Dinner, Drinks and Country Music at the Honky Tonk Saloon in Wildwood

The Honky Tonk Saloon in Wildwood, New Jersey is located at 3800 Boardwalk. It's a restaurant and bar combination, open year-round. They offer lunch, dinner, appetizers, beer, cocktails, etc. They have a medium size menu with a small offering of choices for the kids. 

You can easily get to the Honky Tonk Saloon while visiting the boardwalk...an easy walk. If you're driving, you'll have to look for a parking space. There's a lot right beside them but during the summer season you'll have to pay to park. Metter parking is located down both streets if you prefer that.

This saloon does offer live entertainment, so you'll need to check their website and/or social media feeds for up-to-date entertainment information. When there's not live music...they play country music during your dinning experience. At the back of the saloon you'll find video games that the entire family can enjoy (you pay of course!).

We went early in the evening for dinner one night to avoid the crowds (it was a weekend). We were seated immediately and handed a menu. The wait staff got our drinks a few minutes later. On the menu you'll find hot and cold foods. I ordered the chicken planks with waffles. My wife ordered their baked mac and cheese while my sister ordered a chicken wrap. 

They were semi-busy when we were there so it did take 45 minutes to recieve our food. They give you generously sized portions. Hot food was hot and the cold food was cold. Our waitress was attentive to getting us refills on our drinks. Regarding the taste...I thought my chicken and waffles meal was very good. However, my wife thought the mac and cheese was overly-cheesy. She said she couldn't tell if there were any macaroni in it. My sister enjoyed the wrap.

Like most restaraunts down at the shore they're moderately priced. Their alcohol beverages are pricey as expected, so we limited ourselves to just two per person. The 3 of us were able to dine there and have our drinks for around $110.00. If you're looking for an inexpensive and quick meal...this wouldn't be the place for you. Like I said, moderately priced.

You can visit the Honky Tonk Saloon website to learn more about them and to check out their menu offerings. You can connect with them on Facebook. 

National Woodies Car Show in Wildwood, New Jersey

During Trog - The Race of Gentlemen event held in Wildwood, New Jersey back in late September... We had the opportunity to check out several of the old woodies who were in town for the event. These oldies are part of the National Woodie Club. If you've never seen them before...you're really missing out!

On a Saturday they parked them up on the Wildwood boardwalk. We had pouring down rain that day but it didn't stop the thousands of visitors who stopped by to see them. While it was rainy and chilly...we had a great time going up onto the boardwalk to check them out. 

I admit, I had a hard time getting nice photographs of them due to the rain, so I apologize in advance for not having the best photos from the event. It was 100% FREE to go check out all of the woodies up on the boardwalk. A nice family-friendly activity to enjoy while down at the shore.

Usually I go out on the beach for the TROG event but due to the weather, I skipped the beach events that day. Wow...I'm so glad I skipped them because this was the first time I was able to check out the Woodies up close and personal. These cars are amazing to see! 

If you would like to learn more about the National Woodie Club you can visit their website. There's an Events & Calendar section on the website that you can check out to find an event located near you. You can follow them over on Facebook too!

James Lick Historical Marker in Lebanon County

For the past 20 years we've been seeking out historical markers across the country on every road trip that we take. Why? You can learn about the history of the area that you don't find in your typical history books while in school. A lot of states have official historical marker trails that you can find on their website to help you get started. 

While passing through Lebanon County, Pennsylvania we came upon the James Lick historical marker. Here's what it says.

James Lick

The California financier and philanthropist, donor of the Lick Observatory, was born in Fredericksburg, August 21st, 1796. The Lick family monuments may be seen in the local cemetery.

You'll find the James Lick historical marker located in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania in Lebanon County. It's at the intersection of the William Penn Highway (US 22) and Pine Grove Street. 

We were able to easily pull off to the side of the road to temporarily park. We like to photograph historical markers so that once we return from a trip...we can hop online to do additional research. Others like to photograph them for their personal waymarking records.

Check out the historical markers section on our travel blog to see more fun markers that we've located during our travels.

The Charlotte–Genesee Lighthouse in Rochester, New York

The Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse is located in northern Rochester, New York. It's located along Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Genesee River. It stands 40 feet tall and is made out of stone...in the classic octagonal shape. 

It was built in 1822 and added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1974. The lighthouse is part of the Seaway Trail, a National Scenice Byway. It's open to the public and is still an active lighthouse. It's currently owned by Monroe County and managed as a museum by a non-profit group. 

Hours of operation: It's open from May 1st through November 1st for tours. During the off-season you need to call them to schedule your visit. The last tour starts at 4:15 pm EST daily. Throughout the year they do host various events. Check their website for the schedule. 

They charge a reasonable fee to enter the lighthouse and take a tour. You can climb the tower to get a view of the surrounding area. They recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes because you'll be doing a decent amount of walking and if you choose to climb the tower...you'll be taking the stairs.

The Lighthouse Keeper's House is the museum which is housed on the first floor. The second floor is a private residence. You can walk around the outside grounds for free year-round. You can learn more about the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse by visiting their website online. 

A Family Visit to the Cape May County Zoo

The Cape May County Zoo is located in Cape May Court House, New Jersey. It's a free to visit zoo, although they do ask you to make a cash donation at the gate. We typically drop $20 in the donation bucket. You can ask for a free paper map at the entrance to the zoo. This map will help you navigate since it's large in size. 

Open year round the zoo attracts locals and visitors to the south Jersey Shore. It's approximately a 10-13 minute drive from Wildwood and a 20 minute drive from Cape May. They can get extremely crowded during the summer season and on weekends. If you want to avoid the crowds...try visiting during the off-season or early in the day.

You'll want to dress appropriately for the current weather conditions. Apply sunscreen and bug spray before you enter the zoo. Baby strollers, wheelchairs, cameras, etc. are allowed. You can "rent for a fee" strollers and wheelchairs from the gift shop located near the entrance to the zoo. 

Once you enter the zoo you'll find all kinds of different animals on exhibit. There's a small petting zoo near the entrance where kids can feed and pet barnyard animals like goats and cows. There's a hand sanitizing station located nearby that the kids can use afterwards.

As you go throughout the zoo you'll noticed paved and boardwalk walking paths. If you're disabled, they're easy to navigate and use. There are park benches along the way that you can sit down on as needed.

There are 2 sections in the zoo where you can purchase lunch, snacks and beverages. There's tables nearby. They serve your typical "zoo-type" of food fare: burgers, hot dogs, french fries, soft pretzels, pizza etc. all of which are moderately priced. You're not permitted to bring your own food into the zoo. However, there are picnic tables and covered pavillions around the zoo perimeter that you can use if you're bringing along your own food. 

When visiting the exhibits you want to keep your hands to yourself. In other words, don't be reaching in to try to pet animals unless you're in the petting zoo area. Don't toss things into an animals exhibit. Don't bang on the glass windows of enclosures, etc. Make sure you talk to your children about these rules too.

If the kids are looking to burn off some energy there are very large playgrounds located near the entrance to the zoo and between the parking areas. The playgrounds are free to use. However, your children need to be accompanied by a responsible adult. There's playground equipment that suitable for different age groups.

We go down to North Wildwood in New Jersey several times a year. Our grandchildren always look forward to our visits to the Cape May County Zoo. Every time we go we tend to see something new! It's one of the nicest zoos on the east coast and we highly recommend that you go! 

Coast Guard Station Hereford - Aide to Navigation Maritime History

When we travel we enjoy learning about the history on the local area and community. We often will seek out the historical sites, memorials and markers to learn everything that we can. While on a trip down to North Wildwood in New Jersey we visited the Coast Guard Station Hereford. This historical site was an important aide in navigation and is part of Cape May County's maritime history.

The building sits right beside the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse. You can park in the little parking lot located right in front of the lighthouse for free. In the lighthouse's parking lot is where you'll actually find the official historical marker on the Coast Guard Station Hereford. You'll want to read all of that information before you walk over to take a look at the actual building.

In 1849 the original Life-Saving Station provided assistance to stranded steamers and coal traders using the coastal waterways. It was moved further inland in 1882 when erosion threatened to cause its demise. Not long afterwards, in 1888, a new structure was built adjoining the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse - Anglesea that marked the entrance to the inlet. 

In 1938, the Works Progress Administration funded the construction of a new building for the Coast Guard. The station was closed for a time in 1964, but later reopened by the New Jersey Martime Police. 

The Life-saving stations along the Jersey Shore were not much more than shacks stocked with equipment to be used by volunteers for salvaging property and saving lives in the late 1800s. By the turn of the centery, the Life-Saving Service had grown to an organization of fully staffed stations on both the east and west coasts as well as the Crest Lakes. By 1915, approximately 178,000 shipwrecked people owed their lives and heroic rescues to those who staffed them. 

You can learn more about the Coast Guard Station Hereford by visiting the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse in North Wildwood, New Jersey. 

West Shore Theater Wall Mural by Artist ARCY in New Cumberland

The West Shore Theater is located on 317 Bridge Street in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. This historic theater serves as a movie theater and music venue with 200 intimate seats. Unlike a lot of the other theaters and venues in the south central Pennsylvania area...this one offers affordable family entertainment. It offers big-time entertainment with small town charm.

On the outside of the theater building you'll see a large wall mural that celebrates music, cinema and theater. It was painted in 2024 by the artist ARCY. He painted it in his traditional paint-splash style. It's very vibrant and colorful.  Take a good look at it and you'll see items that honor music and movies. 

If you're going to be visiting the West Shore Theater to see a movie or a band play music...make sure you walk around to the side of the building to check out the stunning wall mural. We're huge fans of outdoor street art and wall murals...this one is a real winner! Absolutely fantastic!

The William Heritage Winery in Mullica Hill

The William Heritage Winery is a locally-owned and manage winery in Mullica Hill, New Jersey. If you're in south central Pennsylvania, it's about a 2 1/2 hour drive. If you're going to be visiting any of the south Jersey Shore points...the William Heritage Winery is definitely worth the stop.

William Heritage Winery has a tasting room that is open Monday through Saturday 12-9 pm and on Sunday 12-6 pm. There's indoor and outdoor seating with table-side wine tastings. Indoor seating can accommodate up to 4 guests. Outdoor seating can accommodate up to 6 guests per table. Outdoor seating can accommodate guests rain or shine! 

Can't make it down but still want to enjoy great wine? You can order online and/or join their Wine Club. They offer red, white, rose and Jersey wines. There's something for everyone to enjoy. There's a tasting room menu on their website that you can check out for the current offerings. 

You can order wine by the bottle, by the glass or participate in a wine tasting flight. Appetizers are available from their on-site kitchen.

Directions: They're located on route 322 Mullica Hill Road in New Jersey. They have a second location in downtown Haddonfield, New Jersey.

Website: https://heritagewinenj.com/

Please Note: They can get very busy, especially during summer weekends. Seating is on a first come, first serve basis. They don't accept reservations. 

Hassles Ice Cream Parlor in North Wildwood for Delicious Frozen Treats

Hassles Ice Cream Parlor is located in North Wildwood, New Jersey. If you're going to be visiting the south Jersey Shore...it's one of the best places you can go to get delicious frozen treats. Hassles now has 2 locations to serve their customers: 

Boardwalk Location: 

430 East 20th Street

Island Location:

2000 New Jersey Ave.

Website: https://www.hasslesicecream.com/

We visited their 20th street location while on a recent trip down to North Wildwood. You can easily walk to the ice cream parlor via the boardwalk or by driving and parking nearby. During the "tourist season" you'll have to pay for metered street parking. There's one handicap parking spot towards the boardwalk on 20th street but please...ONLY park in that spot if you're handicap and have your parking placard on display. Their New Jersey Ave. location has plenty of free parking available to customers.

Hassles in known for their award-winning Belgium waffles and has been proudly serving Richman's Ice Cream since 1985. There's over 45 ice cream flavors for you to choose from. You can order ice cream cones, ice cream in a dish, sundaes, milkshakes, banana splits, etc. On the day we visited...my wife got the Top Hat Sundae and I got the classic banana split. 

You can eat inside (if a table is available) or outside on the front patio. They don't have a LOT of space for eating there...so you may want to order take-out if they're really busy during the height of the summer tourist season. For additional information...you can visit the Hassles website online.

Mick's All American Pub in Harrisburg for Delicious Casual Dining

Mick's All American Pub is a casual dining restaurant located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They're a combination of a sports bar, grill and restaurant. You don't need reservations and free parking is located on the premises. They're open 7 days a week. Currently they have 5 locations throughout the Susquehanna Valley. 

They're a full-service and locally-owned pub that features a wide variety of menu items...including a small selection of items for the kids. They're family-friendly! 

Here's a few items you can find on the menu...not including seasonal favorites.

Cheesesteaks
Chicken Planks (Chicken Fingers)
Variety of Salads
Variety of Hot Soups
Crabcake Sliders
Tacos 
Quesadillas 
Burgers
Chicken Wings
Hot and Cold Sandwiches
Chicken Pot Pie
Crab Mac N Cheese
Classic Chicken Alfredo
Pub Meatloaf
Grilled Salmon
Fish & Chips
Variety of Different Appetizers
Plus More!!!

You can order a wide variety of different draft beers, cocktails and non-alcohol beverages to go along with your meal. 

We had a family get-together at Mick's All American Pub on Linglestown Road to celebrate a birthday. We were seated quickly and our waitress was very attentive to all of our needs. We had adults and older children in our dining party. 

Our orders took approximately 30-35 minutes to arrive onto the table. Everything was as-ordered, no errors. Hot food was hot and the cold food was cold. Everything presented well on the plate. In some of my photos you'll see chicken planks with french fries, crab bisque soup, a soft pretzel braid smothered in a delicious crab & cheese dip along with several plates of the classic chicken alfredo for the kids. Everything was delicious!

If you haven't tried Mick's All American Pub yet...we highly recommend you try them. To avoid crowds and their busier times...we did dine a little bit earlier around the 4pm EST hour. They weren't crowded or super-busy at all. 

Family Fun at Hassles Mini Golf in North Wildwood

When visiting Wildwood...a game of miniature golf is a great family activity. One of our favorite places to play is at Hassles Mini Golf in North Wildwood. You'll find them at the bottom of the 20th and 21st street boardwalk ramps. It's an 18-hole mini golf course with easy and challenging holes. You can easily get to it via the boardwalk or by parking nearby. 

Hassles Mini Golf 
430 East 20th Street
North Wildwood, N. J. 

Hours: Open Mother's Day weekend through the end of September. 9am to Midnight.

We like to go during the "off peak" hours...so late afternoon or very early evening during the weekdays, to avoid the in-season crowds. You'll want to wear comfortable clothing, apply sunscreen and you can bring along your own water bottle. 

The admission fee is affordable. Once you pay you'll be given golf clubs, balls and a score card to help you keep score along the way. 

Let's talk about the 18-holes mini golf course. It's laid out really nicely with plenty of room to move around. There are your classic 3-par holes and a few more challenging holes for you to enjoy. There's moving obstacles at some of the holes and there's a beautiful waterfall feature in the middle of the course. 

We've played at almost all of the miniature golf courses in Stone Harbor, Wildwood and Cape May...I have to admit that Hassles is one of my family's favorites. They keep everything well-maintained and in working condition. Extremely clean course! 

After your done playing minature golf you can walk over to the Hassles Ice Cream Parlour to enjoy  ice cream cones, sundaes, milkshakes, banana splits and other frozen confections. You can eat inside or outside in their patio seating area. They have all of your classic flavors of ice cream along with some unique ones for you to try. 

Treasures on Main Antiques Store in Hummelstown

Treasures on Main is an antiques store located at 22 E. Main Street in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania. The store offers a great shopping experience for those who are looking for antiques and collectibles. They keep the store extremely clean with items well-organized and priced. Unlike some other antique stores, this one is well-kept and offers a huge variety of different items.

On the day we went shopping at Treasures on Main we saw all kinds of cool things. Here's a partial list of some of the items we saw: pocket watches, vintage toys, furniture, old linens, pottery and glassware, jewelry, books, home decor accessories, collectibles, etc. A really nice variety of items! There's honestly something for everyone! 

Treasures on Main

22 E. Main Street
Hummelstown, Pennsylvania
717-563-5144

We were able to park out front of the store along Main Street, so parking was fairly easy. It's not far from the downtown Hummelstown Square. Regarding prices...we thought the majority of items were affordable to fairly priced. We definitely didn't feel like merchandise was over-priced at all. The store was extremely clean and the staff was helpful in any assistance that we needed.

After shopping you can head down to the Hummelstown Square and grab a bite to eat or check out some of the other locally-owned small businesses in the area. 

Gibson's Covered Bridge in Chester County, Pennsylvania

While on a road trip through Chester County in Pennsylvania we stumbled upon the historic Gibson's Covered Bridge that spans over the east branch of Brandywine Creek. It's officially known as Chester County Bridge #120 according to the information plaque located inside the bridge. 

It was built in 1872 and rehabilitated in 2003. It's a 98 foot long Burr Truss designed bridge. It is currently open to the public with one way traffic through it.  On the one side of the bridge there's a pull-off area that you can park in. The clearance is 9 foot tall according to the posted signage.

When walking inside the bridge you'll find a large information plaque that contains official information on it. There's a window built into the design where you can stand and look out at the Brandywine Creek that runs underneath it. Stay along the side of the bridge...there's not a lot of room inside there for pedestrians and a vehicle. 

Chester County once had 85 covered bridges in operation with the earliest being built in 1807. As of today, only 15 covered bridges remain in existence. The majority of them were built to facilitate transportation from local mills and agriculture farms to reach the towns and cities located nearby.

In 1980 the Gibson's Covered Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places.