Things to do Places to go

Bay Day at Bivalve is coming up, June 1st.  I used to volunteer giving tours of the museum at Bivalve and I can promise you it is a fascinating place with a relevent history and dedicated volunteers.  On Bay Day there is music, food, and many kinds of activities including a 'wetlands' lecture/tour on the boardwalk bird watch, very short distance but packed with interesting facts.
Parking can be a problem on Bay Day as it is rightfully popular and there are provisions for that.  You can park in a lot in town, Port Norris, and there are shuttles to take you to Bivalve, or you can get there early (it officially starts around noon, I think) and park down at Bivalve, but it might be closed to traffic other than volunteers that day, so consider parking at Port Norris.  You may even wish to hike down there from Port Norris, not far, probably not a mile (which for the average walker is about 20 minutes).  For more info, here is the web site.  You can also google it at Bayshore Discovery Project:
http://www.ajmeerwald.org/

Also on June 1st there is a big "do" at the Indian King Tavern, another place I used to volunteer and that I highly recommend.  Here is a quote from the e-mail:
The British will be making themselves comfortable at the Indian King Tavern, while the Continentals will find themselves camped out at the Historic Society of Haddonfield.

 At approximately 1P.M., the two groups shall meet for a skirmish right on Kings Highway in front of the Indian King Tavern.

(One block of Kings Highway will be shut down to traffic for this.)

 The British will be making themselves comfortable at the Indian King Tavern, while the Continentals will find themselves camped out at the Historic Society of Haddonfield.

 At approximately 1P.M., the two groups shall meet for a skirmish right on Kings Highway in front of the Indian King Tavern.

(One block of Kings Highway will be shut down to traffic for this.)

 

James and Ann Whittall House at Red Bank Battlefield is open for tours again.  We had our first open house "Field Day" last Sunday and there is a new tour theme around the Yellow Fever, so if you've visited before, please go back for another visit.  You can finally see the upstairs as well as one of the rooms is now fitted out to the the new theme and open for visitors - a first!

 

Yesterday, two friends and I visited Estell Manor for a hike and we stopped to consider the flags in the veterans cemetery there.  So many young men  gave up their lives to keep our nation free.......I stopped to think about the meaning of that phrase "gave up their lives" literally, they gave up their adulthood, their chance to marry, have children, buy a house, plant a garden, make a career, travel the endlessly adventurous road from youth to old age.  How sad and how grateful we should be, so this Memorial Day, take a moment to give them a respectful consideration, or if you are so inclined a prayer.  Naturally on Memorial Day, I think of my dad who died two years ago this month and who served in World War II.  He was in the navy on troop transports and despite their high casualty average, he survivied to the venerable age of 89 and left five adult children behind and eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.  The last book he was reading before he died was "The Battle of Tassaferonga" which he had seen first hand.  Another sad thought is how soon the last WWII vets will all be gone.  Most will be in their nineties now.

 

If you go into the woods, spray WELL!  I had three ticks on my legs when I left Estell Manor and I had sprayed my shoes but I had on khaki pants that were wide  at the ankle and short socks.  My friends wisely wore long socks and tucked their pants into them before they sprayed.  That is precisely what I will do in the future, and, I will get a blood test at the end of summer as usual to make sure I didn't get Lynes Disease, which I have been spared so far. 

 

If you like astronomy there is a SKYWATCH on Sat. June 15th at Estell Manor Park Nature Center from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m.

 

And Whitall House has field days third Sunday of the month, so there will be another in June if you missed May or wish to return. 

 

Today I'm off to Bordentown to walk the Main street and visit the quaint shops and have lunch.  I'll let you know what I learn there about interesting things to do and places to go in historic South Jersey.

Happy Trails To You!  Jo Ann