Springtime activities in the Garden State

It’s Tuesday, New Jersey!

🌸🌸It’s also spring, and a great time to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather before it gets too hot. See some suggestions below on places to go in the Garden State from visitnj.org.

👀What’s on tap today

• Is now a good time to buy glasses online?

• Things to do when retired and bored.

• AI for older adults -Friend or foe?

Up first …

‘A Weekend in Old Monmouth’
 historic tour returns for 2024

📜🌍The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners have announced the return of “A Weekend in Old Monmouth” with 52 historic sites throughout the County on Saturday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday, May 5, from noon to 5 p.m.

“We are excited about the return of the ‘A Weekend in Old Monmouth’ tour,” said Commissioner Erik Anderson, liaison to the Monmouth County Historical Commission. “The tour is organized into four segments and will feature local organizations’ museums and historic buildings, which will provide a glimpse into Monmouth County’s extensive history. All fees will be waived at the participating sites during the weekend.”

The sites on the tour are generally operated independently. The self-guided tour allows for easy access and various transportation routes between the sites. To start planning your route, preview the tour sites on the County’s website at www.visitmonmouth.com.

The Historical Commission is also offering a virtual tour that will present all 52 historic sites in an interactive format which will include information, photographs and a map of the tour guide. Each tour site is now a “story point” on an interactive map using state-of-the-art technology.

New text message scam targets New Jersey residents

💬📱Fraudulent operators are sending text messages to some residents requesting payment for unpaid road tolls. If you receive a text claiming you owe an unpaid toll, do not click on any links or provide personal information. Visit the NJCCIC website for additional guidance. Learn more here.

Healthy Aging

👓Is Now a Good Time to Buy Glasses Online? Companies that make spectacles and contact lenses are battling to grab bigger shares of a rapidly growing market. Next Avenue

👀What to Know About Early Signs of Glaucoma: Depending on the type of glaucoma, people typically have no symptoms in the early stages. However, once damage occurs to the optic nerve, people may notice blind spots, particularly in their peripheral vision. Medical News Today

Retirement

Things to Do When Retired and Bored: Here are 12 ways to prepare now for retirement so that you’ll be happy, active, fulfilled and never, ever bored. Kiplinger

Women, Part of the Wave of Baby Boomers Reaching ‘Peak 65,’ Are More Likely to Struggle in Retirement: Women who are entering retirement now face more financial risks than their male counterparts, new research finds. CNBC

Technology

AI for Older Adults — Friend or Foe? Engineers and inventors are finding ways to use artificial intelligence to make sure people take their medicine and stay safe at home. Next Avenue

Travel

🌍✈️Foreign Travel Costs Are Poised to Soar: All signs suggest that adventures abroad will be pricier as airlines, hotels and cruise lines bounce back from the COVID pandemic. Next Avenue

Events

💐🌸Blooming botantical gardens, sunny days at the beach, eclectic festivals and more - there’s a lot to love about spring in New Jersey. Make the most of the season with these suggestions from www.visitnj.org.

Visit a vibrant botanical garden.

🌻🌿Spring is known for its gorgeous displays of floral beauty, so savor the seasonal splendor at one of New Jersey’s many gardens. Stroll the manicured paths winding between rose bushes at Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown. Admire the exquisite blooms at The Cross Estate Gardens in Bernardsville. Check out the heavenly horticultural collections on display in Colonial Park Gardens in Somerset. Or spend the day exploring the sprawling New Jersey Botanical Garden in Ringwood. Looking for more places to tiptoe through the tulips? Check out our complete list of gardens and arboretums.

Fly a kite on the beach.

🪁Take advantage of springtime’s brisk breezes and launch your colorful kite to soar high above the shoreline. At Point Pleasant Beach, you can enjoy a pristine stretch of sand and then make the scene at the family-friendly boardwalk for a bite to eat and a bit of fun. At Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, fly your kite on the quiet beach in view of the historic Barnegat Lighthouse for an Insta-worthy photo. Prefer to watch the pros show off their kite skills? On May 24 – 27, 2024, don’t miss the Wildwoods International Kite Festival. Or find a new favorite beach to go fly a kite right here.

Meet adorable animals at a local farm.

🐑🍼Delight in the fresh air, wholesome activities and super-cute animals at farms throughout the Garden State. Alstede Farms in Chester welcomes visitors to meet and feed their horses, goats, donkeys, sheep, cows, rabbits and more. Don’t forget to feed yourself too – their farm store dishes out the most decadent homemade ice cream. At Hidden Spring Lavender & Alpacas, you can even take a fluffy-faced, friendly alpaca for a walk! Digging for more fun down on the farm? Check out all of the places to visit here.

Watch the springtime bird migration.

🐦🌍With its abundance of parks and nature preserves along the coast, New Jersey is a hotspot for observing nesting and migratory birds, especially in the spring. Swoop into Cape May, where the abundance of habitats – including swamps, marshes, grasslands and forests – make it a prime birding location. Bring your binoculars and focus on all the reasons why this is such a natural venue for the World Series of Birding competition on May 11, 2024. Then take wing to even more birding spots in New Jersey this spring.

Go for a bike ride.

🚲🌳Whether you rent a bike or bring your own, you’ll fall in love with the pleasant temperatures and picture-worthy scenery from two wheels. Take in shoreline views from the Sandy Hook Multi-Use Path along the Sandy Hook peninsula. Pedal around Duke Island Park in Bridgewater. Embark on a woodsy ride beside cranberry bogs on the Pine Barrens River Ramble. Or gear up and find even more bike paths to navigate this spring.

Dine alfresco.

🍽️🌿Get your meal with a soul-nourishing side of stunning Garden State views. Our outdoor dining guide features a comprehensive list of restaurants and eateries all around New Jersey with deck, patio and rooftop seating overlooking beaches, lakes, mountains and more lush landscapes as well as slick city skylines. 

Take ‘em out to the ball game.

⚾🏟️New Jersey’s Minor League Baseball teams include the BlueClaws (a Philadelphia Phillies affiliate) at ShoreTown Ballpark in Lakewood and the Somerset Patriots (a New York Yankees affiliate) at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater Township. You can also catch the Trenton Thunder (currently a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League) at Trenton Thunder Ballpark in Trenton. Farther north, you can slide into Frontier League games, including the Sussex County Miners at Skylands Stadium in Augusta or the New Jersey Jackals at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson. These fun, budget-friendly games are perfect for a family outing where you can root-root-root for the home team.

🥾🌲Explore nature on a scenic hiking trail.

At High Point State Park in Sussex, breathtaking views from the tallest elevation in New Jersey await atop the Monument Trail, which intersects part of the world-famous Appalachian Trail before continuing to the summit. Immerse yourself in soothing green spaces strolling Spruce Run Recreation Area in Clinton. For a little bit of history with your hike, follow the Watchung Reservation History Trail in Union County, which includes some unusual sites to see – watch for the Deserted Village of Feltville, a copper mine and more. For a full list of hiking trails crisscrossing the entire state, click here.

Today’s birthdays

🎂🎈Celebrating her 92nd birthday today is Patricia Wilson of Manahawkin. Cheers to another fantastic trip around the sun! 🌞🌟🎊 Other notable figures sharing a birthday with Patricia are actor Lee Majors, 85; actor Joyce DeWitt, 75, filmmaker Michael Moore, 70, and actor Valerie Bertinelli, 64.

Want to have your birthday listed here? Refer a friend to the newsletter and receive a free birthday wish. Refer 20 friends and receive a free “Better With Age New Jersey” t-shirt. Copy and paste this link to share: https://betterwithagenj-newsletter-b594a7.beehiiv.com/subscribe 

Quote for today

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." - Mark Twain

Today’s highlight in history

📜🕰️On April 23, 2005, the recently-created video sharing website called YouTube uploads its first clip, “Meet Me at the Zoo,” which showed YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim standing in front of the elephant enclosure at the San Diego Zoo.

❣️Thanks for reading!

👂💬You share. We listen. Send us your feedback at [email protected]

📖👀First time reading? Sign up here. It’s free!

📷Send us your vintage photos of New Jersey. We’d love to share them in this newsletter with our readers!