High above the snowy back roads and frosted treetops of Vernon, the relatively new Grand Cascades Lodge (www.crystalgolfresort.com/content/categories.asp?sid=13&cid=169) has everything a luxury hotel should include with one exception; an overflow of guests. On a recent visit, there appeared to be very few stay-caters.
Could be the Lodge has been stung by the recession. Or maybe-- you just haven’t heard that this huge Aspen-like structure even exists.
If you’ve got a few dollars stashed for an out-of-town vacation, you might consider a closer to home extended weekend. There are some excellent discounts and weekend packages available.
Skiers will be heading next door to Mountain Creek (www.mountaincreek.com ), and the cold weather has helped make this a great season. Indoor snow bunnies can remain toasty by the fire in the hotel’s lobby, with broad wood beams and natural stones framing the impressive setting.
Down the very long hall, (everything here is faaaaaaaaaaaar apart) you can dine at the wine lover’s amazing Restaurant Latour – Here’s our take on the place; www.njmyway.com/content/view/132/69, written before the hotel opened.
There’s a cool rainforesty pool embedded deep in the basement of the hotel which will no doubt help stimulate that rosy glow, after a day in winter sunshine. And there’s a first class spa in the nearby Minerals Resort, which is part of the same giant playground.
We confess, we didn’t get a first-hand look at any of the rooms at the lodge, but we’ve been told by reliable sources that they are as pictured on the website—and they’re an improvement on the basic family-friendly accommodations at Minerals.
If you go, let us know, and we’ll pass along your findings. From what we can tell, the Grand Cascades is a special hotel, and nothing we’ve seen up and down the state comes close. Now, if only the guests would arrive…
It’s also the beginning of our third year as publishers of NJ My Way, the only free, daily, subscriber based e-newsletter that gives you the inside scoop on everything En Jay.
There’s plenty to look forward to this year on our side of the rivers—assuming these planned openings and happenings stay on track-- literally.
They call it Aces… (www.acestrain.com)to us it’s another Gambler’s Express. But to the ailing casinos it’s a lifeline that will help make them the winner. This new weekend train service direct to Atlantic City launches in February. The train originates in New York City and stops in Newark. Tickets start at $50 one-way for a coach seat.
This year’s biggest opening might be Xanadu, (www.meadowlandsxanadu.com) the 4.8 million square foot behemoth mall and “entertainment destination” in the Meadowlands. In November developers cited construction complexities, (the huge space features an indoor snow dome and aquarium) and delayed opening the 2 billion dollar complex to mid-summer, 2009. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, hard core shop-aholics can get their ultimate fix at Nordstrom Rack, in the new Bergen Town Center (www.bergentowncenter.com) scheduled to open sometime this Spring. For the un-enlightened, this is Nordstrom’s super chic and cheap sister outlet, the first to open in En Jay. Also in late March, the Cherry Hill Mall welcomes a brand new Nordstrom store. (www.nordstrom.com)
The Prudential Center (www.prucenter.com) takes center stage when it hosts Britney Spears “Circus Tour” in March. As of now, some tickets in the stratospheric $500+ remain, but likely not for long.
We’re also keeping an eye on Hoboken’s trendy W Hotel, (www.hobokenhotelandresidences.com) which opens in April-- the buzz about this 25 story hotel and luxury residence is that it has it all; great views, a hot restaurant, lux spa, and a lobby/bar called the living room where you can hang out and drink it all in.
Lots more ahead 2009-- And whatever happens, we’ve got you covered!
Get in the spirit this weekend, by rocking for a cause, or checking out some cool rocker bling!
Grammy nominee James Otto headlines the big benefit for brain cancer at Asbury’s Paramount Theatre this Sunday. Here’s the link: http://theasburyparkboardwalk.com/news/33/.
All of the proceeds go to the Monmouth Medical Center’s David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center.
Go retro-clothing shopping for another good cause at Backward Glances in Red Bank (www.backwardglances.com). If you pick up an iconic J&M music store tee shirt for someone special, all the profits go to the New Orleans Musician’s Clinic. The clinic gives valuable help—health care, counseling, other services-- to that city’s hurting musicians.
Staying in Red Bank, all of the red hot King Baby rocker-type jewelry (www.kingbabystudio.com) at Glen Goldbaum 72 (www.gleng72.com) is 20% off, thru January 1st. The exclusive line is only available elsewhere in the state at Neiman Marcus.
Want to sit with Santa, or shop the outlets? Head to the discount stores in Flemington (http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/sales.asp?id=13) over the weekend, and let the jolly bearded guy help you check your gift list.
The folks at George Street Playhouse (www.GSPonline.org) are hosting a special Holiday Cabaret this weekend, featuring the talents of Tony nominees Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde) and Sally Mayes (She Loves Me).
Learn the fine art of mixing great drinks with a mixology tutorial and tastingtonight at Palmer’s Crossing Restaurant in Tenafly. (www.palmerscrossingrestaurant.com). Call 201-871-3200 to register.
Our friends at NJPAC (www.njpac.org) are hosting an afternoon of Kwanzaa activities free… the dance and storytelling workshops, arts and craftsand much more get underway Saturday at noon.
Guitarist Jose Feliciano brings his Grammy award-winning style to North Branch on Saturday, with a holiday performance at The Theatre at RVCC (www.rvccarts.org).
Know of a great weekend event in your town? Click on the Write The Editor link below, and let us know!
In a state where gastronomy is a cherished science, there is no perfect way to pick the absolute best – so we’ll revisit some of our favorites and let you be the judge…
We wrote about New Brunswick’sRuby Wesley and how she used her grandmother’s secret cheesecake recipe, creamy and decadent, to launch a fabulous web-based business. (www.atasteofrubies.com). Ruby is offering our readers a chance to save 10% on holiday orders—just use the code “ njmyway10” when you place your on-line order.
The original article is at www.njmyway.com/content/view/510/69/
We took you to Magma Pizza (www.njmyway.com/content/view/487/69/) near Princeton, where the giant volcano shaped pizza oven (one of its kind, as far as we know) superheats thin crusted pizza into a sublime experience, even by tough Jersey standards.
Speaking of pies, you’ve got to stop by The Pie Store in Montclair for a turkey stuffing pie this holiday season. (www.njmyway.com/content/view/506/69/) There are plenty of dessert pies on the menu too.
If you crave seafood, especially in cold weather, read our wrap-up of the best places to take out or eat in: www.njmyway.com/content/view/382/80/
Make a reservation for one of the private rooms, and bring your entire extended family to Hunan Taste (www.hunantaste.com/) in Denville, for some of the best and most versatile Chinese food ever. It’s pricey, so you’ll want to think special occasion.
When we think of our favorite chocolate experiences --and there are many-- Diane Pinder’s Donna & Company (www.shopdonna.com) in Cranford gets our top vote for combining so many unusual flavors. Plus, Pinder’s sales benefit the Fisher House (www.fisherhouse.org) charity, which provides housing for military families near the hospitals treating their loved ones. (www.njmyway.com/content/view/462/69/)
This is just a sampler of where we’ve been, and what we’ve written about. You can linger over our other entrees at www.njmyway.com, just click on the “food” and “restaurants” tabs on the left side of our page. As always, bon appetit!
If you’ve got a little Van Gogh on your holiday gift list, we know where you can go to prime his or her paint.
A loyal reader told us about Jerry’s Artist Outlet (www.jerrysartistoutlet.com) in West Orange—and it may be the best thing that ever happened to the artist in all of us.
This is one of three Jerry’s in existence, and the only one in the state.
This store is tucked into the Essex Green Shopping Plaza. It’s narrow in front, but so deep you’ll feel a little like Alice in a rabbit hole of sketch pads, paints, picture frames, and paint-by-numbers. You’ll wander and wonder at this amazing collection of whatever you’d need to express yourself on paper, canvas, or the side of your house.
There are some serious paints, print making supplies, and ready-to-mold sculpture busts. There are easels for toddlers, teens, and adult recreational painters. You can get your work framed, or you can select from hundreds of ready-made frames.
Jerry’s is swimming in do-it-yourself projects for kid’s parties, and plenty of those last minute gifts. It also had the biggest paint boxes we’d ever seen (33 magic markers, 36 pastel oil crayons, dozens of colored pencils, three water color kits). The price was reduced from $39.95 to $14.99. The case is so large a little artist will need a wagon to tote it around.
“Do you have to have any artistic ability to use this?” We overheard this from one woman customer holding up one of the multitude of project kits.
“None,” replied a helpful employee. “You just have to have imagination.”
It’s a sensitive topic, but not totally insurmountable. Is all the bad news taking the swash out of your buckle, the steam out of your engine?
The folks that promote events, places, and ideas sent us some suggestions to combat this predictable fallout from all the clouds of economic doom and gloom.
Our friends at Mindful Living ( www.mindfullivingnj.com) think you should sign up for a group session with a well known marriage and family therapist. Psychotherapist and media commentator Esther Perel is going to try and "fix your relationship in a day."
On January 18, at Seton Hall University in South Orange, Perel is offering a workshop on keeping intimacy alive despite the anxiety of times. The cost is $175 per person, which is less than the average session with a shrink. You can get more information on the Mindful Living workshop or at www.etouches.com/estherperel.
Maybe comedy is the cure?
Go see the New Jersey Repertory Company’s (www.njrep.org) new musical production of Cupid and Psyche, a comic tale of ancient forbidden love.
The comedy is “set on a modernish Mount Olympus where gods participate in such daily activities as wet toga contests, fawn tossing, and centaur races…” The show is playing now through January 18th at their theatre in Long Branch. You can spend New Year’s Eve at the play, and attend a party afterwards.
Finally, there’s the ultimate escape.
Give your out-of-town guests your house and your kids, and stay close to home in a luxury hotel, where an indoor pool, a spa, and great room can help put some sizzle back in your steak—so to speak.
The luxury Westminster Hotel in Livingston (www.westminsterhotel.net) has all of the above and special holiday room rates for under $100. You’ll have the maid service, instead of waiting on them hand and foot.
One of the above should help cure what ails you. Don’t forget to keep the mistletoe handy!
In November developers cited construction complexities, (the huge space features an indoor snow dome and aquarium) and delayed opening the 2 billion dollar complex to mid-summer, 2009. Stay tuned. 
