a walk in the woods and a taste of italy

(Right): Saturday's trail in Hartshorne Woods. (Left):
Sunday's wine barrels from Hopewell Valley Vineyards.

I had the most wonderful weekend ever. Saturday I embarked on an (almost) ten mile hike in Hartshorne Woods, which is part of the Monmouth County Park System. A few of the trailheads are located a little more than a mile from our house. Just to be crystal clear: I WALKED TO THE TRAILHEAD AND WENT HIKING FOR THE DAY! It was amazing. I have never lived in walking distance to a trailhead. I have lived places where I walked to woods with no trails, or had the option to ride my bike a few miles to a trailhead, but never walked. What makes me laugh is I finally have this perk in life and I live in New Jersey, not Colorado or Vermont or Massachusetts anymore. Ha! Click here to learn more about Hartshorne Woods, and while you're there take a peek at the trail map.

Sunday my husband and I had a date/field trip day. We ventured to a winery called Hopewell Valley Vineyards in a little town called Pennington, located in the south western part of the state. I learned about their Jazzy Sunday events from my Edible New Jersey monthly emails. Admission was free and they offer wine tastings, wine by the glass, and wine by the bottle. We did a tasting and purchased a glass of one of our favorites, as well as a bottle for (most likely) a steak dinner we cook at home. Our favorite wines were the Barbera (glasses) and the Rosso della Valle (bottle). There was smooth, live jazz playing in the background for the duration of our visit. It was adorable and such a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Click here to learn more about Hopewell Valley Vineyards.