TURTLEBACK, IRONBOUND AND COCO BEANS

I know, I know, by the name of this post, you may be thinking, what is she talking about?  Well, as I said on Friday, today's post is going to be about some fun activities to do with kids in New Jersey and a new restaurant we checked out in the Ironbound section of Newark.  The first place I want to tell you about is the Turtleback Zoo in West Orange.  

I mean, seriously, this zoo is a pretty good size, has a lot of animal exhibits, and the best part is many of the animals are outside behind invisible fences (just like the San Diego Zoo), so you can get very close to them.  We went a couple of weekends ago, not really having high expectations, but we figured why not check out a new place with the kids- and we were so glad we did!  Unfortunately, it was really freezing the day we went so we quickly checked out as much as we could, but said we'll definitely go back when the weather gets warmer.  We saw a ton of animals- everything from a red panda, to lions and leopards, to wolves, lamas, horses, you name it!  

 Afterwards, we were hungry, and since we were close to Newark, we figured why not go to the Ironbound for some good Portuguese food.  I've blogged about the Ironbound before here and here, and even wrote about wanting to check out the place we went to eat called Fernandes Steak House...how funny is that?!? The ambiance was really nice inside, and most importantly, the steak and wine was great! 

The other place that is good for young kids is Coco Beans Play Cafe in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. Basically the concept is that it's a play area for kids with a cafe, and the adults can sip lattes, coffees and teas in the play area while the kids run around and have a good time.  How great is that?  Most places say "no food or drink on the play area floor," but this place essentially encourages it!  (Note: only adults can drink on the floor, no food, and all drinks come in cups with lids).  The place is clean, has lots to offer in terms of toys, a dress up area, classes ranging from yoga to zumba, and a lot more!  It reminds me of something you would find in California...I was very impressed!