Saturday morning, as my wife and I ate breakfast, she handed me a blue folder and said, “Surprise!” I am not a morning person, so I needed a moment to process what I had been given. “Tim’s Saturday Birthday Trip!” was emblazoned on the outside of the folder. Within were six envelopes, each with a different destination. My wife had given me a great present: a day-long road trip. The rules were simple: get in the car, open an envelope, and proceed to the destination listed within. Once we had arrived at our destination, I was allowed to open the next envelope and discover our next stop.
This post will be a little different than my other writings. Today, there will be no historical overview and no lengthy introduction. Rather, I hope to capture in my writing the same sense of adventure that I experienced today. Without further adieu… let’s begin:
Envelope 1: The Clean Plate Kitchen
Envelope 2: Downtown Clinton, NJ
Envelope 3: Mount Salem Vineyards
Envelope 4: Beneduce Vineyards
Envelope 5: Duke Farms
Envelope 6: Yestercades
I hope you enjoyed following along with the fun adventure that my wife created for my birthday weekend, exploring a section of New Jersey that I had never visited before today. Through six envelopes, I was able to enjoy delicious food, walk around a historic town, enjoy two wine tastings, explore a country estate, and play 80’s video games until my heart was content. If you choose to visit any of these places, you should know that it can be a very affordable way to spend a day. A wine tasting at Beneduce is $5 for 5 wines. Duke Farms is completely free of charge to the public. Yestercades charges $8 for an hour of as many 80’s video games as you can possibly play. If you are visiting New Jersey, grab a map, lace up your hiking shoes, cleanse your palette, and set off for this very cool section of my home state.
Thanks for coming along on another journey down the open road ahead!
This is a true treasure hunt, and a most delightful read! I believe I could have walked around the grounds of the vineyard for hours (or run); the shades of green are so very enticing. Your wife is a clever woman! This is an excellent idea for a birthday gift for someone who is dear, and she obviously knows you well and did all her research beforehand. Five stars!
Thanks, Tia! Yes, it was a wonderful trip, and my wife did a great job planning it. The vineyard grounds were terrific, and full of great views (especially since they were both at higher elevations than much of the surrounding countryside). Glad you enjoyed it!
Seriously, best birthday idea ever. How awesome is that! Love the flower pics from Duke Farms, and both wine-tasting experiences looked exquisite (that meat & cheese board caught my eye, yum). Yestercade is a blast from the past. Hope you had a great b-day – it definitely sounds like a winner!!
Thanks Tyson! Yeah, I was surprised by the road trip, and each stop was terrific. We only saw about 10% of Duke Farms- definitely need to make a return trip. And Yestercade was simply terrific.
Such a thoughtful birthday present for you!! I loved reading about it since I spent all day wondering what was in those envelopes.
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Thanks, Jill! Glad you enjoyed the post (and satiating your curiosity).
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This is a true treasure hunt, and a most delightful read! I believe I could have walked around the grounds of the vineyard for hours (or run); the shades of green are so very enticing. Your wife is a clever woman! This is an excellent idea for a birthday gift for someone who is dear, and she obviously knows you well and did all her research beforehand. Five stars!
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Thanks, Tia! Yes, it was a wonderful trip, and my wife did a great job planning it. The vineyard grounds were terrific, and full of great views (especially since they were both at higher elevations than much of the surrounding countryside). Glad you enjoyed it!
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Seriously, best birthday idea ever. How awesome is that! Love the flower pics from Duke Farms, and both wine-tasting experiences looked exquisite (that meat & cheese board caught my eye, yum). Yestercade is a blast from the past. Hope you had a great b-day – it definitely sounds like a winner!!
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Thanks Tyson! Yeah, I was surprised by the road trip, and each stop was terrific. We only saw about 10% of Duke Farms- definitely need to make a return trip. And Yestercade was simply terrific.
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Wow-what a thoughtful birthday gift! Great scenery, great wine, and an 80’s themed arcade? You can’t go wrong. Great post!
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Yes, it was a great trip! Thanks for reading!
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What a fantastic idea for a gift! The orchid photos were beautiful!
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Thanks Lynn!
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