouth County)
April 27 – Spring Maker’s Market on the Square (Haddon Twp, Camden County)
April 27 – Monmouth County SPCA Dog Walk & Pet Fair (Eatontown, Monmouth County)
April 27 – Haddonfield Music Festival (Haddonfield, Cameden County)
April 27 & 28 – Clue (New Brunswick, Middlesex County)
April 28 – Hermitage Museum Vintage & Antique Fair (Ho-Ho-Kus, Bergen County)
April 28 – HunterFest 5k & Festival (Jersey City, Hudson County)
April 28 – Spring Market & Dog Adoption Event (Montclair, Essex County)
April 28 – Montclair’s Earth Fest (Montclair, Essex County)
April 28 – Raritan Valley Symphonic Band “40th Anniversary” Concert (Somerset, Somerset County)
April 30 – The New Science of Love and Romance (Cranbury, Middlesex County)

Today in history

• Ancient Times (1184 BC): According to legend, the Greeks entered Troy using the Trojan Horse on this day, ultimately leading to the city's fall during the Trojan War.

• 1800: The Library of Congress, the oldest federal cultural institution and the world's largest library, was established in Washington, D.C.

• 1898: This marked the start of the Spanish-American War as Spain declared war on the United States.

• 1981: The world of personal computing witnessed a significant moment with the introduction of the first IBM PC.

• 2005: The Catholic Church saw a leadership change as Pope Benedict XVI formally assumed his position as the new leader.

Quote for today

"Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears." - John Lennon, musician.

Today’s birthdays

🎂Sal Baretta of Montclair is celebrating his 92nd birthday today. Wishing you a birthday filled with joy and laughter, Sal! 😊😊🥳🥳Sharing the spotlight today with Sal are a few other notable figures such as singer and actor Barbara Streisand, 82, and actor Shirley MacLaine, 90.

Want to have a birthday wish printed here? Refer a friend to sign up for the newsletter and receive a free birthday wish. Refer 20 friends and receive a free “Better With Age New Jersey” t-shirt. Share this link.

😊Thanks for reading!

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