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Travels with Laurie
A Home Educator's Travel Guide
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| © Laurie Block Spigel 2005-2008 |
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Go to Page Index
New suggestions regularly appear on this page for seasonal field trips in and around New York City. And there is always the option of armchair travel. Send us your favorite day trip to share with other families.
At the request of homeschooling parents, I have created short lists of summer camps and field trip resources. If you have any recommendations or comments to add, please email me.
Page Index
Seasonal Field Trips
 For the Birds!
Time for spring walks and bird watching! Take your science curriculum outdoors, along with binoculars if you have 'em, a trusty bird guide like Peterson's or the National Audubon Society's, a sketch pad or camera, snacks for the kids and (most importantly, because this is all you really need) your eyes and ears.
Then rent a car or get a friend who has one (if you don't) for this fabulous day-trip about 45 minutes from the George Washington Bridge. Take I-80 west, to I-278 towards Morristown, to exit 30A, North Maple Ave. Bear left onto South Maple, then turn left onto Lord Stirling Road. Pass an inviting nature center on your left and find the parking area (also on your left) for the Raptor Trust, with an educational center on one side and trails to the birds past the gazebo to your right. This is a bird hospital in the middle of the forest!
They are open every day of the year, FREE (suggested donation $2), and have self-guided tours with giveaway information sheets on owls, hawks, eagles, all kinds of raptors. This rescue organization takes injured birds, not just raptors, from all over the state of New Jersey and rehabilitates them to release back into the wild.
If we lived closer this is where my kids would be volunteering and interning for hands-on science. But just taking an annual walk through the ramshackle aviaries that dot the shady forest paths and cluster around the hospital building is an unforgettable experience. As you peer through the dim windows and allow your eyes to adjust to the light, suddenly you notice an enormous, dignified Golden Eagle perched above your head, or three tiny saw-whet owls huddled near the corner of the ceiling.
 If you have time afterwards, drive further along Stirling Forest Road and you will pass a turnoff to your left to another Nature Center for the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (both nature centers are well worth the visit), but keep going to the next intersection. Turn left and then left again quickly, into a parking lot with short trails to bird blinds in the Great Swamp Refuge. Even in early winter, when no birds seemed visible, I have seen an American Bittern fishing in the swamp, amidst hundreds of tiny frogs and turtles. In late fall I have spotted wild turkeys strolling through the woods.
Nearby, Morristown and Basking Ridge offer much history to explore. Signs that "Washington Slept Here" are everywhere. Old inns and taverns offer a variety of menus along with a historical dining experience. A local walking tour (check out the Morristown website) would make another great field trip, along with a visit to Morristown National Historical Park where Washington kept his winter headquarters.
Local Bird-watching
- Try the Ramble in Central Park (W. 79th St. entrance). At dawn or dusk the bird chorus is symphonic. At any time of day try closing your eyes for ten seconds, and see how many different bird songs you can count.
- In Brooklyn, Prospect Park's boathouse now houses the Audubon Center bird-watching program, with free guided tours on Saturdays.
- In the Bronx there is good birding near Orchard Beach. Park opposite the beach to see wading birds in the rowing basin, or walk the twin island trails at the north end of the lot, where wild pheasants roam. I've heard there are owls' nests along the road to the Bartow-Pell Mansion, a restored historic mansion just north of Orchard Beach/Pelham Park (turn right as you exit the beach parking lot, then take Shore Road at the next traffic circle, Bartow-Pell mansion is the next right).
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Garden Gambols
The first of May always brings garden blooms to mind, and fond childhood memories of visits to the magnificent cherry blossom esplanade in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. Located near the Japanese Garden, the cherry blossom collection boasts over 200 flowering trees, a grouping unmatched outside of Japan. The height of the blooms is usually around May first, and you can check their progress on-line with the CherryWatch Blossom Status Map. Then return in June for the rose garden!
Check out the Bloom Schedule for Central Park.
To see what's in bloom this week at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, visit their What's On Now page.
In Yonkers, the Lenoir Preserve, (914) 968-5851, open Wed - Sun, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., a beautiful 40-acre sanctuary, serves as the headquarters for the Hudson River Audubon Society, which maintains the butterfly and hummingbird garden . The Nature Center, in a turn-of-the-century carriage house, has a five-foot demonstration beehive with glass walls, a 55-gallon terrarium, taxidermic mounts, interactive quiz boards, and more. Educational programs can be reserved for groups. Located on Dudley St., off Broadway (Route 9) about 30 min. north of the city.
Teatown Lake Reservation is a rare wildflower reserve, with 470 acres and a 33-acre lake. Free (donations accepted) Raptor Education Programs are offered on weekends with live hawks, owls, and falcons. Other educational programs also available, call (914) 762-2912 for reservations. Trails are open daily dawn to dusk. Located in Ossining on Spring Valley Road. By car: I-87 North to I-287 East. Stay right for first exit. Turn left onto Rt. 119 East. At next light turn left onto Rt. 9A North. Take 9A to Rt. 134. East on 134 for 0.2 miles to Spring Valley Rd. Turn left and drive about one mile. At the fork, choose left to stay on Spring Valley Road. The Nature Center is just beyond the intersection on the right-hand side, parking just beyond buildings. Teatown is about an hour north of the city, and near the historic homes of Sunnyside, (914) 591-8763, and Philipsburg Manor Call (914) 631-8200 Monday through Friday or (914) 631-3992 on weekends.
Summer Camps
Camps for Homeschoolers
- Ananda Institute of Alternative Living. Summer camps in Nevada City, CA.
- Homeschool Camp at Timberline Ranch. A Horseback Riding School, in British Columbia, Canada.
- Homeschool Week at Frontier Camp, a Christian camp near Crockett, TX.
- Homeschool Week in august at the Maine Conservation School, Bryant Pond, ME.
- Hulbert Homeschool week-long camps, sponsored by the Aloha Foundation. Spring and fall in Fairlee, VT.
- Not Back to School Camp. created by Grace Llewellyn, author of the Teenage Liberation Handbook. An unschoolers summer camp with summer sessions in Oregon and one week in Vermont.
See their community website, run by campers, and this review from a 13-year-old camper:
"This place is probably the only worthwhile camp in this hemisphere. The other campers are guaranteed to be some of, if not THE coolest people you will ever meet, and the staffers end up being as much your friends as the other kids. It's loads of fun, too. There are workshops on whatever anybody is good at, led by the campers themselves. And come on, it's a camp with no schedule or bedtime! Definitely worth the trip."
- Popular Weasel Press: Summer Writing Camps & Workshops for homeschoolers and others.
- Teenager Homeschool Camp . At Overlook Farm in Rutland, MA, operated by Heifer.org, a charity fighting world hunger
- Woodcrest Retreat. A Christian homeschool camp in Ephrata, PA.
Family Camps
- Summer Family Weeks at Concordia Language Camps include Spanish in August at Wilder Retreat Center near St. Croix, MN, a family vacation to the Spanish-speaking world of El Lago del Bosque. Also available are Chinese, Finnish, German, or Swedish family weeks. Contact clv@cord.edu or call (800) 222-4750 for more information.
- EnCompass. In Nevada City, CA
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FIRE (Freedom-Inspired Real Education) Hands-on Family Camp. An unconventional homeschooling educational experience located in Otisville, MI.
- Family Homeschool Camp (scroll down the page). At Overlook Farm in Rutland, MA, operated by Heifer.org, a charity fighting world hunger.
- Fiddle Workshops and Camps. A great listing of fiddle camps all over America, and even including Scotland, Ireland and Canada.
- Homeschool Family Week. A Christian camp at Spruce Lake Retreat, near Canadensis, PA.
- Mount Hermon's Home School Family Camp. A Christian Outdoor Science School in Santa Cruz, CA.
- Music and Dance Camps run by the Country Dance and Song Society, at Pinewoods Camp in Buzzard's Bay, MA; Timber Ridge Camp in Highview, WV; and Ogontz Camp, in Lyman, NH. Family Week and Campers' Week are recommended. Lots of informal music-making, mostly folk music of various kinds.
- The Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, Thursday thru Sunday
July 13-16, 2006, on the Rothvoss Farm in Ancramdale NY, has a special Academy for Kids where kids get introduced to a variety of instruments (guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, etc.). Kids 12 and under are free with an adult ticket buyer. Registration starts 1 April and fills up fast.
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Immerse yourself in falconry at Talons! a Bird of Prey Experiencewith Lorrie Schumacher, master falconer, and her skilled young daughter Talon Skye. In Cazenovia, NY
Camps that Appeal to Homeschoolers
- Friday and Saturday nights in July and August, Family Camping in Alley Pond Park in Queens with the Urban Park Rangers is a wonderful get-away without actually being away. One parent's comments: I learned more about nature and the park in one camping trip than I did in my all years of going to the park everyday when I used to live right across the street from it. We saw all kinds of plants, and wildlife including raccoons, crayfish, and bats, went into a fort that was built for the War of 1812, walked the same trail that George Washington traveled, learned about how schist rock supports our skyscraper city because it's the hardest rock in the world, and about how the oldest structure in the park was built without mortar, yet still needs less maintenance than all other structures in the
park, and etc., etc... Plus, we had a lot of fun!
- The Suzuki Camp from Brooklyn College comes recommended by a homeschooler who has gone for two years: "The campus is beautiful, the kids have a lot of fun, the teachers are energetic, and it all ends with a party on the last day after the group concert.
- The A.R.E. (Association for Research and Enlightenment) is the Edgar Cayce Research Foundation in Virginia Beach, VA. (Edgar Cayce was a psychic healer.) They have an annual children's summer camp that offers a uniquely healthy and balanced experience . (The camp also has several adults-only weeks.) If your kids are interested in the educational seminars at the A.R.E. (one day to one week long), there is a special conference rate for young adults ages 16-22.
- Omega Teen Camp. Created and operated by the Omega Institute, a holistic learning center known for its classes and yoga retreats, this camp, located in Rhinebeck, NY, is certain to offer an unusual growth experience for teens. Omega Teen Camp (OTC)-- One parent’s review (whose daughter might have been the only homeschooler there): "Their philosophy is great, about helping kids to get comfortable with who they are, and helping them to value the differences in others. The counselors are terrific, a well-grounded, more mature crowd than you normally find at a summer camp. The activities are great and some are quite unusual (Thai massage, Sweat Lodge, Yoga, High Ropes climbing, and more). The kids have a choice in what they do. The food is healthy and tasty. My daughter’s only complaint was a bit too much "down" time with not enough to do for the arts-oriented crowd (there were balls around for the sports-minded). Her two weeks there were really wonderful. She needed time to be herself and reinforce just who she was, and she definitely got that, and more. The director, Adam Simon, says it's a camp to help teens build self-confidence.. What a great idea! Only in its third year last summer, they were almost at capacity -- clearly, Omega is on to something. For the alternative-minded, it's a summer camp well worth checking out."
- Space Camp, run by the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. A unique experience in Huntsville, AL.
- Summer Camps and Programs at Colleges in New York State. A great resource covering camps on everything from academics to sports to the arts.
- Usdan Arts Day Camp - Long Island, NY.
My youngest son followed his favorite tap dance teacher to this summer camp, and willingly took an endless bus trip back and forth every day. Both my boys loved their experiences here. You choose a major and a minor from dozens of creative classes, and chess (included because it attracts a lot of creative minds, and the kids love it). Daily group assembly is to attend a performance (one day by a famous alum , another day by a group of campers). There is a break between classes to swim or play recreational sports & games. They offer no food service (you bring your own) and there's a long bus trip back to NYC at the end of day (unless you're lucky enough to live in Long Island). Usdan was based on the well-known Interlochen Music Camp. Some scholarships are available for talented kids.
Field Trip Resourcess
See also Social Studies: Field Trip Ideas.
Armchair Travel
NYC is full of great things to do, but sometimes we pine to get away and can't. Or sometimes the heat, or cold, or wet, just keeps us indoors. Time for some armchair travel.
Dreaming of faraway places is a natural inclination, and good for the soul. Besides, it’s a great way to satisfy that geography and social studies requirement, and it's easy to add in reading, writing, and math too. Try clipping articles and ads from the newspaper's travel section and making a scrapbook, with personal comments, of favorite destinations or imagined travels. If you like, plan that future dream vacation now. Have your kids write letters of inquiry to the Chamber of Commerce in their destination state of choice, or to tourist bureaus of a specific state or country, and to AAA if you are members, and watch the kids receive tons of mail full of free maps and guidebooks.
An entire curriculum can be based on an imaginary trip, complete with itinerary, budget, monetary exchange rate, maps, and fictional travel diary, of either a real or imagined place. My son did this at age 12, creating a made-up place and a traveling companion who was his horse! He devised a complex currency exchange with an imaginary currency, and a travel itinerary that included a proposed budget and a fictional map. He then wrote a travel diary that listed everything he spent, and everything he bought or ate. I especially liked those dinners of oats he shared with his horse. The itinerary and diary mentioned several amazing tourist attractions (all from my son's imagination). Writing it, and reading it, was as much fun as travel could ever be.
Here's a page of Virtual Field Trips for Kids.
